Now with less gall! And more codeine!

So. I’m home. Back in bed with one less organ in my body. I feel a little sad about that organ, my little sack of bile who had been with me since the beginning. But, I daresay there is a lesson in this for all my organs. You mess up? You cause me pain? You’re not really necessary for day to day life body business? You be GONE. Listen out spleen and appendix. I’ve got my eyes on you.

The past week has been quite horrendous. A lot of pain. Needles galore. Bloods taken. Prodded and poked around. Stitched up. Gone under. Come out. I’m quite pleased that the whole ordeal is over and done with and we can get on with things. After a good rest that is. I am hopeless at rest, especially at home, but I am forcing myself to stay in bed. Read my book. Watch some TV and sleep some sleep.

The surgeon said that my gall bladder was inflamed, infected and had a large stone wedged in the entry of it with a nice collection inside as well. Nasty. I was very nervous about heading into surgery and found the whole going “under” thing very odd indeed. While I looked like a grown 34 year old woman I felt as scared as a 4 year old girl being wheeled into that big bright theatre with people in masks and gowns and weird head scarf things on. It’s amazing to me that there are just 4 tiny holes around my stomach where they wedged cameras and air and then pulled it out – keyhole surgery – what an amazing thing!

I was pleased with bed making skills of all the nurses who came and changed my bed each morning. In they would come, get me out and sit me in a chair while I watched them change the linen and fluff up the pillows. Standards were met so no commentary was required. And clean sheets every day? Yes please!

I wasn’t able to eat from Sunday afternoon until Tuesday. That almost broke my spirit but I was feeling so sick that I wouldn’t have wanted to eat anything anyway. They taunted me with the menus to fill out each day with delicious food, wine AND cheese platters and then put me on a “free fluid diet” which should be called “bullshit baby food diet” because it looked like this:

12 o clock you can see some yoghurt. 1 o clock green jelly, a hospital standard. 5 o clock ice cream that wasn’t ice cream but like that stuff that you get out of a dixie cup. Frozen but still warm at the same time. A phenomenon. 7 o clock is soup and in the middle there? Fuck knows. Custard with some strange fruit in it. Needless to say, I rolled the soup and juices. I’ve lost some weight.

Small people next to you in a hospital bed aids recover 125% quicker. She thought that control with the headset where you could listen to the TV like a phone was the bees knees. I liked hearing the sound of kids in a place filled with old people. I think they liked it too. My girls also won over all the nurses with their cuteness so they got biscuits and juices galore. As well as left over jelly, yoghurt and custard from me. They have put on some weight. And keep asking when I’m going back in.

It’s so good to be home. I’m so grateful that this whole ordeal with months and months of agonising pain for me is over. That this is the end {hopefully}. I am so lucky to have a husband that stopped everything and took over in such a capable way. Clothes were washed, dishwashers unpacked. Hair brushed. I love that man. I’m amazed at nurses and Doctors and all the amazing things that they do for people every single day. I still don’t understand how anaesthetic works and I’m not sure I want to know. I’m so pleased that hospital corners are still what they are meant to be, that wine is on offer for some people stuck in those places. I am especially happy that I ate 7 prunes for breakfast because Dear GOD am I backed up from all that morphine.

Comments

  1. A stay in hospital makes you appreciate your own bed so much.
    Rest, rest, rest.

    And I have a good “backed up” remedy. Get your self some chia seeds. Put 2 teaspoons in a glass of water and stir. Let is sit for 30 minutes. Then drink.

  2. I’m just really happy for you! All over and done with, is SUCH a good feeling…keep popping dem prunes though, cause being backed up is not so good.

    🙂

  3. Take care of yourself lovely lady.
    Clint and my mum both lost their gall bladders in recent years. Their recovery was pretty quick, so hopefully you’ll be up and about very soon.

    Clint still laments the loss of his gall bladder, I’m not quite sure why. But he did discover a fondness for Endone and discovered if you ask for it, they won’t give it to you!

    xxx

  4. So glad to hear you are home again. Hospital stays are not fun x

  5. Welcome home! I had my appendix out a fortnight ago, and marvel daily at the teeny tiny little holes that they managed to yank an organ through. But bloody hell, there’s a vertical slice through my belly button. Bloody revolting. I can’t believe my stomach survived a twin pregnancy and a c-section, and it’s the bloody appendix that did me in. Ah well, lucky I’m too old for a bikini. Anyhow, rest rest rest and set up a command station. Make the most of issuing orders to bring you volumes of food and hydration.

  6. God love ya, Beth. I’m very glad you’re home safe and sound. x

  7. So glad to hear everything went well.

    Going under is a scary thing. I’ve been under at least 5 times, and it every single time, I’ve winced like a baby.

    Sounds like Rob manned the fort well, you are super lucky hun. I’m sure the girls missed you so much too.

    Rest up, and I hope this is the end of all that pain. And just think, you CAN STILL EAT BREAD!!!

    xx

  8. Glad all’s well, nothing like your own bathroom to sort out the situation you’ve got going on! That’s probably one of the worst things about those lovely painkillers!

  9. Oh honey, that food looks nasty! Glad you are home and on the mend. xxx

  10. Glad it all went well. Take it easy on yourself and enjoy being spoilt for a bit. Xx

  11. Enjoy the rest Beth. Believe it or not it’s good for you xx

  12. So Pleased your are home and resting up. Make the most of it and enjoy. Especially enjoy returning to a normal diet and your own bathroom!

  13. Hey Beth, good to hear you’re home! Just being back in your own house must lift your spirits immensely! xx

  14. Glad you are home…here’s to hoping the other end moves smoothly!!! Lol xx

  15. Ha…we do wear weird head scarfs! I always wonder if my husband has ANY idea what I look like when I am at work!
    Anyway, so glad to hear that you are home and that you are feeling well enough to blog!
    In terms of being a bit backed up, try some pear juice…it works a treat!

  16. The hopsital pharmacist in me highly suggests pear juice! Does wonders for opioid induced blockages. Rest up. Get well soon. You are one funny lady!

  17. Anonymous says

    So glad that everything went well and you are home and you are feeling better! I wish you a speedy complete recovery!

    Fine

  18. Oh poor lady, what an ordeal. I’m so pleased it’s all over now and you can rest up and recover for your big trip. Looks like you were treated very well during your stay in hospital though… makes all the difference. Enjoy your bread and wine pain free lady! xoxo

  19. Good to hear you’re doing ok – thank god it’s all sorted now. Hospital stays are never that pleasant, so enjoy being at home with your gorgeous family xx

  20. Hope you are on the mend. How dramatic. Those opiates will necessitate many many prunes. I had a caesarean. I speak with Authority.

    Get well soon.

    I am so glad you can carry on with carbs x

  21. Rest up and enjoy all those hours of doctor-ordered sleep! So good to see you are still smiling after such an ordeal. Glad for you it’s all over x

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