About three weeks ago on a Monday night, I went to bed as soon as Bobby got home from work. I had this weird pain in my side that had been plaguing me all day. The next morning, I felt better – for a few minutes, and then it came back. It wasn’t super-bad (trust me, I am a MAJOR WIMP), but it was annoying and uncomfortable. I knew it couldn’t be my appendix because I gave that organ the heave-ho when I was 18. I began to suspect kidney stone, gall stone, or cancerous tumor (see: post category, Jenny is Neurotic.)
Six days later, on a Sunday, I decided to go to Urgent Care because a) Bobby was home with the kids and b) the pain was so persistent I had really psyched myself out that a terminal diagnosis was forthcoming. So off I went, with super-high nervous blood pressure brought on by my wild imagination as well as my symptoms.
At Urgent Care, the doctor asked me a few questions, pressed around my abdomen, assured me I did NOT have a tumor, and upon learning I also did NOT have an appendix, told me I most likely was experiencing a gallbladder attack. I was relieved and not really surprised. I had expected that, if I wasn’t to soon me on my deathbed, it was probably my gallbladder. My mom had hers out when she was younger than I am now, and my BFF Luanne just gave hers up in December. My friend Lori had hers out just after having a baby (or were you pregnant, Lori?)
The good doctor told me (in heavily accented English and using the phrase, “ok, cool” a lot) that I could go get a liver function blood test and an ultrasound at the nearest hospital if I wished.
I thought about it and decided to pass. That sounded expensive! The past two weeks I’ve been treating my symptoms by drinking ridiculous amounts of water (previously unheard of for me) and taking herbal supplements to promote gallbladder health. And, it’s really helping. I can still feel that gallbladder telling me it’s there sometimes, but not nearly as much as before, and it really is not painful, it’s more of a nag. I’d really like to try to avoid surgery, because who has TIME for surgery, I’ve got a fabulous trip to Miami to plan for! (However, see above, I AM A WIMP – if it gets excruciating, I will head to the nearest hospital and demand they operate.)
But then. This week, for some reason the gallbladder PLAGUE has hit all of my Facebook friends! THREE, count’ em THREE people I know (two I actually KNOW, like, in real life) have gotten their gall bladders removed THIS WEEK!! One is only 21 years old, the other two both have babies that are less than two months old.
What’s the deal, gallbladders of the world? Is there like a general uprising going on?
So, have any of you dealt with this? Any exciting remedies I should know about? I am using one that has like, a million fab herbs for liver & gall bladder function in it. I got it from Health Foods Unlimited, so you know it has to be the cure-all. Ha.
Give me your best advice or gallbladder stories! Save the gallbladders!
