Goodbye Gallbladder :(

So, this has been a VERY interesting past week and a half. My sister Michelle came to visit us from California and we were so excited to go play tourist for the weekend. She was coming Thursday through Sunday. She made it out here luckily on standby flights on Thursday and we had a fun day in Tacoma at the waterfront, eating out, going on a walk and driving around, it was so nice to spend time with her!






On Friday we decided to just relax and do stuff around Lacey, WA because Rob had to work up near Seattle and we wanted to go to the park here. I was going to go to a meeting at 10AM which Michelle was kind enough to babysit Breanna so I could head out by myself. I was going to ride the bus (b/c Rob had the car). Well, unfortunately, and luckily there was no bus scheduled for almost another hour so I decided ok, I guess I won't go, I'll skip it and hang out here with Michelle.

No more the 30 minutes later Michelle was calling 911 for me b/c I didn't know what was happening to me and I couldn't stand, talk, tell her what was going on. I had INTENSE pain in my stomach and then it was travelling up into much chest and then through my shoulder. I thought, this is it, I'm dying, I thought I was having a heart attack. I got upstairs on the floor, threw up and just was miserably in pain, seriously just rolling around (i don't know why, I just hurt so bad i didn't know what else to do).

Within a few minutes the ambulance and firetruck came and they examined me and decided to take me to the hospital. They had no clue what was wrong, obviously something internal. The weird thing was the pain stopped when they were talking to me....it was COMPLETELY gone.

They put me on a stretcher and everything, quite scary, and loaded me into the ambulance while my poor sister was left with Breanna, no car and in a place she's never visited before. I had another attack when driving to the ambulance. In the mean time they were trying to get an IV in my arm as we're driving....let me tell you my arms look like I was in a battle. 3 different pokes until they successfully got in an IV and pain meds. My blood pressure dropped rapidly b/c of the pain meds or something and so they stuck me again and put in a 2nd IV on the ride to the hospital.

By the time they got me there and after the doctor talked to me the pain went away...AGAIN! I had a 3rd attack (much less pain) while waiting in the room, but at least I was on pain meds. This was at 11am.

Michelle called and texted Rob and he got up and left work as soon as he got the message (sad b/c he was graduating from Target "business college" that day :( He drove 1 1/2 hours home picked Michelle and Breanna up and came to the Emergency Room. By then I was in no pain, but was nervous and overwhelmed and couldn't stop crying. It was a scary experience.


They took blood tests, a quick ultrasound and then hours later a "full" ultrasound to check me out. The doctor had this ultrasound done b/c he guessed that I had a Gallstone attack. He said, you're young, healthy, this is abnormal for someone like you, but lets just make sure there are no more stones in your gall bladder. A few hours later we were brought the bad news that my gall stone was full with a "pile of stones".

Gall Stones

Unfortunately the doctor sent us home with only a referral to a surgeon to call on Monday (b/c it was Friday and 5pm by then). I hadn't eaten since breakfast and was scared to b/c I thought that was maybe what had triggered the attack. The doc thought I would be fine til Monday.

He was WRONG.

We ended up back in the E.R. at 11:30PM with another full blown EXCRUCIATING attack. I felt miserable and humiliated as we waited in the ER to be seen. I couldn't stop moaning and crying b/c I was in so much pain and we had to wait our turn. Interesting thing is they have buzzers at the ER just like a restaurant, except it's not any fun and way more expensive.

We got in relatively quickly even though it felt like years, b/c we were on file from our morning visit. Same routine, stick another IV in, pump more pain meds into me so I could relax. Another doctor sees us, looks over our record, ultrasound pics, diagnosis and says he's going to call the on-call surgeon and see what he thinks. We were released at 3:30AM after the on-call surgeon said to make an appointment on MONDAY, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

The nurse said, I should just leave your IV in you poor thing. She also recommended a DR. for us to call before Monday, but she couldn't write the name down or else she'd get in trouble.

We woke up on Saturday morning about 10AM after a few hours of sleep. Tried calling multiple surgeons and all answering machines. We got through to the paging service of one DR. but they said call back on Monday. I said, I'm having attacks though and don't know if I can wait til then. She said, then go back to the ER and they'll HAVE to do surgery.

THANKS FOR THE HELP.

So, with the onset of another attack we went back to the ER for the 3rd time in 24 hours on Saturday about 3pm. After the same routine of IV (which they couldn't find a vein b/c I was dehydrated by that point from throwing up so much during my attacks) and pain meds, we waited to see a doctor. Rob and I prayed that we would make progress this time and our prayers were heard. While I was in the restroom the 1st Doctor we saw in the ER saw Rob waiting for me in the hall.

Why are you here, he asked?

Rob said, well, this is the 3rd time we've been here, Brooke keeps having attacks.

He told us he would talk to the Doctor we were to see and update him on our situation. He said, I never should have sent you home the first time. You need to have it taken out and I won't let them send you home this time.

Well, true to his word, we weren't sent home. I was FINALLY admitted to the hospital and spend the night there waiting for surgery the next morning. The surgery was successful and I stayed one more night and went home Monday morning.

Thank you to Michelle for being our lifesaver. Thank you for giving of yourself nonstop this entire weekend. I'm sorry we ruined your vacation. Thank you for taking care of Breanna at the drop of a hat for DAYS. WE LOVE YOU!

My mom flew here on Monday and took care of me and Breanna until Thursday when she and Michelle flew out. THank you for the meals, the cleaning, the babysitting, being such a great nurse and such a giver.

Although it was not a fun week, I'm SO grateful for my health and my family. I'm so grateful that it was something that could be easily fixed so that I can take care of my husband and daughter. One of the scariest things for me was when I was hurting so badly thinking, how am I supposed to take care of Breanna? I'm so grateful for church members volunteering to care for Breanna this week once my family left b/c I couldn't pick her up. I'm so grateful for friends and family.

P.S. - Just a sidenote to any ladies that are pregnant or have been, I guess it's not uncommon to have a gall stone attack after giving birth. Some causes are the drastic weight gain and weight loss during and after pregnancy. Also, the high levels of estrogen during pregnancy and breastfeeding also may be a factor. This is just so you know, this is NOT a common thing but if something like this happens to you, there is a quick, easy surgery that can save you alot of pain and get you right back to your normal level of health!