Travel
If you don't want to read the account of my ERCP procedure, please just skip this entry.
I was in bed at 8 pm this evening, and now at 1:30 a.m. I'm awake. I felt pretty crappy for a while but the discomfort is finally easing up.
What a zoo I ran into at the hospital today. I had to be there at Noon for 1pm surgery, but I was taken in to the OR over an hour late. I was, in fact, scheduled behind two others, but they were both being real jerks so the anesthesia guys decided to take me first. The guy on my right really wore out the "f" word in just a few minutes, calling the nurses "f'ing liars" among other things. A woman on my left was looking for pain killers and tried to match her stories up with the hoped for outcome. Me, I just took it all in but was really glad to get out of there. I can't believe how the attendants maintained their cool with these negative people.
The anesthetic was exactly what I'd hoped for - instant and complete, and when everything was over I woke up immediately. They pump up the stomach with air and I've had terrible cramps - I'm up this time of the morning drinking a little ginger ale in hopes I can burp some of it away.
They got about 4 stones and had to put in a stent so that the rest of them can dislodge for when I have to repeat this ordeal. I think the stent can only be in there for 3 months, so it will be no later than February or maybe the beginning of March. In the meantime I have to have my gallbladder removed so that the stones don't keep forming. Ironically I don't worry about that operation, but for the ERCP the general anesthetic is the only way for me to go.
Jeannie was marvelous - stayed with me the whole time except when I was in the OR. I know I'm getting old because the surgeon came in and took her to the rear of the room to explain everything to her, and not to me. I was very happy with that as I didn't really want to know the details anyway.
We went by her house on the way home from the hospital, and Donald cooked me some simple soup that was pretty amazing and tasty.
So now I think I will go back to bed and snuggle into my down comforter. I really wish I didn't have to go through this same thing again in a few months, but I am just going to go with the flow. And I hope to God I never act like either of the people who were in pre-op. I'm sure my mom and dad would show up to set me straight!
- Post Op
Jeannie took me to my post op this morning, and my mood has been swinging wildly for the last few days anyway, nearly driving me crazy today. I've gone through periods of wanting to just sit and cry, as well as those of just plain depression. ...
- Brutal
The surgery went very well and I was able to leave the hospital by 10:00 am. Once the anesthetic wore completely off I was in misery, which lasted through the night and into this morning. During the middle of the night we phoned the doctor...
- Just Waiting
I'm running out of things to think about that don't involve food, since I'm on the liquid diet today. So far I've had black coffee, cranberry juice, and water - can't say I'm hungry but every time I open the fridge to get...
- No Hope
I went to the G.I. Clinic this afternoon and the bottom line is that the G.I. doctor doesn't want to remove my gallbladder until the other doctor has done the 2nd ERCP to remove the biliary stent and the remaining stones. That is scheduled for...
- Rode Hard And Put Away Wet
That describes how I've been feeling the past week, and yesterday was a particularly bad day for me. Ever since having a stent implant to open a blocked artery in 2004, I have been on a regimen of daily aspirin which has caused severe...
Travel
So-so
If you don't want to read the account of my ERCP procedure, please just skip this entry.
I was in bed at 8 pm this evening, and now at 1:30 a.m. I'm awake. I felt pretty crappy for a while but the discomfort is finally easing up.
What a zoo I ran into at the hospital today. I had to be there at Noon for 1pm surgery, but I was taken in to the OR over an hour late. I was, in fact, scheduled behind two others, but they were both being real jerks so the anesthesia guys decided to take me first. The guy on my right really wore out the "f" word in just a few minutes, calling the nurses "f'ing liars" among other things. A woman on my left was looking for pain killers and tried to match her stories up with the hoped for outcome. Me, I just took it all in but was really glad to get out of there. I can't believe how the attendants maintained their cool with these negative people.
The anesthetic was exactly what I'd hoped for - instant and complete, and when everything was over I woke up immediately. They pump up the stomach with air and I've had terrible cramps - I'm up this time of the morning drinking a little ginger ale in hopes I can burp some of it away.
They got about 4 stones and had to put in a stent so that the rest of them can dislodge for when I have to repeat this ordeal. I think the stent can only be in there for 3 months, so it will be no later than February or maybe the beginning of March. In the meantime I have to have my gallbladder removed so that the stones don't keep forming. Ironically I don't worry about that operation, but for the ERCP the general anesthetic is the only way for me to go.
Jeannie was marvelous - stayed with me the whole time except when I was in the OR. I know I'm getting old because the surgeon came in and took her to the rear of the room to explain everything to her, and not to me. I was very happy with that as I didn't really want to know the details anyway.
We went by her house on the way home from the hospital, and Donald cooked me some simple soup that was pretty amazing and tasty.
So now I think I will go back to bed and snuggle into my down comforter. I really wish I didn't have to go through this same thing again in a few months, but I am just going to go with the flow. And I hope to God I never act like either of the people who were in pre-op. I'm sure my mom and dad would show up to set me straight!
- Post Op
Jeannie took me to my post op this morning, and my mood has been swinging wildly for the last few days anyway, nearly driving me crazy today. I've gone through periods of wanting to just sit and cry, as well as those of just plain depression. ...
- Brutal
The surgery went very well and I was able to leave the hospital by 10:00 am. Once the anesthetic wore completely off I was in misery, which lasted through the night and into this morning. During the middle of the night we phoned the doctor...
- Just Waiting
I'm running out of things to think about that don't involve food, since I'm on the liquid diet today. So far I've had black coffee, cranberry juice, and water - can't say I'm hungry but every time I open the fridge to get...
- No Hope
I went to the G.I. Clinic this afternoon and the bottom line is that the G.I. doctor doesn't want to remove my gallbladder until the other doctor has done the 2nd ERCP to remove the biliary stent and the remaining stones. That is scheduled for...
- Rode Hard And Put Away Wet
That describes how I've been feeling the past week, and yesterday was a particularly bad day for me. Ever since having a stent implant to open a blocked artery in 2004, I have been on a regimen of daily aspirin which has caused severe...