The Whole Dang Pancreatic Story, The Beginning

I promised I would tell the whole story (and nothing but the story) about my health issues that landed me in the hospital on Christmas. The minor details are a bit sketchy since this has been going on for 10 years. I wasn’t very good about keeping records at first because I never dreamed it would go on for so long. So, here it is…

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Beginning

It all begin in late 2000. I remember the exact moment it started too. We went to IHop for breakfast and I had a really greasy omelet with bacon and cheese and hash browns. A few hours later, I got what I thought was the worst heartburn I’d ever had.

We stopped and bought a bunch of different meds and nothing worked. I almost went to the ER, but finally I took a Tylenol with sleepy stuff and I fell asleep. I woke up and felt fine.

The Next Year

That same thing happened every time I ate eggs (took me about 3-4 times to figure it out). So, I stayed away from eggs. The worst part of it was that I felt like I was being stabbed in the back whenever I had an “episode” as we called it. Then it started to happen when I ate pizza and fries and soon it was so many foods that I didn’t enjoy eating.

First Disappointment

March 2001 – Since I couldn’t eat much, I went to the doctor. She said it sounded like it might be my gallbladder. She scheduled me for an ultrasound. I went to my ultrasound and waited for the results. The nurse called and said they found nothing and I was fine. It was probably heartburn and if it got worse, to come back for a follow-up.

The pain got worse and worse until I could eat only rice and mashed potatoes. Back to the doctor I went. She thinks that maybe I still do have issues with my gallbladder that do not show up on the ultrasound. That is pretty common.

My doctor sent me for a test where they watch my gallbladder do what it does to see if I have Gallbladder Disease (HIDA Scan). Turns out I have major Gallbladder Disease and the doctor wonders how I’m functioning!! My doctor sends me immediately to a surgeon (from her office straight to the surgeon).

Laproscopic Gallbladder Surgery guide – page 8 (Photo credit: rustytanton)

The Surgeon My Savior?

The surgeon looks at the test and says, “yep, let’s take the gallbladder out next week.” WHAT? I can’t eat anything and I’m living on Percocet at this point and puking all the time. That’s the best we can do because we are totally booked. But he says that if I get to the point where the Percocet does not work at all, to call his office.

Later his office calls and tells me they have a cancellation the next day and can I take that slot? The Surgeon strongly suggest that I take it. Later that day they call again to tell me that because it is less than 24 hours my insurance company will not approve the surgery for me tomorrow, but the surgeon will call me after hours to discuss.

After hours he calls and asks me a bunch of questions and then says, “If it gets any worse, go to the ER.” I could not handle the pain by morning, so off I went…

Gallbladder Surgery

April 2001 – My Mom comes up immediately to take me to the hospital (thank you Mom) because I have a 7 yr old and a 2 yr old and Jason will stay home to take care of them. We go to the ER in in the morning and wait and wait and wait and wait (of course I get the good meds, so I’m sleeping during most of the wait).

Finally around 6pm or so, my doctor comes in and says I’m scheduled for surgery and they are getting me ready. The laparascopic gall stones surgery goes well. Turns out I had Gallbladder Disease and Gallstones. It is considered outpatient and since everything went well, they send me home with more Percocet.

Part 2 tomorrow…