One week post gallbladder removal

I had my surgery on Wednesday, February 19. I woke up at 3:00am, took a shower, walked the dogs, and drove two hours to Orlando for my 6:30am arrival time, 7:30am surgery time. I was not nervous, I get a little uneasy when they put the IV in my hand, but I can handle it. I just let the nurse know to just do it, don’t give me a warning. I have had six surgeries in my life and they have all gone well. This one was the most informative one for sure.

First a nurse came in and asked me a bunch of questions, you know the norm; are you here with someone to drive you home, any allergies, ect. Then another two nurses came and one put this do-hicky on my legs (I really don’t remember what it was called, but it was to help with circulation to prevent blood clots). I never had this done before, I guess it was because I’m over 40 now… The nurse asked if I wanted Brian to come back and I said I guess (I was being sarcastic and I don’t think she got it). Then the anesthesiologist came in, then his assistant, asked me all the same questions. Then we had some alone time before the anesthesiologist came back and explained what he was going to do. Then the doctor came in and I asked him if I could keep my stones and he said if they were big enough he would save them. He said that most times, gallstones just look like ground black pepper (you know that you season your food with). Brian asked about my cough that I still have lingering from the flu I had in mid January. The doctor said to just put a fist over my bellybutton and push in when I cough. I was afraid I would blow out a stitch, but he said I would not have stitches, but glue… that was also new to me. A nurse came in with a motion sickness patch and put it behind my ear since I am prone to motion sickness and we had a 2 hour drive back home. I am SO glad they did that because I did get a little nauseous on my way home, but it subsided.

The doctor started to talk to Brian about Tool since he was wearing a Tool shirt all while the anesthesiologist said I’ll give you something to relax, which I didn’t really need, but then all these other nurses started coming in and made me anxious, then whatever he gave me kicked in and I was the life of the party (I least that is how I felt). I then gave Brian a kiss and told him I loved him and off I went into the operating room right at 7:30am. I remember saying “oh here comes the cold room”, and at least three people said “yup, 32 degrees…”, then I remember I said “oh I feel that going through my arm!” I looked to my right and one of the nurses was strapping my arm up so it would not be at my side and then looked left and then I was out…

I woke up and the nurse asked “do you have any pain?” and I said yes and pointed. She said she gave me a half dose (I’m not sure of what). Then what seemed like three seconds later she asked me again and I said yes, and she gave me the other half. I felt pretty good after that. She asked if I wanted Brian to come back and I said sure! She gave me water and I guess I fell in and out of sleep because Brian said every time I would open my eyes, I said “Hi Hunny!” I asked for my water (I did have some apparatus down my throat to help me breath) several times and Brian would hold it up to my mouth. I guess I was impatient one time and said water, water and he said “I’m getting it” and I said “well, you’re not doing it fast enough!” Apparently the nurse gave the wow look. Oh well, we joke with each other like that all the time.

When the doctor went out to the waiting room to let Brian know I was done and everything went well (45 minutes tops), he gave him 2 of the 4 stones that came out of my removed gallbladder. Two of them were too “mooshy” to be kept. I do remember Brian showing me them when I was still a little out of it and I yelled “OH MY GOD THEY’RE HUGE”! I think I was the only one in recovery at that time. I then remember they put a guy on the other side of my curtain and the nurse asked if he had any pain and he said “no, do you have any pain?” And that was the talk of the recovery room.

The nurse asked me if I was ok and I said I was starving. She said I can get you some crackers and gave me a few choices and I chose saltines… I quickly realized that was a bad idea since my mouth was VERY dry. I ate half of one saltine then drank about 3 glasses of water and said “thanks, I’m full”. I was then awake enough that they could release me and gave me a vicodin so I wouldn’t have pain on the drive home. Brian went to get the truck and the nurse helped me get dressed and took me to the bathroom where it felt like I was peeing for 10 minutes straight all while the nurse was in the corner looking at the ceiling humming… I felt so bad. She wheeled me out to the truck and helped me in and I said thank you I can’t even tell you how many times. Seriously, nurses see some stuff and they are the best! Never underestimate or disrespect your nurse!

I do remember making it a point in my head to remember everyone’s name before going into surgery, but I don’t remember now. I can’t even tell you what the nurse that took care of me afterward looked like…

The drive home did not feel like 2 hours, so I must have nodded off a few times. We got home and I stayed in the truck while Brian let the dogs out and they ran to me and sniffed me. Moxxi and Tucker knew immediately that I wasn’t myself and did not jump at me. It’s funny how they know. I got into the house and sat in the recliner and put a blanket on cause I was still cold and both dogs came and snuggled with me. Tucker sniffed my belly button because that was where the camera was stuffed into.

I’ll stop here and explain what happened. In case you didn’t know, a laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, the name of the procedure I had, they cut 4 holes in your in your abdomen, one in the bellybutton. The hole in your bellybutton is where the camera goes in as well as the gas they use to inflate your belly so they can see. The others are where the port or the “tools” go in to remove the gallbladder. It is first clipped at the ducts so that the blood flow stops, then clip the main artery and duct and then they burn it away from the liver. The gallbladder is then placed into a bag then they pull it through one of the ports. The doctor then cut my gallbladder open to see what was inside and there were FOUR large stones.

So now every day, multiple times a day, Tucker sniffs my bellybutton to make sure I am ok. I will post some pictures at the end of this blog, so if you get squeamish looking at incisions, then don’t look. I have not had any major pain, just mild discomfort. I have only taken Tylenol, none of the prescribed pain meds.

The first day, I stuck with a liquid diet, bone broth and crackers and TONS of water. The following two days, I had beans and greens soup and crackers. By day three I had it with the soup, and ate turkey taco tator tot casserole and tolerated it. Next night I had seasoned chicken and potatoes, and tolerated it. The next night was zucchini boats. I am doing well with foods so far. I have not have red meat yet and I am still not going to attempt fried foods, maybe in a few months.

My bellybutton will never be the same. When I was a teenager, I had my bellybutton pierced, so I still have the holes from that. I had exploratory laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis about 15 years ago, and have a scar on the bottom of my belly button from that, and now this surgery when through the top of my bellybutton. My dreams of being a bellybutton model are gone 🙁

Here are my gallstones, next to a quarter for comparison. Remember when the doctor said that most times, gallstones just look like ground black pepper (you know that you season your food with)…

My incisions the day of the surgery (blue shirt) vs a week later (red shirt). Yes, I know, my belly is big, but I’m losing it slowly, so shhhh. I’ll put the picture of the dogs “nursing” me before them, so if you don’t want to see them don’t look past here and happy travels!

~Happy Travels!