Gallbladderitis Returns with a Vengence

Saturday morning found me reasonably well. I felt pretty much over the stomach flu, even good enough to eat a real lunch: one of those frozen chicken cordon blue's that you cook in the oven. That kind of food isn't normal fare around here, but nobody else seemed up to eating so I decided to "treat" myself. That was around noon. At about 2pm I ran out to the store to pick up some bread and produce and by 2:30 was in perhaps the worse pain I have ever felt in my life. I miraculously made it home and Matthew gave me a blessing. While the pain was very reminiscent of the gall bladder attacks I had while pregnant with Hyrum, it was significantly more intense and wide spread and happened to be the third episode in a week. We decided a trip to the hospital was in order, in case there was something more going on. 

Matthew, who was still in the throws of the stomach bug, packed us all up and off we went. By the time we got there, I was at least capable of speaking, but still in quite a lot of pain. Because I'm pregnant, they immediately sent me up to the labor and delivery floor. The room was lovely and the nurses all very nice, but after their initial examination it was clear that my problem was not baby related so they sent me back down to the ER. I got an IV, through which they drew labs, gave me pain medicine, and re-hydrated me. They poked and prodded, and I yelped at the appropriate places to indicate that an ultrasound would be helpful. The tech that came in was very nice and extremely professional. Matthew had taken the boys to get some dinner, then spent a while in the kid section of the waiting room. Poor guy was suffering quite a bit though, too, and finally brought the boys back in my room so he could at least sit in the corner with his eyes closed. 

All things considered, everyone was very accommodating and the service quite prompt. It was a weekend though, so getting the test results back took a bit longer than had we been there on a Tuesday. Around 8pm the doctor came in and declared there was no doubt I was suffering from gallbladder disease. There were no stones, but the sludge build up was clear to see. This diagnosis was no surprise, and perhaps we didn't really need to spend the evening at the hospital to verify it, but it is nice to have a proper confirmation. 

A bit of back story: when I was about 6 months pregnant with Hyrum, I had a similar attack. We spent an afternoon in the ER and left with no real idea of what was wrong. It happened again several weeks later and more extensive testing was done. My gallbladder looked a bit hazy, but nobody felt especially confident in a firm diagnosis. They recommended I cut red meat out of my diet and switch to healthier fats like real butter and olive oil. I made the changes and didn't have any more problems. I did suffer an attack while pregnant with Abraham, but it was after an especially meaty meal and was therefore to be expected and not particularly concerning.

For the past 4 years I've continued to live by the dietary guidelines suggested, but it appears that sludge build up has been happening regardless and more extensive measures need to be taken. I need to cut out all forms of animal fat, which means dairy and eggs, and increase my fiber intake. That doesn't mean I'll never be able to eat cheese or drink milk again, I just have to be especially careful for the duration of this pregnancy and switch to non-fat dairy products once my body has regulated itself a bit. It's kind of a bummer for all this to happen during the holidays when Christmas cookies and treats abound, but in the long run it will be really good for me and our family. It will force me to exercise more self control, be more conscience of what I eat, and generally push us all toward an even healthier lifestyle. Besides, Matthew and Abraham are lactose intolerant anyway so cutting back on dairy is more of a personal sacrifice than an inconvenience in family meal planning.

So that was our exciting weekend. I was a bit of a wreck on Sunday. I was hungry from not eating much in days, but still feeling the lingering gallbladder pain which made eating anything a chore. I was also pretty emotional and feeling quite sorry for myself. The past two days have been better. We picked up some foods that I can eat and I've gradually been improving in health and spirits. All will be well, and I am grateful for opportunities to be tested and prove myself.