Operations are not just for Jasper....

So, this is a post about ME. All about ME.
It doesn't happen very often, but I felt I deserved this one...

I had some bad belly pains a few months ago. Really bad. It hurt to eat, it hurt to not eat. It hurt to walk, sit, breathe.. you name it, it hurt. The only thing that made the pain go away a bit was a scalding hot shower.

I went to my doctor, and she took blood, but it showed nothing much. Then the pain went. I didn't give it a second thought.

Then 2 1/2 weeks ago, it started again. It was a Saturday, and I just expected the pain to go away in the afternoon as it had previously. It didn't. It got worse.
Luckily, Paul was home, so he took charge of the kids, and I went to the emergency department at the local hospital. The pain wasn't so bad that I couldn't drive, and I didn't really want the kids coming with us, so the best option was for me to take myself.

They put a cannula in and put me on fluids. I was given strong pain killers and just waited waited waited.I told my parents where I was, because if they had found out after the fact that I was in ED and not told them, they would have been REALLY cross with me!
Dad came up for a bit, but the doctor decided that I could go home with a script for the pain killers and instructions to see my local doctor on Monday.
Off I went to my doctor, who gave me a referral for an endoscopy and an ultrasound. I had to wait a week for these.

On Tuesday morning, I woke up and felt great. No pain, I felt like I was over it again!
Then I got out of bed.
I was so crippled with pain, I could barely breathe.
Jasper packed his own school bag, and I had called a friend to come and pick him up to take him to school. I called my mum, said "I need you", and she was on her way. Then I called another friend to look after Molly for the day for me.
My friend who was looking after Molly came and packed us all in the car, drove Jasper to his ride, and then took me to the hospital to see the doctors again... Dad was already there waiting for me, and mum was on her way.

They admitted me after a bit, and did an ultrasound.
Turns out I had gall stones... My gall bladder had to come out. AND there were some additional stones floating around somewhere that needed to come out too. The plan was that I would have surgery Tuesday night, they would get the loose stones, and I would go home Wednesday!

Here is the first cannula they put in. The doctor in ED took blood from both arms before he was told I needed a cannula... He tried 2 times to get one in my hand as I requested, but couldn't get it, so this is where it went. I don't do needles, so this whole experience was quite traumatic!

So surgery was a kind of success... My gall bladder was removed by keyhole surgery - 4 little cuts.It's amazing actually!
The bad news was the loose roaming stones were not able to be retireved... there goes my plan for being home on Wednesday!
Here is what my tummy looked like a few hours after surgery..

Looking lovely on the oxygen... there was no sleep being had in the hospital!

 I had to go to another hospital via ambulance patient transfer for the second surgery to get those slippery little stones, so that was booked for Thursday. I am happy to say we had SUCCESS!!!
I was pretty happy, as I had not really had anything to eat since Monday night, and this was Thursday! I had to wait for breakfast before I could eat.

Paul was working in Vietnam all the week I was in hospital. We were text messaging, and he sent me a picture of what he was having for dinner...

So, I showed him what I was allowed to eat... I know what I'd rather have had!! (and it ain't the ice cream!)

Just because we don't like to do things by halves, Paul has to go and get his toe squashed by a motorbike while he is in Vietnam. I do have pictures, but it is kinda gross, so I wont subject you to that!

So when he gets home, I can't walk properly, and can't lift anything, and every time he walks, his toe bleeds everywhere! Talk about a comedy act!!

Luckily we are both on the mend!

One of my favourite visitors...

Looking happy and relieved to be escaping from the hospital on Friday afternoon...

 I had a total of 4 hepron needles... it stops you getting blood clots when you are in your bed! I was so bruised from them, and over 2 weeks later, I still have the bruises and lumps!! OUCH!

 I feel better than I have in a long time. A few of my surgery sites are tender still, but there is no belly pain!!!

Jasper has surgery on his hand in 2 weeks, so I will post when we are done with that.

Thanks for reading!

Brooke