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Gallbladder Surgery & Birthday
2 years ago
Back home safe for now. Turns out there was a miscommunication with the surgeon's office, it's not THIS Thursday but NEXT Thursday. So I'm fine to play in TTRPGs until then. I have an appointment with my GP on my birthday, the 27th, then I see the surgeon the next day.
On the bright side, I was able to stop in at Great American Cookies and order a custom birthday cookie cake for myself to be picked up on the 27th. That'll be a lovely birthday treat for myself since I won't be allowed to have anything sweet for weeks after the surgery.
Our healthcare system is such a mess. We got a call from CHI Memorial while we were out of the house, and I called them back thinking it had to do with this confounded surgery. It was actually from their business division, calling to discuss a payment plan for the ultrasound I had to get to discover the gallstones causing me attacks. Financial assistance did help and we only have to pay $275 which I chose to settle in three monthly payments of $82.
Spoke on the phone with a woman with a very thick Hispanic accent. After some rigmarole I came to find out they'd opened another account for me for the gallbladder attack I went to the ER for back in July, and that they had spelled my address with two n's instead of two r's (like HOW?).
As for the surgery itself, here is everything I know:
The gallbladder is a non-vital pear-shaped organ in our upper right abdomen that stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver. Gallstones are rocks that form from cholesterol and a chemical called bilirubin in the bile the liver makes. The stones are stored in the gallbladder and are often too small to cause problems. But larger stones, sometimes as big as golf balls, can block ducts and cause painful attacks that can lead to needing surgery.
The most common procedure for gallbladder removal is laparoscopic surgery, where a few small incisions are made and the surgeon uses a camera probe and microtools to remove the gallbladder. This takes around one or two hours. I'll be able to go home the day of or the day after this procedure, but I won't be able to resume normal activity until about two weeks after the surgery.
For whatever reason, the surgeon may opt to do open surgery, which means they'll make a 6-inch incision in my abdomen to perform the removal. This will again take 1-2 hours, but I won't be able to leave the hospital for just under a week, and recovery could take as long as an entire month. Regardless, after the procedure, I'll be on a very strict diet and I will not be allowed to eat anything spicy, nor will I be allowed to eat any kind of dairy product from yogurt to cheese. I also won't be allowed to eat certain things that cause gas, such as broccoli or bananas.
I also won't be able to indulge in any sexual activity for at least two weeks.
On the bright side, I was able to stop in at Great American Cookies and order a custom birthday cookie cake for myself to be picked up on the 27th. That'll be a lovely birthday treat for myself since I won't be allowed to have anything sweet for weeks after the surgery.
Our healthcare system is such a mess. We got a call from CHI Memorial while we were out of the house, and I called them back thinking it had to do with this confounded surgery. It was actually from their business division, calling to discuss a payment plan for the ultrasound I had to get to discover the gallstones causing me attacks. Financial assistance did help and we only have to pay $275 which I chose to settle in three monthly payments of $82.
Spoke on the phone with a woman with a very thick Hispanic accent. After some rigmarole I came to find out they'd opened another account for me for the gallbladder attack I went to the ER for back in July, and that they had spelled my address with two n's instead of two r's (like HOW?).
As for the surgery itself, here is everything I know:
The gallbladder is a non-vital pear-shaped organ in our upper right abdomen that stores bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver. Gallstones are rocks that form from cholesterol and a chemical called bilirubin in the bile the liver makes. The stones are stored in the gallbladder and are often too small to cause problems. But larger stones, sometimes as big as golf balls, can block ducts and cause painful attacks that can lead to needing surgery.
The most common procedure for gallbladder removal is laparoscopic surgery, where a few small incisions are made and the surgeon uses a camera probe and microtools to remove the gallbladder. This takes around one or two hours. I'll be able to go home the day of or the day after this procedure, but I won't be able to resume normal activity until about two weeks after the surgery.
For whatever reason, the surgeon may opt to do open surgery, which means they'll make a 6-inch incision in my abdomen to perform the removal. This will again take 1-2 hours, but I won't be able to leave the hospital for just under a week, and recovery could take as long as an entire month. Regardless, after the procedure, I'll be on a very strict diet and I will not be allowed to eat anything spicy, nor will I be allowed to eat any kind of dairy product from yogurt to cheese. I also won't be allowed to eat certain things that cause gas, such as broccoli or bananas.
I also won't be able to indulge in any sexual activity for at least two weeks.
Still, stay safe on that end.