1048 Sunset Boulevard

UPDATE: I Am STILL Bill’s Gall Bladder

July 29, 2008 | Uncategorized

Okay, here’s the scoop.

As the pain continued unrelenting, on Saturday early P.M. Nancy called my Doctor, and he advised that we go to the ER. After a five-hour wait there, we were finally checked out by the ER attending, and checked in to the hospital. The prognosis was a bad-boy gall bladder that would likely need to be removed ASAP.

The first complication arose when a Two-In-The-Morning ultrasound scan revealed NOTHING in the way of gallstones. So the decision was made to go for a CT scan, which took place a 5:00 in the morning (this was Sunday). Finally, about mid-morning on Sunday one (of many) doctors appeared to tell me that, indeed, there appeared to be no gallstones, but that my pancreas showed inflammation. The only thing for it was, of course, more tests.

Keep in mind that I had been allowed nothing to eat OR drink in all this time and so hadn’t had anything since 7 AM on Saturday. So whether I wanted to or not, I was definitely fasting for Beth’s sake!

I went in that night for what is called a HIDA scan, some sort of “nuclear imaging” where you have to get injected with an isotope. The thing is, you have to lie on this narrow table with barely room for your arms – they put an elastic strap around you to hold your arms in place – and it takes TWO HOURS for the entire scan.

Fortunately I had just taken my three-hourly dose of Demerol, and so I slept through most of it.

Next morning, still more doctors, this time to tell me “you gall bladder appears fine but it has VERY low production of gall,” which could mean a lot of things, of course. The most likely, for some reason – for me, it didn’t follow, but I’m no gastroenterologist – was an ulcer, either gastric (stomach) or duodenal (in the duodenum, of course).

So, yet another test, this time scheduled for mid-morning on Monday, an EGD endoscopy (esophogeal – gastro – duodenal).

One good thing is that I was now allowed to “feast” on a liquid diet including chicken broth, vanilla pudding, apple juice and milk. I really felt like it was thanksgiving, after my 40-hour fast. Beth should now be fully healed.

The next morning, of course, things were delayed, and I didn’t actually get in to the surgery for the endoscopy until after noon. Again, nothing to eat or drink for all that time. They did the scope, and it showed – nothing. There was some sort of “soft spot” that they biopsied, but it proved to be nothing, at least not as of this writing.

So, they released me yesterday afternoon, told me to just continue with my present medications, and hope that it doesn’t recur. In the meantime, it seems like all that fasting and all the IV antibiotics must’ve knocked out the infection or whatever, because I haven’t had any more pain. I’m continuing with the Ceftin (oral antibiotic) and the pain meds as needed (haven’t been needed yet) and we’re scheduled to pull out of here around noon today, headed first to Mobile.

We’ll pick up Julia and leave Mobile tomorrow, should get to B’ham in the early afternoon. We’ll leave Julia and the kids at Beth’s house for a couple of hours, and go and visit Uncle Fred at the place near St. Vincent’s where he’s taking the chemo. He probably won’t be able to actually see us, but at least we’ll see him, and the family.

Then we’ll leave, say 4:00 in the afternoon or so, and we should be at De Soto sometime Wednesday night at 7 or 8.

Love to all.