Monday, April 23, 2012

Guess what I have???

I had an ultrasound on my stomach on Friday, and called Friday afternoon to see what the results were because I didn't want to have to wait all weekend if it was something serious. In particular, I was very worried about ascites - basically where your belly is full of fluid.

I've had ascites once in my life, after my first (bad) heart surgery. Apparently my heart wasn't strong enough after surgery and couldn't pump out all the fluid out of body that it needed to so it started filling up in my belly instead. I never looked full or anything like that but I remember my stomach hurting something fierce. I went to the local hospital at the time and they said they thought it was my gallbladder. But a few days later I went back to the hospital I had my heart surgery done at and they told me it was ascites. They put me on L.asix (a diuretic) for many months until my heart was strong enough again to handle things on its own but that stomach pain has always stayed with me. So when my stomach started hurting a little over a month ago that's immediately what I thought.

Of course, it turns out that I also had an h. pylori infection, so after 2 straight weeks of an 8-pill antibiotic course I thought it should be taken care of. But after horrible stomach pain 2 weekends ago it was clear that that wasn't the only issue going on so I went back to my doctor. He recommended a U/S and an endoscopy to rule out gallbladder and ascites, and see if I have an ulcer.

Well the good thing is, no ascites. I think I should put that out my little head as it's something you only have after surgery and my last surgery was in 2009 (and I didn't have it then). But I finally called back my doctor's office this afternoon since no one has called me and apparently I have gallstones and I need a surgical consult.

I need this like I need another hole in the head.

To quote Teresa Giudice from RHONJ, "Are you kidding me? Are you freakin' kidding me?"

I don't know the details from my U/S just what the nurse on the phone told me and she wasn't helpful. I have no idea when that surgical consult will be scheduled. Hell, it could be more than 1 month from now, what do I know? I asked if this was something I could push off and the nurse was all like, "Well, I don't really know. You don't want it to get into you bile duct because then it can be really dangerous."

You know who else might be really dangerous if she can't start her surrogate cycle next week? Me!!

The hilarious part came when I told her that I can't have surgery done in this town. The nurse said, "oh don't worry about your heart. St. Peter's is really good."

Let me direct you to a post I wrote over a year ago about "how good" St. Peter's is with heart stuff.

The post in which St. Peter's made my life hell.

Yea, there is no way in hell I will be doing any surgery in this town.

So yea, I don't know what to do now. I haven't met with the surgical consult yet and don't know if I will before I start my surrogate cycle. So i don't have all the information. But should I ask the Boston hospital who's doing my cycle if it will be a problem to do a cycle while I have gallstones? Or is that silly? I don't want to bring up an issues if they will make too big a deal of them, but I also don't want to have a bad cycle due to gallstones. (Although really, I don't know why it would affect it, although apparently BCP and hormonal treatments - hello IVF - are big factors for gallstones).

Ahh!!! Tell me I don't have the worst luck.

3 comments:

  1. Just read your timeline...it has been such a tough journey for you. Sorry for all the losses.

    Good Luck with the Surrogacy/Adoption.


    #24

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  2. Hi, here from ICLW! Sorry to hear you are going through a rough patch with your health. Wishing you all the best!

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  3. Oh no. That's pretty crappy. Hoping much better luck is headed your way!!!!!

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