Last Thursday night, literally minutes before it was officially Friday, I awoke with the most excruciating pain I have ever had (yes, more painful than the time the cow jumped on my back). It was in my abdomen. Heather was able to take me to the ER at the Foothills Hospital. After several tests I was given pain killers and sent home. less than 48 hours later, I was back in the ER with the same intense pain. Without going into the whole story I ended up having a surgeon tell me Monday afternoon that I was likely going to need surgery and have my gal bladder removed. Not even two hours later, I was in the operating room and going under. The surgery was a success, and by Tuesday afternoon I was at home for my recovery. Laura Hack will cover my classes for the next two weeks as I mend myself. the official diagnosis: inflamed gal bladder with no stones (they gave me a fancy-schmancy scientific name, but I am having a hard enough time spelling "schmancy").
Recovery is going fine. In the last two days I have been able to take my pain killers only a few times. I pooped today (apparently the pain killers and anesthesia makes one constipated), so I guess that is a small hurdle. It hurts to cough and get up, so I tend to find something to do for a couple hours at least (writing, computer, TV, etc). Life in recovery is...well, boring. There is a lot I would like to do (such as be at work), but I can't. I am being mindful of not pushing myself too hard, so tonight we are taking a short walk to the end of the block and back to see how that goes, then a little more each day. The most challenging thing is that for the next 4-6 weeks I cannot lift my little precious girl up. Both of us are having a hard time with that.
I suppose that when one has an experience like this we can benefit greatly from it by looking for the lessons that are being taught to us. This is where today's Top Ten list is coming into play:
The Top Ten Things I Learned From Having My Gal Bladder Removed:
10. Laughter is not always the best medicine. I do not like how much laughing hurts right now. And of course, people like to make me laugh. And when they know that it hurts, it often leads to #9...
9. When most people know that laughing hurts, they will still crack jokes. Why do these people enjoy my suffering so much?!?!?!
8. I really like my job. Yup, one thing I really miss is work. I enjoy going every day, teaching my lessons, interacting with students. I am grateful to have such a career where when I am gone from it, I truly miss it.
7. You don't know how good pooping is until you go over 24 hours being unable to do so. Yes, it's the little things in life you miss.
6. What our medical professionals go through on a regular basis. During my second stay in the ER there was a young man who was drunk and high in the curtained off area next to me. Heather and I could not help but overhear what the staff went through to restrain this kid. He was rude, belligerent, cussing, spitting, etc.
5. Mothers have it the worse. The kid I talked about in #6 had his mother there to see him while he was still out. I heard her talking to the staff and felt for her as she acknowledged what her kid had been doing. We are often critical of parents in society, and I could not help but think that sometimes we are unfair. Whenever someone does something stupid, there is very likely a mother somewhere punishing herself as she wonders what she could have done better.
4. How many muscles does it take to sit up or sit down? Not sure on the number, but I can tell you that most of them hurt right now.
3. I have the best wife in the universe. She has been so patient and supportive, not only with me but with Barbara who has been very upset these past couple days with a bad cold and not having her Daddy whenever she wants. Heather has kept this place going well. The boys have also been a great help and have made extra efforts to be helpful.
2. What mothers experience. My wife tells me that I know have a better understanding as to what she went through giving birth to Barbara.
1. Enjoy every minute with your children. I think I have done well at maximizing my quality time with Barbara, but wow, do I miss picking her up, tossing her in the air and catching her again. I miss having her crawl all over me as we play. I miss being able to pick her up whenever she wants me to.
