A bugger of a year

Well how about that- this year has been a shocker and been roundly topped off with surgery last Tuesday for gallstones. For the past few years I have had bouts of indigestion which I usually linked to stress- which is surely the cause for the initial attacks.
A couple of months ago my dearest friend went through some tragedy which was awful and that was closely followed by my Mother's trauma with her emergency by pass surgery etc. While Mum was recovering and I was running around like the proverbial headless chook the indigestion manifested again. After the initial attacks it had settled into a weird pattern which was linked to my cycle- indigestion in the period between ovulation and getting my period- BLAH! but it would settle down but it flared during Mum's hospital stay and really did not settle down which made completing my folios rather interesting to say the least.
Finally M.O.T.H. put his foot down and prodded me to go to the doctor after one evening of sobbing with pain from the 'bloody indigestion' so off I trotted in the last week of madness with the assessment going on etc. By this time I had modified my diet to the extent all I was eating was fruit and water because anything else killed me. Gradually i did get to expand it rice paper rolls- not pork ones though BRRRR lol
A raft of blood tests and ultrasounds later I fronted back at my GP's office to find I had gallstones she made the call on the spot to the surgeon to get me an appointment that evening and by 7pm on the 16th it had been arranged for me to be put on the list last Tuesday-the 21st. Thank heaven I kept my health insurance current because after the surgery my surgeon informed me that my gall bladder was quite large and very inflamed and he was pleased to have been able to do it then and there rather than waiting another week because the inflammation was on the brink of becoming a full blown infection- yikes- and probably Christmas would have been ruined by my recovery.
Because it was a laprascopic procedure I was out of hospital the next day but in hindsight I probably should have stayed another night. They gave me the chance for out and I took it but I had just had a morphine shot so they could remove the drain tube- OUCH beyond belief. And the morphine headspins kicked in as soon as I was put in the wheelchair. Motion seemed to trigger off the nausea I had missed out on post operatively. The nurse wanted to take me back upstairs but I wanted fresh air and out of hospital- stubborn wench that I am. She took pity on me and got me a plastic bag and one of those big disposable towel things "Just in case" because I was doing the breathing thing to keep it at bay. M.O.T.H. arrives and I almost knock him over to get into the car and AWAY from this place! We had hardly got moving and my head was in the bag. Poor M.O.T.H. was freaked but I growled just take me home! and like the love he is he did.
Slept on and off in half hour batches til about Thursday evening and then was wide awake for twelve hours straight before passing out again and sleeping soundly for five hours- bliss. Then on Friday was pretty good- actually damn good because I was still flying from the morphine so I hung out two loads of washing- yeah yeah I know that was silly but I was careful. It was a glorious day and I tottered back and forth -SLOWLY - with one piece of washing at a time and was really pleased with my progress. That caught up with me yesterday thoough and I spent the day on the sofa watching the idiot box. MY GOD That was boring LOL
but the dressings came off my four little holes yesterday and they look good. I have a nice little pattern somewhat reminiscent of the Southern Cross around my belly button.
Suffice to say I had a lot of gallstones- little hard buggers around the size of pea or larger and as I observed to my doc if they had been diamonds I would have been set for life but the thought of being able to eat something I like for a change is bliss and Friday night I had pizza1 just two slices of vegetarian pizza but OH BOY was it GOOD.
Thank you to the staff of Western Private Hospital and Mr Jason Winnett my surgeon. Check him out ladies he is very very nice even this old married lady enjoyed that part even in the midst of pain and drugs.
Onwards and upwards and looking forward to the Christmas celebration at my home with my family and M.O.T.H 's family- yep I am going to do it and enjoy it because I can eat again!!!