Good-bye 300s. I have never been so glad to see the number 2 in my life. I have now blasted through weight goals #3 Lose 50 lbs and #4 Get under 300 lbs. The funny things is, I actually got to goal #4 on day 77, but then I hit a small snag in the road.
So last Monday I was working at the hospital. I had not been feeling great that day. Didn't sleep well before my shift, had heart burn all day and some lower back pain. As I was getting ready for work, I noticed that I had some mild pain in my left chest/lung when I would take deep breaths. Now I kind of blew it off thinking I just needed to pass gas, but as I was driving into work I also developed a mild cough and started thinking I was getting pneumonia. The pain with breathing was increasing and there have been a few people in the RTU who were diagnosed with pneumonia. I was talking to Dusten on the way to work and I was telling him how I felt. I told him, "If Stacey got me sick, I'm going to kill her."
When I got to work, I still felt the pain but I didn't have time to think about it, because we were busy. As the night progressed though, the pain was getting worse. I couldn't take a deep breath without feeling this crushing feeling in my chest and everyone at work was starting to get worried. I had Stacey and Dr. Polhill listen to me. I wasn't wheezing and I wasn't decreased but now the pain was so bad that I was avoiding taking deep breaths at all. The shallow breathing was making me lightheaded. Dr. Polhill suggested that I talk to the adult emergency medicine resident that was working in the ED that night. We went over to talk to her and tell her my symptoms. She and Dr. Bolte were listening to me and after telling them of my recent lap-band surgery, they began to get worried that I was having a PE (pulmonary embolism) essentially a blood clot in the lungs, developed from having surgery. My symptoms seemed to fit. I wasn't so sure, since it had been over 2 months since my surgery, but no one wanted to take the chance. They decided I needed to be checked in and treated. God help me.
Nurse Steve started hooking me up to monitors and threw me oxygen. So not how I had planned my night going. They decided to put an IV in me and get an EKG before having me go to an adult hospital. They wanted to wheel me over to the U of U hospital but I asked to go to an IHC hospital for insurance purposes. Dr. Bolte told me he was going to have me ambulanced to LDS Hospital. Like hell you are. I'm not paying a $700 ambulance bill to go 5 minutes away. Meanwhile, Stacey, who was charging that night decided to call Dusten to come pick me up and take me to LDS. The RTU scrambled to take over my patients so I could be treated. They are amazing wonderful people. Nurse Melissa placed and IV and Tech Lacey got an EKG. It showed an inverted T wave which, is non-specific, but could be a sign of PE. Great. I became the evening show in the ED. Everyone kept coming by and looking through the window at the RTU nurse that had to be admitted. Seriously though, everyone was so wonderful and helpful and comforting. I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with, and I know for a fact, if I ever need medical care again, I would take a PCH ED RN over anyone. They are amazing at what they do.
Dusten arrived and we left for LDS. Ok, I have always believed that I am the luckiest girl alive to have Dusten as my BFF, but nothing solidified that fact more, than when he drops everything to come up to the hospital. He is so wonderful and I am so grateful to have him in my life.
We get checked in at LDS. Melissa called ahead and gave report, so they were expecting me and knew what was going on. it is now 1 am and they proceeded, over the next 4 hours, to perform every test know to man, to rule out PE. Blood tests, chest x-ray and a freaking CT scan with contrast. (Yeah, I have totally met my deductible for the year, in February) The Doctor there was amazing and so comforting and kind. The nurse, seemed like she was a few crayons short of a full pack. Then came the Dilaudid. Oh yeah. Insert drunk face here. That stuff made me happy. It seriously dulled the pain. Dusten was just laughing at me when it would hit my system and I would stop mid sentence and just smile.
Everything before the CT scan came back normal, then the CT results came back. The doctor came in and said there was no evidence of PE, but did I know I had gallstones? Hehe, what? had no idea. Dusten starts laughing. He made a smart ass comment on the way to the hospital that, "I bet it's your gallbladder." At least I thought he was being a smart ass. Come to find out, that's really what he thought. Go Dusten, you diagnosed me! They of course had to get an ultrasound to confirm, but yep, gallstones and I guess bad enough that it was recommended I get it taken out asap. We were discharged around 5 am and Dusten took me to get meds and then home. Again, why am I so lucky to have him as my best friend?
The next day I made an appointment to see my surgeon. The same one that did my lap-band. Geez, why didnt he just take it out while he was in there the first time. He was, however, amazing enough to fit me into the schedule the very next day so less than 48 hours after being diagnosed, I was having my gallbladder out.
My sister, who is also the most amazing person ever, took me to my doctors appointment, stayed the night with me, took me to my surgery and stayed with me until my mom got home from work to take care of me. She took such good care of me and I am so grateful she was there for me. Again, how did I get so lucky to have so many amazing people in my life.
The surgery went very smoothy, and I am feeling really good today. I am returning to work tomorrow night, so wish me luck.
As I was saying earlier, on the morning of my surgery, I weighed myself and I was 299 lbs. Yeah, but then I had surgery and with it, tons of swelling, and water retention, so it took me a week, but I am back where I was, and I am so excited because I got to say good-bye and good riddance to not only my gallbladder, this week, but also 56 lbs of a life I used to live. A life I will never see again!
Im glad you are safe and doing better Sarah. Stop scaring us.
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