Attack of the Gallbladder

Well, I am a few ounces lighter this morning. Yesterday I had my gallbladder removed, as well as a hernia repaired. I am stuck here in my bed, watching the second hour of the Today Show, trying to convince my 2-year-old that Mommy can't hold him because of her boo-boo. I figured it was best to lock the door and write. I am also on a good deal of Vicodin...hopefully I can blog coherently. And if not, it could turn out to be a good piece of humor.

If you have ever had a gallbladder attack, I'm sorry. It is horribly, horribly painful. My story started a few months ago when I had terrible pains in my abdomen. I thought I had food poisoning. It was about 7:30am and I was getting ready to start my teaching day. After 20 minutes, it still wasn't going away. I called the secretary and asked for a sub -- something I would NEVER do. Thankfully, they found someone to cover for me and I drove the 35 minutes home, sweating and cramping. As soon as I walked in the door, I threw up twice. I took off my clothes, which were drenched in sweat, and got into bed. The only way I could sit without excruciating pain was on my knees, hunched over. I fell asleep and woke up 2 hours later, in the same position. The majority of the pain was gone, but I still had that ache...just enough to remind me that something painful had happened.I went to school the next day, convinced that it was food poisoning.

Two days later was Good Friday. We had off and were packing our bags to head to the Outer Banks for a week with my parents. I was feeling good...the "food poisoning" was a distant memory -- until about 7pm. It happened again. Gut-wrenching pain for several hours. It went away and I fell asleep.

The next morning I made sure not to eat. We had a 6-hour drive down to Nags Head and I was afraid of another episode. At this point, I thought I had a really bad case of gas. However, I knew in the back of my mind that it had to be more than that. We were about 2 hours into the trip (in the middle of nowhere) when my abdomen seized up. I was doubled over in pain. We stopped at a disgusting Royal Farms where I went to the bathroom, bought some Gas-X and some yogurt, and got back in the car to ride out the latest episode. I think I said every curse word in the book, yelled at my husband for hitting every bump he could find, and cried. NOT a pleasant way to start Spring Break.

We finally made it down to the condo at Nags Head. It was a beautiful townhouse on the beach...but I couldn't enjoy it because -- you guessed it -- another attack. The hubby was getting frustrated and said, "Fine. If it's that bad, let's go to the hospital." Before he even finished the sentence, I had my flip flops on and was on my way to the car.

The OBX Hospital was two streets over. When we walked in there were only 2 people in the waiting room (I have never been in an ER that wasn't jam-packed). It seemed so out of place to be sitting in a hospital in a resort town. The ocean was just blocks away, people were driving by with beach chairs and boogie boards strapped to their cars...and I was hunched over in pain.

We had only been waiting about 30 minutes when we were taken back to get checked out. I sat on the bed and answered all of the questions, still writhing in pain. The nurse said, "I'm about to make you very comfortable." She put an IV in (that wasn't the comfortable part) and within 30 seconds of hooking up the IV bag, I was pain-free. It was the most glorious, amazing, unbelievable relief I have ever felt. I swear I heard the song "Hallelujah" playing in my head (I probably did...that Percocet is good stuff).

A very young doctor came in and we chatted. I was quite enjoyable to be around, at that point. He said he suspected it was my gallbladder. He sent me back for x-rays, which confirmed that I had many, many stones. The reason that I was in so much pain was because some of the stones were stuck in pathway. He wanted to get my gallbladder out THAT night. However, because of the runaway stones, that had to do a procedure first called an ERCP. Being a small-town hospital, they were not capable of performing that procedure. He said I could either go up to Virginia to have it done, or we could go home. They discharged me with Percocet and an antibiotic.

For those of you who know me, you know I can be very stubborn. I don't often heed others' advice. In my mind, turning around and driving right BACK to Delaware with a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old -- not an option. The Percocet made me think I was "ok". I convinced the hubby that we would call my doctor on Monday and then we would at least have a few days of vacation. I was so excited to spend spring break with my parents. I was going to salvage whatever time I could.

The next few days were uneventful. I had my new BFF (Percocet) and we actually got to enjoy some time in OBX. We had Easter dinner, went on a plane ride, sat on the beach. I got an appointment with a GI doctor for Thursday. I was going to ride it out until then. I did have to go to the walk-in medical center for more Percocet, but other than that...life was good.

Fast forward to the following week. My GI doctor scheduled me for an ERCP on a Wednesday. In dummy terms, an ERCP is when they stick a tube down your throat and suck out the stones...at least, that's what I understand it to be. I was going to have to go to Temple University Hospital in Philly because my doctor wasn't sure he could get all of the stones. Fortunately, we ended up doing it in Dover. It all went well...except they cracked my molar in the process. Nothing is ever easy!

I was supposed to meet with a surgeon the next week to schedule removal of the gallbladder. Because I was out of sick days at work, I couldn't get in to meet with him until June. When I finally met him, we scheduled my operation for July 13 (yes, it was a Friday). I couldn't quite get my head around the fact that a doctor would be cutting inside of MY body and pulling out MY gallbladder!

The surgery went well. I had about 20-30 more stones that had already collected in my gallbladder since April. I woke up with a terrible headache and my hubby at my side. The nurses were awesome. I know that our local hospital gets a bad rap, but I have never had a bad experience there. They were sweet and helpful...I am afraid I wasn't as sweet to them. Oops.

Now I have 4 incisions in my belly that mark the end of a long and painful journey. Goodbye potato chips, french fries, and hello to having one less organ to carry around. Can't wait to go weigh myself.

I Am Such A Narcissist

Stolen from Philadelphia Magazine's Interview with Jennifer Weiner (Click here for her funnier answers).

My name is … spelled correctly.

I am a … mom, wife, teacher, and wannabe writer

I live in … my hometown of Dover. I tried to get out but got sucked back in.

Women need to understand that … men like us just as we are, not the way we think they want us to be.

Men need to understand that … most women are bitches.

People would be surprised to know that I … am very gross, almost as gross as most men.

When I’m writing, I usually drink … Starbucks (duh)

If you really want to get under my skin … act like the world is full of rainbows and unicorns at all times. I appreciate a positive outlook, but you have to be realistic sometimes.

On the Fourth of July … I will be covering my ears like I have since I was little.

The best book I’ve ever written … is the one that is still bouncing around in my brain.

When I retire, I want to live in … Maine in the summers and Savannah in the winters.

I’ve never told anyone this, but … I did some soft-core porn during my college days...KIDDING! Totally kidding.

The most famous person I’ve ever met was … Pete Sampras. I was studying journalism and he played a tourney in Philly. I was able to sit at the table with Pete and the reporters after his match. Soooo handsome. Sweaty, but handsome.

My shoe collection … is housed at DSW.

The thing people misunderstand about me is … that I am this very angry person. I am not. I swear. It's just my facial expressions. I have a natural angry-teacher face.

When I was 16 … I wanted to be 25.

The one thing that Philly really needs is … a better bullpen.

To celebrate my first best-seller … I will probably buy myself a new pair of very impractical shoes.

Bored, Bored, Bored

These are "getting to know you" questions from Oprah's website. I am bored, hopped up on Vicodin, and need to do something mindless.

• What type of pets do you have? I don't have any pets currently. Growing up I had a mutt named Spunky. A few years after Spunky passed away, we got a beagle that we named Cheyenne. My parents just had to put Cheyenne down a few years ago. I also had a shih-tzu named Mia. We had to have her put down about 2 years ago....hardest day of my life.
• What is your favorite color? It's a toss-up between blue and green.
• What is most memorable about your high school years? Tennis! Loved playing on a team and having great success during those 4 years.
• What word describes you best? Unpredicatable.
• What is your greatest accomplishment? My two kids. Duh.
• What drives you every day? Money.
• What is your favorite food? That's a tough one because it all depends on my mood.Some days I crave Oreos and some days I crave steak and potatoes. 
• Where do you want to retire? Maine in the summers and South Carolina in the winters.
• What is your business goal this year? I want to finally start my own business...whatever that may be. Or write a book.
• Where do you like to vacation? Maine
• Who do you admire? I don't admire one person; I admire different attributes of many different people.
• What is your mission? To have smart, polite, wonderful kids.
• If you were invisible, where would you go? I would go to all of the homes of these people who present their lives as "perfect"...and see what they really live like.
• What traits in others are you attracted to? Humor, intelligence, and someone who doesn't take life too seriously.
• What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you? My husband puts up with my bullshit every day. And he still loves me.
• How do you want to be remembered? I want people to remember me as a good mom and a kind person.
• What would you do with a million dollars? Not work!!!!
• If you were on an island, who would you want to be with? Why? An island forever? My kids and my hubby. An island for a week? Just me!
• You have a 10 minute speech to give at a high school, what is it about? Being your true self and not trying to be like everyone else.

Ten Questions

In an attempt to dip my toes back into the writing waters before actually jumping totally in, here are some tidbits about me: 

 

1- If you could trade places with one person, who would it be? I wouldn't want to trade place with anyone permanently. However, if I could do it for a day (or 2) I would have to say I would trade places with whatever person is currently dating Bradley Cooper.

2- What do you think is your biggest fault? I take things extremely personally. I worry constantly about someone saying something to hurt my feelings. I know that, as a result, I will probably shut that person out for a long time (maybe forever).

3- Is there one thing that you think changed your life? My daughter! She was a total surprise but her arrival changed everything for the better. She forced me to grow up, be less selfish, and to appreciate the little things in life.

 

4- Who did you look up to as a kid? I was always looking up to people...relatives, neighbors, teachers. But I mostly loved Chris Evert and Joan Lunden. Bet you weren't expecting those names, huh?

5- What is the one thing that makes you happy despite any mood? Starbucks! Unless the barista screws it up.

6- Favorite movie of all time? The Notebook...cliche? Yep.

7- What artist (any type) do you wish you were? I would love to be a photographer with a photography studio and gallery in Maine.

8- What did you want to be before you grew up? I always wanted to be a TV journalist.

9- What are you now? A high school English teacher. No comment.

 

10- What is the one thing you can't leave the house without-day to day(not including essential items like car keys, wallet, etc.)?

My cell phone! I am totally addicted to it.

It's Too Damn Hot...

I am stuck inside my house, with the A/C pumping and fans on in every room. The kids are gated in their playroom. Hubby is engrossed in a new book. Even as I watch the "Real Housewives of OC Reunion" for the 15th time, sweat beads are forming on my upper lip. According to my computer, it is 103 outside. Really?? So, instead of sitting here and eating more Haagen Dazs coffee ice cream (with whipped cream), I figured I would finally do something I have put off for years...start a new blog.

Back when my daughter (P) was born, I created a blog about her life. It was a way to share her milestones and adventures with family and friends. Everyone loved it. It was written from her point of view and was totally adorable, I have to admit. As life got busier, the blog suffered. Once Little Man arrived, the blog totally went by the wayside.

With Facebook, blogging became unnecessary. I could post photos instantly from my phone. I could make comments on my state of mind via my status update. Why did I need to blog?

Recently I have felt a void in my life. I used to write all of the time. I majored in English and minored in journalism. I worked for several local newspapers and one regional magazine. That desire to write was always satisfied. However, the opportunities to write dried up the longer I stayed out of the journalism field. Now, the most I write is an email to my friend in Connecticut. And by "email", I mean Facebook message.

During the past 6 months, I have been writing blog posts in my head. Obviously it is time to start my own blog...not one focused on potty training and paci-weaning. One where I can be honest, where I can cuss, where I can talk about "adult" things.

One of the reasons I was hesitant to start a blog was because it seemed so narcissistic. Who the hell would want to read about MY life? I am a 36-year-old high school English teacher with a middle class house, 2 kids, and a hubby. But then I realized that the things I am thinking, are often the same things other people are thinking. And what an awesome way to relieve stress as well as satisfy that need to write. Let's face it, I am not moving to NYC to work on a glossy magazine and live the glamorous Manhattan life. I am where I am and not much is going to change (more on that later).

I can't say for sure where this blog will go. I have a feeling it will be a hodgepodge of the following topics: kids, traveling, work, TV shows, celebrities, bitching, and my Starbucks trips. Some days may be serious; some days may be very inane. Kind of like my own brain. Perhaps I should've titled it Brain Dump.

Speaking of titles...why did I name this blog what I did? Frankly, I am a total Starbucks addict. It is a little crazy. I think I have gone without a Starbucks only 2 days out of the last 365. My first drink order (pre-Little Man) was a venti, 10-pump, no water chai. During pregnancy, I got hot chocolate or banana chocolate smoothies. Post-Little Man, I am now into venti, no water, vanilla chais with extra vanilla. Every once in a while I switch it up with a caramel mocha or a caramel mocha frap. See? I am insane about Starbucks but my palate is limited. When we travel, I use my favorite app to find the closest Starbucks. We've made quite a few detours to find a Starbucks while on the road. I collect the mugs and I am trying to get up the nerve to ask a barista to order me a lanyard from their employee website. Nuts.

If you continue to follow this blog (and if I continue to post), you'll find out that I am nuts in more ways than just being a Starbucks addict. But it's a fun kind of nuts...I think.