Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Thank You, Dr. Google

Dr. Google isn't always right but you can't argue with his fees.

My latest meeting with Dr. Google is to discover the root of the pain I've had in my rib for weeks. The rib pain comes nearly every night and stays with me all night but is normally gone in the morning. It's a sort of burning pain, like a stitch in your side from running. Multiplied and overstaying it's welcome. There's no walking it off, drinking it off or medicating it off. I just have to deal with it until I fall asleep and wait for it's return the next evening. My dealing is done so I'm calling my doctor in the morning to see what we can do about this crap. Dr. Google is telling me that it's a gallbladder/gallstone issue. Dr. G diagnosed me with gout last time I had a problem and it turned out to be bunions, or more accurately the beginning of bunions. Don't think I have gnarly bunion hooves because I don't. I am way overdue for a pedi but that's as gnarly as it gets. My point is that Dr. G isn't exactly too reliable so I may have some muscle with a kink in it. In case it's my gallbladder, please work up a meals on wheels schedule so that my family isn't starving while I waste away in a hospital. If I have to go under the knife I'm going to ask them to remove my overgrown tonsils and adenoids so that I can stop snoring. If I can save on that OR bill, I can afford to be put into a faux coma until my throat and abdomen heal appropriately.

8 comments:

Kathi D said...

Well, it's hard to tell from your description, but I have had gallbladder pain and it's B.A.D. It's right in the center of your chest and is like the worst heartburn you ever had, only worse. It doesn't go away, but it seems better to stand up than to lie down.

Anyway. As long as they don't have to do the surgery on an emergency basis, they do it with three little holes in the belly (they have to be able to poke through your bellybutton, so if you already have scar tissue there, they can't do it). They can do it outpatient but you really should stay in overnight, just in case. You can't lift anything for several weeks. The good news is, no more GB pain.

I hope yours is something small and easily fixed!

Jennifer said...

Kathi- my pain is right between the center of my chest and the side of my ribcage. Same place, nearly every night. It doesn't feel like heartburn but it is definitely a burning pain. Kind of like I've been stabbed with a hot icepick and it's still stuck there.

It's gone this morning but I am a bit sore, like usual.

And I will stay in the hospital as long as they let me!

Anonymous said...

It sounds like gall bladder issues. Don't ignore it, before you know it you'll think your chest is caving in, the pain will be so severe.

Oh, and the surgery is so easy too. I probably could have gone back to work a couple of days later but I milked it for three weeks. I also started my brief love affair with Mr. Percocet at that time.

Jennifer said...

I completely forgot about your gallbladder, Kelly. I have an appointment on Monday at 1:30. Didn't you do yours as an outpatient?

I hope it's not the GB but I really feel like it is. I'm pretty dramatic though so it's probably nothing.

Kathi D said...

Which side is it on? Your gallbladder is to your right. But the pain can radiate anyway. Since it happens at night and is gone in the morning, it does sound suspiciously like GB.

Have you been pregnant lately? It's fairly common for pregnant women to get gallstones. When I had mine out, there was a new mom in my hospital room. I fit the other profile: female, fair, fat, fifty. (Yeah, thanks a lot, docs)

Kathi D said...

P.S. If it does turn out that you need your GB out, my doc said that most often it's done as outpatient, but he highly recommended spending the night in the hospital, and he was right.

Anonymous said...

Yep, it was outpatient. Very easy recovery too.

Anonymous said...

I had mine out when Ethan was 5 weeks old. Mine was down in my ribcage and it HURT! Mine was an emergency though because I had a small stone floating around somewhere lol

The surgery is so easy. I walked out the next day and I was fine. It may have helped that I had just had a c-section 5 weeks before so any other abdominal pain was nothing.