Starting the Recovery Process Again

It has now been 2 1/2 weeks since I had my gall bladder removed. The best thing is that I can eat!!! I don't think I have ever appreciated food as much as I do right now. This is just the start of my recovery though. So here's the verdict after this week...

Yesterday, I went back to the surgeon for my follow-up after surgery. He said it was definitely my gall bladder that was effecting my eating. He was very glad that I was feeling better. I asked him about some of the pain I still have and he thinks it may be because I am still healing. He also had to check out my belly button (where my incision is). My belly button isn't healing as well as it should because some of the dissoluble stitches broke apart. I have to baby it for two more weeks and keep it covered. My recovery will continue for at least two more weeks.

Since my recovery is coming along after my surgery, I have to start working on other issues. Starting on Monday, I will start a new plan to feel 100% again. I still have candida overgrowth and SIBO to take care of before I am 100%. I am hoping since I had my gall bladder removed, the rest of the process will move along smoothly. I am hoping to be 100% within the next few months but if not then I am aiming for 2015! Please keep up the thoughts and prayers. It is really discouraging to know that I am not there yet but I have to continue to be hopeful so I can recover fully.

4th of July weekend-I was actually able to eat out at restaurants :) 

Update after Surgery

Well it has almost been 2 weeks since my surgery. I am starting to feel like a normal person. I am still trying to get off my pain meds but I still have a slight pain in my right side and my belly button (where they made the incision).

Food wise I can eat soft foods and some meats. Mostly chicken and fish. I still try to avoid fatty foods as much as possible. Next week, I will probably be back on the Candida diet to heal my intestines. I have been eating soups but they sorta bug my stomach.

Next week, I go back to the surgeon for a follow up since my surgery. I am hoping to get a good report so I can continue to heal and start working on other issues I have in my body. I am still a little nervous I won't fully heal but I have faith that I will at least get to a better place. I am already really grateful that I can eat when I am hungry. I really like having a little energy to do things besides work as well. I definitely think getting my gall bladder removed was a good decision.

I still have 2 more weeks before I am fully recovered. I still have a 15 pound weight limit and I can't bend over yet. Fingers Crossed that I will continue to improve!

Thank you all for praying and thinking of me through this whole process :) I will update you next week!

Gall Bladder Surgery

Friday the 20th at 11:45, I had my gall bladder removed. I was very anxious and nervous at the same time. My mom and Kris came with me to take care of me :) Before the surgery, all the surgery team stopped by, introduced themselves, and answered any questions we had. The surgery staff was very pleasant and helpful! If you ever have to have your gall bladder removed, I would recommend Dr. Sorenson at St. Luke's! He was excellent. My family was impressed with how well he communicated everything to them.

The surgery was very smooth and I was able to come home later that afternoon. I had a little longer recovery at the hospital because I was having trouble with nausea. The nurse was able to balance my pain meds with my nausea meds so I could go home. The rest of Friday I just dozed off and on which keeping my pain under control.

 

Day 1 of Recovery-Saturday was my first full day of recover. I wasn't able to sleep very well Friday night so I was really tired Saturday. I was pretty out of it and very dizzy but I started getting my coloring back in my cheeks and the bruising on my stomach wasn't as bad. I was able to eat apple sauce, cottage cheese, and any liquids. By Saturday night, I was feeling pretty good as long as I stayed in an upright position. I felt good enough to sleep in my own bed which I really needed.

Day 2 of Recovery-On Sunday, I was able to sleep in. That helped me feel a lot better. I was still in pain but I could walk around a little by myself and I could stay awake for a few hours. I tried to be brave and eat some solid foods. (Bad decision) I had a piece of toast, some tilapia, and green beans. My pain got worse as the day went on. I eventually had to call the doctor and ask what I could do to help with the pain. After I tried some other medicine, I tried to sleep off the pain.

Day 3 of Recovery-Today. I woke up really tired today but in less pain. I'm sticking to apple sauce and liquids like the doctor ordered. I can get up and down out of chair by myself. Hoping the pain will subside soon and I'll start feeling better.

Recovery is taking a little longer than I hoped but I don't want to rush the healing process either. I'll keep you updated :)

I think I got my Miracle! Fingers Crossed!

Last week was a very rough week. I could only eat liquids unless I had my yeast-free toast and rice chex. There is only so little you can eat before you know something has to change.

This past Monday, I had a follow up appointment with my GI doctor. (That is the day I asked everyone to pray for a miracle.) The doctor told me she still thought it was my gall bladder and an ulcer could not cause so much pain! She said the next step was to go to a surgeon. I was so excited. (I have never been so excited to hear the word surgery.)

Yesterday, I went to the surgeon for a consultation. I was still nervous because every time I feel like I am getting closer, we take two steps back. The surgeon agreed with my GI doctor. He said he was 90-95% sure it was my gall bladder and that if I had it removed I would feel much better. So I guess I am getting my gall bladder removed! I am so glad to hopefully be getting somewhere. My surgery is scheduled for Tomorrow (Friday) at 11:45AM.   Any thoughts or prayers would be appreciated :) Thanks for following my crazy health journey!

Sick :(

Good news: I finally got a hyda scan and an appointment with a GI doctor.
Bad news: I am still in pain and can't eat much.

The GI doctor has ran a few tests but I don't think we have found the root of the problem. The hyda scan came back normal so they ruled out my gall bladder. Since I was still in pain, they decided to do a "scope test" (endoscopy). The test showed that I have an ulcer in my esophagus. So of course the doctor thought that must where the pain is coming from.

Well it's been a week since I had the scope and a week since I have been on my antacid medicine. I don't have acid reflux anymore but the pain is in full force. This past week I have just been sick. Every time I try to eat, I get sick to my stomach and then the pain starts. It is a little rough living like this :( Hoping for some answers soon! Through this process, I am now down 14 pounds. I wanted to loose weight but not quite like this. Please continue thinking of me and any prayers are appreciated!

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

As my doctor said, sometimes when you start healing one health issue others pop up. I am on week 3 of my journey of recovery. These past three weeks have been close to the hardest three weeks of my life.

Week 1-I started the new medicine which amounted to taking 30 pills a day. Talk about my gag reflexes getting a work out. The first two days I was on the new meds I was so loopy that I honestly cannot remember all that happened. I finally had to back off a few pills and ease into them so I wasn't constantly in a dream.

Week 2- The pain started. Of course with the Candida diet, I was detoxing my body. My body decided to fight back. It started in the mornings so I had to stop eating breakfast. If I ate breakfast, I either got really sick or was in so much pain I couldn't focus on getting ready. Then the pain settled into my right side. I finally went to the urgent care where they decided to do blood work because they thought I may be experiencing liver problems. The labs came back normal so the doctor gave me pain meds and told me to stay on a bland diet. I was pretty much only eating chicken and carrots at this point. You get really tired of food when you can only eat two things. Worse part is that the pain got stronger.

Week 3-The doctor finally scheduled an ultrasound of my liver and gall bladder. Most people hope for normal results. I was hoping they would find something wrong so they could take the pain away. My results came back normal. I was ready to give up so I figured out what I could eat to get by. Breakfast consisted of cottage cheese, lunch consisted of a raw protein meal replacement shake, and dinner consisted of as regular of a meal that I could eat. Mostly some kind of meat and a veggie.

These three weeks have been difficult but I am trying to stay hopeful. The next two steps are going to a GI doctor and getting another scan of the Gall bladder. I am hoping they can figure out something within the next few days.

Even though these past few weeks have been hard, I have had the CO doctor help with any issues along the way. It is one day at a time right now.

Diagnosis

Well many of you have asked, so here is my "official" diagnosis. I received the report on April 30th from the Colorado doctor.

Here are the top things:

1. Principle Digestive Issues- Thin, sensitive stomach lining and a low hydrochloic acid production
2. Nutritional Deficiencies-Vitamin D, B6, C, K, B1, B3, etc.
3. Metabolic Acidosis-decreases circulation and oxygen delivery (this contributes to fatigue, pain, and hormonal imbalances)
4. Dysbiosis- Fungus infection in my gut (most likely Candida overgrowth)
5. SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth)
6. Leaky Gut Syndrome- allows entry of toxins causing allergic reactions to food
7. Systemic Toxicity and Generalized Inflammation-Causing infection in the GI system and Urinary tract; causes stress on liver and kidneys
8. Reactive Hypoglycemia- pancreas releases too much insulin; blood sugar levels go crazy
9. Insulin Resistance/Metabolic Syndrome-Cells develop resistance to excess insulin
10. Nutritionally stressed areas of the body-heart, joints, lungs, parathyroid gland, spleen, large and small intestine, liver, kidneys, sinuses, urinary tract, and the immune, lymphatic, reproductive, nervous, circulatory, and respiratory systems.

Yeah, a lot to take in! The good news is that all of those conditions are treatable. It will just take time and persistence. He told me if I didn't take care of it though I would have to (within the next 5 years) have my gall bladder removed, I would become diabetic, and I would have to be on heart medicine. I think fixing the issues now is a better option!

So I apologize now for my craziness with my cravings (that he said I will have!), my absence from the social world for a few months (friends), and anything else that comes my way. I will also only be able t operate on 50% of my energy so my body can heal. Thanks for being understanding :) Hopefully this is my year to get Healthy!!