Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Why I seemed to drop out of the blogosphere....

I was quite ill. On Sunday, March 25th, Hannah and Abby came down with a stomach flu. It just so happened to also be the day we were celebrating Nathan’s 7th (!) birthday. Family and friends were on their way to our home for a fish fry and cake and ice-cream; and I was in the middle of all the cooking and preparations. The girls were banished to their rooms. By Tuesday, the 27th, they were getting a bit better, but I was struck. It was a weird illness. We would feel fine most of the day, but by late afternoon, or early evening the vomiting would begin and misery set in. The girls would then sleep through the night, and I did too until that Thursday evening the 29th. That night and the next, I couldn’t even sleep and cramping in my stomach hurt so bad and vomiting wouldn’t stop.

By Saturday afternoon, I was still miserable and asked David to take me to urgent care. They put in an IV and gave me two bags of fluid (I was somewhat dehydrated) plus medicine for pain and nausea. We called David’s parents from the doctor’s office for them to come take me home and help with the kids because it was time for David to get back for his 5pm service. They did; stayed overnight and took the kids to church on Palm Sunday while I stayed home and slept. That afternoon I was feeling better but Nathan got sick. I slept okay again Sunday night (had some cramping) and David’s parents went home and on Holy Monday morning felt like eating some breakfast. Most of Monday I felt decent, but not better, just thinking I’m on the upswing, unfortunately I was wrong.

Holy Monday by mid to late afternoon, I was sick again and the cramping was getting worse and vomiting began again. I was miserable so David took me back to urgent care and I was able to see the same dr as before. We called a lady from church to come be with the kids and while she was here, Sam got sick. More blood tests and an x-ray were done and she gave me a shot of Demerol and more nausea medicine and sent me home with instructions. I was to come back Tuesday morning for a gall bladder ultra-sound and an appt with my dr. We called David’s parents and they said they would come on Tuesday morning to be with the kids during the appts.

Holy Tuesday, I had the ultra sound and then my dr’s appt. She confirmed the presence of small stones and sludge and made an appt with a surgeon for Maundy Thursday. I was feeling better and she sent me home with a prescription for pain medicine and anti-nausea. Having not eaten all night and morning due to the test, on the way home, I ate a Popsicle. By the time we got home, I took my medicine and within a few hours was sick and miserable. David was unable to reach my doctor but got in touch with one at urgent care and that Dr. set up for me to go straight to the ER and into a room. We were so glad his parents were able to stay with the kids.

Once they finally checked me in and started an IV, a surgeon came in and listened to all my symptoms. He wasn’t sure that it was my gall bladder as the pain wasn’t typical gall bladder pain. He had them give me pain medicine and anti-nausea through the IV during the night and on Holy Wednesday I had a CT scan of my stomach. It came back normal. I was feeling better as the fluid was continually dripping into my arm. I stayed in the hospital again that evening and on Maundy Thursday morning I had an upper GI test done. That afternoon, my dr came in and said that test looked normal. If I was feeling good I could go home. I was, so I went. Plus mentally, I needed to get out of the hospital. Once home, I took the anti-nausea medicine and went to bed. It didn’t work, I was sick and uncomfortable all evening.

Good Friday morning, we called my dr and she orders another gall bladder test and calls in another anti-nausea prescription. That medicine starts working. My mom arrives late in the afternoon and they all to go to church. I stayed home on the couch. David’s parents went home after service since my mom was here to help. Good Friday night was still miserable, but not as bad as the others. Holy Saturday, I continued to take the anti-nausea medicine as often as I could and was gaining the ability to eat a little. Holy Saturday night wasn’t the best, but better than the others, so I slept all Easter morning while Mom took the kids to the sunrise service. Mom fixed a dinner and I felt like eating – my first real meal in several days. That night I slept through the night.

Easter Monday I felt much better through the day and slept again that night. I was still very tired and not missing a dose of my anti-nausea medicine. It was working and I was afraid to stop it (I wonder why?!). Tuesday I had the nuclear gall bladder test, or at least the first part. The second part couldn’t be done due to the presence of the stones. The stones would make the second part of the test inconclusive.

I was feeling better just weak and slightly dizzy; effects of the medicine I think That night I slept through the night, missing a dose of medicine. I awoke on Wednesday feeling pretty good and decide to wait to take my medicine. I made it a few more hours before taking some.

The dr called and my test came back normal. So she said it was more than likely a really bad virus, but since now we know there are stones in the gall bladder, how that was affected in all of this she can’t be sure. The tests all showed that it wasn’t inflamed and no stones were in the bile ducts. The plan of action is for me to call immediately if I have pain or vomiting and I’ll meet with the surgeon. Wednesday evening was the last time I took my anti-nausea medicine. Thursday and Friday I felt stronger and helped with laundry and cooking and clean-up and even got in a little school work with the kids. Saturday was another good day. So it sure seems like it must have been a bad strain of the stomach virus, but knowing I have to watch my gall bladder is no fun either.