ERCP

ERCP is short for…

Endoscopic
Retrograde
Cholangio
Pancreatography

My fun plans for tomorrow. It's to grab that stubborn, last gall stone. They say it's a one day procedure, but the last one I had in November was 6 days in the hospital with pancreatitis. Let's hope that doesn't happen again.

I Failed My Test

I failed my T-Tube Cholangeogram (read fancy, expensive x-ray) yesterday.

I still have one last stone.
I am sad.
I have to have another ERCP.
I am scared. (The last one gave me Pancreatitis.)
That's all I have to say.
(the picture is from last March's visit to the south of Italy. 

This makes me happy.)

The Saga Continues

My T tube ex ray showed another gallstone which has to be removed in the same way that gave me pancreatitis. I'm a little depressed. In addition, the super gi doc, alleged, is out of town until 1/17.
I went to my surgeon high on painkillers prepared to have my t-tube removed, but noooo! I have the mystery stone that has been hiding until last week when it suddenly appeared and cannot stay!
I have nothing else to say. I'm so depressed.

Note to self:  After 20 years of sobriety, 2 painkillers can turn me into my 89 year old aunt, from an introvert to extrovert, quiet to loquacious. Now I now why they call it a social lubricant!

It Doesn't Rain, but it Pours

My Beloved's father has been in hospice since I was in the hospital. She went to see him last weekend and only stayed overnight as she was worried about me. He was in poor shape, unable to communicate, but as she described, I think he knew she was there and was happy about that. She returned to NY on Christmas eve and he passed away on Tues. Because the funeral is in Florida, it won't be until Sunday. (In the Jewish tradition, the person is buried within 24 hours.) So, BL is making flight plans again.

I won't be attending as I still have this T-tube hanging from my belly, and all of this surgery, etc. seems to have exacerbated my Caude Equina Syndrome, so I am having neuropathy-like hat pins repeatedly stuck in areas where I have no feeling. Not to mention that it's Christmas week and my surgeon, neurologist and therapist are out of town. No problem. Did I mention that I had a T-tube cholangiogram which showed that I have a remaining gall stone or clot. Sigh!

After the funeral, she will be coming back to NY and we will be having a few nights of shiva. I better find some dressier sweat clothes!

MOURNER'S KADDISH
An English Translation

Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

Revolting but Fun-this goes out to Carmel!

This is my gall bladder that fell out and walked away

Well, what surgery... ?

Actually it's a Bananna slug I took a picture of. I just wish my gall bladder would walk away.

I had the ERCP, and all I got was this pancreatitis! For which I've been in the hospital and in pain and a promise of another ERCP as the MRCP didn't see all of the massive stones that I actually have and they couldn't remove them all. I am home now. I have two options, one to have another ERCP-risking another bout of pancreatitis then the laprascopic surgery. Or open surgery, and no gall bladder. Guess which way I'm leaning.

The First Big Day- ERCP

When the gastroentrologist plays "go fish" with 3 gall stones that have gone astray outside of my gallbladder and are doing bad things like blocking bile ducts. They do this by inserting an endoscope, then inserting tools to locate and grab those straying stones, then retrieving them...through my mouth. Thank GOD I will be asleep. The last time I had an endoscopy, I was awake, with meds. that give you retrograde amnesia. This means that the process is really unpleasant, but you DON'T REMEMBER IT! Except I remember all of it. It was for an bleeding ulcer I got as a result of taking NSAID'S for a really bad back for which I was having emergency surgery. They discovered the ulcer when I went in for emergency surgery and my blood count was so low, I had to have 4 units of blood before surgery. But I digress. I'm starting to freak out about all of these procedures/surgerys. I was in the office yesterday and was overwhelmed with work. The plan was to go in this morning at 7:30-my usual start time-then leave at 11;00. It's about an hour travel time. It seems like so much and I'm in some pain. This gallbladder stuff makes my back hurt more than it usually does. Do I have to go into the office for 3 hours-and two hours commute? Tell me no.

On another note, give a shout out to my friend Natty who is having a rough time in the discerning process for her vocation. Her blog is: http://opme.blogspot.com/

Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster

Surgery to remove my gall bladder has been delayed by a four initial procedure to remove 3 renegade gall stones that have escaped and are wreaking havoc.

So when I was at the hospital, I picked up a brochure that described this program. Hmmm. I already had this cd, passed along by a colleague at work. I started listening to it. It seems that a large feature is prayer, who knew? It's supposed to speed healing and decrease the use of pain medication. I've been listening on the subway on the way to work. I am stressed, primarily because of the delays for this 'simple' surgery. I received a promotion last January and I'm still on probation and that Catholic schoolgirl who still lives in me believes that being absent so much will effect my supervisors judgement of me. And each exam brings the need for a new exam or a procedure before surgery. Sigh.

About Prepare for Surgery-Mind Body Technique by Peggy Huddelston

"Using five steps to prepare for surgery, you'll feel profoundly peaceful in the days before your operation. In turn this peace will create the biochemistry of healing and speed your recovery.
Peggy Huddleston is the author of Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster. She is a psychotherapist, conducting research on the benefits of her pre-surgical program at a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital in Boston.

Her clinical work and research focus on the ways positive emotions and the human spirit enhance healing.

She has taught workshops in self-healing to thousands of people in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Paris and Amsterdam. Her book and tape were recently featured on PBS-TV's Body and Soul.

Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster Workshops are offered in hospitals and HMOs by nurses and therapists trained and certified by Peggy Huddleston."

Getting my Gizzard Popped

On my journey to gall bladder surgery I had an ultrasound and last Friday had an MRCP or Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography. The instructions were to fast-nothing by mouth-for four hours before the 8:30 AM test, so I got up at 3:30 to take my am medication and to worry for a bit. You see, this has been dragging on since September which may not seem like much, but I started a new job-well not a NEW job, but a promotion-last January and taking all this time off is giving me angst. And now having to have surgery and all of the pre-testing time is stressing me.

So I arrived at 7:45, always early as the nuns taught me, starving, and craving coffee, to discover that it was not necessary to fast. As a matter of fact, the first thing I was made to do was drink pineapple juice. If only it had caffeine or valium in it!

The next thing, of course was to disrobe and then robe in a color coded hospital gown-or two as I never know the code for woman size. I discovered that an MRCP is pretty much like any other scan. It’s like being in your own toilet paper tube which is then tossed into a cement mixer. Only this scan had headphones with nice music when the cement mixer was off. And I wasn’t doing breathing exercises, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in and hold it…

I’ll have the results in a day or two or my surgeon will. I have a pre-surgery examination on Wednesday (1/2 day off.) I have a second opinion on Thursday (1/2 day off.) By the time I actually have the surgery I’ll have no time left.

One thing I did discover was a brochure that offered a free program at the hospital to ”Feel calmer before surgery. Use less pain medication. Recover faster.” I think I should call right now.

Doctor Shopping

Mrs Dumple decides who will have the
privilege of removing her gall bladder.

And that's what I will be doing starting this morning. It seems that my "Hep A" turned out to be an expired gall bladder-one producing stones, rocks and boulders rather than what it is supposed to be doing-not quite sure what that is, but I have a vauge idea. Yes, the yellowness, fever, pain were not the slightly sexy Hep A, but the dowdy, common gall bladder disease. Yuck. Doesn't it seem old, Well apparently it's THE most common surgery performed on WOMEN! wow.

I talked to my-no plan-doctor who recomended a-non-plan-surgeon. $$$$$$$$ later, I looked on my plan website. 199 general surgeons. I faxed the list to my doc who chose two, both it turned out do only hernias. Hey, I asked for a general surgeon and that's what was listed. False advertising! So it seems there is a gall bladder guy in the practice. (the gall bladder is green in all illustrations-is that right?) I'm seeing him this morning. Stay tuned.

P.S. IF YOU HAVE HAD THIS SURGERY AND HAVE HAD LESS THAN A GOOD EXPERIENCE, DO LEAVE ME DETAILS AS I AM A GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT. Thank you.