The Adventures of Baby Bean: Mama's Health Hiccup

You might remember that we all got sick on spring break in Indiana. Well, when we got home, I got sick again. And again. By the third bout with these "stomach flu like" symptoms, Dustin became concerned and decided it was more than just a bug. I spent the better half of April very sick. I suffered from severe abdomen pain, bathroom issues, and lethargy. As time passed, the stomach issues dissipated but I began to experience esophageal and chest symptoms which were AWFUL.I couldn't exercise the way I like, food seemed to get lodged in my throat and I was short of breath.

The first sickness...

The second sickness...

The third sickness...aka Gallbladder attack

Sick at work while kids at lunch

After weeks of battling these attacks, I went to my primary who agreed with Dustin that this was something more than the flu. Two years ago I had similar (yet not NEARLY as severe) symptoms that led my PC to ultrasound my gallbladder. At the time there was sludge but I decided to manage it through diet and exercise and not have it removed. The doctor sent me to get a HIDA scan and joked that I did a good job putting it off for two more years...

Appointment 1 of 1029302

I will stop right here and complain about our medical system as a whole. It moves at a SNAILS PACE. The referral process is just crazy. I am so thankful for Dust. He was able to order me all the tests I needed which completely expedited the process by literally weeks. I had already gotten the scan and the results back before my PC had even sent in an order for me to have the test. Crazy.

The HIDA scan showed that my gallbladder was in fact malfunctioning. I was sent to a general surgeon who told me that I had gallbladder disease and it needed to come out.

The weirdest thing about all of this is that some days I felt GREAT and was able to exercise and some days I could barely walk my students to the lunch room...

At the beginning of June, the Surgeons office called and said that my surgery would be July 15th....6 weeks away. It was devastating to think that my entire summer would be wasted feeling icky.

In the meantime, the chest and throat symptoms got worse and worse. I started googling (I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER) and was just sure I had a hiatal hernia or mass in my throat. I ended up going to see a second surgeon for a second opinion who immediately wanted to send me to the ER. I told him that I wasn't having a heart attack but he opted to send me to a cardiologist and then wanted to get an upper GI test done. I agreed to all of the above but again, the appointments made took FOREVER. Dustin (who diagnosed me with GERD from the get go) ordered me the barium swallow test after this visit with the second surgeon and, sure enough, the barium swallow showed that my sweet hubby was right. No hernias, no masses, just evidence of GERD.

The barium swallow test was AWFUL. OMG.

I ended up getting this test and the results back before even going to the Card. Once I met with the cardiologist, he ran an EKG and did an exam. He said my heart is fit as a fiddle.

So, after a summer FULL of doctors appointments, July 15th was finally upon us. Dustin took me to the surgery center while Bryan and Niki watched the kiddos ( we are so thankful for them!!!).

In sickness and in health!

The surgery was quick and we were home before lunch time. I spent most of first day in bed but woke up the second day feeling a bit better.

It took about a week to be able to drive and do normal things and 2 weeks before I really felt better. The great news that the attacks that I had experienced all spring are gone. Unfortunately, I am still dealing with nausea and gerd. After extensive blood and other testing, the doctor thinks that I have an ulcer that is causing the gerd and that the gerd will not allow the ulcer to heal. I have been prescribed a medicine that should help and I am hopeful that I will finally start feeling like myself again! I start taking it in a week after one more test.