When it rains it pours

I returned to KC from Dubai on Friday the 20th. My flight out of Chicago was late so I actually ended up arriving on Saturday morning. I spent 29 hours on the plane or in airports. Next time, I am definitely flying direct. There is a Delta flight from Atlanta and an Emirates flight from Houston, both that go directly to Dubai. Not only will we save time, it should be easier with a child.

It was very nice to sleep in my own bed. I really felt the jetlag this time and really didn't have an appetite. Mom and Dad drove out on Saturday to see us and the baby’s room. I just really struggled through the day and when we went out that night, I barely ate. As the day kept going, I figured something was wrong. The pain in my abdominal region was just too acute to be jetlag. We finally went to the emergency room at 10:30 Saturday night. I was admitted to the hospital around midnight.

Initially they thought I had kidney stones. They ran ultrasound on Sunday and determined I had no stones. They looked at my kidneys, liver, gallbladder and pancreases. Nothing looked abnormal. Next, they figured I some type of infection or they thought maybe my gallbladder wasn't functioning properly. So on Monday I had an EGD and a PIPIDA scan. The EGD showed that my allergies were actually closing my esophagus. Plus, my esophagus has more of a slinky look to it. The PIPIDA scan revealed my gallbladder is only operating at 8% its capacity. So not only was I having problems swallowing food, I wasn't digesting it. After reviewing the results with us on Tuesday, we made our decision; I’d have surgery to remove my gallbladder and take medication to help with my allergies. So at 10:15 today, I had my surgery.

I feel pretty good right now. They made four little incisions in my abdomen. I’m not in a ton of pain, but I’m definitely sore. I’m starting to wonder how long I’ve had this problem. They allowed me to have some ice cream tonight and I haven’t had any problems. For the last few years, ice cream would cause me pain and in extreme cases, force me to lie down. Weeks before my trip to Dubai I thought I was nervous or anxious because of all my abdominal cramps. Maybe it was something else. Regardless, I’m glad this chapter is over and I’m ready to get out of the hospital. I’m hoping tomorrow is the magic day.