Happy 1 Year of Freedom to ME!

For those of you who know me, you also know that I have had a digestive tract that pretty much hates me and caused me pain for years. I could eat something, and be just dandy. However, the next time I ate the exact same thing - I could have been doubled over in pain. It's really dumb... but through the years, I have found a method of kicking this pain before it really starts OR I just stay completely away from anything that I know was going to hurt me. No one had really figured out what is wrong with me... so I learned to cope. I had every test known to man, and every single test comes back "normal." (Becca? Normal? Come on!) I've heard that it might be my Gall Bladder, or it might be an ulcer, blah blah blah. But, again - all tests would come back just fine. I spent some nights/mornings in the ER in the midst of an episode - and they could still not figure out what was going on.

Okay - so, let's fast forward a little bit. Two years, I was spending a weekend working. (For all of my friends at Cardinal Health Staffing, you would know this weekend as CAH2 Migration... and this is single handily the busiest day in the world). I was getting things prepared for this migration, working like a fool all weekend... all of a sudden, the pain starts. CRAP! I have too much to do to have an episode - so I just keep on working. Eventually, the pain took over and I had to stop. Long story short: This was the WORST ATTACK EVER! (So I thought!) I am sure that at this point, my sister is really sorry for signing up to live with me. She was a trooper... she went to Walmart for me for some Maalox. Gotta love that girl! But, the pain continually got worse... Here comes a trip to the ER. Ugh. (I fought, and fought, and fought - but the family forced me to go. The ER dr. tells me that oh - once again, my tests are NORMAL. Shocking, huh? But she does think that my Gall Bladder just doesn't function well and no test will ever pick it up. Fantastic. Thank you, for once again stating that my gall bladder sucks and there is no point in having it!

Alright - at this point, I realize it is time to see another Specialist. I saw one numerous years ago - but he wasn't helpful. Since then... I had just dealt with what it is and just let it go. I call a new Specialist and make an appt. I have to run all over Ohio to pick up my records from all of my other drs for my upcoming appt. Looking at my records I realize that I have been dealing with this since March 2003! Okay, that is over 7 years ago!

The summer of 2008, I met with yet another Gastro Specialist. All of my records in hand, I drive to meet this new guy who I am hoping is going to be my best friend! The nurses had to have been the most unfriendly people in the world, so I knew that this wasn't going to go well.

In walks Mr. Doctor... looks over my records, asks me questions, asks me more questions, pushes his hands into my rib cage and asks if it hurts. Hi, if YOU had a mans weight pushing into your lung - would it hurt? DUH! He asks me what I do for my job, what I did for the job when these pains started - blah blah blah. (Background: remember, I was the Lead Teacher in the Infant Room at a Preschool when this started...) Tells me to do some random stomach crunch and sits me up. His response "this is something that is absolutely not digestive related." (Is this guy serious?) My response: "Huh?" His theory: I have an injury to my stomach wall muscle. How did this happen in his opinion? Bending over wrong and picking up an infant while at Goddard. Uhhh... what the hell? How do I make the pain go away? His response: "Advil." Okay -- this dude is a quack! I was hooked up to 2 narcotics while in the ER through IVs for the pain and he thinks that Advil is going to take my pain away? I am not that much of a pansy that would go to the ER for a tad bit of pain that Advil couldn't handle. Why in the heck would I want to pay that Hospital bill?!Needless to say, he is not my new best friend.

We're going to fast forward once again to June 2009: Mary's Birthday Weekend! Courtney and I decided it would be a blast to to take Mary camping at Old Man's Cave for her birthday. Our plan was to leave bright and early on Saturday morning, come home Sunday afternoon. Friday night, I go to bed - all packed and ready to roll! At midnight, I started to feel the pain which I had dreaded... the pain of the mystery digestive tract. NOOO!! Long story short: this pain lasted from midnight all the way until 8am the next morning. Non-stop! Again, so bad that at 6am I called my Mom crying from being in pain for the past 6 hours. The lovely Mother that she is, she jumps in her car to drive 30 minutes to my place. (I love her!) 8am, the pain stops - just in time to pack the car and head onto our way to camping. I wasn't going to give this up if I didn't have to! I knew I just needed to be very careful and I was still a walking time bomb to attack at anytime. God loved me that day, and I had no pain at all the rest of the day... UNTIL... Sunday after I arrived back home. I was at my Mom's house (thankfully, already there) when the pain starts up again. This attack lasted from roughly 2pm to midnight. Again, crying, sobbing and doubled over. One would think that 7 yrs of this, I'd be used to it. I'm here to say, it is a pain that you will never get used to. Ever.

Here comes the great news: Mid-June 2009 - I found a specialist who believed me, ran an x-ray and found that I, Rebecca C. Warren had a gall bladder full of stones! WOOOO HOOOO!

June 29th, 2009:

I divorced my gall bladder! I was rolled into surgery at Grady Memorial Hospital, I had the best nap of my life, and that pesky organ was removed once and for all! I was so happy, I cried. (I like to cry...)

It has been one year yesterday since my organ was removed. I have never felt better! I'm not scared to eat. I can go enjoy Chipotle, Vaqueros, Chile Verde and always know that I will be okay! Thanks you, Dr. Raymond Fuller for providing me with peace in knowing that Mexican food will never hurt me again! May there be a very special place in life for you for making me one happy girl! This has been the best year of my life. I hate you, Mr. Gall Bladder. I hope that you're having a very miserable life where ever you are...

**Sidenote: I learned yesterday from a dear friend that they actually have a pill now that dissolves gall stones... where was this drug when I needed it?! It could have saved me from 7 yrs of pain. Eh. Coulda, woulda, should!