Say Goodbye

Saying Goodbye to my Gallbladder won't be so hard I don't think. I have no real attachment to it, especially after the pain it has caused me. I went to consult a surgeon yesterday on what should be done about the cursed organ. She, Dr. Hoeksema, is a very nice lady, we think she is German, it was listed on the website as a language she speaks. Anyways, she said that while you still have the option on not taking it out, having one attack will more than likely lead to others, which could come quickly or take years before another one happened. That they would continue to be painful, which I very much concur on, and that having more attacks could lead to cholecyststytus (I am not sure how to spell it, but it is an infection of the gallbladder) which she said would turn the regular procedure, normally very non-intrusive, into a bigger operation. She said that most people don't miss the gallbladder, and that it really has no function other than storage. She said that those who choose not to have it out usually have another attack, and come back wanting it out.

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It is a quick operation, noninvasive. She said that basically they make 4 small incisions into the stomach, when healed they will look like moles were removed, clamp off the gallbladder, lacroscopically cut it, bag it, and suck it out through one of the holes. She said that there is a 7-10 day recovery period, with the first 3-4 being the most uncomfortable. She also said that I would be able to breastfeed after the first 24 hours, so no harm there. She pointed out that because I would be on maternity leave, I wouldn't have to take additional time off, and would probably have plenty of help with the baby.

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So, I am leaning towards just getting it done. I don't want to deal with the pain of another attack, or the possibilities of further complications. Dr Hoeksema said that I could have it done as early as two weeks after birth. I need to make sure that doesn't change with the possibility of a c-section. But I just may be scheduling an out-patient operation for the end of December.

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For more information on gallbladders: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallbladder