My Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Well if you read my blogs from October 2006 you'd know I had gallstones. I tried an herbal remedy which worked for my wife (she had gallstones & 3 ultrasounds to prove she eliminated them) but it didn't work for me. I was having attacks every 3-6 weeks. Then I went about 4 months without any attacks so it looked like it was all clear. Then I had an 18 hour attack and a 15 hour attacks within 2 weeks. Full-on sweaty, hurty, ouchy, kill-me type of attacks. I then began the quick road toward getting the surgery.

So on Halloween Day, I went to the hospital and got 'er done.

BEFORE. 7:00am



I was put under around 8am and awoke around 9:20am. I wasn't that sore actually. It hurt to get in and out of the hospital bed but I was surprised at how little it really hurt.

AFTER. Sometime around 5pm or so.





Shanda and Maeve came for a visit around 5ish and then they went home to enjoy Halloween. I had a very long and boring night in the hospital. Got a shot of something in my heiny around 1:30am cause I was uncomfortable and couldn't really sleep. Plus my room-mate got talkative around that time so I thought a painkiller would help me fall asleep again so he would stop talking to me! :) Normally I'm up for a chat with anyone but this guy was a few loaves short of a full dozen if you know what I mean, so the conversation wasn't really going anywhere except the same place it was 5 minutes ago.

Shanda and Maeve came to get me around 9am but they didn't release me until about 10:30am or so. All in all it wasn't too bad and the recovery has been pretty smooth. I can't really lift Maeve around that much (anytime I do I pay for it with some chest pain and shortness of breath). I'll be back to work tomorrow (sitting on my ass in front of the computer) but I know I couldn't play a show quite yet. Another couple weeks I think.

But I do feel relieved that I'll never have another gallstone attack! They were BRUTAL. I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy. Well, maybe I would, but I'm an asshole. :)

Oh, and they had to shave my chest. :)

I'm really impressed at how small the incisions are. I think even without chest hair you wouldn't see the scars. We'll see I guess.

Well, that's it for the first (and hopefully last) operation I've ever had! For anyone who's afraid of surgery and what-not, I have to say that I was somewhat nervous but not afraid, and it really isn't bad. Yes, the risk of dying is on your mind, but really, statistically speaking, you more likely to die on your way to the hospital in your car, so it's not worth getting too crazy over. Not that I can guarantee you won't die. I'm just saying it's rare.

Another thing I can do that I haven't done for the last year... sleep on my left side. If I did, pressure built up in my chest and I felt like an attack would come on... so I slept on my right side every night for the last year. Last night I slept on my left... it feels good. Little things I guess...

And for some reason, my attacks tended to happen on Sundays so I feared Sunday nights for a while. No more!

Speaking of Sunday, my shows are on tonight... gotta go! (Simpsons, Family Guy)

Peace.

I'm back baby!!