Goodbye Gallbladder!

I had my gallbladder removed three weeks ago.  The surgery went great and I recovered really quickly from the procedure.  I had two small incisions in my abdomen and one bigger one through my belly button.  I was in and out of the hospital in about six hours.  I felt pretty bad the first 24 hours and wasn't getting much relief from my pain meds so I called back and my surgeon was on call and he asked me if I had been alternating between Percocet and advil and I said no.... no one told me that.  Ooops!  I guess he must have forgotten to mention that.  Oh well.....I started to feel a lot better after 2 days of doing that and even though I wish I would have known that the whole time, I am thankful I only waited 24 hours to call instead of trying to push through the pain on my own.  

Now that I am three weeks post surgery, I am so glad that it is behind me. I am a much happier person and I feel so much better!  I am not 100% and I am still having to watch what I eat/drink but I am able to eat a lot more now and am not stressing over every bite I eat like I was before and right after the surgery.   It is  CRAZY having to worry about what foods might or might not make you sick.  It is overwhelming especially since you have to think about it three times a day.  

I am so very thankful that having your gallbladder removed is a relatively easy thing to have done.  It is amazing how such a small organ can make you feel so sick!  The surgeon told me that my gallbladder was "chronically inflamed."  It is good to know that it really did need to come out and that I made the right decision. 

So Blessed!

I wanted to share some pictures of the beautiful flowers that I have received as I recover from having my gallbladder removed.  They are beautiful and mean so much to me.  I am so blessed by my friends and family who sent them to me.  

        From my Wheaton swimming girlfriends:  Kelly, Carlie, Lindsey, Michelle, Tracy and Alison.

              From my in laws, Roy and Mary Beth.  Mary Beth arranged these.  Isn't she talented?!

From our small group friends.  They are beautiful and are beside my bed.  

His strength during suffering

2 Corinthians 12:9

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

As most of you know, I have been going through a tough time with my health.  I am going on week 16 of this and it has gotten to the point where I am close to not being able to function and live like I want to.  It is a long story but there is light at the end of the tunnel....I hope.  On Friday morning I will have my gallbladder removed and Friday morning can't get here fast enough but I am reminded of lyrics from the song "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. 

"I'm waiting. 

I'm waiting on You, Lord 

And I am hopeful 

I'm waiting on You, Lord 

Though it is painful 

But patiently, I will wait

 I will move ahead, bold and confident 

Taking every step in obedience 

While I'm waiting I will serve 

You While I'm waiting I will worship 

While I'm waiting I will not faint

 I'll be running the race 

Even while I wait."

It is so easy to throw myself a pity party over all of this.  I have been poked, medicated, scoped and ultrasounded (not sure if that is a word :)  I have gone from having some discomfort almost every day after certain meals to not being able to hardly eat anything.  I have lost weight, had to fast twice for extended periods of time and fit several doctors appointments into my busy schedule.  This is not what I had planned for this season in my life but God is good!  His timing is perfect!  He will not give me more than I can handle and as the verse says above, His power is made perfect in my weakness!  What more can I want in this world than to be used so his power can shine through!  

Now back to the above lyrics.... I hope that as I wait for Friday, I can be patient and trust fully in his perfect timing for me.  I hope that even through the pain, I can be reminded that He is all I need.  As it says in Psalms 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of need."  I am hopeful because I believe that God works all things together for my good. I know there is a purpose behind this suffering.  

I still have moments of weakness but I am stronger as a result of this.  I am more aware of how much emphasis I put on things other than Christ....food, my health, dessert :)  I can now empathize with people who live with diet restrictions whether from diabetes, food allergies, etc.  I am realizing that it is easy to take our very complex bodies for granted.  

May God be glorified through this and may I not be so quick to have relief that I don't stop to see the lesson that He wants to teach me.

**** In case you are curious, my gallbladder is low functioning.  The results of my Hida scan showed that it is at 17%.  That might sound really low except 35% is still considered normal.  All I know is that my gallbladder is not a happy camper right now.  On Friday, it will be removed during an out patient, laparoscopic procedure.  I have been told that I will feel weak and not so great for a couple of days but that my recovery should go smooth and not be that hard.  This is a very common procedure....the surgeon said they remove 30 a month!