Remember me?

I almost feel like I need to start over and reintroduce myself! I have been absent from the computer for so long. I was expecting to be a little sporadic in the posting since it is the holidays, after all, but I was not expecting what happened around here.

I have so many posts in my head. I keep thinking of catchy titles for posts and the perfect photo to illustrate whatever silly point I am making. But I have just not been up to it. So I want to give y'all an explanation and then I plan to catch up in order with all of the fun things I want to share, OK? I just reread the explanation, and it is not a fun read, but I just wanted to get the scoop out there. Many friends and family have been asking what happened, so this is it. It may not be pretty or even well written, but it is the story!

I have had this thing for a while. It started in October of 2006. It is where I wrench something and pull my ribs on the right side. It has been painful and at times debilitating. But I hate to complain, and I hate to go to the doctor, so I have just lived with it. I would rest, take ibuprofen, lay on a heating pad, and in a day or so, I would feel better. We all attributed it to the fact that I always had a baby on my hip. Or that I am overdoing it and lifting things that I should not. Plus, in my capacity as an Internet doctor, I had researched this type of strain. And I found that once you injure yourself like this, it is likely to happen over and over. Mystery solved, right?

So I had little flare-ups from time to time. Sometimes it would get pretty bad, and about the time I was ready to say, "OK, I am going to the doctor!" The pain would subside. And I had no other symptoms, so I was all good.

Well, during the week of December 14, it hurt a little bit. But I was so busy with schools and Christmas, and church. And then the night of December 18, Daddy had a party at his house for some work people. The kids and I were there, of course. And at one point, I had to carry a barefooted Spencer a long way. After I did that, I was hurting a little. And then when I woke up Saturday morning, I was in awful pain. So of course, I thought, well, I carried Spence and just over did it again. And I rested. But I did not get better. I did not sleep at all. Then Sunday, at church, I could not even stand up straight. I was in a lot of pain and it was starting to focus on one spot, just under my ribs in the front. I went home, to bed, and rested. I still could not sleep because I just could not get comfortable.

Monday, it was still hurting, but it was Christmas week! I had so much to do! So I got up and tried to do some cleaning. Cleaned the bathrooms, did some laundry. (I could not lift it or bend over to pick it up, so the babies were my little helpers!) I cooked supper and tried to ignore it. After supper, I went to bed and could not sleep. I tried to sleep downstairs in my chair, but I couldn't. I paced, I cried, I was nauseated. Finally, at like 4:00 AM, I called Momma. Now, this may seem odd. David was home. Daddy was 1 mile away. But I did not want to make the decision. I called Momma so that she could say, honey, go to the hospital. Which, she did. Plus, we all like to talk to Momma when we are sick, right?? David got dressed, Daddy came to sit with the kids, and off we went.

At the ER, they were awesome! I could not even sit because I was hurting so bad. They got me fluids and drugs!! The morphine did not even help. After an ultrasound, some blood work, and some dilaudid, they told me that it was gallstones. OK. I can handle that. So then she said, we are admitting you for at least a few days. WHAT?! It was December 22nd! I had so much to do! But I also was in no condition to do it, so I of course, was admitted.

The nurses were awesome at keeping me comfortable. They could tell by my face if I was in pain again. They did not let me eat or drink anything. I got a few hours or clear liquids once my surgery was scheduled for the next day. I met the surgeon, and he was so nice.

Momma hit to road to come and help. Every one's Christmas plans were changed. I was most sad about that.

I had lots of visitors from friends, David, the kids, and Daddy. That made it a little more fun. Jess and Spence bought me stuffed animals to keep me company. And I don't allow them to say the word, "hate," but Jessa asked if she could say, "I hate it when Mommy is sick." I said, absolutely!

David and Daddy took turns with the kids so that David could be with me sometimes. The surgery was scheduled for 2 PM on December 23rd. It was supposed to last an hour, maybe two. He was planning to perform a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy. (Why do we call it a gallbladder?) The surgery took more than 3 hours because I was in bad shape, but he also managed to still do it Laparoscopically. He said I was in the top 5 of the worst gallbladders of the year. I was pretty honored. He said it was really, really sick, and that I must have been suffering for quite sometime. Well, as it turns out I was, I just did not know it.

So they let me come home on Christmas Eve. I was so glad to be home, but I did not feel much like Christmas. I felt the worst on was Christmas Day. I was so sore and so tired. But I managed to sit up and open gifts and watch the kiddos! Each day I have felt a little better. And I am so glad that I now know the cause of my mystery pain all these years!

My poor Momma has worked herself to death trying to keep up my plans. She cooked all that I had planned on cooking and she even helped the kids make cookies for Santa. And Momma and Daddy have had the kids at their house several nights so that I could rest. And the timing was bad, but if it had been any other time, David might have been on the other side of the world, so I guess things work out.

So that was Christmas at our house. . .
Hope yours was less eventful and less painful!