As I’m writing this we have been home 7 weeks! My recovery is going well but slower than I would like. I try to push myself and then end up feeling poorly so I need to learn to take it easier.
We arrived home Tuesday evening quite late. I needed to sleep and was in a little bit of pain. However, I also wanted to see the big twins.
Grandma brought them over and we all had cuddles then they went back to grandmas for the night!
The first few nights we slept downstairs – It just felt like too much stretching for me to get upstairs (besides I thought id be more comfy in the reclining chair I’d been used to the hospital bed that I could sit up!
While it was nice to be home I was anxious that we were now on our own! I wasn’t under constant monitoring to check for infection, or to make sure my wound was healing.
Though I did have visits from the midwife team, Who checked my wound, asked how I was.
For a week or more I was paranoid about my bowel movements worried that I wasn’t going enough or that It somehow twisted again!
The first week the furthest I walked was next door to my InLaws as she cooked almost every night!
Everywhere I walked I was still having to hold my belly.
By the end of the week, however, I had managed to do a school run & a trip to the coffee shop on the way home!
The week after however things took a turn for the worse!
Monday Morning I started with a pain in my back that slowly throughout the day radiated through to my chest and under my ribs!
It was that painful in the evening I ended up at A&E – they gave me some morphine and took some bloods. I was put in an observation bay to wait for the Dr, when he came he said that he thought it was just gastric distress and he sent me home!
Meanwhile, My mum had the 4 children.
The Next day came and after a week at home hubby had to go back into work (He had used up all of his paternity and more while we were in the hospital) So I had my mum and Hubby’s mum on hand as I wasn’t healed enough to lift and carry. I woke with a similar pain to the night before though not quite as bad. Again by tea time, I was in agony.
I ended up ringing 111 who after I had described my pain decided to send an ambulance! After they had monitored me at home they decided to put me in an ambulance straight back to A&E.. Hubby came to me straight after work, I was still waiting to be seen at that point. Once I had been seen they took some more bloods and gave me some morphine again the bloods came back and it turns out my liver wasn’t functioning properly and was actually infected. I needed to be transferred to another hospital to see the surgical team as they don’t have a surgical department at our local hospital. They would send for an ambulance and take me to another hospital. The one I was sent to when they found my placenta issue.
Hubby went home when I was told my ride was here. (3rd ambulance now and still no blue lights and siren)
It was midnight before I got to the new hospital, I was given antibiotics, fluid and some painkillers had my observations taken and managed to get a little sleep!
The next day I was taken for an x-ray, as they suspected I had gallstones. They couldn’t see enough from that so was sent for an ultrasound which confirmed yup there were gallstones.
Now for some more blood to be taken to see if my liver was responding to the antibiotics. I was told as there were gallstones in my gallbladder I was to have an MRCP which is done in an MRI scanner but they take the images of the chest area not like before when I went for my placenta.
The MRCP was to make sure none of the stones had migrated to any of the bile tubes as this could be what was causing the pain!
Unlike before they talked me through each section of the scanning process helping me to feel less anxious!
Hurray, they have not migrated. Though I am told that my best option is to have a routine operation to remove my gallbladder. But don’t worry its done under general anaesthetic, but it’s only a keyhole surgery (Oh well that’s ok then it’s not like I’ve had two major operations in the past month or anything!)
A couple of days of antibiotics, and painkillers and I was allowed home!
I’m sent home with more antibiotics, and instructions to start eating low-fat, no grease, no spice diet! I was told I would get an appointment soon to discuss taking out my gallbladder.
Having spoke to others that have had gallstones they have recommended anything under 10g of fat in 100g, with a low saturated fat content.
I’m now feeling so much better, however, struggling to remember to take it easy – something I need to remember as I feel good one day and end up doing too much then end up feeling lousy.
I’ve now had my appointment through for early January.
Meanwhile, I have to stay on my low-fat diet!
Let’s hope when I’ve had my gallbladder removed that’s the end of my problems and I can live a fit & healthy life!
Thanks for all your support, good wishes, prayers & thoughts over the past couple of months.
Also thanks to Jessops and all the staff there! They were amazing!
Nina x
