Before I begin, I’ve realised-once again-just how little I utilize this blog. I’ve got approximately 7 posts that are in my drafts. Things that I’ve taken time to write but not posted. Why? No idea. I mean, I obviously like talking about myself don’t I, so I should have posted them. Some of them go back to 2020! I suppose there’s not much point now though, so in my drafts they will stay.

Now, back to the reason I came back on this thing! The fourth quarter of 2023. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin.

It was October 2023. I’d had a lovely summer. I was feeling settled in my job. The seas were calm. Until, that is, I had to get some well overdue blood tests done (another long story-basically don’t wait as long as I did)

I didn’t forsee any issues.

Never assume people. Never assume!

Now, I don’t know about your Drs surgery, but mine don’t bother calling you if everything is hunky dory. Which is fine by me. They may call you a week or so later to ‘check in’. On this occasion however, I received a call the very next day.

S!*t.

My Dr very calmly informed me I had ‘concerningly low levels’ of well, everything. Every vitamin in the alphabet, anaemia, malabsorption, compromised liver function. I needed urgent follow up blood tests for celiac, colitis and bowel big C.

Double s!*t.

I tried to remain as calm as possible whilst wanting to get answers. Luckily those latter tests were fine, so after a severe slap on the wrist from multiple parties (including myself) for letting myself get so run down, I started to sort myself out.

Or so I thought.

Over the October half term, the boys, my partner and I went to Canada. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so glad we went. We had a lovely time, but I was having stomach issues. Bloated, pains in my side, pains that I associated with the change in diet causing heartburn, bloating and indigestion daily.

Nothing helped. It was worse on the flight home. I could barely have anything touching my waist. The only thing that helped slightly were painkillers. Multiple painkillers.

We arrived home on Friday the 3rd November. Saturday 4th, these pains came back with a vengeance. Starting from under my chest right down my right side. I couldn’t stay still through the pain. Then I started vomiting. Every 30 minutes. Continually. The pain would subside for 5minutes. Then come back until I started the cycle again.

Que to a trip to urgent care where they put me on morphine and fluids and monitored my blood pressure which was dangerously low.

Initially it was thought it was my appendix. A scan with the dye in my veins equated to a trip to Wythenshawe (a much larger) hospital. Another CT scan showed I had a 4cm gallstone and an infected upper bowel. I was sent away with antibiotics and told to rest.

I missed bonfire night being in hospital-absolutely gutted. I love bonfire night-and was released early hours of Sunday morning.

On the Sunday evening, we celebrated my mums birthday a day early. I still felt rotten. I could barely function without painkillers. I looked tired and bloated. Rough was an understatement.

Monday 6th, the cycle started again. Pain, sickness.. I had to call work and tell them I wouldn’t be in. I called urgent care again and went straight back to Wythenshawe hospital.

I couldn’t stay still, I couldn’t keep anything down, I couldn’t have anything touching my stomach-the waistband on my pants were by the top of my thigh, my bra was a complete no go. I felt horrific.

After what felt like hours, I was given morphine and admitted to hospital.

At that point, I found out I not only had the gall stone, I also had kidney stones and my upper bowel had begun to collapse. In hospital I had 3 days of each Dr saying the other stone was the issue.

Dr 1; Hmmm, I think the gall stone needs removing. That is causing the worst symptoms.

Dr 2; No, it’s your kidney stones that are the bigger issue. They need sorting.

Dr 1; I don’t agree.. we can’t do anything until the gall stone is removed.

Dr 2; I don’t agree.. we can’t do anything until the kidney stones are removed.

And so on..

Hospital day 3.
I was still on a drip. Still unable to keep food down without anti sickness medication-and even then it was only a bite.
I knew it was the right place to be, and the hospital staff were lovely, but I wanted out. 🙄

After MUCH begging for someone to help me, I was discharged November 9th and booked for lithotripsy.

November 13th. Lithotripsy day! This is sound wave treatment that is used to break up the kidney stones. It’s an outpatient appointment so no hospital stay-yay! Anyway, picture the scene. A room with this massive contraption in a horrendously loud room. Imagine a life size microscope. You sit on the plate that has a little bit of water underneath your tush.. Then it’s one hour of what feels like being whipped with an elastic band in the same spot for an hour.

The staff were so kind and patient. They knew it wouldn’t be fun so they made sure you were ready for it. That thing hurt. It hurt. It hurt a lot. I was definitely a lot of pain once that treatment had been done it took me a few days to recover. In the meantime, I’m still off work and Feeling terrible about it.

November 21 and I have my second session. It was still painful, but not quite as painful as the first time round. I did my hour and sat with a cup of tea and some biscuits waiting for my ride home. Is this finally it?! Will this sort the main issue?!

One word. Kinda.

In between all this, I was given an appointment at a place called SACRU-an emergency care assessment unit, usually an appointment is within a couple of days.

November My kidney stones had pretty much gone. This follow up was to see about the gall bladder. My liver function was abnormal so I would have to go for blood tests every couple of days.

I wasn’t able to eat anything other than yoghurt and granola as I would get cramps within an hour that would last for 2hours until I was sick and then it would subside. I was eventually told this was common with Gall bladder issues and to keep a strict plain diet. That wasn’t a problem, I couldn’t eat anyway!

I was put on the list for gall bladder removal. The timeframe being six months from paperwork to procedure. Christmas came and went. I had been off work now for roughly 8 weeks. Again, I felt awful about it!

I went back to work in January on a phased return. The staff there were all amazing and I finally got back into the swing of things again.. just before the Easter half term, I got my Gall bladder removed.

Everything was finally back to normal. Working normal hours, the students now used to having me back, no more horrible pain and sickness.

…

Or So I thought..