fatgirl2000
post-op complications
Sep 02, 2013
I'm not going to write much about it, and I really did quite well for a while, when assessing my general health, I have a great deal to be thankful for.. that being said, I did have a rotten gallbladder discovered in June, with a bilirubin reading of 12.9, and liver enzymes that were quite incompatible with life.
Because my dog and 10.5 yr companion was dying of cancer, I was focused on taking care of her, so I didn't really notice my gastric upsets being anything more than dairy intolerances? So I continued with life and did nothing..until I turned yellow like a canary, I knew there must be something wrong!
So I went to my surgeon, and he quickly threw me in the hospital for gallbladder surgery, but went on to explore for bile duct cancer, which was a smoke and mirrors game, because it was much more likely that my bile duct had been bruised or injured during the roux en Y and the 2 major hiatal hernia repairs with mesh grafting that he had to do.. that caused the gallbladder to back up and fill with soft new stones, something I had never experienced before the surgery..
anyway, after the surgery was done they left the T-tube in my liver and hanging out of my ribcage, in severe pain, infection, and right lung pneumonia later.. this surgeon didn't even want to pretend to KNOW me. God forbid I show up in his waiting room and others see what could happen, right? Not to mention it would make him look bad.
He never once asked me how I was or followed up with anything, he just let me rot in the hands of the radiologists who had no Idea who sent me to them.
anyway, finally they stretched the bile duct with balloons, and wanted to leave the tube in. I said no, I would rather call hospice and go home to say my goodbyes, there was no way I'd ever have that tube in me for 8 weeks, or ever again. so I went home, and so far was doing well with physical therapy restoring me to health and my primary doctor in charge of my chest xrays, antibiotics and labwork..
2 months later.. and my labwork is now heading back in the wrong direction. It looks like I have a bile duct stricture again. I am going to Hopkins for transfer and specialist assessment. I will not have stents or more tubes, I will either have surgery to repair this thing or they can call hospice. I've had enough.