The ordeal comes to an end

Back in December of 2006, I started having problems with bad stomach aches. I had some pain after Christmas dinner at my in-law’s place. It passed after about an hour. A couple of months later, I have a similar stomach ache while at work. This one got worse. I walked to the company clinic and and started to hyperventilate and sweat profusely due to the pain. Something was badly wrong. I saw my doctor and received antibiotics to treat a common stomach bacteria called h. pylori.

Then I moved to Austin and the pain kept coming on about every 30 days or so. In June of 2007 my doctor in Austin sent me for an upper-GI X-Ray and diagnosed me with acid reflux disease. I started taking Nexium, but I was still having occasional attacks of terrible stomach pain. I kept taking the Nexium on and off when I thought I might be in a situation when I might eat too much or the wrong thing. This kept attacks away for upwards of 6 months.

Two weeks ago I’m in Orlando for a couple of weeks for work-related training. One night some of the other guys invited me to go to a Brazilian steakhouse. I love these places. They keep bringing you meat until you just can’t take it anymore. I took a precautionary Nexium and enjoyed my meal. At around 6:00am the next morning, my stomach didn’t feel right. It’s been six months since my last attack, but I can tell this is going to be bad. Sweating, hyperventilating, and excruciating pain is coming. I start ingesting every antacid I can get my hands on. Nothing is helping. Then the really bad pain starts. Around 9:00am the pain is diminishing and I feel well enough to go to class.

After a few sips of water in class the pain gears-up again. I can tell it’s going to get bad again. The instructor understands and dismisses me. I keep taking antacids and fighting the pain until around noon. It’s never gone on this long - I HAVE to see somebody. I’m directed to an urgent care clinic but they tell me they can’t help what I have and direct me to the nearest emergency room. In the time I waited to see someone at the E.R. the pain dissipated, but I was still sent for an ultrasound. It turns out that I have gallstones. The acid reflux has been a red herring all along. So, for the next ten days of my stay in Orlando, I’m on a restricted diet and stuck worrying about how much damage this condition has been doing to my other organs.

Once back home in Austin, I immediately saw another doctor and had a HIDA scan. This is where they inject radioactive material into my veins that will allow me to crawl on walls and swing through the city on a web. I’m kidding. The material lights up the liver, gall bladder, intestines on a scanner. The gall bladder is supposed to light up brightly under this scan, but mine stayed dark over the course of 4 hours. This means my gall bladder is blocked. It’s very sick and needs to come out.

Next Wednesday, August 13th my bouts with these awful attacks come to end. I will no longer have all my original parts and my blue book value will decrease, but at least I won’t have to worry about the pain. It will be nice to eat normally again. I’ve avoided beer for the past two years because my stomach would get irritated when I drink a heavy one. I love Guinness and have missed it greatly. That’s how I’ll celebrate once I’m fully recovered.

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