Why Annie Has Been MIA For Two Weeks

As some of you know, I am recovering from a weekend stay in the hospital. I have been inexplicably ill for several months, and it finally all came to a head last week when I found out that my gallbladder was no longer playing nicely with others in the sandbox of my body.

I had an emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In other words, I had my gall bladder removed.

I found out a few things while living through my ordeal. First of all, it had never occurred to me that my gallbladder was to blame. In hindsight, of course it was my gallbladder!

Almost every time I ate, I had pains in my abdomen for 5 seconds to 30 minutes. Every time I drank coffee. Every time I had a hamburger. Every time I ate pizza. Every time.

Here is the kicker: my gallbladder became infected due to a very large gallstone. The gallstone happened due to my sudden weight loss (40 pounds over the past 6 months.) The sudden weight loss is due to a sugar and dairy allergy that I had formed over the past few years. So, as a reward for losing weight, I got the grand prize of losing an organ!

I am so glad that the doctors found out what was wrong with me. As the months passed, I became sicker and sicker. I started to pass out at the most inopportune times. I could not breathe well. I became weaker and weaker.

Last Thursday, I was in so much pain, that I called TC to ask him to drive me to the doctor’s office. After a preliminary check, I was sent to the hospital for lab tests. I was on my way to one hospital, but was in so much pain, that TC took me to the nearest one. It is a tiny, country hospital, located in ruralville USA.

Our little hospital met and far exceeded every expectation and hope that I had. The entire staff was exceptional. Friendly, knowledgeable, and amazing! If I only learned one thing this past week, it is to never underestimate your local, country hospital.

Give the small hospitals a chance. At my country hospital, the following happened. The ER doctor talked the surgeon into staying late at his office to see me. The surgeon admitted me to the hospital to manage my pain, then stayed even later to read some tests that he ordered. In the morning, the surgeon came back, bright and early to order more tests, read them, and do an emergency surgery on me.

Once in back in my room, I was taken care of by a wonderful staff of nurses and aides, as well as my entire family and several friends. Being released the next day, I have been home recuperating for the past week.

Now that I am home and starting to feel better, I will hopefully have a bit of time for writing, especially since I am still under full restrictions for another week. More writing time means more posts full of tips and recipes that you may find useful.

So, there you have it. Why I haven’t been around for a while. Why you should try small town hospital. Why you will see more posts on my blog. I have missed you all, and look forward to hearing from you.

Here’s to living each day to the fullest, seizing everything you can out of life. Everyday choose joy!!!!

~Annie