Gallbladders are Overrated

Wikipedia explains the gallbladder as follows:

The gallbladder stores about 50 ml of bile (1.7 US fluid ounces / 1.8 Imperial fluid ounces), which is released when food enters the digestive tract, stimulating the secretion of cholecystokinin.  The bile, produced in liver, emuslifies fats and neutralized acids in partly digested food.

After being stoed in the gallbladder, the bile becomes more concentrated than when it left the liver, increasing its potencty and intensifiying its effect on fats.

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Many healthy people (like myself) have heard of gallbladders going renegade.  Creating tiny stones that cause excruciating pain (we're talking worse than childbirth people) and eventually having to be removed.  I've often counted myself lucky that I only have a persistent acid stomach that can be tended to with tums and pepcid.  At least, I was quite good at deluding myself until last Friday.

Chuck and I had to abandon the beer party early, which I was quite pissed about as I was just starting to get good at those pinball machines.  But my stomach was killing me.  I mean KILLING me.  So we went home, I moaned about for a couple of hours, threw up and finally Chuck dragged me to the emergency room confident in the knowledge that I was having gallstones.  I was NOT having gallstones, I just ate something bad.  I've never been to the hospital and I never want to.  But I did go.  I just hurt too much for me to frame my arguments successfully

The ER was empty.  Please don't forget this is the first night of a long holiday weekend when all Michiaganders abandon their homes and flock to the northern shorelines.  They took my blood and blah blah blah and pressed on my stomach and nearly killed me.  Lo and behold - I was having gallstones!!  Normally in this case they would release the patient and schedule the surgery for the next week or so.  My weekend could be salvaged!   But alas - my liver seemed quite upset about my gallstones as well.  It was shooting protiens into my bloodstream at four times the normal rate.  I would not be going home.  Instead I would be having antibiotics and an ultrasound the next morning to see why my liver was so worked up.  Boo Hoo.

I got the ultrasound which took much longer than I thought it should. . .I was sure it was something much more dramatic than gallstones by the time she was done.  Luckily - it was just gallstones.  But the reason that my liver was angry was that I had a stone firmly lodged in my bile duct.  That means that all the bile that was supposed to be going into my gallbladder and stomach was being forced back up into my liver.  Not Good.

So we had to schedule a 'procedure' to remove that little bastard so it wouldn't permanently damage my liver. It's called an ERCP. 

**(ERCP) is a procedure that combines the use of a flexible, lighted scope  (endoscope) with X-ray pictures to examine the tubes that drain the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. The endoscope is inserted through the mouth and gently moved down the throat into the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum until it reaches the point where the ducts from the pancreas (pancreatic ducts) and gallbladder (bile ducts) drain into the duodenum.

It was quite something to get the team together to do this procedure on the holiday weekend.  At first they were saying I would have to stay in the hospital until tuesday!!  But my fabulous doctor could see that I was quite agitated at having these stupid gallstones in the first place, AND at being trapped in the hospital on the holiday weekend AND at about my last freaking shred of sanity so she made some calls and got the team together to do the thing on Saturday.  Finally they rounded everyone up and started almost two hours after the scheduled time. The waiting was worse than the procedure.  Probably because I can't remember what they did to me but it doesn't sound too fun.  It went well, they crushed the large stone (5mm) into oblivion and it's baby brother too.  (There were TWO of them in there!!!!!)  

Now we just had to take out my gallbladder.  By this point, I could think of nothing except getting out of the hospital.  I went in expecting to be there for a few hours and it was turning into a few days.  My other super cool doctor arranged to have the gallbladder taken out at 8 am on Sunday so that if all went well I could go home on Monday morning.  She was fabulous and I did have it taken out at 8 am.  There was some pain, especially right after I woke up from the surgery.  They pumped me full of morphine and I know I was babbling, but I don't know what I said. LOL.  She told Chuck that I did have quite a few stones in my gallbladder.  One of them as large as a quarter!  That is freaking gargantuan!!!

I came home yesterday just like she promised and I'm doing okay.  Having a little pain.  Sleeping a lot.  Mostly it's just hard to get up and down.  I'm just glad it's over and I'll never have acid stomach aka gallstones again.  My family has been so supportive, I know it was hard for them to be so far away during this whole thing - but i felt their love and knew they were right there with me the whole time.  Chuck has been an angel - I could never have done this without him there by my side.  Willow was also wonderful coming to visit me even though I promptly fell asleep from the medication as soon as she got there.  LOVE YOU GUYS

Anyway, I just kind of wanted to chronicle my first hospital experience, hopefully one of just a very few.

8:44 AM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Lessons Learned in Texas
Current mood: quixotic

1. You've never had Mexican food before.  Unless you've been to Texas. (or Mexico i guess)

2. Margaritas - See Above

3. Shoot for the V and paddle for your life

4. Never wear jeans if there is the slightest possibility of getting wet. They NEVER dry.

5. It IS possible to paddle a canoe while facing in the wrong direction and not die. 

6.  The Alamo has a library of cool important info about texas.  But you can't go in.

7. The Backyard in Austin really does feel like someone's back yard. *AND* your favorite band just happens to be there too!

8. Never Ever drink a couple of texan margaritas and call your mom who you haven't talked to in awhile and say " hey mom, i'm chillin with dad (you know that guy you divorced awhile back?) on the riverwalk pounding some margaritas and i just wanted to say hi.  talk to you tommorrow when i get home."  d'oh.

9.  People in Texas love football.  Perhaps it's instinctual, as I saw many small children discussing games like seasoned footie commentators.  I couldn't even understand what they were saying half the time.

10. Breakfast Tacos.  Everywhere you look there are breakfast tacos.  Sound disgusting - Taste delicious.

11. Texans drink Shiner.  The guy at the pizza place was super proud of his "texan beer"  It is way better than Lonestar.  Please, take my word on that.

12.  German people took over lots of Texas awhile back when it was frontierland.  Who knew? 

13.  Lots of cool amber and turquoise and opals in Texas.  Every time I turned my head I was being seduced by a hunk of amber the size of my fist with really cool bugs n' leaves and stuff in it or some fiery opals just begging me to put them on and run far far away.

That's all I can think of for now.  Chuck, if you learned anything please add it in. Thank you.

6:26 AM - 2 Comments - 5 Kudos - Add Comment

Denver
Category: Parties and Nightlife

I've decided to try and use this blog thing as a journal for my experiences on my trip to Colorado.  The wonders of modern technology now allow me to post real time.  Whoa.  First I buy a cell phone and now I'm blogging while on vacation?!?  Someone please - help me! 

I can't explain how happy I am to be sitting in Denver, typing away, getting anxious to get to the festival already.  Frankly, I'm just happy to be breathing.  The flight was - well to say it was turbulent would be the understatement of the year.  I almost lost my cookies, the woman next to me almost lost her cookies ON me and there were lots of people running to the bathroom, groaning and clutching their stomachs.  I've been on a lot of flights, and some bad ones at that.  But THIS was insanity. It was like a rollercoaster ride that lasted for three hours straight.  At one point it just stopped being scary and started feeling surreal.  I started talking to the woman next to me about Oliver Twist like we were just sitting in a coffeehouse somewhere. . .strange how your mind acts in times of stress. .As we were landing the flight attendant said it was the worst flight she's been on in 17 years of flying.!.!  but we made it!!!!! YAHOO!!!!!

After we got our car and checked into our hotel, do you know what we did? Of course you do!  We went downtown Denver to celebrate our breathing and begin our new lease on life in the best way possible.  With Beer. Colorado Microbrewed Beer.  All I have to say is if you come to Denver you MUST go to Falling Rock Taphouse.  I reiterate - you MUST go.  Totally chill place (even on college night - eek!), a whole wall of taps (we approximate 60) most of which you cannot get in Michigan (or Missouri), pumpin some Widespread Panic and Dirty Dozen Brass Band and a totally wonderfully insane bartender.  Let me just say that Chuck and I had three beers each  and a shot of tequila  and we paid about 8 dollars.  Don't tell anyone I told you that cuz I wouldn't want to get a brother in trouble - but holy shit it was awesome.!. He's also excellent at the mystery beer game and advised us of many places in denver/boulder/telluride that we have to check out.

I'll try to post pics later.

Okay - gotta go.  WE'RE GOING TO TELLURIDE BITCHES!!!!!

7:17 AM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

BIRTHDAY in the Hizz-y!
Category: Life

No - Not Mine! THE LORIDER'S! 

*disclaimer - please do not imagine me actually singing, i've been known to break glass and drive people to the dark side*

Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday dear Lorider!  Happy Birthday to you!

It seems like just yesterday you were turning 30. . .  (i'm sorry, i couldn't resist.) *evil liza grin*

BTW - everyone who reads this should be terribly jealous.  We celebrated a bit early and had a delicious meal at Bastone in Royal Oak and some fabulous house-made beers. YUMMY!  i'll post a couple of choice pics when i get home.

Now I insist that each and every one of you visit her at: http://www.1209anarchists.blogspot.com/ and wish her a wonderfully happy birthday!  i'll be checking it periodically , and if you go to her blog and leave a message, or a nice picture - i'll give you a . . .nickel!  i'm good for it, i swear!

9:17 AM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Bookcrossing
Current mood: geeky
Category: Blogging

I just ran across this on the net.  I guess I'll have to admit it now, i'm a total bookworm so this one got my blood pumping.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/home

Basically you just log onto the site and register any book you've already read and don't really want to keep anymore. You make a little note inside the book saying it's not really a lost book, it's a bookcrossing book.  Then you accidnetally on purpose leave the book in a public location. Hopefully to be found by another bookworm.  On the site you can leave a note saying where the book was left so others like you can scramble to find it.  If you do find it, you relog it back into the website saying I FOUND IT! read it and pass it on again.  A great excercise in kharma, don't you think?

I've just registered my first book (Fast Food Nation) and am about to release it out into the wild.  If lady luck is with me, it will scare another person away from the evil McEmpire.  A good way to start off the new year if I do say so myself.

7:50 AM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

My New Path in Life and the Mix Master
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

and my new path in life:  SKI BASE JUMPING!!!!

here's an interview/pics of a dude who is way into these things: http://www.skiingmag.com/skiing/feature/article/0,12910,485939,00.html

you helicopter up to the top of a very tall mountain. and ski off the side.  linger in midair for a few long and life affirming seconds before you hurl your parachute into the air and float gently to the earth.

TOTALLY SICK!  thing is . . . i'm going to have to learn how to ski. . . . no worries soon i will be doing things like this: "throw a back flip off a high ramp, land, ski, ditch {her} poles, then throw a front flip off a cliff, ripping {her} parachute cord and sailing back down to earth."

wahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

and, though i realize now this is kind of anticlimacitc: nobody can scratch like mixmaster mike!!!!  yeah!  it was a den of corporate sponsorship which irked my slightly socialist sensibilities and i didn't even win a snowboard or anything!!   it was sick to see the master at the table.  and he did lay down some chill beats.  the breakdance kids were eatin it up!  the chuckster, my wonderful man, has some cool pics and if he ever uploads them - i'll link to them!

on a side note. . .do i like this whole "sick" thing?  definitely cooler than "dank". 

everyone let me know which wins.  sick vs. dank. round one. *ding!*

9:33 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

galactic at the majestic
Category: Music

mmm-mmm- mmmm! now that is some dirty nola funk infused with electro yumminess if i've ever seen it. i had my chest rumbled, my hearing assaulted and running for the door and for some reason the muscles around my collarbone were hurting the next day.!?. as all good cajun chirrens know: voo doo is a mysterious art that thrives in the murky shadow of the still bayou nights. it is my firm belief that the boys resorted to some otherworldly activities and i was caught up in a little taste of black magic. i happily breathed it in with the hazy smoke and my tiniest cells were all a tingle. it activated southern funk genes i didn't realize i had (and my mother probably hoped had spared my generation) and i was off. my body was not my own - it was a thing unto itself. many hours later after they had played themselves out - i emerged stunned, sweaty, happily half deaf, grinning like a maniac and strangely hungry for some greens and cornbread.

check out our pics at: http://photobucket.com/albums/a167/chuckvee/Galactic Funk/

10:32 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Vacation

For Pics go to: http://photobucket.com/albums/a167/chuckvee/Up%20North/

This is a compilation of  my trips up North with my fabulous loverly sweetums aka chuckie voeltzel -  including this last time when we had the BEST CAMPSITE EVER.  I *heart* walk-in camps.  funny, I can hardly even remember my vaction now - did i even take one or is just a cruel trick of my imagination?  12 hour days will do that to you, i guess

9:42 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Kimock
Category: Music

steve kimock

steve kimock at the magic bag.  you should regret not going, if you just couldn't drag yourself out on a sunday night.  i did.  and though i'm like the walking dead today - it was more than worth it.  i cried.  not a little welling in the eyes, but a definitive, undeniable giant teardrop rolling down the face cry.  i do not have a long track record of crying at shows...it's just not something my tearducts generally take part it. but last night proved to be too much for them...it was just too beautiful to be withstood.

i've never seen kimock live before.  and i can assure you that i will see him many more times in the future.  many thanks and much love out to my wonderful man who urged me and encouraged me and made me leave the house to experience it. 

2:28 PM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I have waited and waited for this.  i was unfortunate (or fortunate depending on how you look at it) to have read the charlie books before seeing the original movie.  and though i love love love gene wilder, i was ultimately disappointed in the movie.  it couldn't live up to my vision.  part of it was the technology,of course.  wilder as wonka was an eccentric maniac and wildy entertaining but i always felt that something was missing. only when i saw this most recent version did that vauge something harden into a realization. willy wonka was only partly funny - there was something darker to him also - something a bit unsettling.  he, like his earlier counterpart Peter Pan, was someone who refused to grow up - refused to live in the world others have created around him.  and though there is an admirable quality about this, there is also something dysfunctional.  this newest version does not shy away from the darkness that lurks in the lives of all children.  tim burton much like dahl understands that children do not always live the easy life we all grow nostalgic for when age catches up with us - they are more aware of the things going on around them than many give them credit for Their lives are frought with many perils and things that go bump in the night.

a warning though, those who grew up loving the first movie may not enjoy this one quite as much.  it is quite different in feeling, if similar in plotline.  it's darker, it's unsettling, and it lacks all of the physical humor that wilder brought to the role.  the oompa loompas are quite interesting.  those who've read the books are sure to appreciate its adherence to the storyline and the general feeling of dahl's world.  i would go out on a limb here and say that dahl (who was ultimately unhappy with the original version) would have been much more satisfied with this one.

only one thing. as the movie came to a close,  i kept wishing there was something more.

perhaps they'll do charlie and the great glass elevator next.

2:30 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment