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While I am sitting on my tushy in the hospital, I figured I would let you know what's going on with my adventures in gall stones and pancreatitis.

If I have directed you here, it's because something on this page can answer your question, whereas my often-fuzzy brain cannot.

Happy reading!

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So how did I end up in the hospital, anyway?

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So how did I end up in the hospital, anyway?

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Well, gallbladder pain and pancriatitus are physically UNCOMFORTABLE.

At dance class this week, we were taking photos for our upcoming recital. I was so anxious because what 32 year old wants to wear a sparkly costume meant for a ten year old? I felt really exposed. When the pain in my stomach started, I thought it was just anxiety. So I left a little early, went home, and cried on the couch.  I guess I won't be going to my recital if even PICTURE DAY is horrifying.

Chelce and I realized that, while there might be some anxiety involved, once I puked up my entire dinner (and then some), I probably had food poisoning. Okay, that will take 12-24 hours to pass.

By 6am it hadn't passed at all. I sent Chelce to work, and asked Daddy to bring me to the hospital. The rest is history.

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Anatomical Depiction of what's happening in my abdomen. 

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Anatomical Depiction of what's happening in my abdomen. 

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My doctor actually sat down and drew this for me to explain all the moving parts in my abdomen. From this initial diagram, you can see all of the connective piping (ducts?) between these body parts. So lovely!

That horrifying blue ghosty is my gallbladder. We affectionately referred to it as a gumball machine because it was dispensing gallstones into the tube connected to my pancreas. They took an ultrasound when I first got to the ER, and there was, in fact, a gallstone stuck there.

The MRI they took a few hours later showed that the initial gallstone since passed, but the process will likely continue until I get my gallbladder removed.

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This is the procedure I will have eventually.

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There are a few phases here.

First, the doctors and nurses need to get my pain under control. It's not healthy to operate on the body if parts are inflamed. Why? I have no idea. I've been on pain medicine for days.

After we get everything under control, then we can proceed to the surgery.

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Meredith Gray and Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy. 

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I would like the record to show that I would like Meredith and Cristina to be my surgeons for this procedure. However, they live in Seattle and aren't actually real people, so I will just be happy with my surgical team here.

They have been very nice and have answered lots of questions for me. They got me to sign the form for the procedure, so as soon as they are ready to take me, they already have my release form.

They do not know when surgery is going to take place yet because it is dependent upon when my body is ready.

I have been given conflicting information about when the surgery could take place, but, again, that's because it's dependent upon my body.

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WEDNESDAY:
-We waited a long time in the ER to get moved to a bed.
-Initial ultrasound showed a gallbladder blocking the pathway into the pancreas. This inflammation is causing the pancreatitis
-Later that evening, we had an MRI

Meds:
-anti-nausea, pain med, anxiety med for the MRI, heparin to avoid blood clots
- No food or water; just IV fluids

THURSDAY:
- I spent most of this day sleeping.
-Doctors, nurses, and surgical team come in and out. They explained that my pain needs to decrease before a surgery
- I've startted having low-grade fevers
- When Chelce visited, we went for a walk in the whole floor. This will help decrease chances of blood clots too.

Meds:
-anti-nausea, pain med, Tylenol for fever, hearin to avoid blood clots; substituted medications that I take daily at home
- No food or water; just IV fluids. I was told that when hunger cues come back, along with pain subsiding, then we can potentially shift into a clear diet (water, ginger ale, jello)

FRIDAY:
My doctor said, this morning, that today is status quo. We we are going to keep going with this current course of treatment.

Around 10:35am, some of the surgical team came in to talk to me. They recommended some fluids and decreasing the IV fluids! Yesssss. Because of the pain in my abdomen, there is going to be no surgery today. The surgeon explained that when you try to do the surgery with pancreatitis, it's hard to see what's going on in the abdomen. They also said that the pancreatitis typically resolves itself on it's own. Once the pancreatitis resolves itself, then we can have the surgery.

Just not ready yet!

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No surgery today, buuuuuuuuut the surgical team DID recommend fluids! Of course I asked for a Soy Latte, and they laughed that that. What they mean is water, ginger ale, JELLO!!! and broth.

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Savor the slurp!

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Jules has been told they may actually have a slot for her tonight, but because she had a little water today, she has to wait until later for them to evaluate.

For now, no more water in the hopes that she can get in for her laproscopic cholecystectomy tonight!

- Chelce

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This is the right side of my Patient/Family Communication Board:

I am able to go the the bathroom myself,

I can finally sip on some water, and

I even tried Italian ice (okay, that didn't go well...)

All of this points to progress! I have nothing to eat/drink after midnight to prep  for tomorrow's surgery! They haven't given me a time, but apparently the OR called my nurse today to confirm that surgery is happening!

Woohoo!

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We just took vitals, and I appear to be doing okay! (Aside from my gallbladder being full of stones and my pancreas being a raging lunatic).

Surgery is supposed to happen today, but I have not been given a time. My night nurse, who has been a nurse for 42 years says that they no longer give times or schedules to small procedures like mine, when the patient has already been in the hospital. Apparently, they used to offer a time, and then something unexpected, like a motor vehicle pile-up, would obviously need to be prioritized in the OR schedule. Nurses would give patients a time, and the patient could wait the whole day without ever being called to the OR for their surgery..

SO  now they don't tell people their time slot! I'm not going anywhere anyway, and they don't need me to be angry while I wait. We shall see how this goes!

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One of the surgical interns just came and palpated my abdomen. She said that now she would NOT recommend me for surgery today. In combination with the inflammation and not being able to keep down clear liquids, she said that my insides might be too swollen.

I am going to wait to give any more surgical updates because they seem to keep changing recommendations.

The whole surgical team will meet around 8am to decide amongst themselves.

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- Final call: it turns I am not having surgery today
- My Dr. said that all of my blood work and labs are trending in the right direction, which is promising
- While my Dr. was checking in, the surgical team did too. All are in agreement about not having surgery today, which I think is a good sign
- My Dr. wants me to try clear liquids: sips of water, graduating to juice, and lemon ice. He said no to Jello today. 🙃
- The surgeon says we are back to surgery being up in the air -- earliest may end up being surgery on Monday
- I asked my nurse, and she said that we are still only allowed two visitors a day
- My nurse just brought my apple juice. I have never been so excited for apple juice IN MY LIFE 🧃🧃🧃

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First, the (small but) good news: Jules has been able to keep down 2 containers of apple juice and a little bit of lemon ice. It's been a few hours, and she is barely feeling nauseous at all (big improvement over yesterday).

She's had a low-grade fever on and off both yesterday and today. They just came in and did a blood culture to see if Jules' fever (101.2 right now) is stemming from an infection, but we won't have the results until later.

She's still on pain medication every 3 hours and anti-nausea medication every 6 hours, along with something to help reign in the fever.

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Good morning, and happy mother's day to all the lovely mommies out there! Thanks for all you do!

Here are some updates from today thus far:

Another member of the surgical team woke up me around 5:30 am, palpated my stomach, and then said no surgery today. He also said he would want to send me home when he could and then have me come back for the surgery later 😳🙄 When I pressed him about why, the logic was somewhat circular.

I had another low-grade fever again, so they did blood work again.

My Dr. came in, and he talked to me about the pain, about how I have been making improvements with clear liquids, and how he wants me to try clear liquids again today too.

My Dr. said that my blood work shows that I'm healthy aside from the gallstone pancreatitis 😅😂

My Dr. wants me to have the surgery before going home. He said that when we get closer to the pain going away, then he would talk to the team about doing the surgery instead of doing it as an outpatient procedure instead. I really appreciate how he's advocating for me! He's really great!

I tried breakfast, and I had water and watermelon ice. I have the cran-apple juice and broth sitting and waiting for me. I haven't really been hungry at all, but I've been trying because I need to be able to eat again

The surgical team lead came in and palpated my stomach and said that we could have the surgery tomorrow 😂😅 I don't believe anything at this point. Basically, it still all depends on pain and inflammation. Someone palpating my stomach when my pain med has run out is very different than when my pain med kicks in. 🤷‍♀️ I don't know. That's just what I've been told

Last night was crazy busy around here, so it's been nice that today is low-key. Thanks, everyone.

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This pink little dinosaur has now joined my juice collection! Oh, hey, friend! (Thanks for sending him up, Mom!)

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As today went on, it seemed like fairly smooth surfing! (Is that a phrase? No. It's "smoothe sailing"... Whoops)

Sometimes the hospital almost seems quiet! There are times when I can ring the nurse's station, and my nurse shows up to help almost immediately!

Today, during the chaos, I needed both a new IV (mine was leaking and no longer worked), I needed my pain medication (which is given by IV,) and the wait turned into almost two hours. Woah.

In times like those, it's not like a coffee shop with five teenagers standing around talking to each other instead of taking your order. It's this frenetic, almost manic, running energy. And another layer to this: noise. Do you know HOW MANY THINGS BEEP in a hospital?! Oh my goodness. Terrifying.

Okay, other things that I am not a fan of: hearing a roommate in unbearable pain is so saddening, hearing everything beep is sensory overload, having to wear this hospital gown is unpleasant, and not being able to wash my hair is JUST TERRIBLE. Also, when you have a fever of 100.5, it's "not really a fever" here... Hmm.

Things I like: jello, direct support, water with ice cubes being brought to me, friendly nurses and CNAs, lemon Italian Ice (actually, it's Polish ice here. Idk what the difference is). I don't have cable at home, which is probably a good thing.

Overall, a good day with not much to report! If I think of anything else, I'll share.

As of right now: after midnight, I cannot have anything by mouth to prepare for my surgery!! Here's hoping I actually get to have it tomorrow!

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We have had a regular morning routine so far:

Blood work has been done.

Vitals have been taken.

Vitals actually included weight today, which is irregular UNLESS they need to let an anesthesiologist know for calculating how much anesthesia I'd need!!!! 🤞🤞🤞

Young members of the surgical team came in to palpate my stomach. They did not say "no" to surgery this morning, but they did say that it's up to the lead surgeon. We shall see!

Nurses are doing their crossover rounds during the shift change currently!

This is mostly status quo, but no news is good news, I think.

Note: I have not been given a surgery time. Doctors round around 8, I believe, so we shall see if there are updates then.

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Did you know that this was the last week of my semester, technically? Most of my work was due at the end of last week, but -being in the hospital and all- my professor has given me an extension without penalty until Sunday (when grades are due). I just did a bunch of a project literally on my phone! Look at me go 💪💪💪 I had to time it perfectly between when the pain med drowsiness lifts and when the pain sets back in. I was able to do it! I did the same thing around midnight with another assignment for her! Two done! ✅ ✅ I just have two more to go!

What? You didn't want an academic update? Oh, right...

So I have seen my doctor, the surgical team, and a nutritionist this morning.

My doctor was pleased that I was able to keep down clear liquids yesterday and that my pain, in some regard, is decreasing. That's not to say it's gone, but when I came into the ER with Daddy last week, I was bent in half, with an emesis bag, literally moaning in pain. This is progress.

The surgical team has at least three doctors, along with their residents and whoever else. Today I officially met the third one. He got me at a good moment and saw the improvements in my abdomen.

The surgeon said YES, they want me in the surgery AND now we wait. Why?

This surgery is often given as an elective procedure so they can bump my procedure for something emergent. The surgeon explained that if I keep getting bumped to later in the day I then get moved to tomorrow, and we try again. If I get bumped and bumped and bumped... (Well, we shall see how it goes.)

Part of the reason they don't stay to do late, late procedures is because if they need the support of the team, they can't be operating when the rest of the team has already gone home for the night.

The nutritionist is really nice and said they would work with me based on the advice of the doctors after my surgery. I also have my own outpatient nutritionist lined up and aware of what's going on.

Okay, that's all for now. I need to go get my fluids changed, take meds, and see if Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives is on yet! Busy day, right?! Tootles.

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No news. My nurse called to find out the time of my surgery, and no one called back.

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It turns out that my surgery did, in fact, get bumped to tomorrow.

At least this means I get to order dinner:

Italian ice.

Cran-apple juice.

Decaf black tea.

Red AND orange jello.

Club soda... I know, a real risk here.

And my current appetizer is a glass of water. Oh, the joys of a clear liquid diet.

Also, please do not worry-- I'm not upset; I'm being flexible, and this is exactly where I need to be.

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I'm hopeful that I'll get to have the surgery tomorrow, since "no fluids after midnight" was officially ordered.

Today, my pain levels were dramatically fluctuating. Part of the problem is that TWICE today, my med time fell near the start of shift change. That easily means my meds are 60-90 minutes late. When that happens, it seems like I go right past my pain baseline, and it's harder to get back to neutral. Brutal.

My IV site has been somewhat uncomfortable today too. I can feel the chill of the med rushing in. That's been intense. It's the third time I had my site changed though, so I'm willing it to work!

Our floor has ONE aid! ONE! Apparently that's how short-staffed they are. I cannot fathom that workload.

I have a friend with an autoimmune condition that causes her to have frequent low-grade fevers. My vitals accidentally got checked twice in 15 minutes, and I went from 99-100.4 in that time. I keep cycling through these low-grade fevers (because of the pancreatitis), and it is highly unpleasant.

More Food Network today! Not mad about it.

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Good morning, family and friends.

Today is another day of waiting. It will either result in surgery, or it will not.

Here's hoping!

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So far today, a nurse specialist worked REALLY hard to find a new vein for my IV. That lasted almost a whole episode of Grey's Anatomy! She wrapped my arms in warm, wet clothes to help my veins open up. It was a WHOLE process. See the carnage above. 💉 💉 💉

Aaalllllsoo, I TOTALLY slurped down 500 mL of contrast for my CT scan. Apparently you need to have the contrast in you for an hour before you can do your CT scan, and they asked me to do it quickly. So I did, and now I'm done. 🧃🧃 🧃

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When I get home, I am looking forward to:

Seeing Benny and Theo again! And, of course, Mona.

Getting my grad work done for the semester (okay, not in like an excited way, but this needs to happen ASAP).

Being able to focus on reading.

Wearing something that doesn't expose my butt all the time.

Working with my dietician to figure out how to eat without my gallbladder.

Getting back to work and starting my internship!

When I am well enough, I am looking forward to:

Doing something other than watching TV incessantly.

Cooking for myself again.

Going for a hike.

Going swimming or kayaking.

I'm sure I'll think of other things I'm excited about, but in the meantime these all sound good to me!

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Jules finally had her surgery!

She went in around 1:30 today and, from what we've been told, everything went smoothly. They are moving her onto a surgical floor for tonight, which should be her last night there. Her doctor got pulled into a trauma before they could order a room for her, though, so right now she is in recovery limbo until they move her elsewhere.

She doesn't have her phone with her yet, but I'm sure she'll want to add on to this when she does. I just wanted to give a quick update, largely because I know she wouldn't want anyone to worry. :)

- Chelce

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A correct anatomical depiction of yesterday's surgery. See explanation below. 

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Guys, I have no Gallbladder! I should have named that monster... Let's pretend I did.

We have overthrown Garrison Gällbladdér, the Great and Terrible! MUWAHAHA!!

Anyway, the surgical interns just came in and woke me up. I looked at the guy who always talks to me (and is usually wrong about everything) and said, "are we doing surgery AGAIN?!"

They just wanted to check my incisions (I have four, with the largest being through MY BELLYBUTTON. UH WHAT?! That was NOT on any of the consent forms).

He also said that they were taking away my IV fluids and were putting me on a clear diet. Then, they want me to try a low-fat diet (because of my gallbladderlessness) and monitor how that goes. He said I could go home tomorrow, but he's been wrong about basically everything. He told me yesterday morning that I probably wouldn't be getting surgery yesterday. 🙃

Interesting fact: my nurse said that post-op clear diets are different than regular hospital clear. Apparent on post-op, you can't have anything red, like red jello or cranberry juice... But you can have orange jello and apple juice. She said it's because if something is going wrong, they don't want to mistake emesis contents as containing blood, and red foods would make that confusing.

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I am in our living room with Chelce, the doggies, and Mona. We are all relaxing and watching You've Got Mail,  as I finish up my evening fruit smoothie.

Right now I'm supposed to be eating low-fat for the next two weeks. Tomorrow I'll call to make my two-week appointment. I'll go back in for a follow-up with my surgeon, and he will check to make sure that everything is healing properly.

I was sent home from the hospital with a packet of literature explaining EVERYTHING. Details about my diagnosis when I last had my meds, how long I have to stay home from work, etc.

I have to rest and walk intermittently. It will help push out all the air that they inserted into my abdomen for the laparoscopic procedure. Apparently, the next couple days can be uncomfortable, so I was given a few meds to take home, as needed.

I have a few papers to write, so I'll take care of that and finish up my semester before the next one starts on Monday.

I'll look up low-fat recipes, do some laundry, and snuggle with the dogs. I'll handle my time at home, and then head back to work.

I don't have a gallbladder anymore! That's great!

Thank you all for being here, listening to my adventures in the hospital, and all the well-wishes.

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As most of you know by now, I am back in the hospital with severe pancreatitis.

I was home for about a day and a half before some extreme, unexpected pain set in. I had actually sent Chelce back to work because I had felt so good the previous day with her hom with me, and I figured I'd be Ok on my own. Instead Daddy brought me back to the ER, where I was yet again in pain to the point of emesis. They put me through a CT scan, which confirmed the severe pancreatitis. I was put on a lot of medication, mostly to deal with pain, nausea, and inflammation.

My labs have been all over the place. At first the doctors thought there was a gallstone on the loose in there, but my labs have begun trending more positively, so it's possible that the pancreatitis is not actually because of a rogue gallstone.

Everything is status quo right now: nothing by mouth, various meds around the clock, and the Food Network on just about 24/7. When my body is ready, the doctors want to try introducing a bland diet. We shall see when/if that happens.

I will say that everything is always in flux. I've been told about MRIs, feeding tubes, lengthy stays, and various other alarming details; just as quickly the idea gets reversed and everyone is feeling promising about my progress. 🤷‍♀️ Who the heck knows?!

For now, I'd appreciate all the positivity and prays that you want to send out for me. I'm just here resting and wondering when life will be normal again. Someday, I suppose.

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Good morning,

So far today I have seen my nurse and her aid, the phlebotomist, the surgical minions (including that doofus who gets everything wrong), the GI doctor, and the surgeon with some other interns.

The GI doctor is saying something completely, COMPLETELY different from what the surgeon is saying. One has a conservative approach, involving a feeding tube to bypass my pancreas and allow it to continue healing, while the other wants to get me eating and sent home.

I literally asked how these two teams will decide which approach to take: like with a thumb war or something? And the surgeon responded, "well, exactly, we all get into a room and just duel." Okay, great. Obviously, he was joking, but for everyone who comes in here, there is at least one other doctor to consult with, and I'm tired of my medical care feeling like a crappy house of cards, or, worse yet, a MLM scheme.

The surgeon literally took a call outside my door about how I don't look that sick. I wonder if he realizes that pancreatitis doesn't effect hearing. 🙄 Whatever.

I also had a long convo with the GI doctor about imaging, and whether or not it's a good idea to go through with an MRI or another CT or something. She said she wanted to follow my labs, so not yet. The surgeon comes in here, all big and boastful, and tells me I'm having an MRI today. 🙄 Again, whatever.

What will be will be.

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Sadness from Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out.

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I would say I've been pretty positive, or at least aiming to be positive, during most of this process.

But I've hit a wall. I'm just going to sit here and watch The Golden Girls until I bounce back.

I've been shifted into only ONE doctor's service. Thank goodness gracious. This doctor is actually a pancreas specialist, and he really explained everything to me so so well. I am confident in his choices. This healing process is all just more difficult than I'd like it to be.

I still did labs this morning, was visited by nurses and aides, met with doctors and surgeons, and was finally shifted onto that one doctor's service.

I was put on a feeding tube that bypasses my pancreas. The doctor's intern gets the tube started and then another set of specialists will guide it to the right place in my abdomen, which will happen later this afternoon. While I was waiting and resting, we didn't realize that the cap wasn't securely closed, so I went to itch my neck, and it was wet. I was technically covered in my stomach contents. I was covered in my own stomach contents. And this morning has been hard, so that when the (male) aide got to my room, he switched out my bed linens and washed me down to switch out my gown, and I just cried the whole time because this is all just terrible. I am not a fan.

I hope everyone else is NOT having a terrible Tuesday. Please also send love and hugs to my Dad who is also medically not feeling well.

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I can take this spray to help with the discomfort of the feeding tube. 

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This afternoon, I got transported down to Interventional Radiation (or it's called something like that...). The doctor down there pushed my feeding tube down into my intestines using a live X-ray.

The goal is for my body to get nutrition without turning my pancreas on. The hormones and fluids in my pancreas can aggravate it, making the pancreatitis worse. We don't want that! The longer we can let my pancreas rest, the better!

My nurses and aides have been really nice and helpful! God bless all the nurses and nurse-related positions.

There's not much going on here, but that's probably for the best! I get another anti-inflammatory shot around 10:15, and I'll try to go to sleep then.

Wishing you all well 💛 May none of you ever have to experience pancreatitis!

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The feeding tube is now up and running, so I can get nutrients to help me heal without my pancreas becoming inflamed!

Now I'm going to watch The Office
because I could use some light-hearted nonsense in my life!

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I have just accepted that on this floor, I get woken up crazy early for phlebotomy, vitals, and rounds. I've been up since 4:30 am, and that's okay. I'll try to go to bed early tonight. This morning, I watched Reba, and it just so happened to start with season 1, episode 1. Sure, it's a kooky sitcom, but I didn't realize how the show also handles controversial topics. Especially considering the show is from the early 2000s, I was surprised.

Okay, in terms of medical stuff: they unplugged my IV fluids today, so now I actually have to make sure I drink water! The doctors answered a million questions about my tube-feeding, so I feel more confident about continuing tube-feeding when I go home. Plus, my general pain has decreased!

There's not much else to report!

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Guy Fieri is joining me for Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives!

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I don't want to jinx it, but they're thinking about sending me home today. I'm waiting to talk to someone from Coram, the company that's going to supply my tube-feeding necessities while I'm at home.

Until that happens, I'll be watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives with mini-Guy!

Fingers crossed, you guys!

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Thank you for all your well-wishes, thoughts, and prayers!

I got home from the hospital tonight. It's certainly an adjustment, especially trying to navigate a feeding tube and two energetic pups! Chelce has been enormously helpful, and I'm sure I'll continue to adjust over the next few weeks.

I will remain on tube-feeding until my doctor says otherwise! I have a few follow-up appointments next week, so here's hoping everything goes well!

💛 Julie

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Thinking of you! So excited you are home, please let us know what you need and if we can send you guys anything 💙💙

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My doctor's office called me today and told me they had squeezed me in for a CT scan at 2:15 pm.

They gave NO warning, I had NO idea I was even getting a CT scan this early, and I had to make a ride appear out of thin air. Thanks to a friend, I got here 🤗

Also, my CT scan fluid is RASPBERRY!!! Not mad about that! I will share results when I get them (but that could be as late as my follow-up appointment on Friday though).

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Surgical follow-up:
The doctor on my surgeon's team was excellent and answered all of my questions. She said my laparoscopic incisions are healing well, which is great news!

I won't be able to lift more than ten pounds for another two weeks -- we don't want to risk a hernia. I'm on baby aspirin to avoid any blood clots (this is a continuation of what we were doing in the hospital). The doctor also gave me some medicine to deal with my intermittent nausea. And wants me walking around to rebuilding my strength and stamina.

Finally, the doctor said that I might not be returning to school this school year. That was alarming.

Pancreatic specialist follow-up:
According to my latest CT scan, my pancreas is becoming less swollen, but it isn't where it needs to be yet. Because of the small improvement, the pancreatic doctor decreased my feeding tube from 24 hours a day down to 16 hours a day. Now I can sleep more comfortably because I won't be hooked up to the machine all night!

Like I said before, the surgical doctor said there's a chance I don't go back to school this school year. I thought she was being over the top, until my pancreatic specialist explained how slowly we are progressing back toward eating. Then, it sort of clicked that this is taking a long time.

My next follow-up CT scan and appointment with my pancreatic specialist is June 7th. Depending on the swelling, the doctor said the next step is to potentially decrease my feeding tube to 12 hours and then integrate a liquid diet. Then we have another follow-up in another 7-10 days and check improvements again with another CT scan.

During this appointment, the nutritionist came to meet with me. Because of my intermittent nausea, the nutritionist (and doctors) want me to cut back on sugar intake (such as in jello, juice, and Italian ice). I basically have to water everything down for now to see if that helps reduce the nausea and subsequent pain.

The nutritionist also said that I will likely be on an extremely low-fat diet when I can eventually eat again. Woo.

So, basically, I'll be sipping broth until my follow-up on June 7th. Then, I MIGHT be able to eat farina and yogurt. Otherwise, the broth continues.

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Me during the 25 phone calls with Nurse Vicky this week. (Not exaggerating.)

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After my early June appointment, I transitioned to eating soft foods while using the feeding tube for 8 hours per day. Soft foods include things like scrambled eggs, pancakes, pasta in red sauce, canned peaches and canned carrots, and the occasional broth mixed in.

Well, Sunday, June 12th, I accidentally dislodged my feeding tube. I immediately turned off the machine, and then hysterically called the on-call doctor. It took about an hour for him to get back to me, but by that point, it was clear that my feeding tube no longer wanted to be in my body. You can risk aspiration if you continue feeding with a dislodged tube, so the doctor said I could remove the tube myself.

THAT was a weird and gross experience.

I pulled the tube the rest of the way out of my nose (ew), and planned to call my doctor's office the next day.

My doctor said to try going without the tube and see how I do. Well, I hadn't been eating much because of the feeling tube, so eating all of my sustenance taxed my system (add to it the fact that I accidentally over-consumed fat because of the volume I was trying to eat in response to my ravenous hunger), and I was in pain. I called the doctor the next day, and they put me on a "clear" diet again for 48 hours.

I checked back in on Thursday with continued pain. I checked back in on Friday - at this point, the office nurse and I are on a first name basis. Actually, more than that, she knows my voice when I call now! So in our conversation, it comes out that I didn't realize I was supposed to discontinue a med that, since it was no longer necessary, was causing these painful side effects. WHOOPS. Oh well.

All's well that ends well! I'm back to eating soft food, have been reduced to only 20g of fat per day because of my lack of gallbladder, and I'm hopeful that I'm on the mend!

I have a CT scan Monday and a follow-up with my doctor on Friday!