On August 3rd, I had to have gallbladder surgery. I spent 6 days in the hospital......

 

Edited below!

I want to tell you that I had some of the best nurses I have ever dealt with. This was Wake Medical Center - Cary. 

We have had a long history with "Big Wake", as we call it, the large medical center located at the eastern entrance to Raleigh. My youngest child was born there in 1971, and then when she was 2, she spent a month there, due to pneumonia and empyema. 

In 2007, when Jim had his massive stroke, they took good care of him for 2 weeks and then housed him in in-patient PT for 2 weeks.  He recovered better than anyone could have expected. 

In 2014, I had open heart surgery there, spending 12 days. I did fairly well.

In March, I think, I was sent there from the Apex ED, because I swallowed a pill that went down the wrong "pipe" and spent nearly 24 hours in ICU, because that was the only bed available. Once again, I got excellent care.  

So when I started having lower GI tract symptoms,  that lasted for 11 days, we went to the Urgent Care and they said go to the ED. The one in Cary is closer, so we went there. I was admitted for tests, and as I was patient # 25 waiting for a room, I had to spend one night in the ED. Care was excellent. I had a CS, MRI, Endoscopy, and numerous blood tests, and all of that led them to tell me that my bile duct was blocked with sludge....which usually precedes the formation of stones. I was advised to consider surgery right then, while I was already a patient. I thought about it and decided it might be a good idea to go ahead and get it out, because to delay might bring on a full-blown gallbladder attack, which I know to be excruciating pain, as my mother had it.  

The endoscopy made me cough a lot after, and by later that night, my ribs were very sore, as well as my stomach muscles. I worried about how that would affect me after surgery, but it was scheduled anyway for 7 am on the 3rd. Despite the fact that there was an NPO sign on my door, and I knew I was not supposed to eat, when the tray was brought in, I grabbed the coffee cup and downed it - totally forgetting I was not supposed to even have water that morning.  Then I opened a strawberry jello and took 3 bites, before it dawned on me I should quit.  The upshot of all that was they had to delay surgery by 2 hours. I was sorry for the surgical team, but they seemed to take it in stride, for which I was thankful.  

I had anesthesia two days in a row (endoscopy and surgery) and I hate the effects of it at the best of times, but I am destined for "foggy brain" forever, I suppose.  The aftermath of surgery was that I was so sore I could hardly get up out of bed. Thanks to modern medicine for pain killers, so badly needed at that time. recovery was slow, and I felt like the proverbial pin-cushion, having had 5 IV's (which kept coming loose) and gobs of other needle sticks. My belly is so bruised that I look like I have been hit with a "cat o' nine tails". But everyday I am improving, and I am so very thankful for good care and proper testing. 

Some of the nurses who were stand-outs in my stay there were Jeremy in the ED, 

and, of course, I have lost part of my list, darn it. If I find it later, I'll fill in the lost ones, but here are the rest I can find:  Nicole, Nykesha, Dr. Dye (he looks like my first boyfriend!), Katrina and Sabrina.  Sabrina is a nurse supervisor and she showed extra care when she came in to help me when my nurses were busy. We got to talking, and she said she thought I should write. I told her, "I write a blog." I gave her the name of it, and an hour or so later, she came back, raving about it. She really lifted my spirits and she gave me a wonderful hug, which I needed.  Sabrina, I hope you are reading this someday soon. I will never forget you. 

***I found the rest of my name list of outstanding nurses:  Hannah, Sally, Tiffany, Misty, Patty and Michelle in gastro.  All of you made a very good impressions on  me, and I don't really impress easily!