Gallstones
The last leg of my 20s.
Barely a month in to my 29th year on Earth, I found out I have gallstones.
The "crystallization" of bile in the gallbladder, I would like to believe. Though Google Image tells me that this "crystal" is not pretty.
21st October 2017. I was sitting as the Doctor's clinic. Waiting to get the results of a scope I did about three weeks ago.
All started well till he reached out the film of the ultrascans from the huge-ass envelop sitting at the corner of my living room. Suddenly, I recalled the unsettling thought that I managed to brush away really quickly.
"0.6cm....." I read on the report, and I was like "got lump?! Shit. Never mind. Wait for the review with the doc" & I very quickly pop the bubble and tuck my thought into the envelop together with the film.
The Doc placed the film on the light box. And started to point out the stones. Then he drew out the anatomy - liver, gallbladder, stomach...
He said this usually happen in people in their 40s onwards. I'm 10 years pre-mature... whutttt.
The main question in was head was why? How?
I later read up. There were so many reasons, who knew what was it?
Not eating enough (gallbladder underused).
Cus I don't eat lunch?
Irregular meals.
Cus I started eating lunch?
Too much cholesterol.
Cus of my love for fatty food?
Or my reliance for fast & instant food?
It's related to the digestive system. Not peeing. Nothing to do with the bladder.
Were there signs?
At the doctor clinic, I couldn't think of any apparent sign.
In days following that, I realised, there was! & I ignored them. Or though that it was normal.
There were occassion sharp pain at right side.
Tummy aches when I eat too heavily, which tubby reminded me when I told him about it.
The next step
"they can't just remove the stones. It would come back. They need to remove my whole freaking gallbladder!!!"
If not, it's acute pain & go into A&E to operate right away!
Every pain is a message that our body is telling us something is not working well. Are you listening to your body?
Beinging in the know, let's me make sound choices. When to plan the operation? Which doc to choose. How to pay.
On a side note, I was doing a translation for 胆 to find the English equivalence of 壮胆 for a Halloween post. And 胆 translate to be Gallbladder. After the operation, I really "没胆" 🤣