What has happened lately...

I just wanted to let you all know what has happened lately.

Nolan has been suffering with gall stones for about 6 weeks now, and he had been trying various alternative healing methods to release or dissolve the stones. These were not successful, however, so we thought this may in fact have to end in a surgery. Over a week ago, last Friday night, (October 19th) Nolan had a severe gall bladder attack and decided to see a surgeon about it. Unfortunately, the only days the surgeon could schedule surgeries is on Wednesdays, and they couldn't fit him in for a consultation until the next Friday (which was this past Friday - October 26th). They also told him if the pain got too bad, that they could maybe squeeze him in. Well, on Tuesday & Wednesday (the 23rd & 24th) Nolan was still in pain, but it had subsided enough that he thought maybe it would get better. But on Wednesday evening, the pain returned with a vengeance. He called first thing Thursday and got in for the consultation. The surgeon (Dr. Whipple) set up an appointment for the following Wednesday, but told him (Nolan) that if the pain got too bad, he could go into the ER and have it taken out sooner. He (the doctor) also said he didn't think that (with the high number of recent attacks) Nolan would even make it to Wednesday anyway.

Saturday afternoon arrived (October 27th) and Nolan called me when I was at work and told me he was having yet another attack that was so bad, he was ready to go have the surgery. I left work, we arranged for the kids to go to my parents house for a few days, and we headed off to the Emergency Room.

The inept, incompetent ER doctor on Saturday night did nothing more that to give Nolan a shot of morphine and perform a few measly blood tests, to which he concluded that there was nothing wrong with Nolan and we should just go home and wait until Wednesday for the surgery we had previously scheduled with Dr. Whipple. This release was also decided after Nolan was given the morphine at the hospital, and he (Nolan) had consequently said that he wasn't in too much pain anymore - because of the morphine (duh!) Dr. Dipstick (ER doc) then released him. I put up a fight at that point, but was told that most ER surgeons wouldn't perform ELECTIVE surgeries on Sundays. We were told we were welcome to stay the night and talk to the on-call surgeon the next morning (because he was currently in an emergency surgery), but again, it probably wouldn't do any good, because, like I said, ER docs don't do ELECTIVE surgeries on Sundays. I still could not understand why they kept calling this serious (much needed by this point) surgery, elective. It is not like we were getting a nose job or cheek implants or something!! By this time, Nolan had been in almost constant pain for EIGHT days!! Well, very reluctantly (and very agitated by now), we went home. After talking with my dad (an RN) about all of it, we knew something more had to be done. We could not just ignore it and it would go away. But we were so tired and frustrated, we didn't know what to do.

Sunday morning at 3 a.m., Nolan was awakened by extreme pain and could not control it with Lortab pills or heating pads on the affected area. Later, when I awoke Sunday morning, I knew what I had to do. I immediately looked up his phone number online, and called Dr. Whipple at his home to explain my concerns. We should not have been released from the hospital Saturday night, and I felt that something needed to happen now to resolve this problem! I came to find out that Dr. Dorko (the ER doc) had called Dr. Whipple the previous night and LIED to him and told him that Nolan was not in pain, did not have any infection, and was comfortable enough to go home.

Anyway, Dr. Whipple was on call at Ogden Regional Medical Center this weekend, but made special arrangements to come to McKay Dee Hospital to perform this much needed surgery. We are very grateful to him for rearranging his schedule and taking the time to take PROPER care of my husband.

After a 32 hour stay, Nolan is home from the hospital now. The surgery was successful and so far the recovery is moving along well. His gall bladder ended up being very inflamed, extremely infected and full of pus. The surgeon who performed the surgery, Dr. Whipple, mentioned quite a few times that it was a VERY good thing I am such a persistent person and that I was so pushy with getting this surgery underway. If it had gone any longer, it could have turned into a much worse infection, or the gall bladder could have even possibly ruptured.

We are so grateful that Nolan is home now, that he will be O.K., and all of this is finally over. We are also so grateful that we were inspired enough to listen to our "gut" feelings (spiritually and physically) and persist in this situation. I urge all of you to do the same. Do NOT ever take anything for granted. And just because a doctor tells you something is one way or another, don't just go along along with it blindly. I could not be happier that we didn't just go along.

.Good Health and Happiness to you all!!


A small, interesting post script...
At 4 p.m. this afternoon, we were scheduled to close on the purchase of our new home. Well, since Nolan was not released from the hospital until 6:30 p.m., the title company representative was nice enough come to the hospital, and we finalized our paper work while Nolan was in his hospital bed.
Now on with the actual move... :)