In The Throes Of A Thrombosis!

Ah, the serene lovlieness of a gall bladder attack! Now, who else would publish a picture of themselves, on the internet no less, looking this fabulous? Well, I do believe in truth in the press.
The first pic is me the morning of my surgery to remove my gall bladder. I was actually having an attack that morning, but of course there was no point in going to the ER.


The second pic is me after the surgery, Friday evening. I really wasn't feeling as good as I thought I would..... Which turned out to have a very good reason. I went home Saturday, but never felt any better. And by Monday morning, I was back at the doc on an emergency basis, getting a CAT scan. She determined I had a portal vein thrombosis, a large clot in one of the major veins going to the liver (here's a link for more info on this fun disorder--it's a little wordy, but the simplest I could find http://www.fvleiden.org/ask/34.html ).
It's very serious, and landed me in the hospital for three days, getting anti-clot meds (Lovenox) injected in my belly twice a day. I still have the bruises...... During that time, I was desperately ill. I mean, really, I wished I were dead. Try to imagine overwhelming nausea, and I mean overwhelming, that never stops. Couple that with terrible stomach cramps (made worse by the recent gall blader surgery), and the fact I'd not eaten or drunk anything since Thursday night....... The IV kept me from dying, I guess--kept me hydrated. But I was so weak! The sight & smell of food made me very ill, though the doc tried to get me to sip a little broth at least. But much of the time, I wasn't too aware of what was going on anyway, between being ill in the first place, then the pain meds (morphine) and the anti-nausea meds (a whole cocktail of goodies. That cocktail, by the way, left me with nasty battery acid butt pee for two days. I know, you really wanted to know that.....). Unfortunately, I apparently told Brad during this time not to take my pic--I don't rememebr that, but then I don't remember much of those three days. Just look back at the pic of me having a gall bladder attack, and ramp it up--A LOT--and you have a fair idea what I looked like.
Anyhow, by Wednesday afternoon, I was lucid again, and wanted more than anything to be back home. The doc would have kept me an extra day, but I told her I would die. So we went home, and Brad had to give me my last two injections of Lovenox. OUCH! That stuff stings like crazy, like a bee sting for about ten minutes after the shot. But after a good night's sleep in my own bed, I was feeling somewhat better. Today, Tuesday, I feel pretty good. I even went to the Y yesterday, though I was too weak to do a lot. Please pray my strength will come back soon! I'm on Coumadin (blood thinner) for the duration--could be for six months or a year, could be forever, depending on what they decide the cause of the clot was. The doc sent blood away to Mayo clinic for genetic testing, to see if I have a genetic disorder that would explain why I got the clot. I get the results of all those tests Monday.
Thanks to everyone who prayed for me--I am sure it all would have been much worse otherwise. Words don't do justice to the gratitude I have for my friends, family & church family. Please know I appreciate very much all your prayers.