Post Op 10 Days

 My gall bladder was removed 10 days ago and I've had good days & bad days but yesterday was exceptionally bad. I'd been feeling a little off for 2 days then suddenly yesterday at about 11:00, while walking through Costco, I had a ripping feeling inside, it felt like my belly was expelling the alien from the movie.

I could barely get out of the store, it just kept getting worse 

and I told Lan I needed to go to ER RIGHT NOW.

I sat outside while he got the truck and the ER was right next door so we were there in minutes. 

Then everything slowed down. This is a brand new hospital, they're using it but its not even completely finished being built. We had to sit and wait for an hour and the pain had mostly subsided before they finally took me back but 'Didn't have a room available' so I was put in a bed in the hallway, bed #61, and left there. A new guy/student came to do an ECG but he fumbled so much. They had put a privacy screen around me but if I was able to see people all around me then they were able to see me. Stupid kid didn't even bother to lower my shirt when he was finished. This was at 1:20pm

Meanwhile there had been a large car crash on the HWY so there were EMTs, firemen, cops and tons of injured people all over the place.

Doctor Ashley chose right then to finally see me and he didn't listen very well and didn't follow through with any of the things he said about me. He told them I'd need a CT scan and that happened at 1:44pm, then back to the hallway. He also said I should be in a room being monitored, 'ANY ROOM, CLEAR ONE OUT' is what he said. Then he said I'd be given morphine for the pain. I was never put in a room and never received any pain meds.

Doc Ashley returned at about 3:15pm, told me my labs had come back and I might have passed a stone, there is fluid in the area the gall bladder used to be in and my liver has issues so no more Tylenol. He prescribed an antibiotic and said I could go home unless I wanted to stay there. LOL. Hell NO.

We got out of the hospital at 3:45pm.

We came home and I had discomfort from bloating and gas but was so much better than earlier. I took an Oxycodone at 7:30 & at 9:30 realized its Tylenol so SHIT. 

Its the next day, Saturday, 6/28/2025 and I woke up feeling better. I'm only going to eat foods with super low or no fat, as I have been, and be sure to walk for 5-10 minutes every hour. I've got peppermint tea and ginger tea that should help with bloating. The prescription hasn't been filled yet and I've been waiting for them to call. 

I have a doctor appointment with Dr. Pai on Monday morning and I will ask for AT LEAST another week off work. I did say I was going to milk it but geesh, not by being sick the whole time.

5 days post op

 I'm now 5 days post op and feeling better than I had been before the surgery. 

They had me arrive at 10am and said I'd be going back to surgery at noon but the OR was ready at 11:30. The anesthesiologist was just chatting when I went out & then I woke up. 

I think I was home at about 6pm.

Thursday Lan had the day off and I was all drugged up and slept most of it. I did have to have a talk that its HIS JOB to feed me and its NOT OK to leave at 11am and be gone till 4pm. 

Friday I was drugged up and sleeping when he left to take the new truck in for needed work. The appointment was in Issaquah at 1pm. Lan left at 9:30 to catch the 9:55 ferry to West Seattle. Brandan came over for a bit, but I was still sleeping and he left. Lan didn't get home till 6pm.  I had had to fix my own meals and take complete care of myself. I was mad. I was on drugs but still in massive amounts of pain.

Saturday I told Lan he WILL STAY HOME with me all day and he did. Still on drugs but instead of an opioid, I took Tylenol , still pain but not as bad. I took opioid for bed.

Sunday we had free passes to the Summer Comic-Con at the Puyallup Fairgrounds so we borrowed the wheel chair and went there. I wasn't on any drugs, didn't want to be sleepy all day. We saw a lot of costumes, there were about 1/4 of the celebrities there that had booths for signing autographs and getting photos but mostly it was a place for hundreds of vendors to sell their junk. We had vendor passes and found that lady and returned them to her. She said she pays about $2000 for the booth for the duration and will make about $6000-8000.  She sells Pokeman toys.  Its all ridiculous to me what people will spend their money on.  LOTS of costumes including fat assed girls with their asses literally hanging out, cellulite and all. UGH. 

Still Sunday, we left the fair grounds and drove east, to Enumclaw. Lans family was going to have their annual 'Carole birthday party' at Freds place and that was fun.  I sat my butt down & tried not to get up again but I did have to push Severin and Aiden into the pool. There was a BBQ and pot luck and once again, Lans cousin Kendall showed up with no food to share and an extra teenager to feed. Shes notorious for that and I'll never invite her again unless I specifically tell her what to bring. We left the party after the food, a couple hours after arriving. I was tired but really just wanted to go home. 

Monday, today, once again not on drugs. I weigh 175# this morning. I haven't pooped in 6 days and the pain meds have me backed up but hoping I get lucky. LOL. I'm scared to try because that WILL hurt. SHIT, had to go, ran upstairs, almost didn't make it. 

Three More Days

 I've got 3 more days until my Gall Bladder remover surgery and I'm ready for it, mentally and physically.  I will work tomorrow, then I'm off Tuesday and I'll be getting the house ready for me to not be doing much of anything for a while. I'm going to straighten all around my recliner, since I'll be spending a lot of time in it. I've got easy to fix foods ready, like soups and some low fat cereals and yogurt. Veggies, fruits and breads.

My work supervisor told me today that there are several people mad that I have this time off and 1 girl even already got reservations for a vacation. Well, Missy, I'm higher in seniority than you so no matter what, I'd still get it off. Ross is ahead of me in seniority but his wife Cathy isn't. They want to celebrate their 30th anniversary but Cathy hasn't even requested the time off yet. Well, duh!

Today we returned to a 2 boat schedule at work so instead of boats every 2.5 hours, its 1.15 and Im like, they're cutting into my lazy time. lol

One Week Till Surgery

 I've got one week until my gall bladder removal surgery.

The hospital/doctors office keeps sending me texts and emails telling me different things and getting more and more info from me.  For the last week I've been pretty good without pain and being extremely careful eating. Small meals, zero to no fat content, healthy foods. I've lost ten pounds and about 2 inches off my belly.

My last attack was last Wednesday, at work. Bloating and sore back, pain in gall bladder area. Next week I'll have a lot of pain but it will go away as I heal and I'm hoping to do that without any complications or issues. I'll still eat carefully.

Saddle Training

I spent way too much time contacting local horse trainers and waiting for them to reply, and only 1 did out of about a dozen. Last year 1 replied & she costs $1,600 per month, which is utterly ridiculous so that's when I contacted Teresa in Eastern Washington and agreed to have her train Amble to drive. Teresa is a pro, a true pro and so is her husband and I am totally happy with their training of my girl.

This year the cost of $1,100 is the same and they have agreed to take on Amble again but to teach her to ride. 

OR~ carry my fat ass around. LOL

On our Nevada trip in April-May I purchased this tack set for her, it was $350 for headset, reins, breast collar and cinch. And danged if it doesn't match the $900 saddle I had bought her in April and it was just luck that it was a match at all. 

I had to spend another $59 on a bit for her and I've NO CLUE if it will even work for her but Teresa and Will can tell me if its OK or not.

Here's Will driving her and she goes pretty danged well.

They're going to put a month of reminder in driving, then 2 months of riding.

They will also fit MY harness to her so it will always be fit just right.  

I need to take lessons myself in driving because I barely know how to do it.

 

Truck Is Official

We needed to get the new truck licensed and had already decided to do it in Nevada, since we don't want to pay ANY taxes to Washington state if we don't have to.  Lan left home at 6pm Wednesday and headed south, reaching Ely, Nevada at 9am Thursday & went to an insurance guy there and got insurance for the truck.

Then he drove to Pioche, arriving at noon, where he went to the post office and made arrangements for a PO Box for us. After that he went to the county building and after they inspected the truck, saw that we own a house there and have a permanent address and paid them an additional $2,200, our truck now has plates.

At 5pm Thursday Lan left Pioche heading north and got got to Jackpot, Nevada where he got a room for the night at Cactus Jacks Casino. He left in the morning and arrived home at about 10pm Friday night.

In 52 hours he drove over 2,022 miles.

AND he brought home BBQ from 'Get Sauced' in Pioche!

 

Amble Gets A Bath

 Amble hasn't been bathed since last summer and today shes getting one. Its supposed to be 81* so she'll be nice and warm the rest of the day. Tomorrow I'll touch up and brush out her feather and see if I can get some good photos.

OK, got photos. This is right after I started spraying her tail.

Here it is after she was washed.

And 5 minutes later after she'd rolled.

Dirty side

Clean side

And after she had rolled.

I washed her tail with Cowboy Magic Rosewater Shampoo, rinsed, sprayed Vinegar on it and let it sit for a while, rinsed, used Main & Tail conditioner and a final rinse. Then applied Cowboy Magic leave in conditioner to her main, tail and feather. A while after she had rolled, I brushed most of that dirt back off but tomorrow she should look pretty good.

Wifi!!

Joey!!

I'm thinking about finding a local stable with cheap full care that's not too expensive so I can have Amble over there for just one month so I can do some intense training as far as I can and maybe, just maybe, ride her. 

In other news: 

Lan might be leaving tonight to drive down to Pioche with the truck to get it registered there. We've already paid the tax to do it there and DO NOT want to pay the Washington taxes, which would end up being about $10,000. Fucking Washington doesn't need to get one more penny of my money than they're already stealing.