I've just returned from the doctor's surgery and he can't give me a name or a reason for my recent illness. The endoscopy that I had a few weeks ago showed that I have a hiatus hernia and that it may have been responsible for the pain - or at least some of it - that I was experiencing.
Okay. That's fairly clear cut. I can live with that.
But ... the scan showed that I have what is termed 'debris' or 'sludge' in my gallbladder. Now, I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like something you discover at the bottom of the swimming pool when you've neglected to clean it all winter long. Sludge. Sounds as if someone's been sloppy in their housekeeping somewhere along the line. It doesn't sound pretty. And I'm sure DH could come up with even worse examples since his job involves various kinds of sludge.
I told my doctor that a name would be nice. Something to make it all official and clean cut. But none was forthcoming. They don't know why I have debris or sludge in my gallbladder but suspect it could also be related to the pain I was experiencing. In an attempt to what I suspect was a means of regaining my confidence in his abilities he prescribed a low fat diet with plenty of fluids.
I was doing that anyway. Well, almost anyway. I don't have a fear of high fat foods as long as they are what I consider 'good' fats. Avocado and nuts do not seem to affect the pain, whereas lemon juice (go figure) and sesame seeds do. I've been cautious when it comes to red meat and dairy food but only because I don't feel like eating those foods and I figure that it's safer to listen to my body at this stage.
So was there any positive outcome from the doctor's visit? Well, the scan didn't reveal anything sinister which is something I am immensely grateful for, and during this illness I did manage to lose enough weight - without even trying - to make me drop from the overweight category into the healthy category which is some consolation for all I suffered.
But a 'name' would still have been nice ... even if just to explain to people why I was so ill and to reassure myself that it wasn't all in my imagination!
Okay. That's fairly clear cut. I can live with that.
But ... the scan showed that I have what is termed 'debris' or 'sludge' in my gallbladder. Now, I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like something you discover at the bottom of the swimming pool when you've neglected to clean it all winter long. Sludge. Sounds as if someone's been sloppy in their housekeeping somewhere along the line. It doesn't sound pretty. And I'm sure DH could come up with even worse examples since his job involves various kinds of sludge.
I told my doctor that a name would be nice. Something to make it all official and clean cut. But none was forthcoming. They don't know why I have debris or sludge in my gallbladder but suspect it could also be related to the pain I was experiencing. In an attempt to what I suspect was a means of regaining my confidence in his abilities he prescribed a low fat diet with plenty of fluids.
I was doing that anyway. Well, almost anyway. I don't have a fear of high fat foods as long as they are what I consider 'good' fats. Avocado and nuts do not seem to affect the pain, whereas lemon juice (go figure) and sesame seeds do. I've been cautious when it comes to red meat and dairy food but only because I don't feel like eating those foods and I figure that it's safer to listen to my body at this stage.
So was there any positive outcome from the doctor's visit? Well, the scan didn't reveal anything sinister which is something I am immensely grateful for, and during this illness I did manage to lose enough weight - without even trying - to make me drop from the overweight category into the healthy category which is some consolation for all I suffered.
But a 'name' would still have been nice ... even if just to explain to people why I was so ill and to reassure myself that it wasn't all in my imagination!
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