What was planned to be all about spa treatments and zen time in Santa Fe, NM turned into serious stomach and back pain for me. When it continued to get worse and worse over more than 12 hours, my amazingly patient, strong and dedicated friend, Christine, and I sat three hours waiting at the local hospital. It didn't take long for the ultrasound technician to find the mass quantity of gallstones working their way around my gallbladder, trying to lodge into the neck of it and create some pretty nasty problems. Something I was actually relatively happy to hear it since they first were concerned there was something wrong with my heart after finding a low heart rate and some blip on the EKG machine.
We spent several hours with me on monitors and IV fluids, trying to determine the best course of action. After discussing my options (with the help of my non-drugged-up friend), we opted to fill me with pain meds and get me on the next plane back to LA. I'll be talking to a surgeon tomorrow to find out when we can get these menacing little stones out of my body.
I'm coming to realize that I just shouldn't leave home. Maybe I'm not meant for vacation.
