Mystery Illness and Gallbladder Removal

 Mystery Illness and Gallbladder Removal

 

    I was only at my job a few months before I got seriously ill in December of 2006. I started throwing up bile and had high fevers, accompanied by chills. I was immediately hospitalized and put on IV antibiotics and oxygen as my o2 sats were now in the mid 80s. The doctor told us he didn’t know what was wrong. They put me on broad spectrum antibiotics to cover whatever might be in my lungs. I never got a bronchoscopy, most likely because I was quite ill and throwing up. I spent most of my time in bed, sleeping and resting. After about a month of IV antibiotics, I began to feel a bit better but I was informed my gallbladder needed to come out. It was full of gallstones and it was suspected to have been the cause of me throwing up bile. One of my sisters came to stay with me on New Years Eve. She brought sparkling cider and chicken. I don't think I ate anything and I went to bed very early. I stayed another two weeks until my lungs were all better and everything was under control. When I later followed up with my doctor for a check-up, he told me “We weren’t sure you were going to make it.”  Thankfully, I was unaware of how serious the situation was. I never returned to work. When I got home from the hospital, a month and a half later, I still needed to recover from the surgery. It felt like I had mild pancreatitis for several weeks.