Mom said "Always wear clean underwear in case..."

My Mom used to say, "Always wear clean underwear in case you have to go to the hospital." Well, I had to go to the ER recently and when the ER nurse said to put on the lovely gown that ties in the back, I paused and you can guess what my next thought was -- "What underwear am I wearing?" I could hear my Mom's voice and it was somewhat funny to be thinking those words she used to say. The nurse looked at me puzzled while I stood still and I said "I'm just wondering which underwear I put on this morning" and she laughingly said "It doesn't matter to us. Seen it all before." I want to let you know that the staff at the small community ER hospital on the Oregon coast treated me (us) very well. The nurse had a good sense of humor and they quickly took care of me while Rick completed a bit of paperwork. (Thank goodness for good medical insurance that provides out-of-state coverage!)

The ER doctor saw me within a few minutes and we talked about my symptoms. I'd been feeling more than a little puny for a few days and it culminated with severe pain and definite symptoms that led me to research the Internet for self-diagnosis. (Rick loves it when I do that.) I'd decided it was my gallbladder and had been trying to figure out which hospital to try to get to in our travels. Little did I know it would get so bad so quick and we would just happen to drive past the small community ER hospital on the way to the wharf. Of course Rick has hospitals programmed into his GPS because he is an Eagle Scout and always prepared and we've been chasing these symptoms for at least 3 years. After 3 visits to emergency rooms over the past 3 years and many doctor visits, I get properly diagnosed more than 1200 miles from "home." But this has all been a good experience and I'm sooooo relieved to finally know what is wrong.

Anyway, after an ultrasound and many hours later, the good ER doc confirmed that I had a large (one inch) gallstone and would probably need to have my gallbladder removed. Before we left the ER we received a referral and some unofficial recommendations on where to go to have the operation. The few people we talked with in the ER all thought a bigger city with a bigger hospital with more than one surgeon to choose from would be best since it was no longer an emergency and we had time to plan. They also said gallbladder removals are routinely performed laparoscopically and I should try to find a doctor experienced with this less invasive procedure. So with a NO FAT! diet sheet in hand we decided to try Eugene, Oregon. We had just been in that area for 4 weeks and knew it was home to a couple big hospitals. Little did I know that all the "good" food we had been indulging in was torturing my gallbladder.

I again did Internet research on the 2 major hospitals in Eugene and decided I wanted Sacred Heart which would be less than 20 miles away. I called our insurance provider, updated them, and started the pre-cert process. I called the hospital's Patient Services and said "I'm new to the area and need to find a surgeon to remove my gallbladder." I don't know how we got so lucky, but she said to try Dr. Donald Yarbrough, a surgeon with Northwest Surgical Specialists. Of course I once again did some Internet research and asked anyone we could about the decisions we were trying to make. I called the doctor's office and again feel very lucky to have contacted someone who truly cared and quickly scheduled an appointment for less than a week away. We left the coastal area and headed back to Guaranty RV in Junction City, our motorhome dealer. They are graciously letting us stay in their campground parking lot while we get through this.

We met with the surgeon and immediately felt comfortable with his knowledge and expertise. I could not find a single negative thing about him or the practice he is with. He thought perhaps we could get on his surgery schedule in a couple days, but it worked out better for everyone to do it the next day. The NEXT DAY! They classified it as an emergency surgery, but we weren't in a panic. His office took care of everything and it went like clockwork! We arrived the next morning in time for a meeting with the anesthesiologist, I was admitted by noon and prepped for surgery. I napped under warm blankets until 2:30 when they took me in and the next thing I remember is waking up around 6:00 and feeling sick to my stomach from the anesthesia. But I eventually felt good enough to be wheeled out to the car. Rick stopped at the store to get me some liquids and a prescription and the next thing I remember is him helping me into the motorhome and going to bed. That was Wednesday. Thursday I lounged around all day taking it easy and Rick pampered me. Today is Friday and we took a little walk. I feel a little better today and tomorrow will be even better. Thank goodness this all worked out so well. We are still marveling at how fortunate we are to have such competent medical professionals available to us and dedicated to helping us get back to good health. And we're fortunate to have Moms who remind us to wear clean underwear.