When Gall Bladders Attack
Unless, of course, they don’t. Friday night I had what seemed very much like a gall bladder attack, after indulging in the Modern’s famous pot roast, which includes fork-tender meat, garlic mashed potatoes, melting carrots and veggies, all topped with a dollop of horseradish sour cream. Our family is pretty familiar with gall bladder symptoms, since G. Grod had them on and off for years before having his gall bladder removed earlier this year. Fortunately I had a prenatal checkup already scheduled for this week. When I described symptoms and said that this was the second time this had occurred during the pregnancy (the first at about 12 weeks), I was swiftly given more blood tests and signed up for a gall bladder ultrasound.
The good news is that I received an all clear–none of the tests showed anything to be concerned about. The bad news is that no one knows why I have had two episodes in 8 weeks that seem so gall-bladder-y. The best guess is a virus. I am worried, because I feel as if I’m waiting for a shoe to drop, wondering if I’ll have another episode. I am relieved, though, since I had lurid visions of having to undergo the same surgery that G. did, only at 20+ weeks pregnant.
In the meantime, I’ll follow the usual pregnancy advice to eat several small meals a day. I’ll also avoid especially rich or fatty foods, at least at night. Alas, no more post-dinner ice cream. I’ll have to fit it in after lunch, I guess.
October 10th, 2005 at 9:44 am
I don’t want to jump on the “you may have a reaction to certain foods” bandwagon after your ups and downs with the whole, might or might not be allergic to gluten thing.
BUT maybe it’s pork…or garlic…or who knows what. Red meat and I were IN LOVE my first pregnancy, this pregnancy not so much. The stomach pain after a hamburger sometimes is…ugh.
October 11th, 2005 at 6:38 am
My father is an allergist, and he decries people’s tendency to always blame what ails them on what they’re eating. But in the case of my recent troubles, I think food is the most likely culprit, so I’m keeping an eye on it. During my last pregnancy I found that I could keep heartburn under control by following diet recommendations from the Eat Right for your Type diet. I haven’t been doing so this time, and the heartburn is becoming more and more of an issue.
October 11th, 2005 at 10:48 am
I too think sometimes people are a bit quick to jump on the “it was bad food” bandwagon. But if anything I learned about pregnancy is that your body sometimes clearly knows what it does and does not wnat to be fed, and might not be so much an allergy but more…oddly enough, a prefrence of sorts.
I know I’m putting down tomato products like there is no tomorrow. I just cannot get enough tomato juice. And I don’t think I’ve bought tomato juice in the last five years, but I’ll be damned if I just NEED it now.