Friday, June 18, 2010

I miss Cheese!

A little over a year ago I began having some serious back problems. Enough to cause me to seek out a prescription for muscle relaxers! It seemed to be mostly under control so long as I seen my chiropractor 3x a week and the massage therapist once a week. When this first started the chiropractor asked me if I thought it could be my gallbladder since it was my right shoulder where the pain started. I pushed that off for a few reasons: 1. The muscles were obviously spasming, you could feel a "rope" down the right side of my back and massage helped.
2. I have a good diet, I don't avoid fat, but I don't eat a ton of it either. Far less than the average american and I eat lots of raw fruits and veggies and whole grains.
3. There is no history of gallbladder disease in my family

Well the episodes starting coming again a few months ago and chiropractor and massage therapist were not able to help me much. I also started throwing up bile with every attack. I also noticed that my gallbladder seemed enlarged and tender. So I broke down and had an ultrasound done of my gallbladder.

Let me introduce you to the "twins"


See the one on the far right and the other one to the left? Aren't they cute?!
2 stones, each measuring 2cm. I was floored! I'm not supposed to have these kinds of issues, I eat the good stuff!
Well now I'm on a lowest of the low fat diet. It's horrid! I can't have cheese! But did you know that Angel Food cake has no fat? neither does Hershey's syrup and they make a pretty satisfying dessert together.

So I seen a gastroentrologist who said "Take it out!!!" He poo-pooed my concerns about metabolizing fats, and fat soluble vitamins. Said we can live just fine without a gallbladder, especially someone who eats well. Hmm. yeah... um I'd like to try to save my otherwise healthy gallbladder if at all possible. I still have all my parts (yes even my tonsils) I'm kinda attached to my organs thankyouvermuch.

I then see the naturopath. Who said, "Gallstones, No problem!" he apparently has helped more than 600 people easily pass gallstones. I was leery because mine are huge (for reference the common bile duct these stones have to pass through is 4mm wide), but at this point I'm willing to try anything before going to surgery. His recipe is a quart of organic apple juice with 90 drops of Phosfood every day for 7 days. Then on the seventh day you mix a cup of olive oil, the juice of a fresh squeezed lemon and a cup of Coke classic and shoot it back! Then you lie down in the fetal position on your right side for half an hour and then go to sleep. Supposedly you'll pass the stones the next day. I know this: I'm getting tired of apple juice!