Dave Rowe’s Blog

In health news – I’m getting my gallbladder removed tomorrow.  It should be interesting, as it will be my first official surgery.  I had my wisdom teeth out (3 of which were impacted) and was put under for it, but I didn’t really consider it a sugery-surgery.

I’m getting it done laparoscopically so the recovery time is actually quite limited.

For anyone with a strong stomach – you can watch a video of how this is done here: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1merv_laparoscopic-gall-bladder-removal_shortfilms

I had a HIDA scan which confirmed the diagnosis that my gallbladder was busted.  A normal person has an ejection fraction of about 35% – which means, your gallbladder squeezes out 35% of it’s contents during normal operation.  My ejection fraction was 2% – so, either something is blocking the duct, or my gallbladder is, well, busted.

Either way, the recommended course of action was removal.  Being young and it good health, it’s the best time to do it.

As another aside – the HIDA scan uses a radioactive isotope to trace the gallbladder function.  Injected via IV, it is taken up by the liver and deposited into the gallbladder.  Then, a technician can watch the isotope as it leaves the gallbladder into the digestive tract.  Anyways, the radioactive bit – I took a full day for the scan, since the College World Series was also in town, and I wanted to catch a game.  Well, on my way to a seat, a Omaha Firefighter runs past me with a beeper looking device which was…beeping.  I thought little of it, thinking there must be a medical emergency.  As I found a seat, I noticed the same man, walking the rows with his beeper.  He narrows down to my area, and then I see his colleague with a geiger counter.  At this point, I’m still thinking, no way is this related to me and the HIDA scan.  Well, when the man with the geiger counter sat down behind me, I could read the awkward look on his face.  He then asked in a kind voice, “Hi, have you had any radiation treatment recently?” – I then explained the HIDA scan, etc.  I reassured them that, no, I was not a terrorist, nor was I hiding radioactive materials / weapons.