When I awoke from surgery and groggily asked the time, the nurse explained to me that the surgery had taken three hours instead of the hour and a half the doctor had originally anticipated. Apparently, despite the fact that my lab work showed no signs of infection, my gallbladder was “acutely inflamed.”
Getting the swollen and irritated organ out of the small laparoscopic incisions must have been much like retrieving the wishbone from Cavity Sam in the game Operation. Enter da Vinci, the robot named after the famous artist, engineer, and scientist. My surgeon explained to me that the da Vinci robot could perform the same gallbladder surgery that a human could perform, but with better tools. In my case, because the surgical team was blindsided by the size and condition of my gallbladder, it’s a real answer to prayer that the robot was available.
Late Thursday evening, once I was home and settled on the sofa beneath a heating pad, I checked my online medical records on “My Chart” to find Dr. Witt’s detailed report of da Vinci’s role in extracting the gallbladder that has caused problems since 2023. It was like reading science fiction, and yet Dr. Witt was actually writing a small part of my biography…my biology biography.
This morning I’m very sore, but I can drink coffee again! I’m grateful to everyone who offered up prayers for a successful surgery and speedy recovery. Thank you!
10 responses to “Da Vinci Meets My Gallbladder”
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Congrats on a successful surgery. I like how you compare it to the Game of Operation! I hope your recovery is quick and easy!
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Thank you! It’s good to be on the mend.
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Lori,
Glad that robot did its job well. Glad you can drink coffee again. Get ready to enjoy all those foods that your gallbladder denied you. And no more attacks! Soon you’ll be fully recovered.-
Thanks, Glenda! I am so happy to drink coffee again. I’ve missed it.
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So glad everything went well and you are on the road to recovery. Enjoy your coffee.
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Thank you! I enjoyed a hot coffee from home and a cold coffee from Starbucks yesterday. It’s great to have coffee again!
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Hooray for coffee! I hope that every sip was delicious! How fascinating that the robot was used. It does sound lucky that it was available.
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Thank you! Every sip was divine!
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Lori, I had mine out in 2009 and I can relate to the relief……mostly. They didn’t have the robot back then, but if they had, I might not have a partial stone stuck in a duct that did not come out. It still gives me a fit from time to time, but nothing like being in the floor writhing in pain as I was. I’m glad you are on the road to recovery and so happy that you managed to get it figured out and handled.
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That sounds horrible, Kim! I’m sorry you still have to deal with a gallstone even after having your gallbladder removed. That’s terrible!
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