Hubs Knows Gallbladders!

I guess that I tend to look back on experiences with rose-colored glasses.  Case in point, I've said for years that pregnancy isn't all that tough.  I truly only remembered having backaches while pregnant with my son and I only remembered having them in the last trimester. 

My hubs used to chuckle and shake his head whenever I'd say that pregnancy wasn't so bad.  Yeah, it wasn't bad because I didn't have problems with nausea or vomiting.  Otherwise, well, pregnancy can be unpleasant at times.  Times like last night. . .

I was semi-reclining in my glider because I was dealing with my progesterone suppositories.  I became aware that an intense pain was ramping up in the middle of my chest about an hour or so after dinner.  The pain was directly below my sternum and it went straight through my body.  It feels like I'm being run through with a sword; the pain goes from my chest through my back.  I can hardly catch my breath at the height of the episode and trying to take deep breaths is impossible. 

I clutched the arms of my chair and gasped to my husband that I needed some antacids right now.  Why antacids?  For no other reason than my doctor once told me the pain I described was nothing more than heartburn. 

When was I given this information?  When I was pregnant with my son.  Prior to being told that I was suffering from heartburn, I'd never had acid reflux or heartburn in my entire life so I had no idea what it feels like or what to expect from it.

I've only experienced this pain while pregnant and, oh, how I remember suffering with this pain now!  I never had it prior to my pregnancy with my son and last night was the first time I've felt this terrifying sensation since 2008.  It was merely an excruciating pain before, but it's terrifying to me now because of the way my brother died.  I must confess that there is a part of me, a small part that I desperately try to silence and ignore, that wonders if I may also share his fate and perhaps this pain is my aorta dissecting.  Of course, my family knows all too well that I wouldn't be here to write this blog post if that were the true cause of my pain.

The thing that bothers me is that I never have had any burning sensations in the back of my throat or in my chest when I'm experiencing these pains.  I've always heard that those acidy feelings are the hallmark symptoms of heartburn and, feeling pretty sure that I do not suffer from heartburn because I don't generally overeat until I'm stuffed, I decided to spend some time getting answers from the doctor.  Dr. Google, that is.

I've known some lousy physicians in my life, but Dr. Google is a menace!  After spending an hour or so of what could have been quality naptime, I still have no answers and I'm weirded out that there may be something more serious than just dumb ol' heartburn going on in my chest. 

Of all the possible answers (some were rare and/or life-threatening), I only came up with two that I think are plausible.  It's either something with my gallbladder or. . .wait for it. . .it's heartburn.  My hubs suggested that I take my doctor's diagnosis because the location of my pain; he added that the gallbladder isn't located in the middle of your chest.  Since I don't know exactly where a gallbladder might be found, I assumed he didn't either.  Uh, I guess he knows more about gallbladders than he's ever let on!

Me:  You don't know where my gallbladder might be.
Him:  I know it's not in the middle of your chest!  It's next to your liver so it's on the right.
Me:  Maybe my liver has migrated?
Him:  Your liver hasn't gone anywhere and it's not in the middle of your chest.
Me:  You don't know where my liver might be!  You're not a doctor!
Him:  Neither is Dr. Google!  (Yeah, he totally missed his opportunity to point out that I am also not a doctor)

It pains me to admit this (but thankfully I'm not in pain at the moment!), but hubs was right and I was wrong.  Naturally, I consulted with Dr. Google after the exchange in which I revealed my gross lack of knowledge on human anatomy.  Dr. Google told me that hubs was right about all of it. 

I'm sooo glad that I had this conversation with hubs instead of my doctor because the only thing worse than looking like a dumbass is paying for the privilege to look like one.  Besides, my doctor already thinks I'm a horndog so  I don't want him thinking I'm an idiot too!