Gallstones, Hernias, Surgery, OH MY!

Hello ladies and gents,
I am back from the hospital! Thanks to everyone for your well wishes, and thanks to Jil for keeping you all updated!
As I had posted last week, I've been having a lot of stomach aches. Apparently, you shouldn't dismiss that as gas! I called Dr. W on Tuesday afternoon to make an appointment, and of course he was booked solid. I just asked his nurse if he could try to fit me in, and she asked what was wrong, and then called Dr. W, who instructed me to go to the emergency room immediately! I started panicking, and was still at work, so I had to go tell my boss that I might not be in the next day, and then went home to grab a few things. My friend Michelle picked me up at home, and took me to the hospital. They ran lots of labwork on me, and followed my surgeons testing protocol to see what's wrong. After my CATscan, it was revealed that I had gallstones. I was admitted, and then finally got my room around 1:30 AM.
Wednesday morning, Dr. W came in to see me, and asked me to describe all my pain (shooting pains feeling like gas, lasting about 4-10 hours after eating in my 3 worst occasions, constant full feeling, no pain relief from gas x, etc.).. he then pushed on my stomach in a few places, and some hurt.. he then said that I was the proud owner of a hernia! A GI Doctor then came to see me, and I told the same story, and he told me the same thing. Basically, the pain I described can be one of three things - gallbladder (check!), hernia (check!), or an ulcer (thankfully, not!). I then got a HIDA scan, and it revealed that my gallbladder was not inflamed at the moment, so the culprit of the pain was the hernia. While I was in the HIDA scan, Dr. J came to visit me. He's another surgeon that does RNY/Lap Band, etc. He told me that I was going to have surgery at 5pm to fix my hernia and to remove the gallbladder.. it wasn't bothering me now, and as I needed to have the hernia repaired, they might as well remove the gallbladder. While I was finding all of this out, I was still in the HIDA Scan, where I could not move. What a way to find out you're going under the knife in just 3 short hours!!
As soon as I got back to my room, I lost it.. I started crying, freaking out.. I know it's a normal surgery, but the whole hernia thing really freaked me out. I know they can get really bad, and I know if I hadn't gone to the doctor, that I would be in much worse shape, and who knows what could have happend! I just had everything running through my mind at that moment and was panicking again! I called several people and got the chain going so everyone would find out. I got to see my mom and Michelle as I was getting rolled into the operating room, and when I got out, I got to see them as well as Jil and my boyfriend John! :) My mom hadn't gotten to meet John yet, so what great circumstances to, right? LOL
Everything went well with the surgery. I had a lot of scar tissue from my RNY, which is to be expected. The one risk that I was most nervous about (strangulated intestines) was the one I got.. Go figure! The surgery was about two longer than he told me it would be. I ended up getting to my room around 10 pm, when I went in around 5.
Here it is, Sunday morning.. and I'm feeling pretty good, but I am sore. Yesterday I was in a lot of pain, mostly gas pain. My stomach is still quite swollen, and I am about to meet my boyfriend's family, and wondering what the heck I'm going to wear that isn't going to kill my incisions.. lol I get to go back to work on Wednesday (WHOO HOO!)
Sorry for the rambling with everything.. I'm not a great writer, and just say things as I think them! :-P I hope everyone is well, and thanks again for all of the well wishes!
Hugs to all!
Laurie