You may have been wondering, dear readers, where I’ve disappeared off to after the scandalous news hit that I, writer of a blog aimed at health and longevity, have been diagnosed with gallstones.
I mean, it’s embarrassing, really.
Do what you can to stand tall in a search for simplicity and nutrition in the era of the Big Mac, and then BAM! Doubled over in pain from a low blow from intestinal disease.
Yup, disease.
Dirty word, but the gallbladder disease cholelithiasis, or gallstones–2 to be precise–is exactly what I have.
So, you can probably understand that I’ve been caught up in thought wondering why of all people I was hit so young with these stones, and what the hell am I going to do about it.
Why Gallstones?
The ping-pong reasoning going on in my brain
I’m a girl–women are more likely to have gallstones. Then there’s heredity, and the fact that I was on a very-low-calorie diet during the master cleanse…still, these super-smarty dudes about gallbladder health say that they still don’t really know why some people get gallstones… considering the negative effects of stress, I think I’d better just stop worrying about it and chill. Everything they say to do to prevent gallstones I was doing–high-fruit, veggie, and fiber diet low in animal fats…but still, according to this Dr. Dude:
- Then in the mid-1980s, researchers found that, compared to meat eaters, vegetarian women were only about one-fourth as likely to need gallbladder surgery. Later studies showed much the same pattern. To reduce your risk even further, try to avoid weight gain, weight swings and extreme low-calorie diets. All tend to increase gallstone risk for reasons that no one has ever entirely worked out.
So let’s jot it down to the up and down extremes of fasting and binging (I gotta admit, dear readers, I had a bad weekend or two after some of those fasts) and not do that again. Ok check.
So now what???
To chop out the gall bladder or not to chop it out? I convince myself of one or the other every next day.
With the latest technology, gallbladder removal is easier than ever. Somewhere around 500,000 Americans get theirs chopped out every year. So why even keep it, if it’s so easy to get rid of?
Well, I was born with my gallbladder, after all, I’m still rather attached to it, even after all the pain it’s given me. If I can adjust my diet to a middle-way normalcy instead of the extremities I tend toward, then can’t I keep my gallbladder? If anything, taking care of my gallbladder can keep me accountable to my health.
On the other hand, isn’t it kind of obvious there’s a problem that needs solving here? I mean I’m diseased! After all, if I’m prone to gall troubles, then this may all happen again (it hurt a lot, by the way). What if I’m lost on a desert island and the sudden low-calorie diet kicks off my gallstones again? Maybe best to get remove the gallbladder now and not when something terrible is happening.
Your opinion would be most welcome–I have heard only a few points of view and I’d really like more perspective before I decide to chop or not! Much thanks, and good gall health to you.
