I have a lot of gall...

Ok, so I debated with myself about posting this for several days, and at the risk of grossing anyone out (including myself) I decided that it just has to be documented for posterity's sake.

Here's a riddle...what's bigger than a very large olive but slightly smaller than the non-planet Pluto?

My gallstones.  And here's a picture to prove it:

 

Gross, eh?  Don't say I didn't warn you... I had to put the quarter in the picture so I could really demonstrate how big these puppies actually are.  I think I should win some kind of award for these....at LEAST the Guiness Book of World Records should be contacted...

Back when I had my ultasound done in the emergency room, the technician said I had "only two" when referring to gallstones.  She failed to mention that I ONLY had two because no more would actually FIT in my gallbladder.  Maybe she couldn't tell how big they were from the ultrasound, I don't know.  What I DO know is that the doctor and others present in the O.R. last Wednesday had a good laugh.  The doctor told Patrick they laughed when they saw them because they'd never seen any this big before.  I don't know exactly what I expected...but I figured when your gallbladder is so tiny they can pull it through a small slit in your skin that surely the stones couldn't be any bigger than a Tic Tac or something.  SURPRISE!

Is it any wonder I've been feeling lousy and having digestion problems?  Sheesh!  Oh, and by the way, the doctor also found an undiagnosed hernia while he was in there...I'm not sure if I got it from carrying Braden or from lugging these stones around.  I've probably been growing them for 10 years.

But now it's over.  I'm still sore and a little bit afraid to eat anything, but it's getting better.  I haven't really gotten sick yet, but maybe that's because I'm being extra careful.  The good news is, I've probably lost 5 pounds just from having these stones removed...