Symbolman home now - thanks to all for your support

[demobabe]

Just wanted to let everyone know that Symbolman was released from the hospital today and he's back home, doing well, no complications so far! He's sore and eating some lovely, bland food, and he's very happy to be out of the hospital. He was so fortunate to have a great doctor - one that is finally addressing some longtime health issues. We're very thankful.

Thank you all for your good wishes and support, and thanks especially to williesgirl for all of her support and help.

[BlooInBloo]

1. \o/

[Maat]

2. Great news!

:toast: A toast to Symbolman's future health success and great healing!

[sandnsea]

3. Hug

I knew he had problems, but didn't know he'd went into the hospital. What happen?

[demobabe]

Gallbladder attack - needed immediate removal

Short description: Hideous pain, ambulance ride, surgery, and now bland, low fat food.

More details here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5468038

[elleng]

7. Gall bladder removed.

.

[spanone]

4. yipee....

[eleny]

5. I'm glad to learn that he's home and on the mend

I went through this in '04. Here's hoping he has a speedy recuperation. A pillow to put by his side to lean on is helpful at night for sleeping and, well, good for any time of day, really.

Get some good rest, S!

[Ocracoker16]

6. Great news!

It sounds like he has gotten off to a good start on his recovery. I hope he continues to do well. I am glad that he has a good doctor who is attentive to all of his health problems.

[EFerrari]

8. Give him my love, dear demobabe.

:hug:

[MagickMuffin]

9. This is such great news ;=D

:kick: & RRRR Off to the Greatest

A question for you about his food. Since he'll have to be eating bland food, Can he add anything like Lemon Pepper?.?.?

I find Lemon Pepper adds a lot of flavor to ordinary food and perks it up with a zesty zinging flavor.


I'm so glad that Symbolman is getting good healthcare and has found a good doctor. Send him my :loveya:

[demobabe]

10. He's going to have to work back into spices

Our big seasoning is salt right now... nothing spicy at all right now.

Avoiding saturated fats and fatty food is the downer for him...

[Cirque du So-What]

11. A number of people who have had their gall bladders removed

tell me that they take constant mental notes on the location of nearby restrooms. When the urge first strikes, they tell me, the countdown has already begun and they'd better be 'on the move' ASAP!

All the best to symbolman!

[demobabe]

12. Yeah, I read about that

Always know where the restrooms are at all times if eating out. Apparently fat can go straight through the system, and make a less-than-graceful exit. Yuk.

[Warpy]

22. Some people need to restrict their intake of fatty foods

and some don't. Eating a fatburger with a side of fries and banana split for dessert is asking for trouble without a gall bladder.

Bile is produced in the liver and once the gall bladder is gone, it's passed into the digestive tract at a constant rate, instead of being squirted in when it's needed--the function of the gall bladder.

Everybody's different and he'll find what he can tolerate and what goes through him like a wildcat backwards over time.

[TahitiNut]

16. Somebody must've removed my gall bladder when I wasn't looking.

:evilgrin:

[Lyric]

36. It's true. Believe me, I know.

And it's not just about excessively fatty foods, either--it's about keeping a perfect balance of fats to bile. Bile is a colon irritant; in normal people, most bile is either re-absorbed at the end of the small intestine as cholesterol or is bound to undigested food and neutralized by the time it hits the colon. In many people without a gallbladder, things change drastically. If you eat too much fat, you end up with undigested fat causing problems in the lower intestine, which isn't pleasant. But if you don't eat ENOUGH fat to balance out the bile, it reaches your colon unabsorbed and irritates it, causing a lot of serious pain and urgency that's often *worse* than the pain of eating too much fat.

I did the fat-free diet thing for about a month after my cholecystectomy at my doctor's instruction, and I was MISERABLE. Utterly miserable. One day I said Fuck It and ate a single small piece of spinach and mushroom pizza, thinking that if I was going to be suffering anyway, I might as well eat something I actually liked. That ONE piece of pizza was enough to "fix" my problem almost instantly--it was amazing. I called my doc and she agreed with me that it was time to start re-introducing fats, preferably healthy ones, because the utterly fat-free diet I'd been on post-surgery was causing more problems than it solved.

Every person is different, and what works for one person might not work for another. For someone who's producing a very modest amount of bile post-surgery, eating a restricted-fat diet is probably the best way to go. For someone whose liver is producing more bile, restricting fats too much can cause a lot of pain and misery. You just have to figure out for yourself what your "balance" is, and it takes time to figure it out.

Anyway, just wanted to point that out, because the "default" diet that doctors recommend post-surgery (the extremely low-fat one) is not always the best solution for everyone. It's just a starting point--you do it until it becomes clear that it isn't working, and then you slowly add small amounts of healthy fats until you reach your "balance."

:)

[Ishoutandscream2]

13. A super guy

So glad he is doing well. Give him our best wishes.

[demobabe]

14. Will do!

He's been getting a lot of rest, and hopefully he'll log on soon and say hi again.

[JohnnyLib2]

15. Good news!

Thanks for the report. :thumbsup:

[Hekate]

17. Hugs to you all, and speedy recovery to the S-man. Thanks for keeping us posted.

:grouphug:

Hekate

[Old and In the Way]

18. He's a hero of mine.

He did some great stuff when few were standing up to Bush. I'm glad to hear he's doing well...I didn't know he was sick so I'm really glad he's recovering. A truly great Patriot! :toast:

[Stinky The Clown]

19. This is excellent!

Did he have the little tiny hole procedure? Recovery from that is far faster than a big belly slit.

[demobabe]

21. Yeah, he's got four holes with bandaids...

They took the gallbladder out through his navel. Biggest incision there - about an inch.

[Adelante]

20. Wonderful

Thanks for checking in :)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

23. I wish you all the best

and tell symbolman to take it easy for a while--and listen to his M.D.

[calimary]

24. YIKES! I've been out of it for awhile and didn't know. Glad to hear this!

Very sorry to hear he was ill. I hope he mends swiftly!

And thanks for letting everyone know, demobabe.

[ananda]

25. He'll be fine in no time.

Three or four years ago in Houston, I had
a teacher's aide who had her gallbladder
removed.. and she was back that same week
just a couple of days after the surgery.

[demobabe]

29. That's encouraging...

Sym said a little earlier, "it's been a couple days, when do I start feeling better?"

Trying to keep the four year-old off him...

[Hissyspit]

26. Good to hear.

[williesgirl]

27. So happy you're all home now. Get some well deserved rest . Give "adoraboy" a big hug

from me. rec'd

[demobabe]

30. Thanks!

Adoraboy got a new blue bouncy ball for being so good...

[omega minimo]

28. ((((((((((((((((((((( we love Symbolman ))))))))))))))))))))))))

:yourock:

[Odin2005]

31. WOOT!

[Suich]

32. I was just wondering how he was doing!!!

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery!

:hi:

[williesgirl]

33. And how did he do through the night? While it's great to be released, sometimes it's scary when you

come home in so much pain. At least you're close to the hospital. Everyone get some sleep?

[demobabe]

39. Yes, everyone slept fine.

He's been sleeping a few hours at a time. Set up on the couch so he doesn't have to climb stairs. Ribs hurt a lot.

[H2O Man]

34. Good news.

Thanks for letting us know.

[lies and propaganda]

35. Wooohoo! See ya on twitter ;0

Good to hear yall are doing well and home1

[Generic Other]

37. My Hallmark card for Symbolman!

Nothing could be badder
than to mail your old gall bladder
to Rush Limbaugh
Nothing would make him madder
than to see your old gall bladder
in a little glass jar
Nothing could be more vile
than to send some rotten bile
to Rush Limbaugh
To send some flesh and bones
A few kidney stones
to the fat windbag
Nothing could make him sadder
than the sight of liberal bladder
sitting on his desk
It can be a paper weight
holding down his scripted hate
and daily talking points
Boycott right wing chatter
by sending Rush your old gall bladder
Send the body parts you know he'll love
It will surely make him natter
if you send him your gall bladder
Or anal cysts if that is all you have.

*disclaimer. this poem sucks but is all Rush deserves. Get well soon Symbolman!

[demobabe]

40. Oh that is hilarious!

Symbolman got a big laugh out of that. He's reading the threads, but is not quite up to responding yet. He's getting there.

[williesgirl]

41. What a great card!

[pacalo]

38. Take care for a fast recovery, Symbolman!

I think back about all the good work you did on those videos to preserve the sanity of progressives in an up-is-down world, & I can't help but wonder if "Bushitis" is what really took a heavy toll on your body. So, thanks for all the hard work; you certainly played a role in comforting me during that "kick their @ss, take their gas" period.

Say goodbye to stress & take a more laid-back attitude in life. Stress is dangerous, Symbolman.

:toast: for a speedy recovery!

[roguevalley]

42. YAY! He should feel so much better. Gallbladders give you aches

and pains you didn't know you had until the gallbladder goes. If he had the simple procedure he can expect gas for a while. :evilgrin: Love ya, symbolman!