[2021-06-15] Happy gallbladder
I'm convinced that my gallbladder saved my life. Almost a year ago, I went to the emergency room at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital with pain in the upper right quadrant of my abdomen. I suspected that something was wrong with my gallbladder because issues with that pesky little organ run in my family. The gallbladder is a small sac located under the liver that stores bile, which aids in digestion.
Following an ultrasound, the ER doctor took me into a little room and said: "I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you don’t have gallstones. The bad news is that you have ovarian cancer." When I left the hospital later that day, my unofficial diagnosis of ovarian cancer was paramount in my mind. Lost in the shuffle was any further discussion of the possibility that I had ovarian cancer and gallbladder issues.
I had two more instances over the subsequent two months that may have been related to my gallbladder. The first was six days before surgery when I went to the ER at the General Campus of The Ottawa Hospital. The ER physicians couldn't determine whether my discomfort was caused by my gallbladder or the cancer, but once the pain had gone away, they sent me home. The second was the night before my first round of chemotherapy. I once again experienced abdominal pain, but a pain killer alleviated the discomfort.
I didn't think about my gallbladder throughout my cancer treatment, particularly since the surgical oncologist who performed my hysterectomy told me that he hadn't noticed anything unusual about my gallbladder during the surgery.
Just after finishing chemotherapy, I had a consultation with a general surgeon who, among other things, removes problematic gallbladders. Based on my description of symptoms and the results of the ultrasound on that fateful day at the Queensway-Carleton Hospital and a CT scan the following day, the general surgeon agreed that I might be having gallbladder issues. He cautioned me against undergoing surgery to remove my gallbladder within a year of my hysterectomy because of the complicating factors of scar tissue buildup and my no longer having an omentum, which is a layer of fat that encases the stomach, large intestine and other abdominal organs.
So prevention of gallbladder problems is my focus. Lately my little life-saving gallbladder has been saying, "pay attention to me." I'm not experiencing pain per se; instead, I sometimes feel what I would liken to a stitch in my side, the kind I used to get as a kid if I sprinted too much.
Based on the general surgeon's advice and my own research, I'vep decided to limit fatty foods, especially ones high in saturated fat, to increase my intake of fruits and vegetables as well as fibre, and to reduce my consumption of sugar. I'm now a model follower of Canada's Food Guide. (It's timely that this month's Canada's Food Guide newsletter landed in my inbox today.)
The good news is that it seems to be helping. And it's not a bad way to live. I'm increasingly replacing foods high in saturated fats with plant-based alternatives. I'm eating more fruits and fewer sweets. I'm adding even more vegetables to my diet, which will only increase if all goes well with my garden.
Rather than fixating on what I can't consume, I'm focusing on what I can eat. This morning, for example, I ate Cheerios (only 1 g of sugar per serving) with fresh strawberries, blueberries and bananas, with a sprinkling of homemade Low-Sugar Granola on top. For lunch, I made a Couscous Salad. And for supper, I had Cajun Rice and Beans. All three recipes are in our binder of family favourites.
But I'm always looking for more tried-and-true recipes. If you have a favourite dish or dessert that's gallbladder friendly—for example, low in saturated fats, high in fibre, featuring vegetables or fruits—please share.
