The Opposite of Glamorous

For the past nearly five years of blogging here at La Dolce Vita, I have sought to give my readers full disclosure on as much as I have possibly been able to. From sharing the journey of going from being a high school Spanish teacher to my present role as Director of Marketing for a high end decorative lighting manufacturer, many of you have traveled along the winding road of my life along with me. There have been moments, like the end of High Gloss which were more painful and emotional than I think I’ll ever be able to fully share, but please know that you have always been a source of strength and inspiration for me.

The stresses of all of these changes have taken their toll on my heart at times, but more recently my physical health has felt the brunt of it. I am someone who enjoys a challenge and always strives to do more, but I have been stretching myself thin lately. Since taking on my full-time job last August, I have continued to do all of the things that I was doing when I was working for myself, plus I find myself wanting to tackle a new creative project on the side. My body however, seems to be fighting back. Internalizing the emotional toll of last year’s changes coupled with a schedule that doesn’t allow me to ever really relax or unplug have wreaked havoc on my body.

For the past seven or eight months, I’ve dealt with severe abdominal pain just about everyday. After exhaustive tests and visits to several doctors and specialists, it was determined that I have a three millimeter mobile gallstone that likes to lodge itself in a sweet little spot that causes me to have severe, sharp pains in my side along with bouts of pancreatitis. Thankfully, the condition is not all that serious in the grand scheme of things and should be remedied when I have surgery to remove my gallbladder this Thursday. Here’s hoping! I am nervous about having surgery, but it makes me more nervous to think that not having the surgery could lead to more severe problems with my liver or pancreas in the future. My body has never handled stress well and it’s crazy to see how it has manifested itself in this condition. According to my doctors, the problem was definitely brought on by stress for me. Kids, do take care of yourselves! Try not to sweat the small stuff and don’t overextend yourselves—easier said than done, right?

I’ve been told my recovery should take seven to ten days, and I’m hoping to be able to blog through it. I do have some questions about the overall experience if any of you have ever been through this and would seriously appreciate any words of advice. Have you had gallbladder removal surgery? What was your recovery like? What types of food did you eat afterward? Have you felt better since having surgery? Thank you! I promise to bring back inspiring interiors and eye candy tomorrow!

 

{Images via Pinterest}