Scheduled for Surgery

     This may seem like it has little to do with graduate school, but it's actually closely linked in the sense that you can only do as much as your health will allow. I feel like I'm still on track, but having health problems has been a challenge during all of the hubbub of preparing to move and attend a new college in a new town. I've been experiencing spasms, throbbing, and a varying range of pain in my upper right side since the end of January. I've been to multiple doctors numerous times. The consensus seems to be that I have Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and costochondritis. If you don't feel like reading everything on the pages I've linked I'll give you a summary:

1. Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction:

• Located in the duodenum, the Sphincter of Oddi is also known as the Major Papilla 
• It allows bile to flow from the gallbladder out into the digestive system
• Mine stays closed or nearly closed much of the time, causing muscle spasms and a build-up of bile in my biliary system.
• Can eventually cause liver damage

2. Costochondritis - Swelling of the cartilage around the rib cage

    I've had copious medical tests which means that I have copious medical bills. Hopefully, it will all be over this Thursday. My sphincterotomy is scheduled for 7 a.m. The gastroenterologist is going to cut through my muscle using a wire with an electrical charge passing through it. At least there won't be any incision. The technique he will use is called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Try saying that out loud! It involves using dye, X-ray, and a small camera in order to visualize the Major Papilla and cut it. I will undergo anesthesia, and I probably won't remember anything about the surgery.