In the beginning of the chapter, it mentioned genetics and the link it has to being overweight. My immediate family is mostly skinny, aside from my dad's beer belly. I wouldn't say my family ever ate very healthy, but we generally can eat whatever we want and not gain much weight. Then I thought about how I had gained about 30 lbs when I was ten while undergoing chemotherapy. Was it from chemo or was it from being on TPN and lipids? I was on it for more than 6 months while I was in the hospital because I couldn't keep food down and really only drank water. I continued TPN at home for several more months with decremented dosages until I was completely weaned off and eating food again.Then I wondered, what does TPN stand for? I knew the T was total and the N had to be nutrition. TPN is Total Parenteral Nutrition. From what else I saw on the first page I opened in my search, begins my aha! moment.
When I was a sophomore in high school I found out I had a lot of gallstones and that I would have to have my gallbladder removed one day. The doctor told me to watch my cholesterol. I never really did, but I did quit drinking Dr.Pepper (and soda altogether) every day, as I guessed that was what was contributing to my gallstones at such a young age. I began having occasional stomach pains and problems in 2007. By 2011 it had been a daily occurrence for two years. My doctors told me I needed to go to the ER when it was hurting so they could catch my gallbladder being inflamed. It usually happened in the middle of the night and I wasn't going to drive myself, or wake my husband up because he had to be to work at 5:30am. I certainly wasn't going to call an ambulance. The pain I was in, which I knew would be gone in the morning, far outweighed the idea of what an emergency room visit would cost.
Earlier this year, after discussing my pains with my GYN, I was referred to a general surgeon, bypassing the gastroenterologists that wouldn't believe it was my gallbladder until they could see it. The nurse and the surgeon had no doubts it was my gallbladder and before I left, I was scheduled for surgery a couple weeks later! To think that if someone would have believed me earlier, I wouldn't have had to suffer nearly every day for over 2 years! When I was being prepped for surgery, the nurse, the anesthesiologist, and all the other people they make you meet before your surgery, were surprised that little 4'9", 95lbs me would have so many gallstones. I had always attributed it to eating poorly, even though I eat like a bird. The page I opened to find what TPN stood for mentioned that TPN can cause gallbladder complications.
AHA!
After doing another search, I find Livestrong results that say not only does TPN contribute to gallstone formation, but so do estrogren-containing medications. Like the birth control pills I've been on since high school due to estrogen deficiencies. So I can legitimately blame TPN and birth control (and possible other unknown medications I was given while undergoing cancer treatment) to my excessive gallstones and my ultimate cholecystectomy. Who knew? I certainly hope my Oncologist never knew because she failed to mention that in any of my long term follow up reports. I probably could have had this fixed a long time ago had mentioned being on TPN and lipids for close to a year? Oh well, now I know!
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