Can you say OUCH!

I had a wonderful day planned....after picking up my son from school, we were to head back to the condo to finish cleaning after a quick trip to the grocery store. It was 15% off Tuesday! My favorite grocery shop of the month. I was at the customer service counter getting a quarter and as I turned around I felt a sharp pain in my gut. OUCH! I couldn't walk without the sharp pain jabbing me....it felt like labour pains and severe hemorrhoids at the same time. I made my way to the bench to sit it out, hoping the pain would pass and after 15 minutes it was time to call for help. I hobbled back to customer service to call my mom....no answer. I then decided to call my hubby as it was close to him being off work and I was in no condition to look out for my kids...their care was compromised at this point. When he arrived, he walked me to the car and we headed to the hospital. I was crying when the pain would surge through my body. I was doing the breathing I learned in the prenatal classes. As we waited almost 3 or so hours in the waiting room, the pain had gotten better, but was still enough to hinder how I walk. They ran tests and at the end of an 8 hour stay in the hospital, they said I would need to return tomorrow for ultrasound, but it seems as though it may be my gall bladder.

I woke up early the next day feeling better and decided to look up natural ways to clear gallstones. The doctor did mention surgery and my goal is to avoid removing anything functional from my body. The gall bladder is where the body stores extra bile that is used to aid in the digestion of fats. The body is usually secreting bile as we are digesting, but if we happen to eat more fat, the stored bile is then released in a gush for when it is needed. Sometimes we can get gallstones that block the release of bile and can cause a gall bladder attack, which is quite painful. In my research I found two methods (of course there were more) that caught my interest. The first gall bladder cleanse I read about from Natural Cure alternatives involved a 4 day fast of apple juice and beet juice that ends with consuming olive oil and grapefruit juice. Very simple to apply, BUT being a mother of 2 active boys this process would leave me drained, but also I don't do well with grapefruit juice. The second cleanse at Health, Wealth, and Happiness involved 2 days and no grapefruit juice. Again a simple process to go through, involving a quick fast, consuming some more olive oil and then of course passing the stones with your stool. By consuming the olive oil you are triggering the release of bile in mass and it's such a simple idea of helping your body to clear the gallstone. I LOVE it! And all without the complications of surgery.

I went back to the hospital for the ultrasound and the doctor said that there were no gallstones to be found, but the experience helped me to really look into an uncommonly thought-of organ, the gall bladder, and how to keep it healthy. Got a pint of olive oil?