Papa was a rolling stone

For the first time in 2 weeks, I can categorically say that I feel great. Well, probably not that great as the guy in the photo, but well enough to appreciate the slightly cold morning here in Phnom Penh, do some chores in the kitchen, and sit down in front of the computer to write this post.

Spending the last weeks in a constant state of pain takes a lot out of anybody. I looked at my bed this morning and realized that the sheets desperately needed to be changed. They had soaked the sweat from my recurring fever. My bedroom felt like a sick room. The very air in my bedroom is stale, in dire need of freshening. For the first time in 2 weeks, I felt the energy to do these things.

Once the diagnosis of gallstones was confirmed a week ago, I started doing this treatment regimen to flush out my (steven sea)gallstones with no surgery. It was to run for 6 days and it involved apple juice, Epsom salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. The instructions can be found on-line, but the clearest (in my opinion) was in Sandy Daza’s column.

Here it goes: for days 1 to 5, you have to drink 4-5 glasses of apple juice a day. An alternative would be eating 4-5 apples. Meals are normal. In my case, I made sure I drank 1 tetra-brik (1 liter) of apple juice a day. My appetite was almost non-existent.

On the 6th day, you need to take 3 glasses of apple juice up to 4PM. No dinner also on the 6th day. Then at 6PM, you need to drink a glass of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate). At 8PM, drink another glass of warm water with the Epsom salt. And finally, at 10PM, drink half a cup of olive oil mixed with half a cup of lemon juice.

In the morning, you’re supposed to pass the gallstones in the stool. The apple juice was supposed to soften the gallstones while the Epsom salt and olive oil exert a laxative effect, making it easier for the stones to flow from the gall bladder to the intestines and out the backdoor. To check if treatment was successful, gallstones are supposed to be greenish in color and they reportedly float.

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King of pain

When I returned from Kuala Lumpur last Thursday (Feb 28) noon, I returned to a quiet house. My housekeeper had just resigned the day before I left for KL, so the house was naturally empty. I unpacked and did some cleaning immediately thereafter. I had a late lunch of reheated stir-fried vegetables and meat at around 3PM. For dinner, I just fried 2 eggs and ate them with rice. The next day I had a burger and fries for lunch. My other gay friends and I organized a leap year party that night but before I went to the party I had some errands to run. I also dropped by another friend’s house for dinner. On the way there I felt my stomach acting up.

This has been normal for me because I’d been hyperacidic since I was 12 and whenever I am stressed or excited, the usual manifestation is a bit of hyperacidity. So when I arrived at HoJ I asked for some antacid. I took two doses of Maalox and waited for it to take effect. But more than 30 minutes had past and I couldn’t feel any relief. The pain was already shooting up to my chest that I had to sit bent over slightly to lessen the pain. I was given Ranitidine, a more powerful antacid. I felt a bit of relief after a while, enough to socialize and partake the dinner of kare-kare, grilled hito, and crispy pata.

When I was on my way to the leap year party my belly started to ache again so much that I had to go home instead of going to the party. At home I took some more antacids and laid on my bed. I had a fitful sleep that night. On Saturday afternoon I bought some rotisserie chicken for lunch. That night my stomach acted up again and it kept me up until the next morning. The pain was excruciating, with an unwelcome addition: there was a perceptible pain on my right side that was radiating to my back. This was more bothersome than my bloated stomach because this pain was constant, and no body position seemed to alleviate it.

On Sunday, because of my fear of the stomach ache, I didn’t dare eat anything. I drank water, a cereal drink, milk, and juice. The pain subsided from a cacophony to a nagging hum that permeated my every move. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t write, I couldn’t sit in one place too long. I couldn’t even sleep for more than an hour. That night my symptoms increased: I had fever. Derick prescribed some antibiotics to take along with the present medicines I was taking. Doc Marisa gave the same advice when I finally saw her. They both suspected that it was my gall bladder. 

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