The typical cycle of gallbladder removal:
Symptoms. Doctor visit. Pre-op instructions. Surgery. Post-op. Recovery.
The typical cycle of iPhone removal:
Symptoms. Doctor visit. Pre-op instructions. Surgery. Post-op. Recovery.
The gallbladder is a funny organ. It serves as a tool for our food to break down so that our system can absorb fat properly. The gallbladder is not necessary a vital part of the body, as the pancreas and a good diet can take over it’s job responsibilities. We’re each given a gallbladder to use it when we need to, but when it’s overused, it can cause many problems. It starts to freak out when too much fat cycles through and starts to slow down and cause problems for the person. Too often the other organs rely too heavily on the gallbladder and it breaks down. The other organs rely on it do it’s job and many times, the gallbladder stops working all together. It sends the entire system distress, and can lead to multiple problems. When the system breaks down, in order for everything to get back to normal, the gallbladder must be removed.
Our iPhones are meant to be tools in our lives. Too often we rely on our iPhones in such a way that they become a part of our system. We are given iPhones to use when we need to, but when it’s overused, it can cause many problems.
When the gallbladder is overworked, the only way to get everything back to normal, is to get rid of it. Once it’s gone, the other organs can start to function properly and take over the breakdown of fat that the gallbladder was meant to do. And so the gallbladder is asked to leave so that life can go back to functioning normally.
What did we do before we had iPhones? How in the world will we function normally if we gave up our iPhones? Even for an hour?
I went to see the doctor, knowing full well that it was my gallbladder. He confirmed my symptoms and told me to schedule surgery. I asked him if I had caused this problem myself due to a poor diet and bad genes. He very honestly said “Yes.” I couldn’t believe that I had caused this problem myself. He said it was too late to reverse the problem, that surgery would be the only way to bring relief.
What are the symptoms of iPhone overuse? What symptoms do we need to be aware of so that it doesn’t come down to surgery?
Just a few weeks before having surgery I was in Hawaii with 2 friends. I was sick the entire time. My gallbladder symptoms were so bad that I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the beautiful shore, the blue waters. I wasn’t able to fully be there, to be present in the moment, to experience life with my friends. I think I visited every restroom on the island. (that’s no joke).
What do we miss out on in our lives because we are looking at a screen? What part of imagination is lost because we can answer all of our questions in one simple push of a button? What would it look like to turn of our phones and enjoy the view?
They say that you’ll have immediate relief after having your gallbladder removed. For me, it was a bit different. I found myself back in the hospital just a day after my surgery from complications. My recovery was a bit slower, but just a few weeks after removal, I was feeling the relief and understood what the doctors were telling me. I was more conscious about what I was eating, how I was reacting to certain foods, and making an effort to be appreciative of my surroundings and life. I didn’t realize that I had been having gallbladder symptoms for nearly a year. I missed a lot in that year because I was feeling horrible, and it wasn’t until I was in recovery that I understood that.
We don’t realize how attached we are to our smart phones until we turn them off for awhile.
I talked to a few people who also had gallbladder surgery so I knew what to expect. I’ll never forget someone telling me that “pretty soon life will be back to normal, and you can eat whatever you want, however much you want again.” I was annoyed by this statement. I had caused my own gallbladder problems from what I chose to eat. While gallbladder problems can be hereditary, they are mostly caused by choosing a bad diet. I realized that what would be the point of walking through this whole experience if I didn’t change my lifestyle forever? I sacrificed a part of my body forever just to go back to whatever I was doing.
When sacrificing your iPhone, remember that when you go back to using it, if your lifestyle of how you manage it doesn’t change, then it was all for nothing.
For awhile after gallbladder surgery, I couldn’t eat normal foods. Slowly, the pancreas started to take over for the gallbladder, and I was able to absorb fat again. Slowly I started to go back to a normal diet. I knew I had to continue to be conscious of what I was eating, so that my system would stay balanced.
My iPhone was no longer a tool. It was a part of my system. I removed it and I know that someday I’ll go back to using one. It’s a genius little computer that I think is wonderful. But, I will need to be conscious of using it as a tool and not assuming it is a part of how function, breathe, and live.
There was a significant awakening in me after my gallbladder surgery. I started to do new things like running in two half marathons, being conscious of what I ate, being more aware of life. I knew that my body didn’t need the gallbladder to survive, but it was a helpful tool. I had overused and abused the use of this organ and I wanted life to be more than taking it for granted. So it goes with my iPhone. I loved it. I seriously functioned through life with it. It was becoming a part of everyday functioning. I tried 2 times to give it up, and went back to it rather quickly. (The first time it was only an hour, the second time it was 5 days). Finally, I sold my iPhone and walked away crying. I was in post-op. I was numb, nervous, and seriously worried about how I would function without it. It was then, that moment when I walked out of the store and crying my eyes out that I realized that it was a part of my life that needed to go.
More than anything, it was the small quiet voice of God that reminded me that I was more than relying on a phone. I knew that God was calling me to use my time in a way that was more significant than watching Hulu on my phone, or always being connected to facebook, twitter, and angry birds. These things were just time fillers. And God is calling me to fill my time with things that honor Him.
See, I know that God gives us everything, including time. And time is the one thing I have in abundance. I’m not married, I don’t have children, and so my time is very much open. And how I use that time is where God is calling me to be more aware of. Giving up my iPhone was simply one way of figuring out how to really use my time in a way that is honoring to God. Being a good steward of my time is a new thing for me and I’m slowly in recovery. I’m trying to figure out how to function without it, and to be aware of how to use time as a blessing and to turn that back into honoring God.
Will I look down on you for using your iPhone? No. Does this blog make you feel guilty? I hope not. I love Apple products and it’s totally cool to use one. It’s a great tool in life. Steve Jobs was a genius. But I hope that you’ll join me in asking the questions that I ask myself. Perhaps it’s not iPhone surgery that you need to go through, that you are able to manage it properly, and use it for good. Perhaps life is totally in balance for you. But for me it’s not. And God is calling me to something different for awhile. And that’s ok. I share it with you so that you know my heart, and will hold me to this idea of using my time in a way that is honoring to God.
I think we forget that we don’t need iPhones.
But I know that “that what I need is for You (God) to be the thing that I need.” --David Crowder Band
My prayer is that God will be the thing I want, the thing I need, and honor Him by how I spend my time.
“I lift a knife to the thing I love most, praying You’ll come so that I can have both. What I need is for You to be the thing that I need.”
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