The drama never ends for Charlie Sheen. This time, it isn’t Denise Richards-related, though. Charlie’s new wife, Brooke Mueller, who is three months pregnant with the couple’s child, was rushed to the hospital last week after experiencing severe lower abdomen pain. The diagnosis: an infected gall bladder, which required emergency surgery. Luckily, both mom and embryo are fine – well enough to attend Sunday night’s Emmy awards.
Mueller, who is in her first trimester, had been dealing with mystery pangs for a month and, sources close to the couple tell E! News, had been fearful the pain was related to the baby.
Things got so excruciating that she needed to be admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center a little more than a week ago.Doctors ultimately determined that Mueller required emergency gall-bladder surgery, an operation that can be risky during the early stages of pregnancy.
Mueller and Sheen’s publicist, Stan Rosenfield, confirms that Mueller was successfully treated at Cedars and discharged late last week, stressing that it had nothing to do with her pregnancy.
Dr. Cherlin Johnson, who did not treat Mueller, explains that an infected gall bladder can be life threatening not just for the baby but also to the mother.
“Any kind of surgery in the first trimester carries a lot of risks given that this is an intensive time of development for the embryo,” says Johnson, an emergency medicine physician in Beverly Hills.
“You try to minimize medication to the mother during that time. However, if there is an escalating infection, that could be life threatening to the mother and therefore for the fetus as well.”Mueller spent five days at the hospital and has been recuperating at home for the past four days.
She was well enough to attend last night’s Emmy Awards ceremony, where Sheen was in contention for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Two and a Half Men.
That must have been a terrifying experience for Brooke- even scarier than being married to a psychopathic narcissist with an unstable ex-wife. I can’t imagine having that kind of surgery while pregnant- not only are you worried about your welfare, but you are petrified that the baby will somehow be affected. She sure sounds like a trooper.
Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller are shown at the Emmy Awards on 9/21/08. Credit: Nikki Nelson/ WENN
I have to say, this woman sure signed on for a huge dose of lifetime drama. Glad to hear she’s ok and hope things settle down for her now so she can enjoy her pregnancy and the baby when it comes.
don’t know if it’s related to this case, but I’ve heard that diets too high in protein can cause gall bladder problems.
It’s actually somewhat common for pregnant women to have gallbladder attacks
I got gallbladder attacks into my last trimester. My son’s big head was pressuring my gall bladder and the stones became unbearable. I had to have the entire gallbladder removed two months I had my son. It was not an easy operation. I’m surprised she is up and about like that. She’s a trouper.
I had my gall bladder removed about a month ago, and my surgeon said it was likely my two pregnancies were the cause. The pain that actually propels you to seek medical treatment is excruciating beyond words. But the surgery, itself, is relatively easy.