General Hospital star Risa Dorken is feeling great relief after a long ordeal with her health. On December 29, Dorken took to her Instagram page to share the details with all of her fans.
Dorken posted more than a dozen photos and a lengthy caption on Instagram. She began, “First, Im doing well. My 8+ month diagnostic journey came to a climax while I spent Christmas week in the hospital.”
She continued, “After 3 ER trips, 7 Dr. visits, pelvic & abdominal ultrasounds, countless blood lab visits, 2 CT scans, 3 MRIs, a HIDA scan, low fodmap diet, echocardiogram and a treadmill stress test- with teary eyes, and an *invisible* problem- I had almost accepted my new reality.”
MORE: Get the scoop on Risa Dorken’s charitable side.
Dorken noted she had almost accepted this life as her reality “Because ‘they’ told me to.” In this case, “they” seemed to reference other medical professionals she’d hoped could provide her answers. However, the soap star didn’t give up on finding answers. Dorken went to a different hospital in hopes of some resolution to her “intolerable” pain.
Luckily, Dorken revealed, the hospital at ULCA provided that. She had her gallbladder removed, developed jaundice, had a procedure named an ERCP, and then developed pancreatitis. “None of those prior scans showed a real problem, but in reality my gallbladder was in reallyyy rough shape,” Dorken shared.
Dorken thanked her husband and several specific hospital staff members who helped her navigate the difficult situation. Now, she says, she is healing and finally has answers. She also wrote about how discouraging it can be to have doctors react dismissively to issues such as hers, especially when there are also mental health issues involved. “Welllll *sometimes* scans are off & it’s a ticking time bomb organ rotting inside you… just saying,” Dorken wrote.
After sharing her ordeal, the General Hospital star received a lot of love and support from fans and colleagues. Kathleen Gati (GH’s Liesel Obrecht) wrote, “So thankful you kept searching and pushing by listening to your own inner awareness! Wishing you a speedy recovery and a fantastic 2025!”
Marc Samuel (Felix) added, “Risa! I’m so glad you followed your instincts and are doing okay. Sending you a big hug ma.””I’m sorry to read what you went through but sending you healing thoughts and prayers,” a fan commented.
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