‘General Hospital’ Star Risa Dorken Details Christmas Week in Hospital
The Doctor Is In
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General Hospital actress Risa Dorken has shared a health update with fans after spending the holidays in the hospital, where she had to undergo emergency surgery.
Dorken took to her Instagram page on Sunday, December 29, where she detailed how an eight-month battle with ill health resulted in emergency gallbladder removal surgery and a week in the hospital over the Christmas holidays.
“First, I’m doing well. My 8+ month diagnostic journey came to climax while I spent Christmas week in the hospital,” the actress began her post, which included a series of photos of herself at the hospital. The images included Dorken in her hospital bed, preparing for a CT scan, at home recovering, and pics with her husband, Bo Clark.
“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,” she continued in the post’s caption.
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“BUT! I know my body better than anyone,” the Boardwalk Empire alum added. “The pain was intolerable and I knew it wasn’t normal. So I tried a different hospital, and they listened! Thank you, UCLA for your professionalism, care & kindness.”
She went on to list her various ailments over the past eight months, including “emergency gallbladder removal surgery,” “jaundice,” “pancreatitis,” and more surgery “to remove a missed/lodged stone.”
“None of those prior scans showed a “real” problem, but in reality, my gallbladder was in reallyyy rough shape,” she noted.
Risa Dorken Instagram
Dorken, who has portrayed Amy Driscoll in General Hospital from 2016 to 2024, went on to thank the nurses, doctors, and other medical staff who have helped her in her health journey. She also thanked her husband for being by her side throughout the challenging experience.
Risa and husband Bo; Risa Dorken Instagram
“We have answers & are healing because I stood up for myself,” she stated. “It’s *sometimes* hard for healthcare providers to take you (me) seriously, when they look at your chart, see mental health conditions, run their tests, and tell you nothing is wrong- ‘it’s your anxiety.’ It’s devastating to feel dismissed, especially when your health (& happiness) are at stake. Wellll *sometimes* scans are off & it’s a ticking time bomb organ rotting inside you… just saying. Health. Mental Health. It’s all that matters.”
Concluding her post, Dorken shared a message for the new year, saying, “Be nice to each other. Why not, ya know? Being a human is hard. Wishing you all a healthyyyyy 2025! Take care of yourselves.”
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