After almost two weeks of pain and intestinal torture I finally broke down and went to the damn doctor. And he said...much to my surprise...this could be a gallbladder problem! I guess my simple cyst and fibroids have nothing to do with this one.
Has anybody had any experience with gallbladder problems? Anybody have theirs taken out?
I have never thought about my gallbladder let alone know where it is! I should buy one of those diagrams of the human body and get some pins to stick into where I have my problems. I have a feeling that in a few years they will be everywhere.
I want to write about this in some detail because this information could help someone else going through this and wondering what in the hell is going on. But do go to your doctor. If you think there is something wrong...just go. I have learned my lesson there.
The thing that seemed mysterious about my ailment is that it was intermittent. And it would seem to come mostly at night...sometimes smack dab in the middle of the night. One night I was up for about five hours! But then it would go away and I was so ready to forget about it. The next evening it would come back with a vengeance. I kept telling myself I would call the doctor if it didn't go away in the morning. I thought that it should be consistent but gallbladder issues don't operate that way.
Here are my symptoms for anyone interested or experiencing similar issues:
*Intense pain in the abdomen followed by vomiting and nausea. This only lasted a day.
* Diarrhea accompanied by cramping and pain. This lasted for two days for me. This was followed by constipation.
* Pressure and pain on the right side under the breast bone. You feel tender and gassy and this is the pain which comes at night frequently. The pain sometimes radiates to the back and to the right shoulder. I also feel this when I eat fatty, fried, or spicy foods.
We are still at the initial stages of figuring this out but from what I have been reading...gallbladder issues seem to make the most sense. I have lost about five pounds in the process.
This certainly isn't an...ahem...elegant problem to have. Actually the descriptor of the person who has this issue is fair, female, forties, flatulent, and "FAT." Am not! LoL...gotta laugh about it...when I am not in pain.
Owwwww!
So how are you guys doing?
19 comments:
I never had a gallbladder problem and I am not the person who can help. The way you explained it, this sounds painful and uncomfortable. Like you, I would be in bed and NOT move.
Miss ya.
Hugs, Jim
I had my gallbladder removed when I was 24 after having been mysteriosly ill for 8 years very much like you describe your symptoms. Doctors didn't even consider my gallbladder because I was young and thin! I had almost 100 gallstones and a gallbladder that had not been able to function properly for years. Nowadays, the surgery is really easy and the relief is almost immediate.
The gallbladder is essentially just a resevoir and when it is gone, your liver takes over the same function essentially.
My stones were finally discovered with an ultrasound and I had the surgery the next day.
If you want to know anything else, you can shoot me an email - I know quite a few folks who've been through this so don't worry too much since the removal isn't that big a deal and you'll feel so much better!
Ouch. In the event there is any truth to the old adage laughter's the best medicine, here is one of my favorite jokes.
These two sausages are cooking in a skillet. One looks over to the other and says, "Man, it is really getting hot in here." The other sausage jumps and screams "Oh my God a talking sausage."
get it checked out carefully, hon
my sis found out too late she had gall bladder cancer, and it killed her :'(
Oh, I'm so glad that you finally went to the d*mn doctor. Gallbladder issues can be very disturbing (I understand).
My mother suffered intermittedly for years before she had a gallbladder attack which caused her coworkers to call the EMTs. They were concerned that she was experiencing a heart attack. I met her in the ER when they were still conducting tests and she was in such pain that she was begging for painkillers (and seemed a little altered by the pain as well.)
The doctor admitted her and conducted surgery the next morning. He commented that gallbladders are supposed to be the texture of tissue paper; however, he said my mother's was the texture of rough leather and full of stones. The surgery was done laproscopicly (sp?)
She immediately felt SO MUCH BETTER after that and continues to feel good. She did have to be extra careful eatting anything fatty right after surgery or suffer the consequences.
If your gallbladder is causing your problems, you will feel much better without it.
Been there, done that, have the scars to prove it! Fortunately for me, cholecystectomies run in my family...ALL my relatives have had their gallbladders removed. And, as a nurse, I knew if the pain in my right shoulder didn't subside in 8 hours, I needed to go to the ER as I most likely would be developing cholecystitis (which you DON'T want!). Finally had the ultrasound and surgeon had me on the table the next day (ah...because it was ah...looking like I was developing cholecystitis on my labs...who knew?!?).
And here's MORE news just to scare the sheet out of ya...I had a recurrence of gallbladder pain several times AFTER I had the dayumed thing removed! Turns out my sphincter of odi (say that 10 times fast) was spasming as well as I had accumulated crystals and SLUSH in my bile duct...tube down the throat, wiggling past the stomach, and up into the sphincter...snip...balloon out the duct...and I was good as new (called an ERCP: Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography...and say THAT 10 times fast!). Conscious sedation is my new friend...
So...the moral of this story is...don't FUTZ AROUND WITH THE GALLBLADDER!!! :-)
Be well,
Linda D. in Seattle
The gallbladder is a mystery to me. Just what you need right now, eh? O hope it gets better soon and gives you some relief.
Dang, girl, you didn't mention pain under your breast bone! I had my gallbladder ultraed--all ok, partner has stones and one day--surgery. Lisa is right, if turns out to be IT--you will feel sooo much better. :-)
wow...so gallbladder problems are common then? how long does it take to develop serious problems? i am actually feeling better this weekend but perhaps it is because i drastically changed my diet. we will see what the doctor says.
I'm so glad that you know what the problem is. How are they going to treat it? I hope you are feeling better.
aha..
the gallbladder..!
i've had a couple of colleagues who've dealt with gallbladder problems and ended up having surgery which got rid of all their problems.
both colleagues actually had very similar symptoms to what you describe.
i wish you all the best regardless of the method of treatment.
xo
So glad that you appear to have at least found out what the problem is.
As many of the previous comments suggest there is fairly simple surgery (sometimes not even neccessary with correct medication) to remove stones. It also sounds as though you have also discovered that diet is a major contributory factor. Just stay clear of rich and fatty stuff I believe
Take care
D
x
My Grandma had hers out when she was in her fifties. She is now 102. That says something good, I think.
My hubby dealt with this almost 3 years ago. He kept getting misdiagnosed. They were saying it was his acid reflux that was just out of control. When he finally was at his worst, the usual symptoms plus he ws so jaundice, he founf a doc that did a bit more checking. When he went in for surgery, simple outpatient, his gallbladder was overflowing with stones. He was in the hospital for 3 days. It was miserable for him. Don't hesitate to go to the doc.
I was actually going to run the 'F' quartet past you, but then thought, but I know she's not fat, she has a gorgeous figure. But, you did it anyway.
One thing about gallbladder these days if you need surgery it's amazingly non-invasive. May you get to the bottom of this, dear.
Hi, You have been tagged by me to get to know you better.
Get well soon. Miss ya.
Hugs, Jim
I have a friend experiencing similar symptoms, some of them you described. So I'll copy and forward. Thanks! Its always good to share these health mysteries.
hope you figure this all out soon, merely, and get back to feeling good again.
What always let me down is that the organs aren't even those interesting pastel colours like you see in the texts. Talk about a bummer!
My mom had her gallbladder out and it wasn't a big surgery. She was pretty much in and out.
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