“Hey There!
I was told today that my gall bladder is only emptying at the rate of 23% (healthy is 60% or over) & I must have it removed. I dont have stones, just a slow or dysfunctioning gall bladder. However, I have been 7 kilo’s ligther than normal the last 3 years (Currenly 46 kilos normally 52 would love to be 55 kgs). Doctor’s only answer always was I was too stressed from work or home, smoking etc – then my mum had a stroke & I had to care for her full time & the weight dropped further 43 kilos (A mates daughter even asked me if I was anorexic).
History: Had failure to thrive as kid. In the last 10 yrs I haven’t been able to consume soft drinks (fizzy drinks) or alcohol (unless without lots n lots of ice (i.e.1/2 ice, 1/2wine) – hey it’s unaustralian not to drink at every opportunity we can get it. In my early 20’s I developed a sensitivity to certain fruits (apples pears berries) & nuts in their raw state (itchy mouth, hives, sores eyes it varies) but CAN eat these if cooked??? – was told this was a protein thing that can’t be solved. Have had survere depression 3 times. Late 20’s later I got invasive pneumonioccol desease (spelt wrong sorry) – which gave me with blood poising (rigor), lungs filled with fluid & even vomitting blood & a terrible ache in my upper right centre chest area – had a gut ultra sound but showed nothing. 7 months later I had too much to drink & couldn’t stop spewing, same ache in chest & was given nexium for a month.
More recent now 35: 4 months into mum’s stroke (20 mths ago) I was sent to the ER with internal bleeding, after 9 waiting they sent me home with panadol & then they rang apolosing the next day asking me to return then they did an endoscope to ID a bleeding ulcer. Put me on nexium. Been on that till 3 weeks ago was doubled over in pain all night, no position i sat, lay, crawled or yoga’d alleviated what felt like someone kneeding my intestines like pizza dough & putting them through a pasta maker. I went to the doc (scared ER would not take me seriously as internal bleeding last time certainly i wasn’t bleeding enough…..) she increased the nexium & gave me a note for the hospy incase it struck again. I went on for 10 days for the increase to work to only get my sis to drop me at hospital on Australia Day (2 weeks ago) to get them to find out what it wrong.
They fasted me on & off for 4 days packed me Endone pain tabs & somac (necxium replacement) , did a CT scan after drinking contrast stuff for an hour – nothing, & this HIDA scan which showed that my gall bladder won’t empty property on 26% success. I was then sent home with pain tabs & to wait for an appt with the gastro dude. In the week waiting I was home bound, sleeping 12 hrs a day – used to struggle to get 5 hrs a night, have a worse pain all over my guts & one morning experienced even nastier sharper pain on my left side like a squirting pain (if that makes sense – something being squeezed) it held me completely unable to move for 1 minute. 5 or 6 minutes later, I eventually made my way to the phone & as dialing broke into a mad sweat & was about to faint. lying on the floor I recovered terrified at what the NEW pain was & rang the hospy gastro area for advise – 3 hrs later they rang back telling me to see GP. I saw GP next day, she said it was panic attacks (which I’ve apparently suffered for years, burning guts, about to completely c**p myself, shaking hands & jaw) & said just wait till today appt. Today i get told my GB must be removed!!
I think I’ve had a GB prob for fricken years now! & everyone has ignored my pain, my suggestion that something else is wrong. I’ve asked what can kick start it again, but no useful answer. I’ve been told to relax more – as I’ve been in counselling for years due to this so called nervious stomach!!!! if i was anymore relaxed i’d had my own book, be tony robins or seriously be able to stop my heart pumping I know so many relaxation techniques!!. I think it’s been this GB!! I’m going drink heaps of water, continue & escalate my more than healthly eating & see what effect that has as there are NO stones, no infections & no tumors, I want them to check my liver further as it’s the boss of all things in that area. I’m terrifed of the side effects you all mention as I’ve been through enough. I’d rather investigate anything I can prior to having my first ever surgery!! I feel at the mo’ i’m in the posy to maybe have choice about it, so if I can save my GB I’ll give it a good hard Aussie go!.
Thank you all for scaring the consitpation from the pain meds outta me!. I’m getting second opinion’s, what ever i can!.”