“Hi, my name is Tina and I had my gallbladder removed on 28th April 2010. That day will be ingrained in my memory forever, as I have had nothing but problems ever since I had it done. I was sent home on the same day as I had surgery, only to be re-admitted 2 days later, in lots of pain. I was in hospital for 3 days, and they could find no reason for me to be in such severe pain. They sent me home again that weekend and I managed about 4 days at home and couldn’t stand the pain I was feeling any more, so back in I went. Again, the docs couldn’t find any reason for the pain, my blood tests were all clear and all scans were normal. After a week, I felt a bit better, so came home. I went for about 2 months feeling pretty good, and thought maybe I had turned the corner. How wrong was I?
About a week ago, I woke up in the middle of the night, with what felt like a gallbladder attack, and it was so bad, I got my partner to call an ambulance. By the time it arrived, the symptoms had subsided and I felt like a complete id**t for calling them out. The next day it happened again, but not as severe and settled quite quickly. The following day, I went to town with my mum and sister shopping and had the worst attack I have ever had. It started at 10am in the morning and did not subside til 11pm that night. All I could do was cry and wail, it was the worst pain I have ever experienced, and it will stay with me forvever. I went to the hospital, but the doctors again couldn’t find a reason and I stayed in 3 days and they sent me home.
The doctors don’t take me seriously, I seem to be treated as a bit of a moaner, its kinda like, “”we can’t find any reason for you to be in so much pain, all your blood tests and scans are fine, so just stop moaning and go home and get on with it””. But they aren’t the ones in pain. I am now so scared of it happening again. I am due to be going on holiday this weekend, and I was so looking forward to it, but am now dreading it, in case I have an attack whilst I am away. I am so worried that I will have this for the rest of my life, and have to rely on tablets, (of which I am taking 12 a day), to cope with day to day living. Not that anything helps when I am having an attack, not even morphine can settle it. I went in for the surgery thinking that it was gonna do me good, instead, it seems to have been the worst thing I have ever done, and I really regret having it. Just reading all the reports on here, in some ways brings me comfort to know I am not alone, but also despair, as some of you have been experiencing problems for many years and still have no relief from them. I just hope that one day, my symptoms will just cease to be a problem. Until then, I will just take each day as it comes, and hope for the best.”