I have been diagnosed with stones and sludge. Every one is telling me to have my gallbladder out. But then I have been reading all these posts which state people are still in pain afterwards. After a little research I found out that food allergies can cause the same symptoms after having your gall bladder out? "A food alllergy can cause to stimulate the swelling of the bile ducts. The swelling reduced the flow of bile from the gall bladder and causes the pain and other symptoms connected with a a gallbladder attack. The connection bewteen foood allergy anti gallbladder arttacks could account for numerous people who have had gallbladder surgeryand are then dismayed to find their symtoms are still a problem.
If you have symptoms of galllbladder disease you should try to go on an allergy-elimination diet to seee if it will ellimante your sypmtoms"
You can read the entire study I found here
http://alternative-medicine-and-health.com/conditions/gallprobs.htm
I am going to have a food allergy test before I have it yanked.
If you have symptoms of galllbladder disease you should try to go on an allergy-elimination diet to seee if it will ellimante your sypmtoms"
You can read the entire study I found here
http://alternative-medicine-and-health.com/conditions/gallprobs.htm
I am going to have a food allergy test before I have it yanked.
I've been experiencing the same thing. Did you find out anything from your doctor?
hi im ann i feel rotten after my operation i came out in cold sores all over my mouth and inside my mouth my throat was on fire and the pain in my right side was awful i know i only got my operation on the 13 november but somtimes i thought i was going to die with the pain i would never have gone ahead with the op. if i had knownall the side affects ann50
I had my surgery about 2 1/2 weeks ago and have the pain on my right side as well. Seemed to be getting better and then it came back recently. I am at a loss as to what is happening and what can help the discomfort. Any advice or hope would be appreciated.
I went in for surgery on July 27. I came out expecting to return to work in a week or two at the most. I got in my car and leaned over and that is when my pain started. I have a severe pain under my rib cage that feels like someone is stabbing me. I asked my dr about it and he said keep taking your pain pills. I told him I had to return to work and they make me sleepy. When I did return to work a few weeks later, I had a severe stabbing attack and was in tears. I tried to go to work a few times after that but still could not deal with the pain. I went to see another dr and he gave me some pills. One was a very good pill for the internal mess that was going on. I can eat most foods and have adjusted to the alert afterwards. The side pain never has gone away. I experienced pain with it for 6 hrs straight. I had blood work, x-rays, ct scan. They found out why I hurt around my bellybutton area. I have a hernia that no one seems concerned about. I also have a cyst on my ovary that is the size of my ovary that everyone is ignoring. Everyone....I have been to 4 different surgeons. My problem, all these drs are friends and talk. They think I am faking it. One even said something to me about getting me partial disability. I told him he was crazy and I wanted to work. I have been trying to get back to work and my savings are nothing now. I was told about a pill that would dissolve the stones (I only had one and he never bothered to tell me) I have but it will take 5 years and it may return. 5 years of stones trying to pass... no way. My dr never took stitches in either of the 4 incisions made. I asked him about it on two different occasions. He happily bragged that no stitches were taken. Later after he found out about the hernia, oh he did take a stitch there but he disagrees with the scan that there is no hernia. He also told me he had no clue about my pain and for me to go see another dr. He also refused to send his findings into my insurance. I told the third surgeon about the stabbing pains. He laughed and said "ha ha yes that's because that is what we did to you". The forth surgeon said "everyone has an umbilical hernia, so this does not need to fixed". I hurt! Sometimes my guts feel like they are falling out. Sometimes I cannot get out of bed. I have been trying to get this resolved for so long and out of work that I am now broke, run the risk of losing my job (they have been great), and I have hit a deep depression because I cannot do anything. I cannot bend over with out fear of this stabbing pain. I cannot stand at my sink and do dishes because of my hernia. I cannot hold a jar against myself to open it. I cannot put on my shoes and socks. I cannot vacuum my floors. But there is nothing wrong with me.
I just had ga;;bladder surgery done by lap. I have a severe pain occaisonally in the right side. Its so bad I can not breath. I had surgery on the 27th. Tonight I ean a fever of 100.2 and a bad headache.
I had my gallbladder removed in July and I'm still experiencing pain identical to that which led to the surgery in the first place. My appetite has all but disappeared.
My once thick hair is now fine and lank as its been falling out in clumps since the surgery.
My once thick hair is now fine and lank as its been falling out in clumps since the surgery.
had laprascopic gallbladder removal 3years. have been left with intermitant severe chronic pain in my upper gastric side. sureon very understanding and somewhat confused ben sent for MRI SCAN - NOTHING, had gastroscopy - nothing had colonoscopy -nothing. the pain comes - motly through the night or first thing in the morning is its favorite time. Very widy when passes found that deflatine sometimes helps, which i can buy from local chemest.
Hello, I guess I'm having the same problems.
I guess I'd been suffering from gallstones since my last pregnancy (2004), but I didn't realize what my problem was. My former doctor figured it was a hiatal hernia and wanted to take a look, but I declined because I didn't like the thought of a scope going down my throat while I was awake.
Well, I continued to have bad acid reflux, and sometime during the spring of last year, I started to have a heavy feeling in my chest. I ignored it, thinking it was the acid reflux again or the hernia (couldn't really afford to do anything about it and couldn't do an operation). Then around the fall of last year, my chest started to feel really heavy. I started feeling sick, too, so I started chugging Pepto-Bismol because I thought it was indigestion or my stupid lactose intolerance acting up. No relief. Well, a week before Thanksgiving, I had to go to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack or something. ER doc said it must have been a panic attack because I had it under control by the time I got to the hospital. They did a chest x-ray which they didn't bother to give me results about until a few days after I was home. Doc told me to see my private doc "sometime in the next four months" because there was a mass in my x-ray. After Thanksgiving, same problem. During these attacks, I'd feel faint, sick, short of breath, and some sort of warming sensation on the right side of my stomach that would spread throughout my body...then the fever would start. I went to bed one night, laid on my left side, and the warming pain shot through me. I was convinced that my appendix had burst. Back to the same ER. Female doc this time. She listened to me, did an MRI to see if I had a tubal pregnancy (tubes tied in '04), and the MRI showed nothing but the mass. She told me that she figured that I had gallstones. Guy came in to do an ultrasound (after I'd been in the ER for almost 7 hours) and confirmed that I had stones. Scheduled a surgery to have my gall bladder removed. No talks of flushes for me. Reason why is that my surgeon told my husband after the surgery that my gall bladder had been inflamed to the size of 3 baseballs, and if it had burst, I'd be dead. So no flushes for me because it had to come out right away.
So post-surgery (my surgery was Dec. 12th of '06)...the heaviness in my chest is gone, but the shortness of breath remains. Can't do much without tiring out, but I also suffer from iron-deficiency anemia, too. Had bad after-effects from the anesthesia and the antibiotics (to prevent infection). Turns out that I may have been allergic to them and the Vicadin they gave me for pain (so yeah, not taking anything for pain). Don't really feel like eating. Actually, I'm scared to eat. First time I ate in the hospital, I threw up black stuff. Ever since then, I've tried to eat small amounts and things that won't bother me, to no avail. No matter what I eat, I generally get that same warming pain sensation that starts on the right side of my belly and spreads to the rest of my body. It's not a fun feeling. It almost feels like something liquid is spreading through my body. I get a fever and the sweats. If I go to sleep for a while, it helps, but the pain always comes back. Even touching my stomach there causes problems. I thought that all of this is gas-related because as I mentioned before, I am lactose intolerant, but it's never caused me this kind of gas before. I have a hard time burping and passing wind. I feel bloated all of the time. I've been taking my Lactaid, but that's not helping anymore, it seems. worked for a few meals, and now, nothing. Constant diarrhea, too, but it doesn't bug me because I'm used to it being lactose intolerant (I almost never produce solid stools). I also always have this metallic bad taste in the back of my throat/mouth that makes me want to vomit. I'm to the point that I just don't care to eat anymore because the warming pains aren't worth this (my stomach even is hot to the the touch when this happens). I cannot sleep laying down anymore (must be a sitting position), and obviously, I cannot sleep on either side. I can't even sleep in my own bed most nights.
I go to see the surgeon again tomorrow for a follow-up (because I was so sickly during my last follow-up), but he seems to be flippant about any of my problems. He says it's all normal and because I'm "so fat" (no, not really), it'll take me a long time to feel better and heal. He also told me to eat whatever I want (this is a mistake). So is this feeling normal? Are the warming sensations just gas? I guess it's normal if others are having the same problems. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm scared. I've read about bile duct injuries, but I'm afraid to ask my surgeon about it because as my husband said, he'll most likely deny anything and do no testing because he doesn't want to be sued. I know that some people suffer from certain other problems afterward (like acute pancreatitis and whatnot), but I'm afraid of more surgery. I have three young children and a disabled husband who all need me, and I'm afraid I'm going to die.
I also know that this is putting a strain on our marriage, too. I can't eat what everyone else is eating (and they eat a lot of fried, fatty foods) so I have to have stuff bought special for me. I can't sleep in our bed most nights. I'm extremely sick and tired. I don't care about sex anymore since the surgery. I'm complaining of being in pain all of the time, and my husband is getting sick of it all. He's taken to calling me a hypochondriac because I'm certain that something is still wrong with me. Am I silly for thinking such things? Am I really having normal post-surgery problems?
I wish I'd never had to have this thing out. I'm scared that I'm going to die all of the time now. I've generally been a healthy person, aside from a few normal problems/allergies, so I'm a little afraid because I don't know what's happening with my digestive system. I'm still scared because I joined my husband in a few drinks on New Years, and I don't know what kind of effect drinking has on me with having this thing out.
If anyone can offer me some help/advice/suggestions, I'd surely appreciate it.
I guess I'd been suffering from gallstones since my last pregnancy (2004), but I didn't realize what my problem was. My former doctor figured it was a hiatal hernia and wanted to take a look, but I declined because I didn't like the thought of a scope going down my throat while I was awake.
Well, I continued to have bad acid reflux, and sometime during the spring of last year, I started to have a heavy feeling in my chest. I ignored it, thinking it was the acid reflux again or the hernia (couldn't really afford to do anything about it and couldn't do an operation). Then around the fall of last year, my chest started to feel really heavy. I started feeling sick, too, so I started chugging Pepto-Bismol because I thought it was indigestion or my stupid lactose intolerance acting up. No relief. Well, a week before Thanksgiving, I had to go to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack or something. ER doc said it must have been a panic attack because I had it under control by the time I got to the hospital. They did a chest x-ray which they didn't bother to give me results about until a few days after I was home. Doc told me to see my private doc "sometime in the next four months" because there was a mass in my x-ray. After Thanksgiving, same problem. During these attacks, I'd feel faint, sick, short of breath, and some sort of warming sensation on the right side of my stomach that would spread throughout my body...then the fever would start. I went to bed one night, laid on my left side, and the warming pain shot through me. I was convinced that my appendix had burst. Back to the same ER. Female doc this time. She listened to me, did an MRI to see if I had a tubal pregnancy (tubes tied in '04), and the MRI showed nothing but the mass. She told me that she figured that I had gallstones. Guy came in to do an ultrasound (after I'd been in the ER for almost 7 hours) and confirmed that I had stones. Scheduled a surgery to have my gall bladder removed. No talks of flushes for me. Reason why is that my surgeon told my husband after the surgery that my gall bladder had been inflamed to the size of 3 baseballs, and if it had burst, I'd be dead. So no flushes for me because it had to come out right away.
So post-surgery (my surgery was Dec. 12th of '06)...the heaviness in my chest is gone, but the shortness of breath remains. Can't do much without tiring out, but I also suffer from iron-deficiency anemia, too. Had bad after-effects from the anesthesia and the antibiotics (to prevent infection). Turns out that I may have been allergic to them and the Vicadin they gave me for pain (so yeah, not taking anything for pain). Don't really feel like eating. Actually, I'm scared to eat. First time I ate in the hospital, I threw up black stuff. Ever since then, I've tried to eat small amounts and things that won't bother me, to no avail. No matter what I eat, I generally get that same warming pain sensation that starts on the right side of my belly and spreads to the rest of my body. It's not a fun feeling. It almost feels like something liquid is spreading through my body. I get a fever and the sweats. If I go to sleep for a while, it helps, but the pain always comes back. Even touching my stomach there causes problems. I thought that all of this is gas-related because as I mentioned before, I am lactose intolerant, but it's never caused me this kind of gas before. I have a hard time burping and passing wind. I feel bloated all of the time. I've been taking my Lactaid, but that's not helping anymore, it seems. worked for a few meals, and now, nothing. Constant diarrhea, too, but it doesn't bug me because I'm used to it being lactose intolerant (I almost never produce solid stools). I also always have this metallic bad taste in the back of my throat/mouth that makes me want to vomit. I'm to the point that I just don't care to eat anymore because the warming pains aren't worth this (my stomach even is hot to the the touch when this happens). I cannot sleep laying down anymore (must be a sitting position), and obviously, I cannot sleep on either side. I can't even sleep in my own bed most nights.
I go to see the surgeon again tomorrow for a follow-up (because I was so sickly during my last follow-up), but he seems to be flippant about any of my problems. He says it's all normal and because I'm "so fat" (no, not really), it'll take me a long time to feel better and heal. He also told me to eat whatever I want (this is a mistake). So is this feeling normal? Are the warming sensations just gas? I guess it's normal if others are having the same problems. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm scared. I've read about bile duct injuries, but I'm afraid to ask my surgeon about it because as my husband said, he'll most likely deny anything and do no testing because he doesn't want to be sued. I know that some people suffer from certain other problems afterward (like acute pancreatitis and whatnot), but I'm afraid of more surgery. I have three young children and a disabled husband who all need me, and I'm afraid I'm going to die.
I also know that this is putting a strain on our marriage, too. I can't eat what everyone else is eating (and they eat a lot of fried, fatty foods) so I have to have stuff bought special for me. I can't sleep in our bed most nights. I'm extremely sick and tired. I don't care about sex anymore since the surgery. I'm complaining of being in pain all of the time, and my husband is getting sick of it all. He's taken to calling me a hypochondriac because I'm certain that something is still wrong with me. Am I silly for thinking such things? Am I really having normal post-surgery problems?
I wish I'd never had to have this thing out. I'm scared that I'm going to die all of the time now. I've generally been a healthy person, aside from a few normal problems/allergies, so I'm a little afraid because I don't know what's happening with my digestive system. I'm still scared because I joined my husband in a few drinks on New Years, and I don't know what kind of effect drinking has on me with having this thing out.
If anyone can offer me some help/advice/suggestions, I'd surely appreciate it.
I am only 23 and had my Gall Bladder out December 22 of last year [last month]. It's been a little over a month now. For a while I had the same pains I used to have before the surgery, but after a while it subsided. More recently [as in last night] I started to get what feels like a bruised pain in my abdomen. It's directly next to my navel on the right hand side and up a tic. The spot hurts when I move to where it stretches the muscles around that area, and it also hurts to the touch...but only in an area about 1 inch by 1 inch. It's really a bizarre pain considering I was doing so well. I don't even know if this is related to the surgery at all, but it worries me regardless. I still have diarrhea [which had also gotten better, but worsened within the past week] from the surgery and I haven't had an appetite to save my life. I've lost 5 pounds since I had my gall bladder out [and considering I was only 108 to begin with, losing weight isn't the best thing]. After reading what everyone else had to say, I don't think I'm near as bad off. I wish all of you luck.
Hi
I'm a 31 year old female and I had my gallbladder removed 4 years ago. Ever since, especially in the mornings I get sever stomach cramping. The only thing that ever helps me is a glass of milk. Recently I've started having cramping under my right rib. It's localized, doesn't move and has been steady now for five days. I went into the ER and did a barium/cat scan (that stuff is disgusting tasting) and blood work. They found nothing.
I'm being told that diet is the way to go, and of course traditional doctors won't even talk to you about that, it's not how they are wired. They want to do pills or cut you open.
I'm looking for people who have truly stuck to a diet and it has worked for them. I know everyone is going to be a bit different, and milk has been the only thing that has helped me and I have found and heard from others who say now dairy is a big no no.
I don't know what is going on with my insides, and the honest truth is I can't afford to just go run around seeing a ton of specialists.
I've lost over 20 pounds since the surgery, and go through bouts of not even being able to look at food. I'm trying to eat small amounts regulary with low fat and sugar content, am cutting out my coffee (that sucks).
So I need to hear some success stories, I've been browsing the net for awhile and hear a lot of people asking for help, the same problems and pain but no successes...I guess if I have to just live with it, then at least I might as well eat what I want and be happy on some level..lol...
I'm a 31 year old female and I had my gallbladder removed 4 years ago. Ever since, especially in the mornings I get sever stomach cramping. The only thing that ever helps me is a glass of milk. Recently I've started having cramping under my right rib. It's localized, doesn't move and has been steady now for five days. I went into the ER and did a barium/cat scan (that stuff is disgusting tasting) and blood work. They found nothing.
I'm being told that diet is the way to go, and of course traditional doctors won't even talk to you about that, it's not how they are wired. They want to do pills or cut you open.
I'm looking for people who have truly stuck to a diet and it has worked for them. I know everyone is going to be a bit different, and milk has been the only thing that has helped me and I have found and heard from others who say now dairy is a big no no.
I don't know what is going on with my insides, and the honest truth is I can't afford to just go run around seeing a ton of specialists.
I've lost over 20 pounds since the surgery, and go through bouts of not even being able to look at food. I'm trying to eat small amounts regulary with low fat and sugar content, am cutting out my coffee (that sucks).
So I need to hear some success stories, I've been browsing the net for awhile and hear a lot of people asking for help, the same problems and pain but no successes...I guess if I have to just live with it, then at least I might as well eat what I want and be happy on some level..lol...
I had my gallbladder out 4 years ago and still get the pain in the right hand side every now and again. Sometimes it is worse then what it was before the surgery. I have had a number of tests done and nothing was ever found. I was told you can suffer from phantom pains. As well as sometimes the food sits heavy in my stomache after eating to the point I throw up or else it goes right through you. I think I am worse now then before the surgery.
I had my gallbladder out 4 days ago, and I keep getting pain in my chest and back. its realy sharp . anyone know wot is corseing this?
I feel for you. I too have been suffering nearly 7 years. Ever since my gallbladder went bad and they removed it, life has been horrible. Between the horrible gas, pain in my lower right side, diarrhea and horrible unexplained itching, I couldn't take it anymore. I have a file 3 inches thick full off tests with no results. They all look at you like you are crazy. The GI doctor kept telling me it was gynecological and the gynecologist kept telling me to see the GI doctor. They had me on birth control to see if it was my hormones, on a gluten free diet, and wanted to put me on anti depressants(no way!). Nothing worked and the symptoms were only getting worse.
Last week feeling hopeless again, I went to a new GI DR. Finally one that seemed to listen, didn't treat me like I was mental and finally a possible explanation. He told me he believed that my body was reacting to the over production of bile since I no longer had the gallbladder and that he has had great success with Colestid. It is used to lower cholesterol. It binds with the excess bile in your body and moves it out. I have only been taking it for a few days. I am starting to notice some improvement. I wish you well.
Sincerely, Lori
quote="KagomeKagome"]Hello, I guess I'm having the same problems.
I guess I'd been suffering from gallstones since my last pregnancy (2004), but I didn't realize what my problem was. My former doctor figured it was a hiatal hernia and wanted to take a look, but I declined because I didn't like the thought of a scope going down my throat while I was awake.
Well, I continued to have bad acid reflux, and sometime during the spring of last year, I started to have a heavy feeling in my chest. I ignored it, thinking it was the acid reflux again or the hernia (couldn't really afford to do anything about it and couldn't do an operation). Then around the fall of last year, my chest started to feel really heavy. I started feeling sick, too, so I started chugging Pepto-Bismol because I thought it was indigestion or my stupid lactose intolerance acting up. No relief. Well, a week before Thanksgiving, I had to go to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack or something. ER doc said it must have been a panic attack because I had it under control by the time I got to the hospital. They did a chest x-ray which they didn't bother to give me results about until a few days after I was home. Doc told me to see my private doc "sometime in the next four months" because there was a mass in my x-ray. After Thanksgiving, same problem. During these attacks, I'd feel faint, sick, short of breath, and some sort of warming sensation on the right side of my stomach that would spread throughout my body...then the fever would start. I went to bed one night, laid on my left side, and the warming pain shot through me. I was convinced that my appendix had burst. Back to the same ER. Female doc this time. She listened to me, did an MRI to see if I had a tubal pregnancy (tubes tied in '04), and the MRI showed nothing but the mass. She told me that she figured that I had gallstones. Guy came in to do an ultrasound (after I'd been in the ER for almost 7 hours) and confirmed that I had stones. Scheduled a surgery to have my gall bladder removed. No talks of flushes for me. Reason why is that my surgeon told my husband after the surgery that my gall bladder had been inflamed to the size of 3 baseballs, and if it had burst, I'd be dead. So no flushes for me because it had to come out right away.
So post-surgery (my surgery was Dec. 12th of '06)...the heaviness in my chest is gone, but the shortness of breath remains. Can't do much without tiring out, but I also suffer from iron-deficiency anemia, too. Had bad after-effects from the anesthesia and the antibiotics (to prevent infection). Turns out that I may have been allergic to them and the Vicadin they gave me for pain (so yeah, not taking anything for pain). Don't really feel like eating. Actually, I'm scared to eat. First time I ate in the hospital, I threw up black stuff. Ever since then, I've tried to eat small amounts and things that won't bother me, to no avail. No matter what I eat, I generally get that same warming pain sensation that starts on the right side of my belly and spreads to the rest of my body. It's not a fun feeling. It almost feels like something liquid is spreading through my body. I get a fever and the sweats. If I go to sleep for a while, it helps, but the pain always comes back. Even touching my stomach there causes problems. I thought that all of this is gas-related because as I mentioned before, I am lactose intolerant, but it's never caused me this kind of gas before. I have a hard time burping and passing wind. I feel bloated all of the time. I've been taking my Lactaid, but that's not helping anymore, it seems. worked for a few meals, and now, nothing. Constant diarrhea, too, but it doesn't bug me because I'm used to it being lactose intolerant (I almost never produce solid stools). I also always have this metallic bad taste in the back of my throat/mouth that makes me want to vomit. I'm to the point that I just don't care to eat anymore because the warming pains aren't worth this (my stomach even is hot to the the touch when this happens). I cannot sleep laying down anymore (must be a sitting position), and obviously, I cannot sleep on either side. I can't even sleep in my own bed most nights.
I go to see the surgeon again tomorrow for a follow-up (because I was so sickly during my last follow-up), but he seems to be flippant about any of my problems. He says it's all normal and because I'm "so fat" (no, not really), it'll take me a long time to feel better and heal. He also told me to eat whatever I want (this is a mistake). So is this feeling normal? Are the warming sensations just gas? I guess it's normal if others are having the same problems. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm scared. I've read about bile duct injuries, but I'm afraid to ask my surgeon about it because as my husband said, he'll most likely deny anything and do no testing because he doesn't want to be sued. I know that some people suffer from certain other problems afterward (like acute pancreatitis and whatnot), but I'm afraid of more surgery. I have three young children and a disabled husband who all need me, and I'm afraid I'm going to die.
I also know that this is putting a strain on our marriage, too. I can't eat what everyone else is eating (and they eat a lot of fried, fatty foods) so I have to have stuff bought special for me. I can't sleep in our bed most nights. I'm extremely sick and tired. I don't care about sex anymore since the surgery. I'm complaining of being in pain all of the time, and my husband is getting sick of it all. He's taken to calling me a hypochondriac because I'm certain that something is still wrong with me. Am I silly for thinking such things? Am I really having normal post-surgery problems?
I wish I'd never had to have this thing out. I'm scared that I'm going to die all of the time now. I've generally been a healthy person, aside from a few normal problems/allergies, so I'm a little afraid because I don't know what's happening with my digestive system. I'm still scared because I joined my husband in a few drinks on New Years, and I don't know what kind of effect drinking has on me with having this thing out.
If anyone can offer me some help/advice/suggestions, I'd surely appreciate it.
Last week feeling hopeless again, I went to a new GI DR. Finally one that seemed to listen, didn't treat me like I was mental and finally a possible explanation. He told me he believed that my body was reacting to the over production of bile since I no longer had the gallbladder and that he has had great success with Colestid. It is used to lower cholesterol. It binds with the excess bile in your body and moves it out. I have only been taking it for a few days. I am starting to notice some improvement. I wish you well.
Sincerely, Lori
quote="KagomeKagome"]Hello, I guess I'm having the same problems.
I guess I'd been suffering from gallstones since my last pregnancy (2004), but I didn't realize what my problem was. My former doctor figured it was a hiatal hernia and wanted to take a look, but I declined because I didn't like the thought of a scope going down my throat while I was awake.
Well, I continued to have bad acid reflux, and sometime during the spring of last year, I started to have a heavy feeling in my chest. I ignored it, thinking it was the acid reflux again or the hernia (couldn't really afford to do anything about it and couldn't do an operation). Then around the fall of last year, my chest started to feel really heavy. I started feeling sick, too, so I started chugging Pepto-Bismol because I thought it was indigestion or my stupid lactose intolerance acting up. No relief. Well, a week before Thanksgiving, I had to go to the ER because I thought I was having a heart attack or something. ER doc said it must have been a panic attack because I had it under control by the time I got to the hospital. They did a chest x-ray which they didn't bother to give me results about until a few days after I was home. Doc told me to see my private doc "sometime in the next four months" because there was a mass in my x-ray. After Thanksgiving, same problem. During these attacks, I'd feel faint, sick, short of breath, and some sort of warming sensation on the right side of my stomach that would spread throughout my body...then the fever would start. I went to bed one night, laid on my left side, and the warming pain shot through me. I was convinced that my appendix had burst. Back to the same ER. Female doc this time. She listened to me, did an MRI to see if I had a tubal pregnancy (tubes tied in '04), and the MRI showed nothing but the mass. She told me that she figured that I had gallstones. Guy came in to do an ultrasound (after I'd been in the ER for almost 7 hours) and confirmed that I had stones. Scheduled a surgery to have my gall bladder removed. No talks of flushes for me. Reason why is that my surgeon told my husband after the surgery that my gall bladder had been inflamed to the size of 3 baseballs, and if it had burst, I'd be dead. So no flushes for me because it had to come out right away.
So post-surgery (my surgery was Dec. 12th of '06)...the heaviness in my chest is gone, but the shortness of breath remains. Can't do much without tiring out, but I also suffer from iron-deficiency anemia, too. Had bad after-effects from the anesthesia and the antibiotics (to prevent infection). Turns out that I may have been allergic to them and the Vicadin they gave me for pain (so yeah, not taking anything for pain). Don't really feel like eating. Actually, I'm scared to eat. First time I ate in the hospital, I threw up black stuff. Ever since then, I've tried to eat small amounts and things that won't bother me, to no avail. No matter what I eat, I generally get that same warming pain sensation that starts on the right side of my belly and spreads to the rest of my body. It's not a fun feeling. It almost feels like something liquid is spreading through my body. I get a fever and the sweats. If I go to sleep for a while, it helps, but the pain always comes back. Even touching my stomach there causes problems. I thought that all of this is gas-related because as I mentioned before, I am lactose intolerant, but it's never caused me this kind of gas before. I have a hard time burping and passing wind. I feel bloated all of the time. I've been taking my Lactaid, but that's not helping anymore, it seems. worked for a few meals, and now, nothing. Constant diarrhea, too, but it doesn't bug me because I'm used to it being lactose intolerant (I almost never produce solid stools). I also always have this metallic bad taste in the back of my throat/mouth that makes me want to vomit. I'm to the point that I just don't care to eat anymore because the warming pains aren't worth this (my stomach even is hot to the the touch when this happens). I cannot sleep laying down anymore (must be a sitting position), and obviously, I cannot sleep on either side. I can't even sleep in my own bed most nights.
I go to see the surgeon again tomorrow for a follow-up (because I was so sickly during my last follow-up), but he seems to be flippant about any of my problems. He says it's all normal and because I'm "so fat" (no, not really), it'll take me a long time to feel better and heal. He also told me to eat whatever I want (this is a mistake). So is this feeling normal? Are the warming sensations just gas? I guess it's normal if others are having the same problems. I don't know. What I do know is that I'm scared. I've read about bile duct injuries, but I'm afraid to ask my surgeon about it because as my husband said, he'll most likely deny anything and do no testing because he doesn't want to be sued. I know that some people suffer from certain other problems afterward (like acute pancreatitis and whatnot), but I'm afraid of more surgery. I have three young children and a disabled husband who all need me, and I'm afraid I'm going to die.
I also know that this is putting a strain on our marriage, too. I can't eat what everyone else is eating (and they eat a lot of fried, fatty foods) so I have to have stuff bought special for me. I can't sleep in our bed most nights. I'm extremely sick and tired. I don't care about sex anymore since the surgery. I'm complaining of being in pain all of the time, and my husband is getting sick of it all. He's taken to calling me a hypochondriac because I'm certain that something is still wrong with me. Am I silly for thinking such things? Am I really having normal post-surgery problems?
I wish I'd never had to have this thing out. I'm scared that I'm going to die all of the time now. I've generally been a healthy person, aside from a few normal problems/allergies, so I'm a little afraid because I don't know what's happening with my digestive system. I'm still scared because I joined my husband in a few drinks on New Years, and I don't know what kind of effect drinking has on me with having this thing out.
If anyone can offer me some help/advice/suggestions, I'd surely appreciate it.
I had my gallbladder removed in august and i have nausea bowel problems and tiredness and i have lost weight b/c i have been trying...but now all i seem to be able to do is eat and i am gaining again..... i am going to see a doc next week i hope he helps.....