Gallbladder attacks advice

[HeyBwoss]

Been having episodes of pain since January but have now had 2 in the past 2 weeks. I thought it was trapped wind (actually the first one I thought was a heart attack, at first) but have seen it may be gallstones. All my pain matches everything I have read. Except for labour, it's the worst pain I've ever had.

Anyway, I'm hoping to see the GP tomorrow, but in the meantime I'm terrified to eat incase something triggers it. Does anyone have any advice on how to manage or anything that stops the attacks? Thanks in advance

I think you're right, I've only ever had this one surgery so no clue as to what's common practice, but the surgeon I met with initially said they want 2 weeks for the pre-op. Mine was an initial form to complete re medical history, then a telephone call, then an in-person apt with a nurse for bloods, ecg, height, weight. And then a second bloods as I agreed to a transfusion if need be, and in that case they had do do a second check to make confirm blood type. I hope you do get your pre op, you started this thread but have had to watch a few of us go before you. It is your turn most definitely!

I have had birthday cake thanks! I had most of one half so far, some of that shared with dh. The other half is in the freezer. My weight is maintaining but I would like to lose a little more. I'm waiting to join the gym as apparently my new heart disease diagnosis might gain me a referal to the gym, so I've got an appt with a nurse to discuss this late October. Referral or not I'll then start at the gym, THEN I can finish the cake! Ater the initial couple of days post op I've not had any sensitivity in my digestive system, I've tolerated everything just fine. Occassionally I'm a little burby after eating, but that's it. Reminds me of the person who posted on here that her DH bought fish and chips for her when she came out of surgery. When I read that I was a little horrified at the risk taking (😂) but I now know that I would have been able to do that too had I wished.

I had an eventful day yesterday. I had been having back pain between my shoulders for a couple of days. But weird but not bad. I was at a GP appointment for something else, mentioned the pain and that I had surgery recently and he sent me to A & E! I had a temp and fast pulse so he wanted me checked out for pancreatitis. I ended up spending 10 hours in A & E for blood tests and an examination before being given the all clear.

No idea what's causing the issues, apparently scapula pain is a red flag for a clot or pancreatitis so the GP was right to send me in, but I'm exhausted today. I got home at 2.30 am. They are keeping me on a 48 hour notice to attend the surgical assessment unit direct if I get worse or start vomiting.

I still have some back pain and a temp today but no worse. Guessing it's a virus of some sort.

That's frightening @Lionoso ! Are you able to rest up today?

Yes thanks @dudsville I'm resting today. I'm feeling all right today.

Stupid thing is I didn't get to discuss the problem I made the GP appointment for as it got side tracked by the pancreas worries. So now I have to make another appointment, and with my GP surgery thats like a really tough Crystal Maze episode. 😐

Oh no! My gp surgery is not one of the good ones, nice enough stay but terribly organised, never a clear answer, and woeful communication, so you have my sympathy having to get back to them!

Glad you enjoyed your cake @dudsville. It sounds like a good plan you have there.

Oh no @Lionoso, hope you are feeling ok now! Glad you got checked out and all is ok though. Not good weather for a temperature this week!

I picked up a copy of my scan results. Still have multiple gallstones but no mention of sizes. Also have a inhomogeneous and fatty liver. Not 100% sure what that means but Google is showing me things about liver disease. I was/am very fat, so I know the cause. I feel quite down this afternoon, angry and frustrated with myself that I have done this to my body. DH is also having some health complications too at the moment so it all feels very full on. Stupidly, I would previously make myself feel better with food, which is how I got into this situation. I almost feel like I deserve the pain if I eat something as I have created the problem. Sorry I've got deep! Trying to keep everything lighthearted and worry free for my family. Feel free to ignore this bit!

Aw@HeyBwoss, I'm sorry you're feeling down. I've had a few existential moments over various things this year, I'm similar in that i haven't made good decisions. "Deserving" pain though is an awful concept. The pain may be a clear and linked outcome of our choices, but we make bad decisive for all sorts of reasons too complex to say "I ate it so I deserve to suffer". Has this gb fiasco and your liver diagnosis given you any shift in perspective?

For me, almost all of the longed for food items so far have fallen flat for me, not all, but a good 75% of the taste that i remembered and mourned not being able to have just isn't there. That's helping me shift my perspective on what to eat. The heart diagnosis made me want to go to the gym. I am still making bad decisions but fewer. Beating yourself up now on top of everything you're going through just seems mean. How do you want to live?

I am still thinking about your post. Tonight we had one of my longed for meals. I didn't enjoy it and ate too much anyway. We then watched the first episode of a Netflix thing called Blue Dot, or something, about a handful of communities around the world with healthy longevity. It doesn't seem like an amazing or groundbreaking show but we were bored of our options. Anyway, this first episode was in a community in Japan and one of the things they said really surprised me. They said before every meal "may i stop eating when I'm 80% full". What shocked me was realising i do not have any awareness of what it feels like to be partially full. I seem to either be hungry or overstuffed, except for when I was eating too so gb flare ups. So I'm going to start trying to recognise and practice this.

Sorry I didn't come back. I'm ok. I know I need to make changes, and I hope this is the wakeup call I needed. I am similar to you, I'm either hungry or eat until I feel sick, although since having gallbladder problems I don't do it as much. I'm going to try to be more aware from now on.

I finally saw a consultant yesterday. I'm on the list for surgery with a 3 month waiting list (hopefully!). Not much else to add, he just agreed to the surgery and I had to sign a consent form.

@HeyBwoss good news that you are on the list, and three months isn't too bad! I know it probaby feels like a very long time to wait. But at least you know it's going to happen now.

That's a great outcome @HeyBwoss !

Great news you are on the three month list @HeyBwoss

Thanks all, yes 3 months feels a bit long but I know it will fly by really. And 6 months from GP appointment to surgery isn't too bad (although would have been longer without private scan). Just keeping everything crossed it's before Christmas now!

Fingers crossed @HeyBwoss. Hopefully we'll all be healed and sorted by Christmas!

@HeyBwoss , that's good that the money you spent on the private scan helped move things along, that makes it extra worthwhile. I'm still annoyed that my wait was going to be over a year from the scans and diagnosis. I'm lucky to have been able to take the private option but it's the post code lottery of it that bugs me.

I'm 18 days on now and feeling good. My GP went ahead and sent the referral to the gym last week. My gp does them for high bmi's, cardiac diagnoses, and diabetes, so I'll try to meet with the gym this week with the aim to start asap next week. I'm not looking forward to exercising, and I've already gained a couple of pounds since gaining the freedom to eat, so i can see how easy it would be to lose ground. I've started consciously have no fat meals to balance things but that's not going to be enough.

I still occasionally hurt the top middle incision, and some of the glue and scab is coming away and the skin looks like an awkward join, like there's going to be a bit of a lip. With the others the glue is almost all gone and tiny bits of scan have come off and the skin looks good under there.

How's everyone else doing pre or post surgery?

I'm doing pretty well. Everything seems to be healing. I've got two incisions where the stitches are sticking out a bit so I might see if I can cut them off.

I went away this weekend and was the most active I've been in months. Apart from a couple of twinges near the belly button incision I was absolutely fine.

I'm also going to get my diet under control this week. I imagine I've put on a few pounds after 3 weeks of "normal" eating and I don't want to put on all the weight I've lost.

@CleanQueen123 , was it you who planned to walk snowdon?

Yes, I didn't do Snowdon in the end. The surgeon advised against it and to be honest I'm not fit enough after months of doing nothing, but I certainly clocked up the miles with less strenuous walking and feel better for it. Snowdon next year!

Sorry you didn't get to do it. I've wanted to walk up Snowdon for years but plans have never come together. It would have been v hot!

Yes, I was actually quite pleased I hadn't done it when the temperature ramped up. I'd picked early September thinking it would be cooler!

@HeyBwoss just jumping in to say I had tgat liver diagnosis but also with suspected fibrosis, so similar to you a rough liver.

I was terrified for months while waiting for the fibroscan and blood tests.

Losing weight, quitting wine and exercise has resolved both my liver and gallbladder problems.

It's tricky now I'm symptom free to keep the weight down. Running helps.

Have you been offered any blood tests for your liver issues. I asked for a GP appointment to discuss my results and also rang the British liver trust, they have dedicated liver nurses who will chat and reassure you.

I hope everyone is managing to stay attack free and feeling well. I've got an apt at my local hospital with the consultant in early October which I'm pleased about. Bar a bit of constipation every now and then I seem (she says) to be OK and sometimes even forget myself and then think 'oh nothing will happen if I have this will it' and then end up constipated or bloated but thankfully not having an attack. I'm hoping they won't say 'oh you've 'only' had 3 attacks, keep monitoring it'. It's a pretty miserable existence food wise and I'm not sure I'll ever look at turkey or chicken in the same way again ...

@namechanged221 thank you for this post. No, not been offered anything from my GP but then I haven't actually asked about it. I'm pretty sure the GP read the report but didn't mention me booking an appointment to discuss it. I did ask the consultant whether it would affect my gallbladder or the surgery but he said no, it's not a concern and that I need to stop eating fatty foods and my liver will shrink back to normal. Which is funny since I stopped eating fatty foods after my first scan back in June, and that report said my liver was fine. Well done you on controlling your symptoms, I know it is difficult.

Hi @MiniCooperLover glad you haven't had any major attacks recently. I felt exactly the same as you, worrying they would say I've "only had x amount of attacks" or that I was controlling it well with diet so continue that way, but no one has even questioned the amount I've had and barely mentioned diet except to say go low fat, and the consultant asked if I was eating low fat and was that helping. Hopefully it'll be the same for you. Also, I keep thinking "surely one thing won't hurt" but I think the reason I had the last big one in August was because of that attitude. I kept having a little bite here, a bit of cheese there, half a nugget off the kids, a nibble of their chocolate and I think it all built up and ended badly, so I don't do that any more. Although keep accidentally going to on autopilot! I hope your appointment goes well.

@HeyBwoss at the risk of sounding bizzare what fatty foods where you eating? Greasy fish and chips or choclate?. I only ask because in a more healthy way I thought we were suposed to eat fat foods?

What did you eat to shrink it and how long did that take

I haven't shrunk it yet, @Packageholiday. My scan on the 28th Aug showed a fatty liver. But before I realised I had gallstones my diet wasn't great. Ate chocolate often (probably the thing I miss most), probably got a take away once a month or so, used oil/butter/milk/cheese in cooking as necessary. Had lots of veg in meals, not enough fruit. Didn't eat 3 regular meals, would just snack on stuff throughout the day until dinner. I am fat, but have lost just over 3 stone since June. I don't eat anything with oil or butter now, no dairy except fat free yogurt for breakfast and the occasional protein mousse. No 'junk' food, take aways or eating out.