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Original poster

To just have my gallbladder removed privately if I can afford it?

156 replies

MoveYourArmsLikeHenry · 13/09/2014 18:16

I have been suffering from gallstone pain for several years, only finding out the cause earlier this year. I went to see the consultant a month ago, feeling relieved that the ball is rolling and something may be done to stop these awful pains.

The consultant doesn't want to remove my gallbladder :( he wants me to lose weight to control it, which is fair enough, have been trying for a month now. And also said I'm am very young (nearly 26) for gallstones, surgery isn't necessary right now, let's try losing weight and improving overall health first and review you again in 6 months.

All well and lovely. Except I am still having these godawful bastarding pains :( even if I am not having an attack, the right side of my back feels like someone has struck it repeatedly with an iron bar, nearly everyday and I can't take it anymore :(

Wibu to say sod the 6 month review, I am in daily pain, and see about having it removed privately? I feel like because I am fat and young they are just fobbing me off but I cat bear the agony of it any more.

OP posts:
CarbeDiem · 14/09/2014 19:01

Horrible! I share your pain at the ruined pregnancy Girlie
It was a nightmare, in and out of hospital while trying to care for 2 other dc at home.
The guilt :( the worrying about the baby inside - was it stressing out because my pain levels were going through the roof. Was it getting enough nutrients and so on.
I was prescribed strong painkillers and told and reassured it was safe to take them but I still didn't like to very often.
My Obs consultant promised me I could be induced if I reached my due date and he stuck to his word booking me in for the earliest appt at 40+5. I was so grateful and ready to get my poor baby out of my bastard broken body asap. He was fine and at 10lb.15 had obviously thrived inside - it was just me that felt and looked like shit :) :)

MrsSchadenfreude · 14/09/2014 19:13

Mine were hereditary - there's no-one in my family over the age of 40 who still has their gallbladder. Mine was inflamed and infected, I went into hospital and they kept me in for 10 days, gave me buscopan and antibiotics and just kept me hydrated, with nothing to eat or drink. They told me I had to lose weight before the op, and said "these 10 days without food will have given you a good kick start." They weighed me before they discharged me and I'd lost 1 lb.

Darkesteyes · 14/09/2014 19:17

You actually need to eat to lose weight Im really beginning to think that the medical profession hates us for getting this disease. And i find it incredibly worrying the amount of people having to go private.

Are there any men reading this who have had gallstones. Id be interested to know if the way you were treated differed at all.

Ledkr · 14/09/2014 19:41

Late to the thread but I too am suffering and waiting to see the consultant. I presumed if be operated on and would be gutted if he says no.
I am controlling attacks with a fat free diet but it's so restricting and as I went through earky menopause I am also concerned as to my nutritional needs.
I can't enjoy eating out with the family or a BBQ or have a takeaway.
I've twice thought I ordered widely in a restaurant then ended up in agony due to hidden fat.
I also feel nausea lots of the time even between attacks (anyone else had that?) and last Sunday spent on a and e vomiting after a chicken wrap, I can't eat eggs anymore either.
I'm two stones overweight but I didn't think that losing that would make any difference.
Interestingly despite my restricted diet and frequent sickness I've not reLly lost very much weighf, I can lu assume I'm not eating enough.

MrsBungle · 14/09/2014 19:52

Can you ask to see another consultant op? It's not fair you're left in constant pain - and if you are in constant pain maybe you have an infection - you should go back.

My op to have my gallbladder out is on the 15th oct. I have differing levels of attack - I get done discomfort after every meal, even a meal of nothing but salad. Last Friday I had a horrendous attack having eaten nothing at all for 13 hours. I've been prescribed oramorph for the worst attacks. My consultant immediately booked me in for the op and my bmi is over 30.

MillyStar · 14/09/2014 19:53

I'd get it out privately if I were you!

I had mine done two year ago when I was 27, I went through hell with the pain and would eat healthily and low fat 99% of the time but if I had one slice of pizza I'd be In agony for days and miss work and be in floods of tears

The relief of knowing that wouldn't happen again was amazing

MrsBungle · 14/09/2014 19:55

ledkr I feel sick pretty much all the time too.

Losing weight isn't going to miraculously get rid of the stones. If they're there and causing problems it should be looked at.

girliefriend · 14/09/2014 19:59

Carbe wow sounds like we had the same symptoms and nightmare pregnancy Sad not good. My dd didn't fair quite as well as your ds though, she was early, then had breathing difficulties and was in nicu for a week.

I have no way of proving it but my dd was a really sensitive baby and remains ridiculously sensitive and I often wonder if the exposure to so many stress hormones in pregnancy are to blame in some way.

I was given pethidine to take but despite getting weekly horrendous attacks that left me floored and unable to move (I thought I was going to die during one particularly bad attack) I would take the smallest amount possible out of fear for dd.

I have had IBS since the op, which is worsened by over indulging.

Yes Ledkr I often felt sick and would normally vomit during an attack, also couldn't eat eggs. Apparently they are full of cholesterol which triggers attacks.

Original poster
MoveYourArmsLikeHenry · 14/09/2014 20:04

Thanks for replying.

Thanks for past and present sufferers :(

I feel sick in between attacks. My abdomen also often feels sore and tender a little above my belly button, especially if I have eaten a big meal, and I get constant back/right shoulder pains. Unbearable.

OP posts:
Ledkr · 14/09/2014 20:06

I also live in fear of an attack.
Padticularky when in sole charge of the chikdren.
I had an attack the other week at the local open air pool, luckily my sisters were there to watch the kids and I had to lock myself in a toilet cubicle to have the attack.
I was on all fours on a dirty floor and I didn't care. I was moaning in pain but trying to keep quiet.
It's very scary for the kids.
I seem to get quicker less intense attacks in the day, much more painfull and lengthy during the night.

Original poster
MoveYourArmsLikeHenry · 14/09/2014 20:13

Something I've just remembered, during one bad attack I went to a and e (this was before gallstones were even mentioned) the doctor felt around my tummy and thought he "felt something" this combined with my symptoms he thought I could have a possible hernia. He sent a letter to my gp to refer me to have an endoscopy done, but this was never arranged. My gp sent me for ultrasound scan instead and once the gallstones were found it was never mentioned again. So there could be other problems too.

I'm not sure why he didn't feel the need to arrange the endoscopy. Surely you can have more than one condition at a time?

OP posts:
Original poster
MoveYourArmsLikeHenry · 14/09/2014 20:22

Oh led that sounds absolutely horrible, you poor thing -hugs-

What are you meant to do when having an attack? Pain killers don't even touch the edges. Are you meant to go to a and e?

OP posts:
OraProNobis · 14/09/2014 20:27

I had mine out. I was hugely overweight at the time but lucky enough to have private health insurance so I had it done very quickly. Some time later we got a breakdown of the final bill. We'd only had to pay a small excess. The actual bill was in the region of £13,000 all in. Shock On the plus side the symptoms disappeared overnight and the changes I made to my lifestyle are still in place today. I think I'd advise you to lose what weight you can first but if you have access to that kind of money then perhaps go for it if the pain is really affecting your quality of life?

girliefriend · 14/09/2014 20:52

Op what painkillers have they given you? I had a combination of pethidine, co-codomol, diclofenac and buscopan Shock this would sometimes take the edge off, sometimes not Sad

ledkr you sound like i was, my advice is to see or ring the dr after every attack until they get you in as an emergency. I was on the list to see the consultant but saw the dr 3 times in one week, on the 3rd visit she got me admitted as an emergency. Was awful as dd was only 2 weeks old at the time but I seriously could not go on as I was.

Original poster
MoveYourArmsLikeHenry · 14/09/2014 21:00

Girlie they haven't given me any painkillers :( just been taking paracetamol, as obviously can't take ibuprofen with a dodgy stomach. It does fuck all.

OP posts:
Darkesteyes · 14/09/2014 21:31

Ledkr im so sorry Ive been there. It is HELL ON EARTH. I used to work in a sex chatline office and i remember crawling on the floor screaming after doing a call because i got an attack.

One evening i got an attack DURING a call The caller rang reception and actually said (probably mid wank) "i dont think your girl there is very well" I was screaming and crying. And at that time being prescribed tramadol which didnt touch it mixing it with other painkillers out of sheer desperation (this was before they started giving me morphine) When i think back to it its a wonder Im alive.

Darkesteyes · 14/09/2014 21:32

Move.......fucking paracetamol ............it might as well be Smarties or M and Ms. Angry

girliefriend · 14/09/2014 21:34

move go back and talk to G.P that is ridiculous and actually very cruel. Gallbladder pain is widely know to be the most severe pain there is, worse than childbirth and having a heart attack!!

You can buy co-codomol over the counter but should have something opiod based for the very bad attacks.

Darkesteyes · 14/09/2014 21:36

The cruelty over treatment of people with this condition is astounding.

icymaiden · 14/09/2014 21:37

You need to see a different consultant.I have had my gallbladder removed , before this the pain was truly unbearable, I wasn't overweight by more than maybe 10 ibs, but I was 'fertile, fair and forty'.There was a 6 month old waiting list, but I went to see the same consultant privately and when he saw how desperate I was he told me that he could operate in 10 days but he would like me to go home and think about it for a week.The next day I got a call from the NHS hospital saying that due to a cancellation, they could operate the next day.I couldn't have waited 6 months it was utterly debilitating

Ledkr · 14/09/2014 21:39

I fund painkillers futile cos I'm always sick with an attack.

girliefriend · 14/09/2014 21:46

You can take an anti sickness tablet as well, although agree what you need is an injection of something like morphine. I was always sick as well but used to get a sense of 'foreboding' before an attack, like I knew something awful was about to happen. That would be the time to take the painkillers - even if you are sick some of it would get into your system.

Or with the pethidine I would sometimes take a 1/4 of a tablet so if I was sick I knew I could safely take some more iyswim?

Wonder how many of these drs and consultants would do things differently is they had been sufferers themselves Angry

Original poster
MoveYourArmsLikeHenry · 14/09/2014 21:46

I really do feel like my gp and consultant is fobbing me off, probably for cost issues, which is why I am considering going private (Nothing to do with losing weight, or being over weight)

I had no idea they should be giving me drugs to help me. I had no idea you should go to hospital when attacks occur. My gp thought I only had two attacks because I only went to a and e twice with the pain. I actually had close to 15 or so. I thought I just had to suffer in silence until a decision was reached regarding surgery.

OP posts:
girliefriend · 14/09/2014 21:49

Ring the dr after every attack is my advice, it is amazing how things get moving when you start annoying them Wink

You do not and should not have to suffer in silence.

girliefriend · 14/09/2014 21:50

OP when did they last check your liver function with a blood test?