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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to expect a blood test for possible gallbladder problems to be sooner than 14 days away??

53 replies

wrigglepigg · 03/12/2020 16:25

My dad has been in a lot of pain for two weeks. First day was sudden and acute onset followed by vomiting. Pain has persisted, no more vomiting and no fever and able to pass stools so no blockage - but his stools are pale and urine dark which are signs of gallbladder issues. Has anyone experience of gallbladder issues ?

GP requested a blood draw appt but didn’t list it as urgent so they’ve given him an appt 14 days away. I don’t know how long the blood results will take to get back either.

Is this normal??? It seems an excessively casual approach. I am considering speaking to the practice manager but I’m willing to be told I’m wrong.

OP posts:
Spongebobsquarefringe · 03/12/2020 21:06

My nan had this, she had infected gallstone, this led to sepsis, she was very jaundice, in pain. I called for an ambulance because she collapsed as this was the sepsis taking over, don’t wait for 111 go to A&E

Original poster
wrigglepigg · 04/12/2020 09:37

Hi just to update: the nurse phoned dad last night and said they would email his GP. Receptionists at surgery this morning have confirmed GP will phone him and also given a blood draw appt for Mon 7th as there’s been a cancellation.

All seems terribly casual!

OP posts:
ATowelAndAPotato · 04/12/2020 10:33

If he is yellow tinged/jaundiced then he needs to go to A&E. he could have a gallstone blocking his bile duct or similar, which will impact on his liver function and possibly pancreas too. I can’t believe they are letting him wait til mon for blood tests.
How is he feeling now op?

Original poster
wrigglepigg · 04/12/2020 12:47

@ATowelAndAPotato he is feeling ok. The pain comes and goes now. GP rang dad this morning and admitted he should have put urgent on the blood form but is still happy to leave him waiting til Monday for blood test - I don’t know how quick the results will be.

Dad insisting on going down the GP’s route unfortunately!!

OP posts:
Original poster
wrigglepigg · 04/12/2020 12:52

Oh and in response to pp apparently the blood test is to check his bilirubin levels - which seems ridiculous - he is already a bit yellow and has pale poo!!!! What’s the point in delaying things with a blood test to confirm the obvious.

OP posts:
ittakes2 · 04/12/2020 12:57

It our area you can book a test at the drs and wait a while or go to the local hospital as a walk in patient and do it ASAP if you want to.

Original poster
wrigglepigg · 04/12/2020 13:40

It does seem to be a postcode lottery on quality of service

OP posts:
NemosPoorlyFinn · 04/12/2020 15:09

My sisters been having problems with her gallbladder for coming on two years now After multiple trips to a&e
And the whites of her eyes going yellow
They put a temporary stent in (was meant to be for 3-6 months )
She still has it in now 18 months later
Had an op booked in for March this year but was cancelled

I really don't understand how long she's going to have to suffer or how bad it needs to get before they actually remove the bloody thing
She's only 32 so I dunno if she keeps getting bumped down the list because of that 🤷🏻‍♀️

Original poster
wrigglepigg · 04/12/2020 16:04

@NemosPoorlyFinn that is awful, your poor sister!!! I do question the pedestal the NHS is put on by a lot of people...it’s on its knees and needing a complete overhaul it seems !

OP posts:
SockQueen · 05/12/2020 09:22

@wrigglepigg hopefully they'll be checking more than just the bilirubin level itself (it usually comes as part of a set of other tests) to try to give a better idea of what the cause might be. Glad he's getting things done sooner.

ATowelAndAPotato · 05/12/2020 09:35

Oh bless him. Just make him promise that if there is any severe pain/pain lasting longer than a few hours, he will go to A&E?

GruffyLove · 05/12/2020 09:38

Having had my gallbladder out and gallbladder attacks prior to this - ask your father to keep to a very very low fat diet. It’s the fat that causes the attacks

Mammyofasuperbaby · 05/12/2020 09:42

Strange, mine are always done within 12 hours of an attack with results back in 24hrs or less. This is how I ended up in hospital with deranged liver readings. So if I dont recover in a few hours I have to be rushed back to hospital for emergency bloods to try to prevent liver failure. Ive been doing this since August 2018 and need urgent gallbladder removal but I had a baby in the mean time.
I'd suggest ringing 111 for advice

jacks11 · 05/12/2020 09:47

The bloods will be to check liver function (can be affected if gallstones blocking common bile duct), check amylase levels and probably also looking for signs of infection. I would have thought he would have an ultrasound too.

I think 2 week wait for bloods is quite long if he still has symptoms and is unwell. If he had an acute attack which had completely settled, then the bloods would be for completeness and not as urgent.

jacks11 · 05/12/2020 09:53

Having read your update, if you think he is showing signs of jaundice or is still in pain, then you should either take him to a&e or contact out of hours gp service and ask for an urgent appointment.

Summergarden · 05/12/2020 10:06

Oh no I’m sorry to hear this OP.

Years ago I had similar pains and my (nurse) Mum suspected gallbladder issues. I struggled to arrange a blood test and just tried to carry on but it was bloody hard- including spending over an hour writhing in pain in a toilet cubicle floor at work.

One evening it got so bad that my mum took me to A&E, In hindsight that was the best way to get treatment accelerated. I was kept in overnight and had an ultrasound the next day which revealed gallstones. I also had the yellow skin and without meaning to worry you further, the hospital doctor said it was good that I hadn’t left it any longer to go for urgent treatment as the yellow tinge was due to the start of pancreatitis which could have huge future health implications. As a result they operated to remove my gall bladder after just 2 weeks, way quicker than many people wait.

So if your DF gets another bout of acute pain and has the yellow skin tinge I’d honestly suggest that you bypass everything else and just take him to A&E.

Good luck.

TheVanguardSix · 05/12/2020 10:08

Jaundice and pale stool? Get him to A&E, OP.
Gallstones or pancreas. He needs answers, asap.

Hill1991 · 05/12/2020 10:26

I never had a blood test for my gallbladder just had an ultrasound done surly that's would be the easiest way to find out if it is his gallbladder but if his eyes and skin are yellowing I would be getting him to the nearest accident and emergency department as they should scan him while he is there

Original poster
wrigglepigg · 05/12/2020 13:28

He is refusing to go to hospital - says he will wait for the bloods on Monday as GP has instructed / good news is pain has subsided is it possible for a blockage to clear itself/get better without intervention?

OP posts:
Hill1991 · 05/12/2020 14:04

I have no idea if a blockage can sort itself out but gallbladder pain isn't constant and can come and go as gallstones block the bile duct and irritate the gallbladder, have you mentioned to the doctor that he's got yellowing off the eyes and skin surly they should be telling him he needs the ultrasound as that's the fastest way to see if it's gallbladder that's the problem

ATowelAndAPotato · 05/12/2020 18:07

Yes, a blockage can move. But that’s not always a good thing, it could get stuck elsewhere.
You need to tell him that the GP “instructions” were based on how he was at the time. If he gets worse, then there are new instructions - which is A&E. you need somewhere than has X-ray/ultrasound or possibly MRI (I had all of the these) as well as bloods so most out of hours centres won’t have all of those.

abstractzebra · 05/12/2020 18:20

I had the same symptoms, jaundice, pale stools and very dark wee and it was gallstones but some stones had escaped and were blocking my bile duct and other things (sorry, can't remember exactly).
I had to have a procedure to remove them, down my throat and it wasn't very pleasant but compared to the pain of an attack, I would have let them do whatever they wanted!
Gallstones don't dissolve or move (as all my friends and family kept telling me they did! Confused). I think they were getting confused with kidney stones maybe?
Morphine was my best friend at the time!

MumInBrussels · 05/12/2020 18:57

Did he tell them his skin has gone yellow? Because I'd expect that to prompt a more urgent response than, sure hang around until Monday, and we'll see how the results look when they finally arrive... I'm not a doctor, but this seems like a pretty serious thing with potentially serious consequences; did he perhaps not give them all the information? (I know people who sometimes skim over pertinent details when talking to doctors...)

BigGreen · 05/12/2020 19:07

Do you live locally? I'd be thinking about picking him up and taking him.

bloodywhitecat · 05/12/2020 19:25

@MumInBrussels

Did he tell them his skin has gone yellow? Because I'd expect that to prompt a more urgent response than, sure hang around until Monday, and we'll see how the results look when they finally arrive... I'm not a doctor, but this seems like a pretty serious thing with potentially serious consequences; did he perhaps not give them all the information? (I know people who sometimes skim over pertinent details when talking to doctors...)
Don't count in it, my GP and the local A&E turned yellow. The GP was not concerned and moved at a snail's pace even when DP's bilirubin levels came back at 422, he just ordered more blood tests and a routine scan. A&E turned him away.

DP has bile duct cancer. Bile duct cancer has a 0% survival rate when advanced. He went to the GP in June, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after several botched biopsies and has recently been told it is, in fact, bile duct cancer. It is advanced and he has a liver met. These cancers can kill in weeks, 1 in 4 people don't survive 12 weeks after diagnosis. If I had my time again I'd drag him kicking and screaming to find someone who would take his symptoms seriously. DP had a clear PET scan in August. By the time he had his Whipple's in Oct the cancer had spread.