AIBU to wonder how much longer I have to suffer like this?

[BarelySurviving]

For 9 months I've been experiencing crushing pains in my chest. It feels like my whole ribcage is being crushed, or like a steamroller is going over it. It's honestly worse than labour, and would happen a few times a week, usually waking me up in my sleep. It was initially misdiagnosed as a blood clot, then the doctors tried to fob me off by claiming it might just be heartburn, then I was told it was just my body adjusting after pregnancy and childbirth, then it was said to possibly be caused by me straining by carrying a baby all the time. And just been having blood test after blood test for months with no answers. It started just after I gave birth and I've spent the entirety of my mat leave just barely surviving on cocodamol.

Well, I had an ultrasound scan over a week ago. Never got the results and had been chasing doctors for them to no avail, told by GP it's only routine not urgent and told to make appointment for mid December. My health has rapidly declined recently and the pain is now near-constant, for example I will have crushing pain in chest for 20 hours straight then I will have discomfort/tightness for a couple hours, then back to crushing pain. I have been vomiting uncontrollably (sometimes struggle to make it to toilet and vomit on the floor), I'm going jaundiced, my wee is brown (and tissue looks neon orange when I wipe myself). I went to A&E on Friday at the end of my tether and the hospital staff were pissed off with me because they said it's not urgent as I've been dealing with this for 9 months already. But I can't cope with it any longer. I was then told that the previous scan showed I had a badly inflamed gallbladder and large gallstones. I was sent home with prescription for morphine and told that I will be referred for surgery.

I have no idea how much longer I have to wait. I'm not well at all now and feel like I'm barely functioning. I feel like I won't be able to work because of my pain and health. I searched online and I'm sure it said 49 weeks was the average wait for gallbladder removal at my hospital. How can I possibly suffer like this for another year? It seems so inhumane.

Does anyone else have experience of going through similar? I just feel at a loss and not taken seriously about my pain.

Call 111. Get your symptoms list ready and read them all out. You clearly need to be in hospital. GP is appalling but deal with that later. You poor love I really feel for you

I will give 111 a call today then, just need to mentally prepare for it first and yes I'll put together a list of symptoms. The more I think about it, the angrier I am that the doctor was trying to paint me as delusional and hysterical and use postnatal depression against me for being a "difficult" patient, oh how convenient I happened to have a baby in the last 12 months.

This is awful OP, I can’t believe the state of the nhs. I’m so very sorry you’re suffering so much.

No point calling 111. All they can do is advise you to go to your GP, or the A&E you’ve already been to, or a local OOH GP.

When your DH comes back from work he needs to drive you to another A&E out of this area. So you need to find someone to mind your kid.

Tell a white lie that you were seeing friends in the area and the pain got unbearable.

Checklist:

• degree of pain and location
• jaundice
• brown urine
• loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting
• previous high fever
• white poo
• itching
• Ultrasound results

I have always defended the NHS and I understand pressures and budgets as a healthcare worker myself, but to treat someone like this? I feel like my trust for the NHS has gone out of the window now.

@TatianaBis

My partner is currently out of work and doesn't drive. If he drove I wouldn't have said I have to keep paying for taxis and I can't afford it etc.

Xpost - please don’t bother with 111 it will just send you round in more circles.

I think you actually need to go to A&E, especially if you’re jaundiced.

Just ring 999 qnd say you're having an attack and can't move

Op I am really sorry that you are going through this.

This is what helped me when I had gallstones. It didn't stop the pain but I think that it did help a little with staving off attacks. Buscapan - take them every day, as directed, whether you are having an attack or not. Slippery Elm Tablets - as above. Peppermint oil capsules - as above.

I was prescribed tramadol for the pain, but there's no way that I could have taken them and looked after a baby.

For me, if I got too hungry this would bring on an attack, so eat little and often. Try and find out what your food triggers are. It's not always as simple as high fat foods unfortunately. I had to give up coffee, and noodles! In the end every food could set off an attack for me, it didn't matter whether it was a salad or fish and chips.

I hope that this is all sorted for you soon, it's the worst pain I've ever had.

Ok friend or family member? Or can you borrow the money for a cab to an out of area A&E?

And the way that you have been treated is awful.

I’m shocked at your GP! What did they say about gallstones? Are they claiming you DONT have gallstones?

And is there more than one GP at your practice? I’m sure I never see the same one twice! Can you get a different one? Or send a complaint to the practice manager about how much this is affecting you?

@Motnight I was given morphine for the pain which I can't look after my daughter when I take it but since being prescribed it I have had to take it every day. I understand eating little and often but I simply can't stomach it at the moment because of the nausea and vomiting. I'm not unhealthy so I don't know what the triggers are (as some posters have suggested it's caused by unhealthy lifestyle), and I haven't noticed a difference in pain levels since checking fat content on everything. On a day to day basis I only drink water so I know it can't be anything I'm drinking at least. The past few days I have noticed really bad acid reflux, and the only other time I had that was when I was pregnant, but I think this might be because I've been vomiting, I haven't eaten anything acidic etc, and well I'm barely eating at all tbh.

@BobLemon she knows I have gallstones and inflamed gallbladder because of ultrasound, so she cannot deny that, but she kept saying it's totally normal and people aren't usually affected by it or get jaundice and she can't understand why I've been referred for surgery as I'm so young.

She said my liver isn't distended or bulging out my side so there's no way I have a blockage

White poo can be a symptom of a blockage.

Your age is obviously counting against you and the fact you had to keep going back to see them. But that was only because they failed to refer you for an scan for 9 months.

Do you mind my asking if you’re overweight at all?

I don’t want to worry you more but you should push for them to look at your pancreas with those symptoms.

Good luck.

I've always been slim but gained weight while pregnant and been a bit overweight since then, but I thought this should drop off me when back in work and on my feet all the time, but obviously my current pain etc has put a stop to that for now. There hasn't been any concern over my weight from doctors etc, and when I was told about gallbladder stones and inflammation at A&E they were sure it would have been caused by pregnancy.

phone 111 and explain the jaundice. sending a hug x

I only ask because if you’re carrying extra weight round your middle it would be hard to see if there were any bulges.

111 is just a bunch of admin peeps with no medical training.

The only options they can offer the OP are:

1. Go back to her GP
2. Go back to A&E
3. OOH GP

I'm so sorry you've been treated so bay when you're so ill

This really is a disgrace. The NHS is not fit for purpose. If you have any moments when you can do anything can you contact your MP? It's so bloody exhausting fighting for treatment when you're at your lowest. It seems now that the primary function of the NHS is to prevent people from accessing it.

Good luck

Badly not bay