Just got back from doctors. Not great news.

[TheOriginalFAB]

I went after I had hours of pain and not being able to breathe properly or take a deep breath without it really hurting. That appears to be a muscular pain. Had other tests, querying gallstones and I had blood and something else in my urine. On tablets and have to go back to doctors next week. Can anyone tell me anythng about gallstones please in case it turns out to be that?

I had a giant gallstone so they took my gallbladder out. It was a day-surgery procedure and very straight forward. I was supposed to rest for 3 days but after one day I was bored and just carried on as normal. I couldn't eat much for a couple of weeks after but that was the only ill-effect.

What were your symptoms?

Believe it or not - pain in my ovaries - they scanned everywhere and found it. I did have some sharp stabbing pains when I breathed or ate certain things but I put it down to being bloated (I have PCOS as well).

I have stabbing pains too but have got used to them and didn't go to the doctor about them. The doctor tonight asked if I had IBS but have been told no yet I need the loo after eating certain things.

I have IBS as well - starting to see why I missed the stone! I found that high fat foods made me rush to the loo more than anything else.

XW had them and had to have her gall bladder out. She's still ok and it was about 10 years ago.

Oh I've a relative who has had really successful treatment for gall stones after a long period of discomfort, including pain after eating certain foods.

He didn't need his gall bladder removed, but had a series of small day-operations. He's elderly but has recovered fantastically.

I believe smaller stones can be broken up by ultrasound without an op. [disclaimer: not a doctor]

Thank you all.

Hi Fab. You have been through a lot havent you. The gallstones presumably are not related to the tiredness are they? how are you coping with the exhaustion now?

Take care

Still tired all the time. Fed up about it but plan to sleep tomorrow after my check up at the breast clinic.

I had pancreatitis, it is the most painful thing I've had and I've had a lot of pain.
I ended up in hospital for a month on regular Morphine and Pethadine. My gallbladder was taken out on the Thursday and I flew to the middle east on the Sunday.
Good luck, it isn't any fun.

I am not in pain in my shoulder today and my stomach was fine yesterday until the nurse and then doctor decided to listen to my stomach and then prod it hard .

Not at all. I am aware of what problems I do have but am not worrying about having any more.

Hi my daughter had her gall bladder out earlier this year as she had gall stones, apparently it is rare in children but hers was caused by the blood disorder spherocytosis, sounds scary but really isn't a major problem. We didn't know she had it untill they investigated the cause of her gall stones. She has always been fit and healthy apart from more tired than other children her age ..

Poor lamb . I hope she is okay now.

Have more bleeding and stomach pains. Is that part of having gallstones?

Hi Fab,
Firstly I hope the pain you've been suffering with as subsided. If it is gallstones then I know exactly what your going through and I can honestly say its one of the worst pains I've experienced - although Iam currently 7 weeks away from giving birth (my 1st) so possibly not!
Around my 24th week of pregnancy I started experiencing what felt like trapped wind in my chest. It would wake me up at night, i felt like I just needed a big burp and my back rubbing. This was the start of weeks of agony which I had no idea what it was. Soon the pains got worse, instead of lasting an hour they dragged on for 4 hours at a time to now 10 hours if I have an 'attack'.
Pain is triggered by foods which are fatty (or delicious), so the rest of my pregnancy has been devoted to avoiding all the yummy full-fat foods I've been craving.
I ended up at the docs/walk in centre a few times before I eventually got a scan on my gallbladder for them to see I had several stones, theres nothing they can do about it at the minute not until I've had my baby.
Anyways so the symptoms of an attack (for me anyways) is pretty much what you've described. Feels like somebody is giving me a massive rib crushing bear hug from behind, or that my upper torso is trapped in a vice. Breathing in deeply hurts. My heart feels like its getting crushed. The pain radiates through my body to my shoulder pains and its like somebody has a hot poker stabbing me in the back. The pain is so extreme that I cant sleep through it, instead I prop myself up with lottttts of pillows and the only thing that takes it off is codiene (although I dont really like taking it while pregnant). Rocking back and forward and rubbing the top of my bump helps sometimes.
I'am now on a strict low-fat diet, which is rubbish but its my only option. The last attack I had was 2 weeks ago when previously before that it was over a month, I thought somehow my gallstones had been cured (i must have forgotten about the pain) and caved in to a big bar of chocolate. 10 hours of agony followed by chills and vomiting occurred. Not fun!

I hope you get your diagnosis soon, its the worst when your stuck in limbo and not knowing what to do to avoid the pain.

Get well soon!

Thank you, I still feel yukky though it is mostly the fibromyalgia that is causing me pain at the moment and I am starting with a cold. I have run out of asthma inhalers but am seeing the GP for a follow up appointment on Monday and then on Wednesday about the gallstone query. I am so tired as well.

Do you mean rectal bleeding Fab? Is the gp aware?

So sorry you've been having such a tough time recently :(

Can I recommend this book, Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

It's about using mindfulness meditation for pain, stress and illness. It's very good.

No, it was vaginal bleeding though it has stopped for now.