My GP thinks I have gallstones...

[TigerFeet]

Bugger, bollocks and arse

I have been throwing up a lot recently, sharp pains and aches on the right hand side of my abdomen, indigestion, rambunctiuos belching etc etc so off I went to the doctor and she reckons it could well be galltones. She's referred me for a u/s scan so I suppose I'll just have to wait and see.

I know it's fairly common so if anyone could tell me their experiences I'd be grateful, particularly wrt how long you had to wait for a scan, how long you had to wait for an op, how long you were out of action for??

Ta muchly.

wow so many more replies - thanks everyone

LEM I am blonde out of a bottle, well fair anyway . I do meet a lot of the criteria for gallstone problems - female, white, getting older, overweight, diet of lots of refined carbs, I could go on....

I will have the op if that's what it turns out to be - I am not in a huge amount of pain, it isn't unmanageable but it is uncomfortable and distracting especially when I need to be on the ball at work. The nausea and indigestion I could do without as well. If I can get it sorted before it gets any worse then that would be brilliant.

As for the low fat diet - well I could stand to lose a stone or six but I am going to struggle, I have food ishoos that aren't so easy to just wave away. I will certainly give it my best shot though. Excruciating pain could well be good aversion therapy [attempts to look on the bright side]

I am a bit scared as I know of two people in RL who had complications with gall bladder surgery. I am trying to console myself with the fact that it's unlikely that lightning will strike a third time.

Lyra - I hope you get some answers soon.

pendulum, that's really odd, to do the op when she had no symptoms. i wouldn't want to have an anaesthetic unless i really needed it

whereabouts do you live tigerfeet?

lem - because the only time they've caused me a problem was just after I had dd (midwife thought it was afterpains, and I couldn't understand why no-one had warned me about them, as it was worse than the birth!), and my GP reckons that about 40% of people actually have them these days, just without realising it!

I don't want unnecessary surgery of any sort, especially if it involves anaesthetic/medication, as I'm still breastfeeding dd, and pregnant with ds, so drugs are a big no-no. Maybe in a few years once I've finished breastfeeding and if they are giving me a problem, I will be more open to the idea.

CSWS I really get where you're coming from... I am not pg or bf atm but haven't ruled out having another so if I could get this sorted before going for DC2 I would be far happier than to leave it. In a way it's good that it's happened now, before TTC, so I don't have to worry about medication and anaesthetic and so forth.

I live in South Lincs, Bundle

I have gallstones which I've been managing for 1.5 years by eating less fat. I'm pretty much okay with anything less that 20g per 100g and can have bits of higher fat.

I've had a handful of attacks in that time due to my own stupidity, but have managed them by meditation, focusing on the pain.

I know I'll eventually have it out, I just need to lose weight first as I'm scared of general anaesthetic.

I would have happily performed surgery on myself because the pain was so bad during the attacks I had, much worse than labour. also I had suspected pancreatitus which is really dangerous. Have em out.

thought I might know a nice surgeon but i don't know anyone around you

(by the way - I think the 'fair' in the 'fair, fat and forty' saying just means 'female', as in 'the fair sex'. Nothing to do with hair colour).

tigerfeet, you are not far from me. i am in newark! when i was taken to hospital, i went to kings mill, which i had heard loads of bad thins about, but they were ok. apart from the ward being too hot all the time then wondering why i had a temperature!

bundle- I think the posts by Carmenere and lucyellensmum answer your Q! Like you my mum was initially against having surgery she considered unnecessary, but the doc said she would eventually start having acute attacks which would complicate matters (he also pointed out she's not getting any younger)

They are retired and travel quite a bit, incl to the US, and didn't fancy having to throw themselves on the mercy of a foreign healthcare system.

I think she did the right thing FWIW.

I'm in Boston lizandlulu so no doubt will end up in Pilgrim

I had dd there and the food is rank - dh actually put a complaint in because it was so bad last time he was there. He's no fussy eater either - it was truly inedible. The nursing staff were all lovely though thankfully.

I've never been in hospital before other than having dd. Gulp. Hopefully I am getting ahead of myself here and it's not gallstones but something treatable by sitting at home for a month eating cake and drinking wine

Message withdrawn

ummm, i doubt it is anything that can be cured like that
at least if you did have the op, you wouldnt be in for long. i cant remember exactly how long i was in for, but i think i had the op in the afternoon and i was home the next afternoon.

I'm the same as Summatandnowt, trying to manage mine as I am not going under a general unless it turns into an emergency.

Has been usually because I've had something fatty or had a large meal but they do also strike randomly, had a horrible attack last night.

I have codeine on prescription, and buscopan and take them together at the first sign of pain (always in the evening), retreat to bed with one of those microwavable wheat bags. Usually it's not too bad then.