Anyone else waiting for gallstone surgery and struggling with attacks?

[Custardcreams35]

I’m in gallstone hell. The pain is just horrendous. I’ve been having attacks for almost 18 months, and I’m still waiting for an operation but it’s taking forever. The last few attacks I’m throwing up so violently despite taking anti sickness tablets. I take buscopan, naproxen and paracetamol. I have been to hospital for them before but the wait time and the conditions made the whole thing even more traumatic.

saw my GP again this morning and she said ‘what do you want me to do about it?’. Absolutely infuriating.

Is anyone else currently waiting? How long have you been waiting and how are you coping/managing symptoms? I can’t believe how bad my care has been, I’ve been told unless it becomes urgent then you carry on with the routine pathway. I am now looking at paying privately, but given all the tax we pay I don’t see why I should have to. Sorry for the rant!

I am so sorry you are going through this. I had my gallbladder out over 10 years now. I know how painful it can be. Do your painkillers work. I found the only pain killers that worked for me was strong co codomol.

Your GP sounds great 🙄
Ask for stronger painkillers , can you take codeine?

I used to have to sleep in the bath, it was the only way I could get through the night, so you have my sympathies!

Have you identified any foods that could be triggering the attacks? While I was waiting for my surgery the consultant told me to avoid eggs as they are a common trigger, and when I remembered back to the last couple of attacks I’d had, both times I’d had eggs in some form.

I’m sorry but if I was in that much pain any annoyance about taxes would not even be on my radar . Go private and get your life back .

I ended up eating just porridge made with water and rich tea biscuits for a couple of months to avoid attacks. Not ideal and I lost a lot of weight.

I can’t take codeine as it makes me sick but I have been given some more stronger painkillers. I had to have oramorph a couple of times and that didn’t even do that much!

My SIL had hers out as an emergency procedure. Any way of attending a&e while you’re having an attack?

So I am avoiding all saturated fat, processed meat. Don’t eat many eggs, so could cut that too, but think it’s more to do with volume of food, as usually it comes after having a bigger meal:l. It’s just so miserable.

You say that but I pay thousands in tax every month - and I can’t even access the healthcare I need and have a GP who was so astoundingly rude and unhelpful. It’s not acceptable that our NHS is now at a point where you can only get help when it’s a life threatening emergency.

last time I went to A&E I waited for 11 hours and then as I was ‘stable’ there was nothing more they could do there. You basically stay on a routine pathway unless it becomes life threatening - which it can very easily. But both times I’ve been to A&E I was again treated appallingly.

Do you know where you are on the waiting list? Find out all that practical stuff and ring the actual consultants secretary on the pretext of making sure they know you’re available for last minute cancellations. Ask them the name of the waiting list clerk who deals with that consultants list. Then ring them regularly to check your number and remind them you can do cancellations. That’s what I did anyway and i felt better knowing where I was. It’s awful, but when it’s done you get your life back

That’s horrendous OP, how they can describe your condition as stable if you are regularly in that pain is beyond comprehension. Why are the NHS waiting until people have years of hell or need emergency surgery before doing anything? I would personally persist with the consultant or change GPs

Check the wait times at other hospitals. I found that travelling out of my area was well worth it as the wait time was considerably shorter.

A&E won’t help unless it is extremely urgent. The issue then is that the gallbladder will probably be inflamed and surgeons don’t like operating when that’s the case.

You have my sympathy - the NHS is broken.

She probably had pancreas involvement, one of my attacks led to acute pancreatitis so my gb was taken out as an emergency procedure.

Waited 7 long years and the relief when it was done was like something else ! I hope you get it out soon

7 years! I also read on some threads that some people are waiting nearly three years! Horrendous!

I have been waiting four months just to get an initial appointment - I haven’t even been referred to the surgery list yet!

how are you suppose to live life and work in this condition it’s absolutely awful

I know its ridiculous I was at my wits end but the relief is unreal. Good luck I hope you get it soon