SOS - GALL BLADDER INFO, PLEASE - LONG READ
hello all:
i just survived a really gruesome week and would appreciate any info you could offer, please.
last monday evening i was in urgent care and then emergency room. suffering severe pain originating in my right side, under my rib cage, and shooting up into my shoulder and down into my groin. they did an awful lot of tests and ended up telling me i am showing fluid on my heart, irritation in my bowels, lots of gas, and i'm full of **** i've been suffering from constipation forever - no news there. but this pain was truly breathtaking. so they sent me home with instructions to take milk of mag, along with the miralax and colace and flax seed which i'm already taking. 
being a wls person, i questioned whether this could be gall bladder. they said no.
on tuesday i saw my colorectal surgeon, having had some really embarassing tests about two weeks ago. he tells me my rectocele is large and there's a secondary hernia higher up. that he will need to do the surgery but before he does it i need to do some biofeedback so i can learn to 'evacuate' correctly. how humiliating!. 
at this point, i am controlling the pain in my side with vicodin - which is constipating but controls the pain. a catch 22. 
on wednesday, i went back to urgent care. the flare up in my side had me doubled over again, i was actually panicking, because i was alone at work and didn't want to pass out. again - they told me i was FOS. again, i questioned the gall bladder. again, i was told to take the laxatives. at this point i'm taking three forms of laxative, twice a day, along with a minimum of 100 oz of water, oatmeal with walnuts for breakfast, and whole wheat sf banana nut muffin for lunch. 
thursday was relatively calm. the vicodin controls the pain but makes me very tired. on friday @ 5 p.m. i saw my gp. she is recommending i have an echocardigram for my heart - it's apparently not good to have pericardial effusion, whatever the heck that is. she's also ordering up a nuclear ultrasound to see if the gall bladder is diseased without having stones in it.
emotionally, my father passed away a year ago this past week, which makes me sad, of course, and on which i'm dwelling entirely too much - i guess. 
spiritually, my faith waivered this past week. i had a major meltdown on wednesday. the 'why me, lord?' syndrome kicked in big time and i forgot, for a while, that i'm lucky to be alive and life is good, in spite of what we are challenged to endure. 
financially, the time off work is hurting, because i know i'll need to take off in the near future for surgery and if i don't have the hours available, it could become an issue. plus, our finances suck. because of what i thought was a really wise choice on my part, we are so tight financially, we've had to borrow from the kids. talk about humbling. 
so that was my week from he!!. my question is this - have you had gall bladder troubles? what were your symptoms? is there any way i can alleviate the pain beside the vicodin? i feel like i'm becoming a real bummer to be around. i know that this too shall pass, NO PUN INTENDED, but in the meantime i'm trying to figure out how to stay positive. it ain't easy, though. 
oh yeah. i see a plastic surgeon on tuesday. wish me luck. i'm gonna try to see if she can tackle a panni at the same time as my rectocele repair. i feel like both are tied to the backaches i have every day and i honestly need to get some relief here.
if you're still reading, bless your heart. if you can help me out with gall bladder info, it would be greatly appreciated. thanks, everyone. i don't post often, but it's nice to know i can when i need to.
dorthe
being a wls person, i questioned whether this could be gall bladder. they said no.
on tuesday i saw my colorectal surgeon, having had some really embarassing tests about two weeks ago. he tells me my rectocele is large and there's a secondary hernia higher up. that he will need to do the surgery but before he does it i need to do some biofeedback so i can learn to 'evacuate' correctly. how humiliating!.
at this point, i am controlling the pain in my side with vicodin - which is constipating but controls the pain. a catch 22.
on wednesday, i went back to urgent care. the flare up in my side had me doubled over again, i was actually panicking, because i was alone at work and didn't want to pass out. again - they told me i was FOS. again, i questioned the gall bladder. again, i was told to take the laxatives. at this point i'm taking three forms of laxative, twice a day, along with a minimum of 100 oz of water, oatmeal with walnuts for breakfast, and whole wheat sf banana nut muffin for lunch.
thursday was relatively calm. the vicodin controls the pain but makes me very tired. on friday @ 5 p.m. i saw my gp. she is recommending i have an echocardigram for my heart - it's apparently not good to have pericardial effusion, whatever the heck that is. she's also ordering up a nuclear ultrasound to see if the gall bladder is diseased without having stones in it.
emotionally, my father passed away a year ago this past week, which makes me sad, of course, and on which i'm dwelling entirely too much - i guess.
spiritually, my faith waivered this past week. i had a major meltdown on wednesday. the 'why me, lord?' syndrome kicked in big time and i forgot, for a while, that i'm lucky to be alive and life is good, in spite of what we are challenged to endure.
financially, the time off work is hurting, because i know i'll need to take off in the near future for surgery and if i don't have the hours available, it could become an issue. plus, our finances suck. because of what i thought was a really wise choice on my part, we are so tight financially, we've had to borrow from the kids. talk about humbling.
so that was my week from he!!. my question is this - have you had gall bladder troubles? what were your symptoms? is there any way i can alleviate the pain beside the vicodin? i feel like i'm becoming a real bummer to be around. i know that this too shall pass, NO PUN INTENDED, but in the meantime i'm trying to figure out how to stay positive. it ain't easy, though.
oh yeah. i see a plastic surgeon on tuesday. wish me luck. i'm gonna try to see if she can tackle a panni at the same time as my rectocele repair. i feel like both are tied to the backaches i have every day and i honestly need to get some relief here.
if you're still reading, bless your heart. if you can help me out with gall bladder info, it would be greatly appreciated. thanks, everyone. i don't post often, but it's nice to know i can when i need to.
dorthe 
Dorthe,
I just had my gallbladder removed a few weeks ago. I was told for over a week that the pain I was feeling was gas! I actually believed it for a bit, but after a week of serious pain and suffering I gave up and went to my bariatric surgeon. They talked to me for a minute and sent me straight to the ER to be admitted. The pain I had would double me over, wake me out of a sound drug induced sleep, and caused me to have extreme nausea.
The ultra sound showed that not only did I have stones, but the ducts were completely blocked. My surgeon was amazed that I was able to deal with the pain and side effects for as long as I did. The stones were larger then normal and there were so many in there..
As for the location of the pain- well it was in my right side, up into my chest, down to my groin, and it hurt clear through to my back. The first week of pain it wasnt that bad, but it got worse almost daily.
Im so sorry your going through so much right now. Everything will work itself out! Let us know how things go!
Amber
Hi Dorthe! If it's your gallbladder, there's not alot that can be done for the pain but to have it taken out. Perhaps you can call your Wls surgeon and see what he thinks. You don't have to have stones but a poor functioning gallbladder. Sometimes a change in diet can help. No fat foods, very blan diet. Hope this may help.
Sorry about the loss of your father.
Sandra A.
I HATE when bad things happen to good people. I hope you get thru this and feel better very very soon.
The only info I know about gall bladder is they seem to go bad after a big weight loss so that's probably the issue....Some WLS Surgeons take them out at the same time as surgery just to be sure they don't cause problems later.
Could the rectocele be what's causing the problem with the constipation and pain?
You're human and it's perfectly normal to be sad and wonder "why me". I hope this coming week brings good news and some relief for you.
Can you get short term disability from work for this?
Hang in there!!!!!!!!!!!!! {{{{{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}}}
hiya chickie:
i hope this coming week brings good news, too. i'll post when i get the results of my tests, tuesday and wednesday. the rectocele is causing at least part of the issue since it's large enough to block the opening a little. and the backache pain is from being backed up and from having to strain too hard.
as to the short term disability, i guess it'll depend on what i can get done and when. that, too, will depend on the plastic surgeon and the test results. who knows? also, i was on disability for the wls. and the hysterectomy. i'm not too sure how much will be available or when. i'm kind of waiting to check that out until i know what i need to ask for.
thanks, girl. i appreciate the input and the thoughts on this subject.
have a good week.
dorthe
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