Gallstones...

[xtwinklex]

Hi everyone, I finished my cd journey a couple of weeks ago after my husband got made redundant and we decided it was better to put it on hold for a while as I was only a few pounds off goal!

Happily I can report that my husband has been offered a new job, it is only a bit under what he was earning before but won't have a company car (which we pretty much relied on ) but hey, its a job!

Anyway, I was starting to think about finally trying to shift these last few pounds and to be honest I'm not sure I can do ss again, I think because I don't have much to lose there's no point doing ss and the higher plans are not really easy for me with my wheat and lactose intolerances so I kinda thought I would try and do slimming world or weight watchers or something like that until...

I started getting really bad stomach pains on Tuesday morning, woke me up around 4am and I couldn't get back to sleep, I put it down to something I had eaten, thought I had food poisoning or something and waited for the sickness/runs to start, but they never did and the pains were awful, think labour only worse!!! Also I had a fever and was drifting in and out of sleep all day, poor kids had to fend for themselves.

Anyway, being the brave soldier I am (hehe) I didn't bother going to the doctor or anything until my mum nagged me to ring nhs direct, she lives 300 miles away or would have probably come and dragged me to drs!

So I phoned nhs direct and they said they would get someone to call me back but it may be anything up to 2 hrs and if symptoms got worse to call 999 blah blah blah.

Anyhow, they rang back after an hour and 15 mins and the nurse said she thought I should see a doctor and she would contact our nearest one and get him to call me. 10 mins later I got the phone call saying could I come down to see them - this was 9.30pm and they are 10 miles away! Jamie (hubby) went next door to see if they could watch kids for us but they weren't in so we had to get the kids up poor things and Jamie drove me to the hospital (minor injury unit) where the doctor was waiting for me, he examined me and diagnosed gallstones and gave me a nice injection in the bottom which controlled the pain a bit and sent me home with some codeine and paracetamol (cant have stronger stuff as I'm asthmatic) and told to see my gp to be referred for blood tests and a scan to find out for sure.

I saw the gp this morning and he agreed with the diagnosis and sent me straight through to the nurse for blood tests but unfortunately I have to wait until June for my scan so I have to live with it until then

They have basically told me that I need to follow a low fat diet so no cheese for me!!! Am hoping that this will help me shift those last few pounds but oh how hard is it to follow! I have no idea where to start, am just checking stuff out on the internet to help me. Apparently losing weight can be a contributing factor to getting gallstones, as can having digestive problems. Other people want to blame cd but I don't, I think its just weight loss in general that contributes and its just bad luck on my part!

So hopefully I will be back on the weight loss wagon but not for such a good reason

xx
Stacey

 

[claira07]

hiya, i had my gallbladder removed a few years ago, i was told it was caused by all the fatty foods over the years, cheese and pastry ect, i had been out and had a pizza and ended up in agony that night, was rushed to hospital, and was in there 10 days waiting for the op. it was the worst pain ever. however, i had been trying for a baby for years and the first time of you know what after op, i got pregnant and had a healthy pregnancy after loosing 3 previously, i have never had any problems since, this was 4 years ago now. so i cant blame cd cos it was before i ever tried it. its the years of bad diet, and then getting your body straight after all that, i think thats what happens to those who get gallstones whilst on cd.
if you have any bad pains, dont wait for scan, get straight in touch with dr.
i hope you feel better soon, and dont go onto another diet, just do like your dr said, eat healthy now and you will loose the last bit, make sure you have more protien than carbs in your diet and low fat, im sure this will help, xxx

 

[Wobbley Woo]

Had the same pains last year, had my gallbladder removed in August, wish I hadn't, I put 4 stone on in a few months after having the gall thing out.

Also I still get the pains, not as frequent but just as bad.

 

[snuggle69]

Hi there, I know exactly the pain you were in, I had these pains for over 9 months before going to the doctors as I thought it was indigestion...how wrong I was I had to have a stent put in to unblock my tubes and then 6 weeks later have the gallbladder and stones removed. But its common in people who have lost large amounts of weight, and has been linked to change of diet. Have they also told you to avoid spicey foods until you have the op? As these can really cause irritation as well?

 

[KD]

I had gallbladder problems, ended up on the lubberly morphine and decided to come off CWP until I had a chance to speak to the consultant.

We I did, he told me to get back on it again It's low fat and he wanted maximum fat loss before the op as it would make his job easier. LOL. I guess the consultants vary.

I held off with the operation for ages, thinking that it might go away on it's own, but it doesn't. Eventually had it out a couple of years ago. Wish I hadn't left it so long as gallbladder pain is horrendous.

 

[xtwinklex]

Thanks for the replies peeps, I defo agree that the pain is horrendous made me cry at times it was that bad, luckily the painkillers are blocking a fair bit out now but its all gone into my back which apparently it can do but its more bearable for me as I cant tolerate stomach pain! Such a wuss I am!

If I get offered the op I will definitely have it, my mother in law had it a few years ago and I remember the difference it made to her, she's also told me to start taking artichoke tablets as they really helped her, suppose they cant hurt to try!

I'm just starting to feel slightly better now, I feel like I can actually get up and make the kids some dinner whereas yesterday I could barely get off the sofa, I'm glad because I am so bored!

Snuggle - no they didn't tell me to avoid spicy, thats a pain, I love spicy stuff thanks for the tip tho, last thing I wanna do is aggravate it!

Also, I have only lost 1 1/2 stone which I wouldn't consider to be huge weight loss, my bmi is currently 26 and I am only 6lbs overweight so the op would most likely be keyhole and could even be done as a day case!

xx
Stacey

 

[claira07]

mine was keyhole and was fine, hope they sort it soon xxx

 

[fed-up-and-fat]

will email you in a bit chick x

 

[chuckles]

Hi. I too had the same problem and had my gall bladder removed on the 4th march this year. The pain is absolutely horrific and yes, its worse than labour. I also had gall stones blocked in my bile duct and had to have a camera put down my throat for them to cut the tube for the stones to fall out. it wasn't pleasant (violently sick non stop) I feel i had the stones through losing so much weight so quickly and vowed i would never do it again, but hey ho, i am back on it now!!! When you have your scan they should tell you there and then if they are gallstones, as they should be able to see them. I am quite young to have gallstones (27), but i have had no pain since the operation and it was the best thing i ever did.

I had keyhole too, but had to stay over night. You will have a few stitches in about 3/4 places around your belly.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. Hope you are feeling better soon. xx

 

[chuckles]

Also, only take the codeine when you need to as they will make you constipated, which makes your tummy even worse!!!!

 

[xtwinklex]

Thanks guys, nice to have insider knowledge on it as the doctors only tell you so much! I am feeling much better now, following my low fat plan to the letter - chicken skin doesn't count does it ok so that is probably why I have an ache in my back, think it was a bad call on my part - but the skin's the best bit ah well, you live and learn!

Salad for lunch today, and probably every day for the rest of my life - ok maybe an exaggeration but low fat is boring! I want CHOCOLATE!!! lol

xx
Stacey

 

[fed-up-and-fat]

hugs hun, hope the low fat diet keeps the pains at bay for you

 

[xtwinklex]

Well I had my ultrasound scan yesterday (they gave me a cancellation appointment 3 weeks earlier than my booked one )

The sonographer had only looked for a few seconds when she turned the screen round and said look there are your gallstones! There were 2 and from looking at pics on the internet they were med/large but not huge, still enough to most likely require surgery which is exactly what I am going to ask my gp to arrange for me, I've still been getting pains, not as badly as the first attack but enough to have to take painkillers and as my diet is pretty restricted anyway with the exclusion of wheat and lactose I am finding it hard to follow low fat (its not very exciting food lol and I love my food!)

So its off to the doctors for me this morning to see what he says!

xx
Stacey

 

[IrishMum]

Hi xtwinklex, I just found this thread after a seach on 'gallstones'. I'm interested in the 'kind' of pain you were having? I'm having my scan later today (1pm) after an 8wk wait. My pain started as an achy-tugging(?) feeling in between my ribs/hipbone on the right hand side? It's developed into a constant ache (I wouldn't call it 'pain as such, but I have a high pain threshold, so who knows?) mostly in my back, though sometimes my shoulder area is affected?
I'm mostly afraid that I'll go for the scan and nothing will show? Not that I WANT to have something wrong, but I don't want them to think I'm imagining it? Does that sound mad?