It was my own fault

KD

Gone fishing
It was my own fault.

Last night at 8:45…I’m teaching and I get this sudden pain. Just like a few days ago. It’s in my chest, feels like a heart attack, but I’m guessing it’s gallstones. I had my first gallstone attack 18 months ago. Blue light job to the hospital, ECG…blah, blah.

On my….the pain is excruciating. I can stand up, I’m white and sweaty. I think I’m going to pass out. I manage to get to the end of the lesson and quickly hurry parent and student away.

Oh the pain…..the pain…I can’t stand it. It’s worse that labour. DH wants to call 999. I want to pretend it’s not happening. It will pass. I can’t…it’s not passing. He phones work (works nights) and asks for a night off holiday.

My gawd….the pain (I’ve said that before haven’t I!:rolleyes:)

We decide that he will take me to A & E. No idea how I managed to walk to the car. I feel boneless. My body is like jelly. Have I been stabbed? What’s going on. I can’t talk….I can’t breathe. I try taking deep breaths, but there isn’t room in my chest.

Outside A&E. What should I do? I can’t get out of the car. I hate the attention I might bring to myself, but there’s no alternative. DH must go into the hospital and panic. This could indeed be a heart attack? I imagine doctors, paramedics…anyone... Rushing out with stretcher and resuscitation equipment, along with some morphine. Oh please…give me some morphine. Make the pain go away.:(

Instead he appears with a wheelchair. I get in, but can’t stay. I walk with his support. We get to reception and wait for the lady to come off the phone. Hey! I could be dying!!

“Chest pains….help!! OMG help me” She asks my age and makes another call. I’m then told to ‘follow the red triangles (down the corridor…first to the right, then the left….5 miles later….”)

Don’t they understand?:confused: This doesn’t happen on the television? Chest pains…isn’t that sort of an emergency? I get to the next reception. OMG, the pain….the pain….I can’t stand it…I’m going to pass out. What shall I do, shall I scream and make a fuss. Please somebody help. I’m clinging hold of DH trying to stay upright.

They send me to a room and ‘sticker me’. Attach me to an ECG thingy and go away again. They come back some time later to ask me to stay still. They don’t understand. I’m writhing on the bed. I need pain relief. Eventually they come and give me morphine. Okay…I admit, I’m shocked. By now, I’ve been in agony for about 1 hour. I’ve been in the hospital for 30 minutes and eventually, they’ve started asking questions. Where’s the pain? Have you a history of heart disease?

Still. Within seconds, the morphine is working. I’m feeling slightly drunk and nauseous. The pain is in gentle waves. They leave me there for another hour and return again to check the ECG.

I express concern. Will I have to stay overnight? I want to go home. I have no more pain…must I stay. They say “yes”. I want to go home. I want to pretend none of this has happened.

I send DH home and manage to doze on and off despite the bright light shining in my eyes and the noise of people coming in and out, the doctor dressing the man next door “shall we put your trousers on next?”, “Where did you put your socks?”. I’m drifting. I’m taken for chest xrays and returned to my ‘bed’.

2:45am and the doctor comes back. My heart is fine. My blood tests are fine. I feel a fraud. It’s okay…she understands…she tells me that gallstone pain can be dreadful. Phew.

She asks me about my diet…as in, what I’ve been eating. Damn. Just when I can’t proudly recite off a healthy fare. Typical. Instead I tell her my guilty secret in numbers. 2,600 calories, 52% fat, 17% protein, 31% carbs. She must think I have a serious problem here. Not by the excess food, but my ability to analyse it in percentages. Scary:eek:

She explains that if the body is used to eating healthy food, and you increase the fat levels (I usually keep it at about 30%), the gallbladder will suddenly do x to get rid of xx..something with the bile…something..something.

She suggests I go back to eating healthily:rolleyes: She tells me to try and get some sleep. I can go home in the morning. I don’t understand. It’s morning now. 2:45am. Can’t I go home now? Okay….she phones DH and he comes to collect me.

Get home at 3:15am. All is well. Covered in little sticky tabs from chest to ankles. Wearing a bracelet with my name spelt wrong, but I’m home, pain free, though still a bit spaced out.
 
(((((((((Hugs)))))))))))) What a nightmare for you! So scary too... I had a gallstone attack (at flippin' Kings Cross staion in rush hour on a Friday night! lol) exactly like yours years ago, thought I was dying, never known pain like it. Really felt for you when reading this... my attack was triggered by eating battered sausage and chips!

I had my gallstones out laporoscopically (sp) the following year and was so glad to never have that pain again, but you know, your stones might go of their own volition (it depends what they consist of).. or they can make them break up with some sooper-dooper lazer type noise thingy treatment (not invasive at all).. its all about the gall bladder contracting etc... not nice.. it doesn't like fatty foods AT ALL!

REALLY hope you get them sorted and soon.. so glad you are alright.. it must have been very frightening! (for you AND your hubby). Take care (((Hugs))) xx
 
Oh my Karion,
what an experience - don't be blaming yourself - least you know now and can avoid fatty foods in future....


Take it easy today and back to your healthy eating :D

And thanks for such an entertaining read - never read so fast in my life - wanting to get to the end to make sure you were ok :p
 
Glad you are all ok!!

M.
 
Thankyou folks :)

Really feeling spaced out and weird at the moment. Just been for a walk. That helped. Glad I haven't got school today, but got loads of lesson this afternoon and this evening :( Still. I'm okay now.
Phew so glad you are alright!

What had you eaten?

Not a great amount compared to what I could tuck away pre CD.:eek: I'd had a couple of slices of toast (thicker spread that normal). Dinner was chicken and spinach stuffed crepes that I had made (in a cheese sauce). I had 2 instead of one. Picked at some cheese while I was making it.

The pain didn't come on for at least 2 hours later:confused:

They did offer to take my gallbladder out this time last year, but you know what it's like. Hadn't had any pain for 6 months and it was a couple of days before Christmas.

Once the pain goes, the urgency to have something done about it, just isn't there for me. I want to just move on with my fingers and toes crossed.

The only problem is that the pain isn't presenting in the right place for the gallstones. It's definitely right in the chest. Oh well. At least my heart is okay :cool:
 
Hi Karion,

Never a dull moment and as always I clung to your every word reading fast to see how you were and thank God your fine and that is was not a heart attack...

Still the whole experience was very scary for you all the same and the pain of gall stones is brutal, my mother suffered firerce from it for years before getting them removed.

Your description of how the pain was affecting you brought me right back to a young child watching my mother going through the pain.

They do ultra sound scan here in some hospital as that is very good at showing up the stones in the gall bladder, but I believe you have to ask for it.

Gallstones and Gallbladder Disease - UMMC

Sending hugs and love

Love Mini xxx
 
I did have an ultrascan thingy last year. Yes, I do have gallstones, but then they explained that most people do. It's just whether they cause problems or not.

Oh well. Worse things happen at sea as they say. I could sleep for days I think:confused:
 
Oh Karion

What a night! So glad you're ok & it wasn't your heart, what a horrible frightening experience.

Just take care of yourself.

xxxx
 
Thankyou MD and Bex.

How're you these days Bex?
 
OMG how scary!!
Glad you're home and it wasn't a heart attack.
((((hug))))
 
Thanks Lisa :)

I'm pretty glad is wasn't a heart attack too :D

Pretty miffed that they suggest I 'just' eat healthily :(

Why can't I have that disease I heard about the day? Some lady on one of the hospital reality programmes can't digest food properly or something. She has to have about 6,000 calories a day.

She was sat in the waiting room with her medication. Family size bag of crisps and a load of chocolate. All approved by the dietician.

How unfair is that!
 
Maybe if we were made eat the crap and junk food we would not like that either...:confused:
 
What a flippin' nightmare. So pleased you're OK!

Much love CCx
 
Looking on the bright side. There I was, all top naked and plugged in, when I notice a man in the bed opposite (not in a ward...just the 'holding' area)

The screen was pulled open and I was in too much pain to say anything, but I noticed that he was trying not to look.

I was thinking 'look...go on look', they're dead cute now :D Okay, they are like spaniels ears, but much smaller than before.

I was also chuffed when I had to put my clothes back on, but had to leave my top off until the nurse had time to take my line out from my arm.

Okay, I was still in my cubicle and had shut the curtains, but I felt very comfortable with the thought that someone might come in whilst I was still in my bra and jeans.

Little things like that make the whole experience worthwhile :) Well...kind of :D
 
Thankyou MD and Bex.

How're you these days Bex?


Fine thanks KD, working hard, everyone wants their feet done before xmas!

Diet-wise, i am off the wagon until Jan, just cant get my head around dieting at the mo, too much going on! Just hoping to maintain until Jan then start again, ready for the summer! I have about 2 stone to go, so not too much! Hopefully it wont take too long!

Keep up the maintanence, and stay away from the fatty food!!
 
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