Gallstones and me and thee

RE: Gallstones and me and thee

Hi Lisa,

If they think your life is in danger, for example if a stone is stuck in the biliary ducts, or they believe you have a compromised Pancreas - then the answer is yes - it is considered an emergency.

Otherwise, in my experience, as I have had these attacks and my gall bladder removed, they calm the pain and send you home eventually. To be honest, even though I was considered a prioritory case, and even had a liver biopsy as I was so ill and jaundiced, I was told there would be at least a 4 month wait for surgery. I changed GP's in the middle of a horrendous catalogue of misdiagnosis, and the new chap told me I would be very lucky to survive if a stone was caught in my biliary duct as I was already so ill. I opted to have surgery privately, after a course of steriods to reduce my inflammed liver and take the jaundice down, and I never looked back!!!!

Hope this helps, sorry I can't be more specific, trouble is all hospitals are different, they have different waiting list times etc., so it all very much depends where you are living too.

Gillyxxx

RE: Gallstones and me and thee

Lisa

As Gilly says, if you have 'uncomplicated' gallstones and episodes of colic, you will not be able to get surgery by attending A&E dept - otherwise everyone would do that and it would be (1) chaotic (2) unfair [&:]

Are you under the care of a surgeon and placed on waiting list for surgery yet? If not, I cannot see much chance of getting your operation done prior to moving abroad in 2 months.

The options would seem to be - go privately like Gilly, delay move, or get it done abroad after moving. Do PM if need more advice.

with love & light - Doq xxx

RE: Gallstones and me and thee

Thank you both for your advice. It is much appreciated.

If I stayed in the UK, I would be having the operation at Whipps Cross Hospital, Leyton. I don't know the waiting times yet as I haven't officially received my results nor put on the waiting list - I will probably have to wait weeks for the results appointment alone. They did inform me that it would be 14 weeks to wait for the scan date! I feel I've been patient enough already. I had an ectopic pregnancy in February, two weeks after that this gall problem rolls up. I'm still waiting for confirmation it is in fact gallstones (ultrasonographer informed me) - I diagnosed this myself within a few days of the second attack!:eek:

I don't think about how unfair it is to others when I'm in so much pain twice a week and it's taking over my life. I'm very ill with vomiting regularly and frankly, I can't take much more of this. I do sympathise with everyone that has this condition, it truly does mimic a heart attack with it's crushing pain.

Sorry, but I say each to his own 🙂 and if you don't push you don't get. I hate this fact in theory but............. everyone seems to be this way nowadays, don't you find?

I worked at the Royal Society of Medicine for a few years and I know that you can get a quicker surgical appointment if you know the right surgeon, unluckily for me, I knew doctors from the 'wrong' section!!.

Thanks again.

Lisa.
ps I'll upate you on what goes on next.

RE: Gallstones and me and thee

I can sympathise with your pain - the first attack I had I thought was either a heart attack or peritonitis, it was so bad. At the hospital I was palmed off with 'it's probably indigestion' and sent home.
It is a great cause for concern that this is an affliction with so many potentially deadly complications, and we're made to wait weeks for even an ultrasound.

RE: Gallstones and me and thee

If it's any help, an ultrasound, depending on the hospital can cost less than £100. If you get one privately, your GP has to write the letter, but they are uually more than willing to help, and, you can fast track as to exactly what is wrong, and perhaps avoid the long long wait if they find it is potentially life threatening?

Gillyxxx

RE: Gallstones and me and thee

Hello,

I promised an update.

I had the ultrasound which confirmed gallstones but I'm still waiting for an appointment to get the results!

I've been managing the attacks very well with my diet and when I do get an attack, I'm getting used to the pain! It seems better but I think it's more mind over matter. That and painkillers when I feel it coming on.

I'm still moving abroad in a few weeks, so I'll just take each week as it comes and sign up with a doctor as soon as.

Thanks for your help.
Lisa.

RE: Gallstones and me and thee (THE PAIN HAS GONE!)

Hello, here's my update.

I'm now living abroad. I got my results in September and moveda couple of weeks after. I was told that I 'officially' had gallstones and that the operation will be scheduled for October, the notificationwill be sent to my parents house and I would travel to England for the operation - I'm still waiting for the appointment! I had to wait 2 hours for the doctor to turn up for the appointment with no apologies - I thought I was in Spain already! manana. He kindly told me that by the way I only had one kidney - nearly fell off the chair and forgot about the gallstone pain. I'm 33 and thought with all the ultrasounds I've had for various things over the years, that I would have been told that fact by now (maybe I'd have given up the cigarettes years earlier than I did!).

Anyway, my gallstone problem vanished as soon as I set foot in Spain. I'm now living here completely pain free - i don't understand it. I personally feel that my gallstones were 'dislodged' during the ectopic pregnancy fallopian tube removal and now they have settled again (?). I'm baffled - has anyone else had this experience. I feel so lucky.

Thanks for all your help and advice everyone, also thanks to gillyann for the pm's.

Lisa.

RE: Gallstones and me and thee (THE PAIN HAS GONE!)

Hi Lisa...

Gallstone pains can come and go. They can be frequent or infrequent.

Amber