Currently hospitalized (Gallbladder removal) this is for awareness purposes

MmmeowwMmmeoww
edited April 29 in General

Hey there my fellow community!! I just wanted to pop in & get some awareness on gallbladder issues/stones. For the past year I’ve had multiple visits to the ER (all misdiagnosis) with multiple different symptoms, not in any particular order:

•Severe joint pain
•Abdominal pain
•Severe abdominal pain
•Pain in right side of abdomen
•Severe pain in right side of abdomen
•Burning/pressure when peeing (not every time but frequently)
•Diarrhea
•Tingling radiating through out my left arm (sometimes starting from my scapula up to my shoulder down my arm and forearm and then heading down every digit)
•Difficulty using fingers & dead arm
•Chest pain
•Lack of appetite
•Severe lack of appetite

!Disclosure! - I’m not a doctor, nor are these symptoms always the case, however I want to create awareness and advocate any human I come into contact to go get their gallbladder checked out.

Also if you have family medical history of gallbladder issues/stones that can increase your risk.

Personally I have a healthy diet with the occasional drink, but nothing in excess..I do not eat fast food (even tho I was frequently fed fast food while a minor and also chose to continue my bad habit after leaving parental care) I do not drink soda, but I do love me some sugar (candy!!) I am also very active (but can also be a couch/bed baked potato)

I have been in the ER 4 times prior to Sunday regarding these symptoms and now on my 5th trip to the ER they wouldn’t let me leave til I got it out..
(Don’t tell my sister I said this, but she is the one who suggested I get it checked out and that’s what prompted a CT scan which lead to my ultrasound that discovered a blockage and severe inflammation)

Sorry not sorry for this long post. PLEASE get your gallbladder checked!!! <3
(Since dealing with this I’m finding out ITS SO COMMON to have your gallbladder removed, I never knew I had so many people in my life who have had it removed..also I now know it’s runs in my family)

Stay safe and healthy everyone!!
Much love,
Ashlee

P.S. if everyone is comfortable I am more than happy to share my picture I requested from my surgeon (unfortunately she wouldn’t let me keep the stones, I asked 😂) IT IS GNARLY SO FOREWARNING.
As long as the MODs allow it😇

«1

Comments

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    People in glass houses should definitely have their gall bladder removed. Stones are dangerous.

  • wilderdudewilderdude

    My sister had her gall bladder removed like 15 years ago.

  • Carrie_AnneCarrie_Anne

    I did in 1985. No big deal. But the surgery back then was much more extreme than now.

  • tranquilhearttranquilheart

    This happened to both my dad and me! We were both going to the ER and doctors for more than a year trying to get answers! Both times my mom called it and we spent the last few months requesting gallbladder ultrasounds but doctors kept refusing.

    In the end, I scheduled an appointment explicitly for a referral for an ultrasound of my gallbladder. The doctor scheduled at six weeks out, and when I eventually had it, they called me back same day to get me in for emergency surgery.

  • SweetCuddler33SweetCuddler33

    @Mmmeoww I’m sorry you had to suffer for so long before getting answers… so frustrating…I feel your pain… thank goodness you finally found out the cause of your discomfort… it’s very common to have your gallbladder removed… you will be ok and back to your healthy , happy life 😊 feel better soon ❤️‍🩹

  • SweetCuddler33SweetCuddler33

    @tranquilheart @Carrie_Anne hugs! 🤗

  • CuddleDuncanCuddleDuncan Mod

    @Mmmeoww sorry to hear you've had such a rotten time. My sympathies. I have had my gall bladder removed as part of a larger procedure.

    [Mod hat on] Yes by all means post the photo. Make it a Spoiler to avoid startling anyone.

  • MorpheusMorpheus

    @Mmmeoww

    Sorry this happened to you. I hope that you feel better and I’m wishing you a speedy recovery.

  • Parad0xParad0x

    My sister had her gall bladder removed about ten years ago. It was a life-threatening condition. She also has a propensity for kidney stones, and has had a couple of very dangerous problems with that recently. Apparently it is possible for a kidney stone to block the tube leading from the kidney to the bladder. This can lead to the waste in the kidney becoming a cauldron of disease that can back up into the bloodstream, causing potentially lethal sepsis. On both occasions, the time from the onset of mild symptoms to emergency treatment was just a matter of hours. Be aware, and keep an eye on your kidneys.

  • mauvefoxmauvefox

    @Mmmeoww
    I’m so sorry. I spent years (YEARS) in and out of emergency rooms with intense pain attacks that felt like I was being stabbed and digestion issues on a daily basis that were life stopping at times.

    Every time, because the pain would inevitably pass while I was there, I would get a shrug and a discharge.

    Eventually after 15 years the gall stones were diagnosed but still dismissed. And nothing was done.

    Five more years of emergency room visits and daily discomfort and finally an er doc ran some additional labs to find that my liver function was now being impacted.

    Gall bladder was removed that weekend.
    He said it had basically been a dead organ for years. Completely non functional and about to put me into liver failure if it hadn’t been removed.

    The improvement to my life was almost immediately astronomically huge. So many things I thought were unrelated got better after that organ was removed.

    Advocate for yourself folks. Women especially routinely have their pain dismissed by medical professionals.

  • HuggycatbearHuggycatbear
    edited April 29

    @Mmmeoww I'm so sorry you're going through this. I, too, just got out of the ER.

    This is not even a woman especially thing. This is a healthcare system thing. Doctors only spend on average 8 min with patients.

    I saw my doctor on lower back pain and she spent 10 minutes telling me I'm so active and healthy as a man who hikes and gyms. And she googled pelvic thrusts assuming I'm a guy that doesn't do that.

    Then see me in 3 months because the doctor is busy she reminded me.

    Went to the ER on 7/10 pain and they found a 5cm mass near my spine. It could be my cancer coming back. Still waiting on the biopsy results.

    So with @Mmmeoww and my experience, if you need to be taken seriously, go to the ER. They ran such a battery of tests in 4 days on me that would take months or even a year to accomplish. It skips all the time in the beginning you need to advocate for yourself to get them to take you seriously.

    Do NOT go to urgent care that likely won't have imaging. Go straight to ER.

  • [Deleted User]kydavid (deleted user)

    My gallbladder stopped working (they said 0% function?) about 3 months after I had a stroke. It was dismissed for months as my anxiety disorder. Went to get a second opinion and was immediately set up for surgery. Getting gratification from a doctor who takes the time to listen and believe you might be the greatest feeling in the world. It’s happened a few times now. 2017 really sucked lol

    @Mmmeoww I can imagine how bad you’ve felt and I sincerely hope you’re feeling better and they got you fixed up. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

  • mauvefoxmauvefox

    Yeah, I went to the ER multiple times a year, for 20 years. sometimes they gave me actual pain meds for the agony I was in. sometimes they pressed on my belly a little. Mostly they left me there crying and later discharged me.

    20 years.

    Just go to the ER is not always the solution. They will ignore you there just as easily. And there is research on women specifically being ignored and even not believed about what they are reporting. The disparities are not up for debate. The research exists and it's not hard to find.

    Not to mention that in healthcare, women are often put through procedures with no pain management whatsoever, and told they might feel pressure, it might be uncomfortable. in the mean time having things biopsied out of our breasts and reproductive organs, or inserted into our reproductive organs with no pain management.

    It's not pressure, it's not uncomfortable, it fucking hurts.

    So I agree that all of us, no matter who we are need to be able to advocate for ourselves in the healthcare setting because it is not designed to be 'patient first' at all. But women especially, and most especially women of color, are indeed at risk to be ignored completely.

    I just heard a story of a woman who went to the ER three times for concerns about appendicitis and was told she had a cyst on her ovaries. She didn't have ovaries, they had been removed. They didn't believe her. Finally on the third trip they did a scan because they still didn't believe she didn't have ovaries and it wasn't a cyst. Well they finally confirmed she didn't have ovaries 🙄, and instead had a mass that had to be removed. And appendicitis.

  • HuggycatbearHuggycatbear
    edited April 29

    I'm not here to debate.

    One person's situation may not help another's situation, I agree. I detest when people bring ideology into something that affects us all.

    Generalizations and statistics have left people out with no voice to fight.

    No matter what your skin color, gender, or whatever association is, we all are human beings that need our health to be taken seriously.

    Medical already does surveys asking the most insane questions like our sexual identity, race, hispanic yes or no.

    The last thing I want is someone's prioritized treatment not on the basis of emergency, but on answering these questions and some sort of gross quota to fill.

  • TheMidnightOwlTheMidnightOwl
    edited April 29

    Also good for people to be aware that there are alternatives to having an important organ removed because it’s having issues. Just because something is commonly done doesn’t mean it’s the best choice or the safest. Please, everybody do your research before getting told surgery for removal is the only option. It isn’t. There are root issues leading to this. Gallstones and blockages are the fire alarm that something is wrong systemically. Removing the fire alarm is not the same as putting out the fire.

  • HuggycatbearHuggycatbear
    edited April 29

    @TheMidnightOwl My mother experienced this. She was told to get her gall bladder removed and regrets it. Her digestion hasn't worked properly since.

    When I saw the nutritionist at 274 pounds they pushed for gastric bypass first and foremost. Glad I lost the weight through a natural intentional plan.

    I think your key phrase is right on the button: Indications that something can be wrong systematically.

    They have specialists for every part of our body. But that is not how our body works. In parts.

  • TheMidnightOwlTheMidnightOwl

    @Huggycatbear

    Absolutely. Our sick care system silos our bodies into parts without seeing the whole body as operating within a symbiotic relationship and all parts influence one another. We have each organ for a specific purpose and when it’s removed others have to compensate. Most of us today have sluggish liver function due to the constant on slot of toxins that it’s trying to remove from our bodies – be it from diet to the products we put on our skin – which can lead to a whole host of other symptoms that may not seem related.

  • HuggycatbearHuggycatbear

    @TheMidnightOwl Sigh. I wish there were more simple solutions. We must all step carefully.

    A long time ago, my massage therapist recommended me a book called the Inflammation Spectrum. I started reading through it then put it down for fear I would have to go through a frustrating time of reworking how I eat. And the book doesn't just focus on diet, it talks about stress. Which is such a tough "metric" to deal with.

    I think while surgery can help us through emergency situations that would otherwise make the dire consequences even more dire, I think it best to start studying both diet and stress management to help us along the way.

    I really appreciate the OP for sharing us her story as the symptoms can really be cryptic in telling what is really going on with our bodies.

  • AlyLaurenAlyLauren

    Just wanted to say that I had almost the exact same experience!!

    2.5 years of random bouts of excruciating pain, in my back, my side, between my shoulder blades, GI issues, all kinds of problems.

    I was told to lose weight, so I lost 50 pounds and it got worse (also, fun fact, losing weight rapidly can make gallstones worse).

    I was told it was because I have large breasts and should try more supportive bras.

    I was told back spasms.

    Finally I happened to be in another city and had a gallbladder attack that caused me to lose consciousness, and went to a new ER and one doctor finally gave me an ultrasound and found the stones within 30 minutes of my arrival.

    I did have my gallbladder removed, and the recovery was annoying with not being able to lift anything. But all the other symptoms resolved 100% and I have had no pain since the surgery.

    They wouldn't let me keep my stones either! I made those myself!!! 😂😂😂

  • MmmeowwMmmeoww
    edited April 29

    @CuddleDuncan thank you for the go ahead. I’m currently recovering so I may be laggin on replies..but here she is!

    DISTURBING IMAGING WARNING

    So it can also be caused by genetics…my grandma on my dad’s side had to have emergency GB removal surgery, as did my sister (who has Hashimoto's) got hers out 2 years ago.
    My surgeon said that for a human my size this is very abnormal. Not gonna lie, I asked her if I could keep the stones, she said no and counter offered the picture. 😎 but what a beautiful tigers eye type of stone she has😂 those things look perfect for skipping rocks or maybe a nice piece of jewelry? Unfortunately my local hospital is the sole owner of these bad boys now.

    @kydavid @Morpheus @Huggycatbear thank you so much for the kind words, I do truly appreciate it💕
    @mauvefox DANG! That friggin sucks and I feel so much for you..sorry that happened. I’m almost 35 and I couldn’t imagine living with that pain for much longer…it would most definitely suck!! Hope you’re feeling happy and healthy now!🪬

    I hid the image behind a spoiler tag just so someone needs to open it to see it [CharlieBear]

  • TheFunCartelTheFunCartel

    That pic makes me hungry for some Chunky Soup

  • mauvefoxmauvefox

    @Mmmeoww
    Thank you for sharing your story. The more folks share, the more we learn and also learn that our experiences are usually shared with others.

    And such a bummer they wouldn’t let you keep them! 😁
    I also asked. And unfortunately for me they didn’t keep the digital copy so I couldn’t even get the pics!!

    And it’s all over now. So now I just try to share my story (ies, I’ve got many) with others. So we’re less alone in this world than we think we are.

  • AdragayleAdragayle

    Glad you're getting better.

    Hiding the pic in a spoiler would have been nice for those who didn't want to see it 🤮🤮🤮🤮

  • MmmeowwMmmeoww
    edited April 29

    @mauvefox squeaky wheel gets the grease!! I was very vocal while in the hospital 😂 respectfully! I’m very thankful for my team of nurses who were just so amazing. (The surgeon as well✨)
    And bummer you never got to see the real deal, cause mine is a very SEVERE ABNORMAL situation. Even my surgeon was shook😂
    Keep on pressing humans with your testimony!! Now I’m advocating for it! lol. I just hate that I had to tell my sister she was right lol.🤭

  • MmmeowwMmmeoww
    edited April 29

    @Adragayle i don’t know how to do that..as to why I made the comment DISTURBING IMAGE WARNING reply😳 & thank you for the well wishes💜

  • AdragayleAdragayle

    @Mmmeoww

  • MmmeowwMmmeoww

    @AlyLauren Dang girl!! That sucks!! Yeah the healthcare system is something else. I could go on and on about my experience but I think I did enough damage with this pic😅
    I’m sorry you had to go through it for so long..that is so AWFUL!! I feel for you..and all the misdiagnosis..this is why being communicative and open with humans is important!!!!! The more you know, you know!!💜 happy to hear you’re doing fabulous! And we did make them pretty stones ourselves lol.

  • IronicMaidenIronicMaiden

    I suppose I was lucky. For me, I had an upset stomach for about 3 weeks. By the time I made an appointment and saw the doctor about it, it was doing better and so there was nothing to be done. But the next time it happened, I went to urgent care on the third day. They said they couldn't diagnose me and sent me to the ER. There, they did some bloodwork, admitted me, and put me on a no food or drink diet. My liver enzyme levels were at over 10,000, whereas the normal is about 50. An MRI confirmed gallstones, and once they could safely operate about a week later, they took out my gall bladder.

    I was glad to be in the hospital. This time around, there was intense pain. It would be at a 4, which I figured I could handle easily. A couple minutes later, it was at 6 and I called for pain meds. By the time they got to me a couple minutes after that, it had shot up to 9 (10 was reserved for gout).

  • CharlieBearCharlieBear Mod
    edited April 29

    @Adragayle
    Oh ha I just saw your comment. I had previously hidden it when I saw it 😅

  • AdragayleAdragayle

    Thanks @CharlieBear

Sign In or Register to comment.