Never ignore pain
Hi all - I haven't been around in awhile but I wanted to share what I just went through the past month in hopes that it helps someone else that may have to go through it.
I began having stomach pain at the end of June. These "attacks" as I called them would come on suddenly and were around my bellybutton and I would double over. Laying down for awhile seemed to make the pain go away and I would be fine. When the pain first started, due to it's location I thought bowel obstruction but it would go away and I was able to go to the bathroom without any problems. I remember reading on her many times about a possible obstruction but the pain going away part threw me and of course nothing showed on my CT scan either.
I went to my PCP about this and though he didn't think it was my gallbladder due to location, he was going to work me up that way. The next day, I had another attack and went to the ER. I explained my surgical history and they ordered a CT scan with contrast and before the actual scan, the physician assistant who was treating me said it was most likely my gallbladder because I was female, nearing 40, had children, etc. etc. I explained to her that the pain wasn't up high enough to be the gallbladder. After the scan, she came in and said it was my gallbladder and to call my original surgeon and have them take it out. They wrote me a script for pain pills and sent me on my way.
Well, I didn't think that was right so I went back to the PCP and we pulled the CT report and all it said was some slight thickening in the gallbladder that normally didn't mean stones. He sent me to the surgeon. In the meantime, I had another attack, the worst one yet and almost passed out. I was able to lay down and it went away. Each attack only lasted like 30 minutes to an hour.
I called the surgeon and they saw me the next day - worked me up for gallbladder with an US and a Hidascan (sp), gallbladder is fine. I don't have any stones even though I've lost 212 pounds to date and my gallbladder is functioning well enough to stay in. The surgeon sent me back to work since he was going to be out of the office for a few days (this was the most infuriating part of the whole ordeal) and set an appointment for the following Monday. Then he stated he would do exploratory surgery and sure enough - they found something!
I had two internal hernias - one was 7 1/2 cm in size and the other one actually had intestine trapped in it at the time of surgery! The repair only took 20 minutes for both and I've been home until this past Friday recovering and then finally went back to work. The scary part is that I did some research and the pain going away may not have always been a good sign like I thought. I found that when the intestine that is trapped begins to loose blood supply, the pain can stop! This really freaked me out. I mean I was suspecting an obstruction but things would clear up and I could go to the bathroom and I would go days between attacks sometimes. In fact, after the last one until the time that I actually had surgery was two weeks and I didn't have a single attack at all!
So, listen to your gut and be persistent. I wasn't going to let the surgeon just dismiss me and wait for me to wind up back in the ER and I wasn't going to allow them to just yank my gallbladder if it didn't need to go since I still have mine. This makes my third surgery in 15 months - I had my original DS in April of 2010 then had to have my appendix out in June of 2010 and now this in July of 2011. Whew - maybe it's over for now and I can go back to looking forward to plastics if I can ever win the Powerball to pay for it!
Alecia
I began having stomach pain at the end of June. These "attacks" as I called them would come on suddenly and were around my bellybutton and I would double over. Laying down for awhile seemed to make the pain go away and I would be fine. When the pain first started, due to it's location I thought bowel obstruction but it would go away and I was able to go to the bathroom without any problems. I remember reading on her many times about a possible obstruction but the pain going away part threw me and of course nothing showed on my CT scan either.
I went to my PCP about this and though he didn't think it was my gallbladder due to location, he was going to work me up that way. The next day, I had another attack and went to the ER. I explained my surgical history and they ordered a CT scan with contrast and before the actual scan, the physician assistant who was treating me said it was most likely my gallbladder because I was female, nearing 40, had children, etc. etc. I explained to her that the pain wasn't up high enough to be the gallbladder. After the scan, she came in and said it was my gallbladder and to call my original surgeon and have them take it out. They wrote me a script for pain pills and sent me on my way.
Well, I didn't think that was right so I went back to the PCP and we pulled the CT report and all it said was some slight thickening in the gallbladder that normally didn't mean stones. He sent me to the surgeon. In the meantime, I had another attack, the worst one yet and almost passed out. I was able to lay down and it went away. Each attack only lasted like 30 minutes to an hour.
I called the surgeon and they saw me the next day - worked me up for gallbladder with an US and a Hidascan (sp), gallbladder is fine. I don't have any stones even though I've lost 212 pounds to date and my gallbladder is functioning well enough to stay in. The surgeon sent me back to work since he was going to be out of the office for a few days (this was the most infuriating part of the whole ordeal) and set an appointment for the following Monday. Then he stated he would do exploratory surgery and sure enough - they found something!
I had two internal hernias - one was 7 1/2 cm in size and the other one actually had intestine trapped in it at the time of surgery! The repair only took 20 minutes for both and I've been home until this past Friday recovering and then finally went back to work. The scary part is that I did some research and the pain going away may not have always been a good sign like I thought. I found that when the intestine that is trapped begins to loose blood supply, the pain can stop! This really freaked me out. I mean I was suspecting an obstruction but things would clear up and I could go to the bathroom and I would go days between attacks sometimes. In fact, after the last one until the time that I actually had surgery was two weeks and I didn't have a single attack at all!
So, listen to your gut and be persistent. I wasn't going to let the surgeon just dismiss me and wait for me to wind up back in the ER and I wasn't going to allow them to just yank my gallbladder if it didn't need to go since I still have mine. This makes my third surgery in 15 months - I had my original DS in April of 2010 then had to have my appendix out in June of 2010 and now this in July of 2011. Whew - maybe it's over for now and I can go back to looking forward to plastics if I can ever win the Powerball to pay for it!
Alecia
Wow! Alecia, I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that! And glad it's over.
And what a cautionary tale! We all have to be our own advocates when it comes to our medical care, and you are our new poster child for that! Kudos to you for sticking to your guns and getting to the truth of the situation.
Now enjoy that DS! And let's hear it for Alecia never having to see the inside of an operating room again!!
And what a cautionary tale! We all have to be our own advocates when it comes to our medical care, and you are our new poster child for that! Kudos to you for sticking to your guns and getting to the truth of the situation.
Now enjoy that DS! And let's hear it for Alecia never having to see the inside of an operating room again!!
You are your own best advocate! I am a firm believer in "you know your own body best". That is so scary that they didn't want to find the correct diagnosis. That could have turned septic. I'm glad you are feeling better.
When push comes to shove....shove hard!
Never regret anything, because at one time it was exactly what you wanted.
Never regret anything, because at one time it was exactly what you wanted.
Amy Farrah Fowler
on 8/7/11 2:34 pm
on 8/7/11 2:34 pm
I'm glad you persisted, and they finally got this.
I see so many with pains over on the complications board and elsewhere that have endured problems, sometimes for years.
I think internal hernias are more common that we realize, but many just have tolerable pain, and it never gets correctly diagnosed.
I see so many with pains over on the complications board and elsewhere that have endured problems, sometimes for years.
I think internal hernias are more common that we realize, but many just have tolerable pain, and it never gets correctly diagnosed.
Thanks all - the hardest part of it all - I can't exercise until the end of August! No lifting, no picking up my kids, no working out - I was working out 4 days a week and had a personal trainer. Before I lost all the weight, sitting would have been no big deal now I can't stand sitting still! A girl can only watch so many episodes of House Hunters International and dream of living abroad. ha ha.
Alecia
Alecia
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