Need help grads - something crazy is going on here

I need some wisdom from the pool of grads because something crazy is going on here and I can't figure it out. I have a doctor's appt tomorrow with the family doctor - my surgeon is a couple of hours away. I have developed this pain under my ribs on the right. It's sorta in the front and sorta in the back. I had it last weekend and on Sunday while grocery shopping, I couldn''t even stand up straight and seriously considered going to the ER - but went home and laid down instead. Over the next day, it went away. Fast forward to Friday (today) It progressively came back - pretty rapidly, actually. It got realllllllly bad around 1:00 this afternoon, but I was on my way to see my 7-year-old sing in his Christmas show and he was EXPECTING me to be there. So I didn't care how much it hurt, I went to see his show. To my surprise, they dismissed the children to go home with the parents (not on the buses). So with son in tow, I called the docs office to see if I could get in right away. They couldn't - the best they could do is tomorrow morning. So I'm going tomorrow morning. The thing is, this "thing" is so hard to describe. It hurts - it gets progressively worse - backs off for a little bit - then hits hard again - and keeps doing that over and over. When it's bad - I have ZERO appetite. When it backs off, I can stomach mild bland food. When my bladder gets full, it's WORSE?? WTF?? I thought the kidneys were on your back? I drank a cup of coffee this morning and INSTANT pain. This is what's confusing. I can't narrow this down in my own mind. It seems like a gallbladder episode - but the instant pain from coffee made it seem like maybe an ulcer - and what's up with a full bladder making it worse? That's never happened to me during a gallbladder attack before - and before - plain black coffee actually made me feel better during a gall bladder attack. I'm so confused. I have no idea what's going on with me. I just know it hurts and sometimes so bad I can't think about anything else or hear anything else going on around me. So something isn't right. Has anyone experieced anything like this? Anyone have a gallbladder do all of this? Or an ulcer do all of this? Kidney stones??? Please share your experiences with me... I just need to get my mind prepared for whatever this is. Thanks, Pam

kidney stones generally hurt in the lower back (flank area) with them I have occasionally have very low abdominal pain on the side. I always get nauseous with them. wha tyou are describing sounds much like my gall bladder attacks. see the dr, if it starts go to the ER! gall bladder attacks can be very serious and you could become quite ill. I know 3 people who have suffered severe complications and panceatitis with gall bladder attacks they did not deal with medically. (icu for a very long time and one person was told by the dr they might die and get his affairs in order as best as he could....- has slowly recovered but a LONG haul) HUGS keep us posted.

Pam, I'm sorry that you are in pain!! I hope you and your doctors are able to find the cause and remedy soon! I agree with Willow that it can very well be your gallbladder. Yes, gallbladder disease can become very serious and if you have another "attack" before your appointment, you should go the to ER. If you've had previous attacks, the GB could have become sicker (more stones/blockage) and even infected. You don't need to have a temperatue to have an infection. They should be able to see if it is infection through a simple ultrasound. If it's infected, they will admit you to the hospital to treat the infection intravaneously as you can't have it removed until the infection gets better. If your doctor is trained in laparscopy, it can be removed that way and you should be able to go home the same day as your surgery (unless they decide to monitor you for 24 hours after. The abdomen is a very interesting place! Pain in the abdomen can be difficult to diagnose b/c of deferred pain. Any time there is an illness of an abdominal organ, the abdomen can hurt in many places, one place (which may not even be the actual location of the problem), or all over from rib cage down to through the pelvis and all around your back. Therefore, it is not unusual for the stess of another organ to cause additional pain (such as you mentioned about pain when your bladder is full). Generally, what's important is that your abdomen hurts and there is likely a cause that has to be found. Other than the gallballder, for *ME* the other time that I had the pain that you describe which was also being expressed through persistent nausea, was an internal hernia (bowel incarcerated in Peterson's Space) and a large mass of scar tissue (adhesion). These things did not show on ANY tests that I had including but not limited to: X-Ray, MRI, CT Scan w/wo contrast. I was diagnosed through my medical records, description of pain, and other symptoms through which my doctor concluded it was medically reasonable to assume there was a problem and laparscopic exploratory surgery was justified. So, the internal hernia and adhesions were found ONLY through exploratory surgery. The hernia was repaired and the adhesions removed. Another time when I experienced this pain, I had a partial bowel obstruction caused by adhesions stangulating the bowel. I am a mess! LOL I hope that this information is beneficial to you! I wish you all the best and that you are well soon! Please keep us updated! Hugs, Vanessa [email protected]

Hi Pam, My experience is just a few weeks ago. I started with aching in stomach so I ate light for that entire week. The I had the ach up near my left rib around my back that lastest a few days added by pressure that was driving me crazy. I kept feeling like I like my bladder was full. Called my dr and he was sure it was UTI, took Cipro (antibiotics) for a week and gave me a mucsle relaxor to help the bladder pressure....a week later still have aching stomach, hurting around rib and back and now I had strep throat. I have a check up with my gastroentenologist for IBS and I tell him what is happening and meds I have been taking. He has me up on table so he does a GYN exam and trust it had been 5 yrs since my last but I didn't flinch since I was about at my witts end at being sick...he told me in a second it was my "bladder". Gave me Cylindamycin and in a few days it was gone, bladder was fine, pain in ribs gone, pressure in bladder gone and my throat finally cleared up, what a process. Listen to your body, if gives us suttle hints there is things going on. Who knew strep started in stomach, back ache, led to bladder but when I googled it that is just what I found out. Hope you are feeling better and have called the dr...don't wait till holidays are over.

Hi Pam, I just posted about this, sounds like it could be your GB and the bladder thing is what I experienced too. I have had this off and on for 3 years - within the last 7 months it was the WORST. Ultrasound of GB showed nada, HIDA scan showed that my gallbladder was really bad. Call your doc and have some testing done - I know this is bad for you and I really sympathize. I hope you feel well soon. Val~