since February i’ve been waiting to see a consultant to have my gallbladder removed.
I have one very large gallstone which is causing me more and more grief.
I ended up in A&E last weekend due to me have the pain and a high temperature. But my bloods still come back normal so i was just given buscopan and shoved out the door, being vehemently told ‘I must go to my dr the next time this happens! not A&E.’
Because it was a bank holiday i was meant to wait until Tuesday to talk to my dr. I’m starting to feel no medical person believes how much pain I’m in because my stone is so big that it couldn’t possibly get stuck in my tube to block it and its just spazaming…
My temp comes and goes and i just feel so nausious all the time. I’ve lost my appetite and started losing weight.
I’ve been off work for a week now and they want a note but my dr just put abdominal pain?!? So I feel hopeless that no one believes me even though I’ve had a scan.
I guess I’m looking for insight, if anyone has anyone has recently had the consultation and how quickly afterwards they had the surgery?
Αnd what does it mean that the blood comes normally? The thing is that you have gallstones and it causes you pain and fever. It must be removed as soon as possible because it causes you a big problem! You have To insist and of course to take sick leave from work.
the hospital says, as my blood shows no infection they wont operate on me unless its life or death due to Covid.
I’m sure Hospitals are meant to be accepting refferal’s again to do routine procedures.
i have a sick note for my work but they’ve only put abdominable pain not Gallbladder issues. So im terrified my work won’t believe there’s actually something wrong with me.
sonja, I am guessing from the terminology used that you are from the UK? It is true that in the UK that surgical procedures have restarted but as Covid lockdown caused a big backlog, the NHS are having to clear these cases and are prioritising. I am aware that some private hospitals are also taking referrals from NHS to help clear the backlog.
Firstly, if you feel very unwell and scared about your condition you should still go to A&E. You are not medically trained and do not know if your condition has worsened to the point of being a medical emergency. That is the job of the medics to assess. Irrespective of the size of the stone, sometimes things can escalate to something much more serious, so it is best to air on the side of caution if you are worried, irrespective of what you were told in A&E.
In the meantime, I suggest you revisit your GP and insist upon a referral to a surgeon. The sooner your name appears on a waiting list the better. I do believe there is a website which lists current waiting times for all UK hospitals, and you are within your rights to ask to be referred to any hospital, but obviously there are practical considerations to this. With regards to the sick note, you say you have had a scan which shows that you have gallstones, your doctor should have a record of the scan report on your file. Be assertive and ask your GP to read the scan report and to specify that diagnosis on your sick note. Additionally, you have the right to see another GP within the practice who may be more sympathetic. You should also speak with your manager and HR dept and explain the situation you are facing.
Fortunately, I had my gallbladder removed just prior to lockdown. As I have health insurance I was able to go private. I really do sympathise with you as gallbladder attacks are extremely painful and have a terrible impact on your quality of life - not to mention the anxiety they cause!
Don’t be fobbed off or made to feel like a nuisance. Keep taking the buscopan to relieve symptoms of an attack and follow a very low fat diet. Avoid anything which triggers attacks and drink water.
Best of luck to you.
thank you for the reply. As of now i’m currently in hospital and my surgery is in the morning.
I ended up with an infection which actually showed up in my bloods this time.
so now I’m just trying to stay calm and rest.
I hope your keeping well after your surgery.
Somja, I am sorry to hear that you have developed an infection but at the same time I am happy to hear that your operation has been brought forward.
The surgery will be over before you know it, and you will be able to focus on getting back to your old self. After the op, as soon as you are up to it, be sure to walk around and do the deep breathing. Staying mobile and flexible helps with healing. Listen to your body and rest up when you need to. I found drinking orange juice helped with post op constipation which passed after 3 days.
I am doing really well thank you, and have not looked back since having the op. I went home a few hours after my surgery. Thankfully everything is back to functioning as normal, I have had no negative side effects. Those awful gallbladder attacks are gone and my quality of life has returned.
Please let us know how it goes, I will be thinking of you tomorrow and wish you all the best.