Hello Tom, I just wanted to let you know my sister had her ERCP yesterday, and all went well, she is feeling fine....The consultant did say she was to have the gall bladder out sooner rather than later, as she may have further problems...
I hope you don`t mind me saying this, but when I sat in with her afterwards with the nurse, she said if your stools are black afterwards to ring the hospital department and speak to them....I immediately thought of your posting on here.....hope you are still recovering ok....and you wrere right the hospital were very good, my sister was very scared, but wouldn`t be in future!....
Thank you, Linda. I'm delighted your sister's ERCP went well, and let's hope she gets her cholecystectomy as soon as possible. I am seeing my consultant on 17th August; the wheels grind slow in the NHS! I am still suffering from nausea and my GP is investigating - he's also given me metoclopramide though that doesn't help greatly. Might be something altogether different; coincidences do happen. The black stools (meleana) are blood that has been altered (part-digested) in the gut so any sign of that indicates internal bleeding. Please give my best wishes to your sister.
Hope all went well for you yesterday....my sister has been rushed into A&E with severe pain and vomitting...she is being assesed. She is on morphine (10ml) which isn`t doing it for her! Now waiting for consultant to go this afternoon, she just wants the damn gallbladder out...she was feeling so well, and it struck out of the blue, but this seems to be the nature of the beast!.....Best Wishes, and hope you are getting sorted out this time ....
So sorry about your sister. I hope she's doing OK...sometimes they operate on an emergency basis I think but antibiotics seem to be the usual thing. I have been given some to keep 'just in case' and oramorph. Saw the GI registrar yesterday and she is sure I should have it out now because I have a liver condition that could get worse so best now while it's safe. She is chasing in the General Hospital for me but is thinking 3 months or so as it itsn't an emergency (yet).
Please stay in touch about your sister and give her my best.
They are sending my sister home today (on Morphine) because there is a long waiting list for the gallbladder op!....She also has had very bad liver readings in the last three months (due to taking Methotrexate for Arthritis) and felt very ill because of this, but are now getting back to normal.....
It all seems a waiting game for everyone, they haven`t said how long she will have to wait.for the op....fingers crossed for you both, it won`t be too long, and not feel too ill while waiting! All the best, keep us posted...
Oh dear, I know how she feels. Something similar happened to me in early July and that NHS Trust (where I live) hasn't got back to me. Thankfully an adjacent trust where my GI specialist works has taken me on. I hope your sister has someone to look after her at home? My wife said that when I was taking Oramorph I was in my "own little world" while I thought I was pretty normal. Dodgy!
No, my sister lives alone...and also struggles with Arthritis..
I have just been to see her, I had my own early appointment elsewhere, but they let me in...she is quite drugged up, they are sending her home today, and told her to call her doctor out if the pain comes on bad again, until they can operate....what else can you do, but just hope it dosen`t....What is Oramorph, and has it helped??
Oramorph is oral morphine. It isn't a Controlled Drug in that form and is given to people who have very severe pain. Hopefully her pain subsides after a while? In which case she's probably better off not using morphine. If you use morphine for a long while you get tolerant to it. So when you need it on another occasion in the future it might not be so effective. I wouldn't leave someone alone when they are taking morphine. I cared for both my parents when they had terminal cancer and we used Oramorph so I have seen the effect. Another downside is constipation which is really a bad thing in the case of liver or bile. Lactulose (from Pharmacy or Doctor) is the usual thing to take; even in quite large amounts until soft formed stools are being passed at least once a day. Would be really best if some family member or friend could be with her at this time. Maybe there is a member of the extended family who would be glad of a roof/food for a while in return for being around?
Thanks for that info Tom..I have suggested she comes to us for couple of days, she`s quite independant, and likes her own company and bed! No sleep in the noisy ward....... I will have another try anyway....she has to go upstairs to the loo, and this worries me, being on meds....Thanks again...
Seems like a bad ideea for her to be on strong opiates alone needing to use the stairs. I know how she feels, tho' -- we all prefer our own bed and routine. However, some people cope fine on morphine. My dad did, mostly.
Seems like my sister isn`t going home as yet, she has an infection, and they have put her on antibiotic drip, (plus morphine) she has pain in her liver area/high temprature as well, I think they are going to scan her tomorrow. Hospitals are no place to try and rest, it`s hot/noisy, and she is now feeling low in herself, she just craves peace and quiet with her cat at home!....and her own bed of course....hope they can get her right soon to go home, this gallbladder liver business is so damn complicated!.anyway,...best wishes yourself...
So sorry to hear that. You're right about it being complicated. There are so many biological feedback systems involved with homones controlling everything. If she's got an infection try to see they keep her in until it is totally cleared up. Not nice being in hospital but I think it's safer. Earplugs work well, you can get them in Boots or on Ebay.
My sister was discharged from hospital yesterday, after being in 8 days, and going on 4 different wards! They said at first there`s a long waiting list to have her gallbladder out, then said they would do it, then changed their minds...she had an intravenous drip of anti biotics..to clear the infection...so obviously wouldn`t operate till that cleared....now sent home to wait her turn on the list. A miracle happened though while in hospital, my sister also had Rheumatoid arthritis...she was pain free, after a couple of days, and could walk normally...move all her joints, first time in years..when we queried this with doctor, he said the antibiotics would have helped with the inflammation....not sure on that one though, so will do some investigating!...So it`s fingers crossed another attack dosen`t happen before the op, and she stays painfree, but must admit she`s nervous about what to eat. Hope you are well....
Hi Linda, I'm OK-ish thank you, waiting for the surgeon to make an appt for my assessment. Losing weight due to no appetite and nausea; I needed to lose some weight but I'd rather it was controlled! Still I'm nowhere near a Cheryl Cole
Your poor sister is going through the mill. Very interesting about the RA. It is a very complicated disease and is a specialisation in its own right. I found this: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3883615/ This discusses the use of antibiotics in RA with an historical context.
I bet she's nervous about what she can eat! I presume they checked with the u/s before she was discharged that there are no stones in the CBD? If not she could have a decent period before the next attack judging from others' experience. I am starting to be blasé so I guess I'll get another attack soon.
My sister just had phone call to do the op next Wednesday, so she`s going in as a day patient , all being well....so will keep you posted how it goes...Thanks for the link, will look at that for her....
They only took a blood test before she left hospital, and said don`t eat fried food or salad dressings!
About weight, my sister has an underactive thyroid, and with arthritis struggles to lose weight, as you can imagine, she is 12 stone...and her discharge letter from hospital said....".this obese lady.........that cheered her up...not.......keep well...
Goodness, that's a cruel and potentially harmful thing to say to anyone especially if you don't know what their health and circumstances are. She should seriously consider making a formal complaint -- I am not a complainer by nature but that's terrible. Anyway here's hoping. Is your NHS reliable?
Well, a couple of people have told me recently they have been told by doctors/consultants...that they are fat...I think they`ve been told to be blunt to patients bcause of diabetes...but not all can do much about it.....I myself am on steroids (3 years) my Rheumatolgist always bullies me to get off them quicker than I am (but I relapse!) she says are you diabetic, and I say no, and she says not yet! (steroid induces it) It`s a different world out there now, nothing surprises me anymore, ther`s not a ot of respect.....
Also, is any NHS reliable?....I just hope next week, comes and goes as it should and my sister can start getting on with her (quite limited) life! Will post next week how it has gone.....
There's being blunt and being rude and offensive. I can think of many different ways of making the point rather than what they wrote. Maybe I've been lucky but I haven't suffered from any lack of respect. What I do find is they are ever-so-nice and nothing-too-much-trouble but the moment you are out the door you don't hear anything. A (locum) GP suggested to me that one does need to be a bit pushy. Not really in my nature tho'.
Well, my sister is back with us from hospital after having the op (keyhole) They kept her overnight, she was feeling queasy, and some pain....She is sore, and drowsy from painkillers...but is glad to get it all overwith, and be out of hospital. They gave her the stone, it`s the size of a gobstopper (remember those!) OUCH.......The doctor said to her after the op, you can eat what you like now, but she`s still nervous, because of hearing different opinions on this, some say no fat.....would be interested to hear of any views of people who have had gallbladder out, what they now eat!...Hope all goes well for you too, keep us posted...
