Dear heather:
thanks for asking about
me..........Since I posted the last time,
I have had more blood tests........Liver
enzymes, blood glucose, and hemoglobin.
I haven't gotten the results yet. I have
been to my gynecologist.......They tell me
that ovarian cancer can produce these
symptoms so I had a gyn exam........Pap
test was normal, and haven't gotten the
results of the ca-125 blood test which is
a test for ovarian cancer. I really
don't think it is that, but I am
cooperating fully. I even went to have a
mammogram yesterday. They seem to be
testing me for everything except for what
I think that it may be. Oh, well! I am
trying very hard to be a patient patient
but there are days when I feel like
screaming. Today was one of them.
You probably will find this
humorous..........I have felt so bloated
in my upper abdomen after eating the last
(i don't even know how many) days. I have
felt dizzy at times. I have felt
nauseated at times. So, this evening I
was just feeling so angry and so depressed
that I told my husband I was going out to
eat junk food and was going to make myself
sick. I jumped into my car and went to
7eleven and got a hotdog and a ben and
jerry's chocolate chip cookie dough
popsicle. I got in the car and ate that.
Then I went to mcdonald's and got a
happy meal and a coke (all things which in
the past made me violently ill) well,
guess what?! I didn't get sick. Go
figure! Now, I really don't know what to
make of that. I've been avoiding junk
food, fats, spicy, fried for
weeks...........And then I eat them and
think i'm going to put myself in the
hospital and nothing! I must be a
hypochondriacal lunatic.
On friday I am seeing the surgeon I
saw last week. I kept a diary of meals I
have eaten in the past week along with my
digestive responses. I am sure he will
get quite a belly laugh out of my eating
excursion today.
Anyway, enough about me.........How
are you making out? I am wishing with
all my might that you are soon without
pain or discomfort. You have been
through quite enough I would say. I am
sure that everyone who reads these
postings wants to hear that you are
finally well.
Heather, if you like you are welcome
to email me @aol. Just let me know in
the subject it is from you as I don't open
emails indiscriminately.
Sincerely,
mj
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Blue_Streak_Creations
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 107 Location: USA
Posted: 04-21-05 15:36pm
Mj,
I am feeling great in comparision to what
I had been! I have seen a huge difference
in my general health & well being in
just the last few days. I had forgotten
what it feels like to not feel fatigued
& nauseated & in pain all the
time. Spent too many years nauseated
& not knowing why...
Saw my surgeon yesterday morning. He said
i've healed up fast!
I still have some pain from surgery...But
it's improving everyday. He said to
expect some pain now & again over the
next 3 months that will remind me I had
surgery. He told I did have "chronic
cholecystitis." I also had cholesterol
polyps...So that was a relief, as they
were afraid of it being cancer & I
ended up having more then just the one
they saw in ultrasound's. It does show
that I was forming gallstones...& they
were sticking to the walls of the
gallbladder...
Anyway, hope everyone your doing okay...
Keep us posted...
Heather
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Posted: 04-21-05 20:08pm
Heather,
good to hear your doing alot better! I go
for my follow-up appointment on tuesday.
I guess I will find out if "polly"(yes I
named my polyps ---i'm a little attached
as they have been in there quite a while
hehehe)are cholesterol polyps as
well....I'm sure they probably are as I
haven't heard anything back about them. I
am feeling pretty good...Still have the
odd bad day but more good then bad. I am
also having some weird dizzy spells lately
but I am guessing it's probably this darn
ear infection i'm getting over that's
causing them.
Mj,
i was at a point where I was ready to eat
just about anything because no matter what
I ate it would cause the nausea and pain
anyways. It finally got to a point where
the only things I could eat were crackers,
rice krispies, and dry bread the odd day.
It was awful! I do wish you luck on your
Dr.'s visit and hope they figure out what
it is soon. I know how it is not knowing
what is wrong...There were times I would
cry because it felt like nobody knew what
was wrong and I would have to suffer with
the pain and nausea for the rest of my
life...But someone knows and you will get
better!
Please keep us updated..I am always
checking to see how you guys are doing and
hope to hear only good news!!
Donna
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Desperate to Get Answers Posted: 04-22-05 16:28pm
Hi donna and heather and everyone,
I went back to the doctor today and
basically it was a waste of time.
I had kept a journal of what I ate and my
digestive response. I guess I didn't
give the textbook symptoms because he does
not think that it is my gallbladder. He
said that the only time that I should feel
nauseated is after I eat, never before.
(and I had recorded in my journal that
sometimes I felt nauseated shortly after I
woke in the morning before I ate) so, I
guess at this point I just am sentenced to
a future of pain, nausea, and dizziness
until something serious happens. Right
now I am feeling very depressed and
hopeless. I am sick of feeling sick.
Mj
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Pain Under Rib Cage - Liver Posted: 04-22-05 17:06pm
All of what I have read reminds me of -
me! Only finally in jan of this year, I
was diagnosed with primary biliary
cirrhosis. Symptoms: are - for me
anyway - pain like my liver is trying to
push it's way out of my chest. Horrible
fatigue, metal taste in my mouth, dry eyes
and mouth, small bumps around my eyes, on
my eyelids. There are many more symptoms
for pbc but i'm lucky not to have the
itching!!! This is an autoimmune disease
and tho there is no cure, you should see a
doctor immediately. My bloodwork showed
high alkaline phosphatase levels and total
bilirubin. Please see a hep doc (liver
specialist) most family doctors I went to
never even knew about it. Prognosis is
possible liver transplant. Hopefully
none of you have this, but you should ask
to be checked for pbc specifically if you
can relate to my symptom list. Good luck
to all.
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Blue_Streak_Creations
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 107 Location: USA
Posted: 04-22-05 21:31pm
Mj,
i'm sorry to hear you are no closure to
any answers. Maybe ask around & see
if anyone else had dealt with a general
surgeon they like & make an appt to
get a second opinion. I talked to 3
different dr's ... I had a lot of the
textbook gb symptoms, but I also had a lot
that were not...& they are all gone
now that my gallbladder is...
Will be thinking of you...Hang in
there...
Heather
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Blue_Streak_Creations
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 107 Location: USA
Posted: 04-22-05 21:37pm
Donna,
let us know what your surgeon says after
your follow-up. Hope your polly's, like
mine were just cholesterol... :)
take care,
heather
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Ache to Right of Navel Posted: 04-25-05 09:42am
Having read the postings. Ten years ago
mine started--just to the right of the
navel, it would come for a few weeks then
disappear. Now it is there all the
time--it also moves to the side just under
the rib cage. I can eat and drink and am
happy but the ache is quite bad. I had a
colonoscopy in 1990 and tests but found
nothing. Is this the same symptoms. The
ache seems to move between the right of
the navel and then around the side.
Can you throw any light on this?
Dave
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Gall Bladder Posted: 04-27-05 17:11pm
Hey blue streak,
i can so relate to your awful situation--i
have had severe pain under my right rib
and around my belly button, dizziness,
fatigue, and nausea for the past six
months. I have had every gi test
available, including the hida scan, but
they have all come back normal. I have
seen like ten different doctors about this
and the general attitude is, "you're
young, get over it." the last doctor I saw
wanted to put me on prozac! I cannot
convince anyone that this pain is not in
my head. I am going to a specialist next
week (made the appointment two months ago)
and I am hopeful, but not convinced, that
he will help me. I feel strongly that
it's my gall bladder, in spite of all
tests. I hope you find out what's
wrong--and if I do, i'll let you know. I
never imagined myself as struggling with a
chronic, mysterious illness, but here I am
doing just that. My life is miserable
right now.
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Blue_Streak_Creations
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 107 Location: USA
Posted: 04-28-05 15:30pm
Hi pelu21,
I had my gallbladder removed on april
6....I'm three week post-op. I had
chronic cholecystitis...It was inflamed
with adhesion's & I had cholesterol
polyps. All the pain & other
problems are gone. Know i'm just
recovering from the surgical pain, which
the surgeon said I could feel for up to 3
months. It's no where near as bad as the
pain of a nasty gallbladder. Definitely
worth having the surgery.
Hope you can get some answers to your
troubles soon.
Blue
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Blue_Streak_Creations
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 107 Location: USA
Posted: 04-28-05 15:39pm
Hi dave,
from personal experience....I'd think if
it was your gallbladder you'd have
experienced some sort of right sided rib
pain/nausea after fatty meals. You said
you can eat & drink & are
happy...That's a good sign for it not
being gallbladder. I personally never
experienced pain to the right of my
navel... I did have pain the last few
weeks before surgery in between my sternum
& navel & between the ribs...Along
with the severe stabbing pain under my
right rib. Also a lot of things can
change within 15 years...& if over 50
they recommend every 5/10 years getting a
colonscopy. I'm in my early 30's &
had things change for the worse in just 3
years time. But since none of us are
dr's & everyone experience is
different...I'd definitely recommend
seeing a gastro doc...
Blue
Last edited by Blue_Streak_Creations on 04-30-05 09:50am; edited 2 times in total
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interested*party
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 8
Posted: 04-29-05 18:52pm
Hurrah!!!! It's back..
I couldn't even sign in - as it wasnt
recognising my name or anything - I
thought I was going crazy!.
Blue streak - i'm glad you're feeling so
much better!!! Yay!.
Guys - I had something weird happen last
night..
I've been eating mainly fruits & veges
& still getting the pain and the aches
etc..
Last night, hubby had cooked a lovely
chicken curry - and it has a lot of cream
in it...
I sneaked a bit - because I thought I was
going to wake up in pain anyway so I might
as well enjoy it - guess what - no pain
this morning.????????
what. ??????????..
I'm wondering whether it is gallbladder
now... Because if anything should have
blown it out, it was that cream..
Thoughts?..
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HaredresserD
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 36 Location: California
Oh myyyyyyy... That rightsided pain by
your bellybutton!!!!! Mine started the
summer of 96... Would come and go and
last for sometimes a month or more...
But.. Was too low for gb...Ummmmmmm when
I had that pain I would be soooo
exhausted... Felt like a knife at times
was in me and twisting.. Sometimes just a
slight achy feeling... They ran test
after test on me.. But never the hida
scan til last dec... I started getting
nauseous and the pain got higher... I
never thought that mysterious waist level
pain was gb related.. Until.. My gb was
removed 7 weeks ago.. I haven't even had
a twinge of 'that' pain since... And all
the other symptoms are gone too... Was
having sternum area pain which radiated to
the left and sometimes right but gastro
doc thinks it was gastritis cause he found
that in feb when he did an endoscopy...
So i'm back on nexium and the sternum pain
is gone... One last pill tonight then i'm
gonna see if it stays away andwas related
to the surgery... Crossing fingers...
But had to comment on the pain you are
describing at bellybutton level... I know
it was related to my diseased gb.. Which
had no stones ... Just hida showed
functioning at 39%.. Which is slightly
above normal... But thank goodness the
surgeon I saw said he goes by symptons and
not just test results... I'm feeling way
better than I have in almost nine freakin
years! And I get better daily... :)
pursue that pain... Ask for a hida
scan... I had a small bowel xray and a
colonoscopy back when that pain started...
They were always normal! I actually
developed a lump where that pain was...
It's gone! And I don't remember my
surgeon saying my gb was lower than
normal... But I wonder if my bile ducts
were in bad shape... Something was
causing that pain...
Just wanted to tell ya my story!!!
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Desperate to Get Answers Posted: 05-03-05 00:15am
Dear heather:
in you first posting you mentioned
that after one of your attacks your "thigh
joints hurt for two days following."
could you describe what you meant by
that?
I will be undergoing a colonoscopy
on wednesday and if nothing turns up with
that test (and I hope it doesn't) I will
be having a hida scan.
I have been very careful with my
diet lately.........Sometimes it seems to
help, sometimes not. The strict diet
seems to have alleviated any nausea that I
had experienced previously, but I continue
to have that lightheaded feeling at times.
The stiffness and soreness, like someone
punched me in the stomach is nearly always
with me at present. It certainly makes
it hard to wear any constricting
clothing.....Can't stand any slacks with
no elastic in them nor can I stand wearing
a bra for any length of time.
I am really scared of them finding
something wrong when they do this
colonoscopy......But I guess everyone who
is experiencing abdominal pain feels
afraid.
Again, thanks to all who have
posted on here. It really helps when I
am feeling alone and afraid just to read
what others have gone through.
Mj
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Blue_Streak_Creations
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 107 Location: USA
Posted: 05-03-05 09:57am
Mj,
I just remember my hip/tight joints
aching really bad for a few days. Heat
packs helped a little. Stretching helped
a little as well...But it lasted for a few
days. I was really scared after my first
attack & am pretty sure I was just
extremely tensed up. My mom has
arthritis, so I was afraid that may have
been the reason to... But at this point--
i'm pretty sure it was just all the
tendons & muscles tightening up around
those joints.
Hope you can get things figured out soon.
Let us know how the tests go wednesday...
I was afraid like you are too. Keep your
chin up...
Heather
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Desperate to Get Answers Posted: 05-04-05 20:48pm
Hi heather, donna, and everyone:
just wanted to tell you that the
results of my colonoscopy were
good......The prep for it wasn't too much
fun though. I am more convinced than
ever that my problem lies with my
gallbladder. The hida scan is next!
I hope that both heather and donna
continue to make a complete recovery.
Isn't is just nuts how much trouble a
little gallbladder can cause. They
really do need to develop a better way to
diagnose gallbladder disease.........I
have undergone megabucks worth of tests to
come back to the gallbladder.
Unbelievable.
Mj
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Posted: 05-05-05 23:42pm
Mj,
good to hear that your colonoscopy went
well--well not the prep ;o)
and glad to hear you are going for the
hida scan...But don't count on that to
tell you something is wrong. If it comes
back saying something is wrong then it
more than likely is but mine came back
normal. It was basically convincing the
Dr.S with my symptoms that finally had
mine out.
Now I am having problems trying to get rid
of this darn gastritis. I was just put on
sucralfate--for ulcers to help...Grrrr!
I wish you luck on your hida scan ...And
keep us updated!
Donna
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I'm Curious!! Posted: 05-07-05 09:44am
I've been experiencing the same problems
as you all have, maybe a bit more or less
symptoms but all around the same area
gallbladder!! I had all tests done and
found nothing! Except a small polyp on
my gb and hiatal hernia, gastritis, gerd
and ibs. Yahoo
i am curious if any or all of you got that
really bad virus flu that was going around
in jan/feb/march??? Ever since then
these symptoms have been really bad and
not getting better for me.
Thanks
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Posted: 05-07-05 14:55pm
I had a 24 hour flu(i think it was called
the norwalk virus) where I was vomitting
almost every hour on the hour when all my
gb problems started. I had it again a
couple months ago. But I also had my gb
removed due to polyps and inflammation.
I also am trying to get rid of gastritis
at the moment. I'm beginning to wonder if
that darn flu caused all my problems
lol!
Donna
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Im Curious Guy!! Posted: 05-07-05 17:19pm
Yes that's exactly what I was thinking!!!
All of my problems with gb started after
this bad flu!!?? I know a lot of people
here that are having similiar problems
with eating etc but no answers!!!
Someone should form a group and see how
big the numbers get to see if there is a
pattern developing here...
I'm just looking for answers thats all.
The docs don't seem to have them and i'm
20 pounds lighter and am sick of this, I
used to workout almost everyday now I
don't workout at all!!
They just think it's all stress, but funny
it only happens with really fatty foods
for me, but after an attack it doesn't
matter what food it is, my gastritis is
back and the cycle starts again!!
