Diagnosis!

[tarotgal]

It is 5am and I just got home from 7 hours in the ER. Apparently I have a huge gallstone and a spasming gallbladder, and that's why I've been so hurty for 17 days. See, I knew there was something wrong with me!

Not sure how to make the hurt go away... my diet (I'm vegan-ish) is already about as low-fat as they come and I had a salad yesterday that just about killed me. But I'll be able to follow-up with my GI on Monday and maybe surgery is in my immediate future if this isn't going away on its own. My diet of white rice, applesauce, banana, saltines, and soup for a week helped a little. Yesterday I had a spinach salad (just spinach, sunflower seeds, raisins, and almonds--no dressing at all) killed me. So... if I can't handle normal low-fat foods, surgery might be the way I have to go.

Also explains the pain in my back by the shoulderblade as apparently a nerve connects there or something. It's 5am. I'm not really making sense or remembering conversations clearly.

At any rate, I'm thrilled to know I haven't just been imagining this pain I've been in. And I'm happy that there are treatment options. Yay! Also, one of my good friends has dealt with this for years and is also vegetarian, so I'll be able to get some good advice from her :-)

Comments

[melydia.livejournal.com]

It's amazing how wonderful it can feel to have a diagnosis - and such a treatable one at that. If you have to have surgery, well, that's not the end of the world. Glad to hear that a less painful existence is in your future.

[greeneyes-fan.livejournal.com]

The surgery really isn't that bad, everyone I know who had it was delighted with the results. It's about a week resting, but when I had my laparoscopy (for a different reason) I was out grocery shopping within 48 hours. And gallstones don't go away, so leaving it could eventually lead to blockage and infection. Stick to the fat-free diet for now, but definitely ask the GI for a referral to a surgeon to get it removed.

Fair warning, you'll also have to be really strictly fat-free for a few weeks after it comes out, until your body adjusts. (Nuts and seeds, for example, have LOTS of fat, as do many soups.)

[silverelf.livejournal.com]

Ohh, gal stones. My old arch enemy. I had my gal bladder out a few years ago after seven months of pain, and I don't think I've ever known such relief as when it was finally taken care of. Definitely look into having that sucker removed!

I'm so glad you got a diagnosis!

[tarotgal]

OMG I haven't seen you in a while! I just wanted to give you some hugs. {{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}

And thanks for the advice. I know it's stupid to invite surgery because it's a risk, but I REALLY want it. If I'm having problems just eating 0 fat vegetable broth and plain white rice, I seriously don't think I want it in any longer.