Hi Chrissie
@Hoppy Nanny just read your post on Sheryl's thread, so sorry to hear you're feeling so
I hope you get your gallbladder sorted out... I had mine out in June last year, after the kidney stones and gallbladder "attack"... it was a bad year remember?! Well as for the gallbladder removal THAT bit wasn't bad! I didn't realize how unwell it was making me feel, I have been treating symptoms for years... just not as symptoms of gallstones
If it wasn't for the kidney stones in April when I had a CT scan and found the stones I would still be putting up with those horrible attacks and all the insidious symptoms which I treated variably as IBS, an ulcer, a symptom of the SLE I may or may not have! (that's not me thinking I've got it, it's my rheumatologist saying I tick 7 of 8 "markers", testing, then not telling me if it's yea or nay and what would be the procedure if it was yea... I'm guessing now it's nay but didn't know then!)
I can honestly say my general health is the best it's been in YEARS, the aches and nausea are GONE, (well the OA ones aren't, but you know what I mean
) the constant stomach upsets are GONE, that "I can't put my finger on it, I just feel blugh" feeling is GONE. The first week was pretty uncomfortable, but only paracetemol worthy
I get very little in the way of digestion problems since I had it out, it was a fear when you hear the horror stories of having to be near a loo all the time, never being able to eat x y z again; I was like that for the first two or three weeks, then it settled down as long as I kept my diet reasonably bland - after a couple more weeks I ate and still do eat what I like and occasionally get a bit of a tummy thing after a fat-heavy meal; as I don't like "fat" it tends not to happen very often, and it's still not as bad as before.
This is MY experience, there is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that this is the case, but my surgeon was NOT offering it as a benefit.... he simply removed a diseased organ, as required. He had the personality of a piece of wood so I didn't expect much from him in the support department anyway
but he is a highly experienced surgeon, you only have to deal with them twice... and the follow up appointment took less than five minutes!... so I didn't care about his personality :cool:
What you have is also known as "gravel". My surgeon said that while it was my decision to have the op or not, my stones were big enough to be an immediate threat (of blocking the ducts) but that gravel could ALSO cause the problem so he would take the whole gallbladder rather than blasting the stones... and anyway the stones invariably come back. I really REALLY didn't want surgery, I am (like many people I'm sure) "surgery averse"; my OS basically INSISTED I had it done before he would proceed with the THR, he wanted any "underlying causes of inflammation" to be addressed before surgery. I had the surgery 9 days after consultation with the General Surgeon. It is the first surgery I've had where I was really given a choice (my appendix ruptured - no choice, unresponsive CIN2 made me feel my hysterectomy was a no brainer, serious jaw infection = apicoectomy) and I am SO glad I took it.
I would normally counsel FOR surgery, but if I were you I would start getting stompy about getting it done. I don't know the exact state or position of the NHS with this sort of thing, I do know I consider myself lucky to be in our system as every procedure I have had done has been deemed necessary and done within days... even the THR was considered Level 2 "necessary but not life threatening" and I was offered THAT in 9 days - though I chickened out on that occasion and took them up on the offer when I was ready
. Can you get other opinions? If you can impress on the specialist just how unwell you are feeling, and that you are looking at another joint replacement in the near future and would think that having underlying inflammation would be a negative thing in that recovery... or indeed in the decision as to whether the OS would proceed (it may be worth consulting your OS and see what his take is on it) you may see some action.
As I've said I have battled depression and anxiety for many years (I don't like using the word battled, it sounds dramatic, but a battle it is!)
I have it well controlled now, but I do know my limitations and triggers and really can't believe I haven't fallen prey after the emotional onslaught of THR... don't get me wrong I am VERY grateful. Even people who have known me for a long time are surprised to dscover that I am a sufferer, I am generally a "bubbly" sort of girl, I think they expect me to be wailing and gnashing my teeth all the time
I do think that my general health being so much better, just feeling so much better in myself, has had a HUGE impact on it. I have the sneaking suspicion that if I still had the daily blughs I'd be feeling pretty sorry for myself about NOW, depression and anxiety are REAL and they cause you REAL pain... so I'd be doing whatever I could to avoid it.... what are you doing still reading this? You should be on the phone demanding a consult.
I really REALLY hope you are feeling better soon, you have been such a great support for me, and I see you supporting many others here. You deserve to feel better
Donna
Australia
but some of the horror stories I read (ah, the internet, blessing AND curse) have not been my experience; I have to not gorge (really gorge) on fatty food, but that was never my thing anyway, and that's the only limitation it has brought, the improvements are grand 
