From US--new to group
Posted , 9 users are following.
I hope it's OK to join the group. I've been reading here for a while and can't find a group here in the US. I had my gall bladder removed about a month ago. I had been feeling ill for about 3 months with digestive issues but since I've had IBS for years and wasn't having pain, just lots of discomfort, indigestion, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and rapid weight loss, , my doctor and I didn't suspect gallbladder until I had an attack which sent me to the ER where tests were finally run. I was scheduled for surgery, but a more severe attack brought on surgery sooner than expected.
I had read here that it takes some people a long time to recover digestive function, but I am dismayed at my lack of at least some progress. I still have daily diarrhea, sudden, unexpected, watery and exhausting. I was having symptoms of malnutrition (I am very fat so to become anorexic and malnourished virtually overnight was really odd). I became afraid to put anything solid in my mouth. I had a very sore tongue and mouth and my gums were so tender I could hardly chew anything. My lips were cracking and my mouth was splitting on the sides. While these symptoms having improved somewhat, they haven't gone away.
I am so tired all the time, no energy, trying to eat some protein everyday, chicken, some rice and applesauce, but mostly no appetite to speak of and everything seems to go right thru me. My husband is getting very tired of hearing me complain about my bathroom problems. He is older than I am (I'm 61, he's 82) and he's having to manage the entire household chores by himself. I'm scared that I'm putting too much physical responsibility on him (we have an older home which needs up-keep, lots of snow this year so tracking of sand, wet, and so on, and 4 cats). He has to do my laundry and make my bed and do all the shopping. I just don't have the strength.
My doctor gave me a medicine to "bind" the bile which I am taking but if I take it as directed I become so constipated that I end up having bleeding hemorrhoids and can't eat or drink anything. My stomach is bloated all the time and there is a constant gurgling feeling in my upper right abdomen where I guess the gallbladder used to be.
I'm sorry to be so graphic about all of this, but there is no one around me who really understands these conditions. My surgeon says "It will just take time for your body to adjust" and my doctor gave me the bile binder and a friend told me about bile salts but I'm afraid to try them because I've read that if they aren't balanced correctly, the side effect can be diarrhea. I feel that I am losing most of my quality of life, being virtually housebound the last 5 months, becoming weak, mentally confused, overwhelmed easily, constantly tired, and unable to be away from the bathroom for any length of time.
I know there are many others in the group who are facing similiar problems. I don't expect any answers--right now it just helps to be able to speak the truth about this exasperating situation. I'm angry and frightened that I'll never get my life back and all over some tiny little organ.
If anyone has managed to listen to me whine for this long, thank you for your patience. I do feel a bit better having vented in a place where people know how it feels. I wish you all good luck and better health!!
1 like, 29 replies
Jennifer28269 ndm
Posted
ndm Jennifer28269
Posted
Jennifer28269 ndm
Posted
angela72602 Jennifer28269
Posted
angela72602 Jennifer28269
Posted
ndm Jennifer28269
Posted
angela72602 ndm
Posted
ndm angela72602
Posted
I feel very lucky to have such caring responses. It's a big comfort to find friends who can tolerate the icky bathroom talk. It has taken over my life and no one really wants to hear about it--I don't really want to talk about it, but nothing else is going on. Right now management is what I hope for. Thank you again!
angela72602 ndm
Posted
Jennifer28269 angela72602
Posted
octavia123 ndm
Posted
ndm octavia123
Posted
dorcas44815 ndm
Posted
Firstly so sorry to hear how ill you have been - it is definitely not a good situation to find yourself in. I have been very lucky in that physically I have been almost completely better since my operation. However, I seem to have developed some psychological issues and I see that I have become obsessed about my digestive issues!
Hopefully you will find something very soon to help you through all this. Sometimes I think it just takes longer for some of us to heal than it does for others. Good luck.
angela72602 dorcas44815
Posted
ndm dorcas44815
Posted
ndm angela72602
Posted