Gallbladder Removal Success Story! I Finally feel better!!!

Hi

I’m seven months post open cholecystectomy and only this last month has the discomfort/pain under my lower right rib settled down. At first and for weeks after surgery I could not lie on my right side or tummy and left side was starting to get sore. Ive read similar posts from others, so I think this pain is fairly normal. 

I'm glad to hear you're doing better! It sounds like you had a scary ride before the surgery. 

I too had that pain under my rib. I felt it for about 2 months post op if I coughed, Sneezed, or laughed too hard. It went away with some time. I haven't felt it again until about 2 months ago, but i think maybe it was from a heavy workout that i did in the gym. I felt that twinge when i coughed, sneezed or laughed too hard but it only lasted two days. 

You make a good point Matt. The first time I went to A&E  a year ago they didn't diagnose it as gallstones despite me having every symptom quoted on the internet! The next time I went I had got as far as having had a scan which showed gallstones. But by now my bile duct was blocked and I was very ill for 8 days with jaundice and in agony for 4 days before they could fit me in endoscopy to have the stone pushed through. That was an enormous waste of money because once they did that I was better instantly. It was like hell in there for the first few days in a general men's surgical referral unit. On  the mend now I hope

Glad your on the mend!

I read post after post about classic gallbladder symptoms and people being ignored and failed by the NHS!

Any other business run this way would fail! Anything in life you get the service then pay, but the NHS you pay then dont get the service!

Although I was critical above I don't entirely agree. The NHS can be brilliant at times and it is free. They just sometimes seem to struggle with too much admin and not enough common sense, especially in the early stages such as A&E and initial treatment. For example, the paramedic takes down all of my personal details and enters them into a handheld computer. You would think all this info would then be on the system when you arrive at the hospital (4 hours later!). But no, they  asked me for it all at least three more times despite my being in agony. Yet Amazon can bar code stuff and deal with at least as complex a process with little trouble. I don't blame the people, who are grossly underpaid in my opinion, but the logistics and system throughout are flawed.

First of all I am eternally grateful for all the surgery and care I’ve had under the NHS, but it’s not been an easy journey, hampered mainly by not being able to get access to services when I needed them. I’m not the sort who runs to the GP with every little sniffle. Our GPs simply don’t have appointments available even when you tell them you are in a lot pain. In my area you cannot present yourself at A&E- you must have a referral from a doctor. If no GP available, you have to queue upwards of two hours at an urgent care centre, before you are referred to a hospital, where you wait, still in pain, for anything up to six hours or even more. I dialled 111 the other day only to be told they were experiencing ‘unprecedented demand’ and telling me to see GP or ring for an ambulance if it was a life threatening emergency. Potentially it could have been- all NHS advice on internet advised me to see a doctor. I’d already tried the GP and, as I’m not medically qualified, I didn’t want to waste precious resources dialling 999 until I was sure that it was an emergency. It’s getting access when you are doubled up in pain and clearly not well that I find the main issue with the NHS. Luckily I have a daughter who is a nurse to turn to for advice, but not everyone has that and it makes me angry.

Also can I point out that it’s not free. Most people pay for the NHS through National Insurance contributions. Our parents, grandparents and children have all contributed over a number of years so that they do not have to worry about cost when they become ill, so yes it is free when you need it, but you have already paid. Before NHS, people would put off seeing a doctor because they could not afford it, often until it was too late, so it is, in theory, a wonderful thing, but that does not excuse bad administration, inadequate funding and misuse of public funds, such as people coming from outside the UK/EU who have not contributed at all not being charged. 

Sorry for the rant, but this is something I feel strongly about. Most people can not afford private treatment and rely on NHS. I’m 68 and never thought I’d even think I’d have to go private because there was the NHS scheme, but I did consider it after waiting several months in pain due to gallbladder attacks. Luckily just as I was considering it, my surgery came through. 

As it’s only early October, I really sympathise with anyone who is ill  and has to rely on the NHS this winter. The situation is becoming desperate. 

It's not free we all pay into it. It could be brilliant and brilliant at times is not good enough. I would be happy to pay a little charge for services like you do at an NHS dentist, maybe that's the way to go? Although i think it's down to services being cut and the population increasing. When people are waiting 2 weeks to see a gp, months to see a consultant, months for scans and then waiting weeks for results is a terrible state of affairs. The front line staff are angels, undervalued and underpaid whilst the consultants and managers are earning huge money. If you have toothache you don't wait months for an xray then months for a consultation with a dentist then months for treatment.

Spot on!

Yes, I should have said free at point of service, unlike the US for example. I do agree with what you say and fear it may get worse after Brexit when the number of doctors and nurses in the NHS is likely to drop further. Luckily here we can get to A&E although you can wait hours and it may take a further day or more before you get adequate pain relief which is not good enough. Strangely NHS dentists are readily available and very good where I am. 

Yes it's only going to get worse. My local hospital has lost many of it's services and people are having to travel either 25 or 30 miles to which ever hosptital has the service they require. It's a bit of a postcode lottery.

And in the meantime, patients are deteriorating and getting complications like jaundice. What ever happened to ‘do no harm’?

Without doubt things have got worse since the Tory party! They got in were i live and my hospital lost lots of it's services! Luckily they were outed again last year after the 2 years!

Not sure it’s political. Tory and Labour are as bad as each other when it comes to the NHS. 

The political parties use the NHS as a bargaining tool and never stick to their word. Yes they are as bad as each other but surely the failings are the govermants responsibility.

You are right - it is a political football. The problem is they are not really sure what to do and are always wary of the impacts on the electorate. I think the majority of people in this Country want a successful NHS system whatever their political persuasion because unless they are extremely rich they are likely to need it! If anything should be solved apolitically this is it. It really needs a blank piece of paper. Start again but with the basic concept and do whatever is required - whatever the cost. We can always find the money for defence or for bribing the DUP so it can be done for the NHS - and I would pay more income tax provided it was directly used for funding the NHS.

Agree! 3.2 billion for the DUP was pathetic!

Everything you say here is so accurate!! Although my GP was spot on and sent me for an ultrasound which initially showed small gallstones, I was then admitted to hospital a few weeks later and because the bloods were fine and ultrasound no longer showed these gallstones the consultant didn’t think it was gallbladder related (despite having a temperature, very high heart rate and RUQ pain). Spent a week in hospital, then a different consultant came on and he requested that I get a HIDA scan. I got this 10 days later which showed it wasn’t functioning well enough. 

Admitted again a few weeks later and was same surgeon as the first time. 5 days later and was still no further forward despite repeat ultrasound showing stones again. He wasn’t convinced the HIDA scan result was low enough to be causing these problems! He wanted to send me home days before but didn’t because I was still in so much pain. Again the surgeons changed for the week and the one who requested the HIDA scan was back on. Was continuing to spike temperatures and have very high heart rate and blood pressure too. He asked if I’d been back at work in the 6 weeks since I’d last seen him. When I said no because I was in too much pain and had constant nausea he fit me into his surgery list for the next day. Truly believe part of the reason he did this was because I work in the NHS as a nurse and he wanted to help me get back to work as soon as possible! I’m sure he’s well aware of the horrendous waiting lists too.

I’m not surprised you wanted to punch that GP!! I saw 4 different GP’s in the space of a week at one point whilst mine was off on holiday. And it was the 4th one who sent me back up to hospital with cholecystitis. The others didn’t seem phased how much pain I was in, or the fact I continually had fevers. One of these doctors actually missed a twisted bowel that had perforated in an elderly lady I was in the ward with!! The same doctor who sent me up also saved her life!

Don’t even want to know how much the 2 weeks in hospital, plus the gallbladder removal actually cost the NHS?! Most of which could have been avoided if the original surgeon had just taken the gallbladder out! 

I can’t believe your issues are still ongoing! Could actually cry for you!! I know how frustrated I got with the docs so honestly have no idea how you’re feeling right now xx

Thanks Scottie. Just aswell the first ultrasound saw the stones as your second didn't.  I can't believe how one consultant was wanting to send you home and do nothing whilst another was on the ball and got you sorted. I bet your glad it's all over! 

I can't believe the NHS has left me like this it's a joke! Maybe i need to turn jaundiced? I must have visited my gp surgery 30 times, seen the gastro and insisted that he phone me and screamed at them all how awful i feel and this must be gallbladder with all my classic symptoms. I think i'm going to have to go to PALS.

I guess your from Scotland? I was born in Falkirk and lived in Kincardine until my parents moved to SE England.

Continue to keep going to the GP. It only takes one of them to send you up to hospital and you’ll hopefully be seen! You can ask to get a second opinion from another gastro consultant as well. I actually requested this with an orthopaedic consultant who fobbed me off. Definitely worth getting advice off PALS seeing as you’ve not been getting anywhere with the docs. 

Yep I’m in Scotland haha - you’d probably get treated a lot better and quicker if you happened to be “on holiday” up here when you have a flare up xx

Thanks. I think i'm going to have to phone and ask for a 2nd opinion i just hope it's not the same case of "well your bloods, ultrasound and CT were normal"! 

I'm off for more blood tests tomorrow.

I totally agree!! I was concerned due to the battery of tests they were having me do so close to one another. The exposure to the anesthesia, and the radiation just going for these tests made me scared something else would come up. The HIDA was my savior, i was obsessed with that result after i heard it. It was what made me push harder for the solution to what I've been experiencing for the past 10 years! It was so discouraging to hear the doctors all tell me that it didn't matter since all other tests were normal. 10 years of symptoms and  my ONE slightly abnormal HIDA scan had me on a mission lol

Glad to hear you are doing well post op!!  Finally!!