should I go in?

hi, I havent cancelled getting it removed, i havent even got an appointment with the specialist yet, still waiting and have been for 6mths with progressing symptoms just to actually see somebody

The should I go in, meant to emergency, department with the rib pain tonight or was it not urgent enough.

thanks so much xxxx

my friend is a nurse and came over, she has also given me info of a private gastro, so am ringing tomorrow and paying for an initial consult and go from there, she is thinking I am more cat 1 due to weight loss and symptoms, so should be seen quickly, my specialist also rang me and is getting on to the gastro team, the pain subsided as time went on, its much milder again now as it was becomming sharper after eating chicken and rice??? what i usually eat.

I have had ultrasounds confirming stones and also had full CT with contrast which showed no issues otherwise, the private specialist will likely do a upper and lower scope prior due to the symptoms and to rule anything else out. Hoping it isnt too expensive!

Just feeling fed up, my Dr had only put pain on my referal which was the least of my symptoms so placed on a cat 3 wait forever list!!! 

Hi Star, I looked into going privately for the removal, it was my husband who was getting so upset with me being in this constant pain all the time. In the end I didn't have to wait too long and going privately would've only made a difference of a couple of weeks so I saved money.

My pain always got worse after eating, by the time I got to  bedtime everything was so uncomfortable but never bad enough to go to a&e. I had a gastroscopy after my initial US as they need to check other things before they take your gallbladder out.

Go and get at least a private consultation which will move you a bit further forward. Aren't you in Australia?if I remember. I'm in the UK and I found out that the same nhs doctors are the private ones too so I would end up seeing the same one!! Make that call and get some prices it'll put you in a more positive frame of mind that things are moving forward. I expect that your friend is very supportive being a nurse she can help you on the medical front.

Let me know what you find out and keep me updated. Take care xx

Hi thanks, yes Australia, unfortunately all my Dr put on the form was pain, so I was placed cat 3 which means upto a yr wait just to get an appointment, the letter even said cat 3 when the acknowledged my referal, maybe better to go back to the Dr Ie... LONG WAITS, havent even heard since from them and so not seen any specalists yet still, I am under heamatology for a rare disorder and she was not happy, said should of been cat 2  and has refered me internally, however that was Dec and havent heard from them either, she rang me yesterday and got an update on my symptoms and said she would be contacting them directly, My nurse friend gave me the private dr details and had asked her opinion, she said sounds like cat 1 and I should be in, due to the extreme weight loss, bloating, reflux and gastric issues and ongoing pain.

I am booked for a private consult at 2pm tomorrow, so I am going to see what she says and her opinion. I am from the UK, been here 8 yrs, so still not 100% how it will work, if she can refer me as well if its urgent, no idea? but at least i will have actually seen somebody and have a better idea

Hi Star, yes they need to put more of your symptoms on your referral so you get classified much further up the line from the sound of everything.

Unexplained weight loss is nver good and should be investigated, thats one of reasons that my gp referred me as I was loosing weight and I'm not very big anyway so really don't need to loss.

One of my colleagues is emigrating to australia in a couple of weeks, his partner is a nurse and she's already got a job waiting for her. Its always hard to know a system until your actually in it I think. I didn't know I was going to be seen again after surgery until I phoned yesterday with some problems and the nurse said I would be seen by the surgeon in 6 weeks but to see my gp in the mean time unless its a emergency. 

Good luck with your private consultation and let us know how you get on.

Take care xx

thanks, yes she wasnt happy. My husband isnt worried about the weight loss like everyone else, he said your not eating potatoes, dairy ( no more potato bakes or herb potatoes) no gluten at all and no heaps of coconut so thefore not really unexplained if your not eating 1/2 the food you was, makes sense so trying not too worry.

how long from start of symptoms until removal did you wait?

 

Hi Star, well I started getting pain in May 2016 and saw my gp who referred me for a US which was within 2 weeks, then when that came back as normal she referred me to a gastroenterologist but under the 2 weeks plan because of the weight loss and constant pain, just encase I had any masses that shouldn't be there. so I saw him in June who then referred me for a gastroenterology which was July, then CT in August then as everything came back clear I was back to normal waiting until I had an MRCP in Oct and finally a HIDA scan at christmas which showed  my gallbladder wasn't working. I saw the surgeon at the beginning of Jan and then surgery last week but I think it would have been sooner only my surgeon wasn't available in February. Generally in the NHS you should only have to wait 18 weeks from the initial referral until surgery but I know that some have gone on longer. Also it depends on what criteria you fall into as I was female, in my 40's, loosing weight, pain, nausea and vomiting I fell into a certain band. They also checked me for addisons disease as I had alot of pain in my back.

If I had, had gallstones then surgery would've been alot sooner but as I needed further tests its taken longer than normal. 

I don't know how long you've been waiting but if you can get as much done privately then go for it as it does save everything getting worse.

Looking back on it I started having symptoms alot sooner but as I have ibs I just put it down to that and ignored it until the pain was severe.

Good luck with everything and I hope you don't have to wait too long before things get moving and your in the system. Remember to tell them everything as they have to tick certain boxes to justify why they want a particular test as some can be very expensive.

take care and let us know how you get on x

 

I have had back and shoulder pains for many years, but I am a cleaner, with 4 kids, so put it down to that and occasional sharp pain in my chest, but never thought about it really. So no idea how long. I checked my time line last night to write it all down for the private specaist today and the constant bowels started in June! I removed nuts and lots of coconut and that stopped the frequent bowels after a blood occult came back clear and theyy said IBS. September woke with reflux, which dont ever get for a week, went away for a week then came back and never left. After a few dr visits had a ultrasound scan and found multiple mobile gallstones upto 15mm.

I was then refered by October and placed on Cat 3, i had lost around 3-4kg by then.

SINCE then I managed until december to control all symptoms with food,  rumbling, lost 14kg in total, bloating, backache, nauesea and the tummy rumbling, rib ache etc.. Visited my DR last week and she said not much I can do! I am under heamatology for Castlemans disease ( uni centric) so my specalist was not happy in october and sent me for a neck x ray as I felt with the reflux, I had an obstruction, was all clear and saw me again December, lost 10kg by then so she sent me straight for CT neck to pelvis with contrast, but all OK, so refered me to their gastro team. I contacted them this week ( my specalist) as hadnt heard so she is writing all new symptoms down and said she will contact them direct, however my nurse friend gave me these private consultant gastro details and I am there this aftenoon. I have no idea why my original Dr only put pain on my form as I went to her with the bowel, weight loss, digestion and reflux, not really pain? I am guessing this is why the long wait, however the extreme weight loss has come after that referal anyway as symptoms progressed.

BUT food has been drastically changed, so can explain the weight loss.

You really need this to be over now don't you. You've been suffering for long enough.

Unfortunately with gallstones unless they cause pain doctors do leave a period of waiting to see what happens as they need to know that it is the gallbladder causing the problems as the other organs cause similar symptoms.

Let me know how you get on with the gastro consultant? I hope that you start to get somewhere.

x

PS forgot to mention, had many gallstones - they did not say how many or anything, which I had known were there for some years and ws advised to leave them as was not having typical attacks at the time. Also got severe migraines when I felt worst.

hi thanks Yes will def go for consults and tests, when they finally get me into the system still waiting. I have had the gp referalls and thats about it for months, waiting and waiting and getng sicker and weaker.

Are you in England? If so, you can contact your local PALS office to ask why you are waiting so long to be seen, I did and although I still waited , eventually it did help bring my op forward by about 8 weeks thank goodness, My GP also wrote in the end to ask them if things could speed up, as she was probably sick of seeing me ! You can get overlooked, my first date was cancelled last year due to dr strikes and after that other dates kept being cancelled. Also,

Sorry to learn you still haven't been able to progress towards a solution. From reading your comment that you're not in excruciating pain--well it seems to me that you're ill, and need help as soon as you can get it!

I, too, did not have excruciating pain.  But, I exaggerated it, since sometimes doctors seem to want "over the top" symptoms before they'll take any action.  Remember, all the exams that you've been having aren't the same as viewing how your gallbladder actually looks inside your body.  They're just images. My gallbladder looked "okay" in all the ultrasounds, but when it was removed it was very nearly necrotic and filled with small stones and sludge.  

So, my advice is to do what you need to do in order to get that gallbladder removed!  It's making you sick, and won't stop till it's out of you! xxx

Thanks x I am ringing my friends hospital today she works at and getting in the with gastro, she wants to scope me and says by what my friend told her I need seeing pretty urgently, so paying for now then hoping to switch to public if we can. 

will keep you updated.

I'm so glad to learn that!  You need answers!  Please let me know how you get on! xx

thanks, will do

I think I titled this discussion wrong as reading by replies, it looks like people think I was asking if I should bother getting help, when I actually meant should I go to emergency last night due to the unrelenting rib pain or would they just send me home as it wasnt severe

No Australia, we emigrated 8 yrs ago

I sound like you, started with IBS symptoms, then reflux, then diagnosed with multiple gallstones, since December I have  developed bloating, nausea, lost 14kg in total, back pain, headaches, tired and dizziness, indigestion and achy ribs. I go from no appetite to being really hungry??

 

Thanks for the clarification....I'm glad you weren't in severe pain!

Please do let me know how you get on!  xxx