Waiting for a scan and i'm in so much pain...

In that time I’d been admitted to hospital after being sent up to the surgical unit with suspected cholecystitis. They scanned again but couldn’t see stones this time so after 6 days in hospital and having gastroscopy and mri was sent home to then get a HIDA scan as outpatient (which I got 10 days later). Had appt with a different GP 2 days later and results were back with a low functioning gallbladder.

The wait to see the surgeon following the scan was 3 weeks, in which time I was back and forward to GP at least once a week in constant pain and constant nausea too. They were trying to keep me going until the appt to see the surgeon. Saw him on the Monday and he agreed to put me on waiting list but couldn’t give me even a rough timescale. 

2 days after this appt I ended up back at GP as pain was even worse now. She sent me back up to the emergency surgical ward with cholecystitis again. Ended up on IV antibiotics then got the gallbladder out 6 days later whilst still in hospital. 

So basically between first going to GP with definite symptoms in April and getting the gallbladder out was just over 4 months, 2 of which I was in constant pain and had severe nausea. 2 weeks in hospital and about 8 visits to different GP’s and out of hours once as well. 

Your GP really needs to send you up to see the surgeons as an emergency. They’d then be able to scan you urgently as an inpatient. Have they even checked your bloods to make sure you’ve not got an infection?

Definitely keep going back to the GP! They need to help you instead of fobbing you off. Good luck and let us know how you get on xx

Good Luck . Sorry you don't have insurance. That is a problem because the medical society will not rush on anything for you. Just like me I had suffered for a year didn't have insurance. Been to three hospitals ran up a large bill on those hospitals. Finally bought insurance then all avenues where open to me. Got my gb out. And treatments everything. Hope you will get the help you need.

Hi alison,

Mine started just after i had my daughter 6 months ago. It started off mildly, first 2 attacks i didnt quite know what to make of it ad it was more uncomfortable than painful. Then i had my first really painful attack. I knew what it was instantly because it runs in my family so id seen my mother auny and nan go through it. So at my 6 week post baby check up i mentioned it to my GP who seemed to be under the impression that because i am skinny and only 22 that it could not possibly be gallstones despite my family history. Regardless i knew that it was so i demanded an ultrasound.

Had my ultra sound about 2 weeks later. (So about 7 weeks since my first little uncomfortable pain) by this point id had a few fairly awful attacks. They said they'd call with my results in 7-10 days. However, i did not get a chance to wait that long because within the next week i had the mother of all attacks. And long story short i had an ambulance ride and a 5 day stay in the hospital with obstructive jaundice and a morphone drip. I was then discharged and told i would have a date for surgery to remove my gallbladder in 10 days. And from that point onwards i had not heard a dicky bird. I called them yesterday. So a good 2-3 months since i was admitted and ask about how long my wait woukd still be. They said i was at the top of the list as id been put down as urgent but it would still be another 3-4 week wait. 2 hours later. I got a phonecall with my date 27th of this month ill be having my gall bladder out. So in total from the very start i have had symptoms about 6 months. But since first gp appoinement i have waited about 4 1/2 months.

The best advice i can give is bug them. A LOT. The nhs- as brilliant as it is, is very slow when it comes not non-urgent medical needs. And as its not techincally what they see as 'life threatening' gallbladder removal is not a priority. So if i were you everytime the pain doesnt settle with regular pain killers, take a trip to a&e keep going back until you get your datr for surgery if that is what you want! Good luck.

Wow. You have some serious pain. Get onto you GP or scan department everyday to get an urgent scan. From then it's a ticking clock and again,keeping on at the appropriate departments to get a move on. Oh,and don't forget your GP,the more you bug them,the more they will bug the hospital.

Re the pain and surgery, if there is an infection or inflammation, then they won't operate unless it's a real emergency. They will wait for it to clear up before considering surgery.

I hope that you get this sorted sooner rather than later..

I've had 11 days off sick in 2 months due to pain,so I know how it feels.

Thank you to everyone who commented on this post and tried to help me…. A little update… the day after I wrote this post I ended up being taken to A&E and admitted into hospital it turned out I had a temperature of 42 – and was suffering from Cholecystitis

I was feeling so ill, one minute I was boiling hot the next freezing cold, my body ached like I was aged over 100 years old, I was so bloated and full up all the time even though I was terrified to eat because it prompted these terrible attacks that I described previously pains in stomach/back and constant vomiting. Anyway I didn’t actually want to go to A&E because I had been 3 times within 2 weeks and each time they left me sitting in the waiting room for over 5 hours then sent me home with pain killers and anti-sickness pills saying that I needed to wait for my scan to come through.  Eventually my husband insisted to take me and I’m so glad I did – as my temperature was so high they rushed me straight in and I was put on IV antibiotics right away…they admitted me to a ward and I had all my scans done whiles I was there (for a week). I haven’t got any stones but I do have sludge and an enlarged Gall Bladder so they have told me it needs to be removed. They were also worried about my liver function but it turned out to be okay in the end.

They were talking about doing the operation whilst I was there, but then they changed their mind… for a number of reasons – which I agreed to when they explained it to me.

So I’m now in the position where I have a diagnosis and have my pre-op on 16th November – so operation will be in December.

Since I’ve been out of hospital I’m feeling much better, but I am being very careful what I eat…those attacks are dreadful so I’ve been avoiding fatty foods like the plague. I’m still getting some pains, especially after eating and acid indigestion – but I’m coping okay and just knowing this is going to be sorted fairly soon is a weight off my mind.

Hi Alison

Hope fully they will carry out the surgery this month for you. I was admitted to hospital in August and discovered a large number of stones, ive since had an endoscopy and MRI scan but haven't been assigned a consultant. Have been back and forth the gp who said they can't give me the results ad it was requested by the hospital and the hospital is saying I haven't been assigned a consultant so they can't give results!! Only thing I have been told is I'm on the priority waiting list for surgery and should be within the next 4 weeks - being left i limbo to worry is unacceptable though and I don't know where to turn. The hospital is the royal Gwent in Newport. I really hope they get it sorted for everyone in this discussion as I feel your pain, the constant vomiting I can handle but the pain is something else- take care x

Latest Update:

?So here I am...6 months later still getting gallbladder attacks on a fairly regular basis - and I've finally got a date for my operation scheduled for 19th March 2018.