Waiting list for operation too long. In almost constant pain.

Hi, its awful isn't it when you're in so much pain. I suggest if you get really bad go to a&e and hopefully they'll pass this onto your consultant and hopefully get you in sooner.

I did the same as you, looking at prices for private treatment and it was a similar price and they give you 6 months aftercare. I couldn't afford it either so had to wait.

Generally it should be 18 weeks from your first referral from your gp.

Just keep going back to your gp and to a&e and hopefully they'll push you up the queue.

Let me know how you get on. Take care. x

Hi, it is really frustrating. I'm waiting to see a surgeon and that's taking months already. I found taking paracetamol and buscopan on a regular basis and then codeine quite often at night helps keep it partly under control. The other thing I've done is almost completely cut fat out of my diet, this is the thing that makes the most difference. It's hard to keep my weight up though. I think for me it's keeping the painkiller and buscopan constant and diet. It's very tiring. Keep phoning about the appointment as well, my GP told me I had to be my own advocate so keep asking if there's cancellations etc. Good luck and take care.

Hello, my husband is just like you and he has been waiting quite a while too. He is always in discomfort with continual bloating and pain. What we have found from trial and error is that it is best to steer clear of anything with codeine in it as it tends to irritate and the fact also that they don't touch the pain anyway. The Buscopan, some paracetamol and a hot water bottle did however seem to help. I know this is probably a bit difficult in this day and age but keep your stress levels down and go ont you tube for some mindfulness meditation music. Do that whilst lay down with a hot bot and I am sure you will feel a little better. Try oat milk also instead of dairy, it tastes really good.

I understood that there is an 18 week wait maximum from the date of referral to treatment. I thought this was a legal time limit? I was referred in September 2016 and had an open cholecystectomy at the start of February 2017, just over the 18 weeks limit.

You could complain to your local hospital PALS service which is an advocate for the patient explaining how much pain you're in. Also you could visit A&E when you are in pain and hope they will bring forward your surgery or get another referral to the hospital from your GP. Might even be worth phoning your consultants secretary and explaining how badly this is affecting your life.

You have my sympathy as I was in pain even though I stuck religiously to a low fat diet whilst I was waiting. I was also extremely tired all the time and had no appetite at all. I lost two stones in weight- even lost weight over the Christmas period.

Nobody should have to wait this long if they are in pain and waiting is also risky. The gallbladder can perforate risking peritonitis. I was badly jaundiced at one stage and at risk of sepsis. I ended up having to have a liver resection a month after the cholecystectomy due to the labs finding a small growth in my gallbladder when it was removed. I dread to think what might have happened had I had to wait longer. As it is I will be monitored for at least five years. This is rare but obviously can happen.

You need to keep pressure on the hospital- they will assume you're managing ok otherwise.