Just to interject, simply having gallstones (or gravel) does not necessarily mean that the gallbladder needs to be removed. During an ultrasound, I discovered that I have a rock garden which has never caused me any real problem. My doctors told me that 90% of people with gallstones have no difficulties. I count myself lucky to be among the
90%.
So I've been looking for a fern that will grow in no-light conditions, but will make a good root system to hold all the stones in place - "bind the soil" so to speak. No luck so far.
I do not suffer from IBS, but instead I have colitis, which as somewhat similar symptoms.. I had the ever-present colitis long before the gallbladder problems reared their ugly head. My support group refers to the colitis/crohns/IBS collectively as "our rotten guts" (less than charming, but far too accurate)..
I have an online gastro "pain buddy", and we keep each other bolstered up with lots of electronic cards, e-mails, and the occasional e-mail shoulder-to-cry-on as needed. She has crohns disease, and only has 8 inches of large intestine left, and so has a "dumping syndrome" type of problem. She has been on tincture of opium for years since the radical surgery, as nothing else seems to slow her system down enough to let her digest food and get nutrients. Her current doctor is now telling her that she "has to" discontinue the opium tincture.
She is absolutely petrified of what is likely to happen if she discontinues this medication.... I think she needs a new doctor.
I also have gastric ulcers,... So I do know about the wonderful fun of having one problem flaring, and then another one flares, thereby seeming to trigger one another. When they all get going at once (like some sort of warped symphony), I have learned to just (nicely) tell all the people around me to leave me alone as much as possible, because I find that I can get really crabby when I hurt that much (I don't even like me then). The GI doctor even gave me morphine for when it gets really bad, but I hate the stuff, and the situation has to be most unbearable before I will use it. The morphine is a wonder drug however, as it kills the pain, and also slows the digestive system, so the unending cycle of running to the bathroom every 10 minutes finally stops.
I looked at your "before and after" photos, and yes, it's nice to have a figure, but what a terrible price to pay to get it.
When I am having a really rotten day, I try to machine embroider, as that is not taxing, and I find it very diverting to watch (it gives me something else to think about besides my body falling apart).
Interesting how many of us have chronic health problems here of similar natures.
me wrote: Details swapped for sympathetic ((((((me Hugs))))))
Nah... I chose to lose the weight, and the Weight Watchers diet made such a difference to my innards that it is a total joy to stick to it. :) I just swap out the red meat/beef mince for chicken or turkey and make the recipes anyway! :) Before I started it I was MUCH worse with the Evil Innards Syndrome!
Yup - I get to the machine as much as I can too! Today I spent with 17 kids, several boxes of fabric and 8 sewing machines! That REALLY takes your mind off the pain!
There are groups of us all over the place... We seem to have more time for groups, possibly because our physical world socializing can be restricted at times - and more for some of us than for others.
If I REALLY get going, I can have TOM, fibro falre, a lack-of-gall bladder incident, a sinus infection, and IBS attack, and a recurrence of the RSI in both shoulders and my right wrist all going on at once, and then sciatica sets in... I'm hobbling round like the hunch-bum of Notre DAMN! OUCH! at this point... If I didn't laugh about it and go do summat more amusing (like climb the ladder and raid the stash!), I'd murder the next person to attempt to sell me double glazing or a mobile phone!
And my mum was told when her 'silent' gallstones were discoverd, that about 75% of people have them by their mid seventies. :) The typical (but not exclusive!) gall bladder surgery patient is fat, fertile, and in her forties!
So long as they cause you no problems, you can safely ignore them.
I had attacks that made me feel like death would be a soft option several times a year for several years. Then the whole inflamed mess put me in hospital: they wouldn't operate at that point for fear or peritonitis. I had to wait for it to clear the infection before they would even consider surgery. My gall bladder was so ful of one gigantic stone and a tablespoon of what the sugeoion described as 'gravel like roughly gound glass' that it was almost NOT keyhole surgery and the op took longer than they expected. I have a slightly larger scar than conventional keyhole removal leaves, but a life that is about 3000% better than it was before! :)
We should all get together, and we could produce a twisted take-off on the wizard of OZ... (I'll let you envision what the wishes could be...) We can all blame any gas in the air on the dog that plays toto... (laughter).....
You have had a busy day, haven't you? Yes, no time for any pa>If I REALLY get going, I can have TOM, fibro falre, a lack-of-gall
No question that when it's gotta go, it's gotta go! I've heard from friends about the agony that led to surgical removal. I just wanted to make the point that stones alone don't mean trouble.
A friend retired to Mexico last year, and within two weeks of her arrival and getting settled in, she had a monster gallbladder attack. One of her major concerns about moving there was the availability and quality of medical care, and since she is a nurse, she's picky! Glad to say, she came through the process very happy. The local emergency clinic sent her to a hospital in a nearby large city where she had the offending gallbladder removed. Despite a language problem (she hasn't really learned Spanish yet) she reports excellent care, up to the minute facilities, and perhaps best of all, a total bill of $3,000. She is much reassured about medical care there.
I wish mine had been several times a year.. I had the horrid things at least weekly and up to daily for 20 years*.. So, although there are problems, I don't have those horrible attacks anymore.
*Here in the US, it used to be they would not operate unless a hidascan confirmed stones/gravel. I never had stones, so until the technology changed and could also find the diseased gallbladder without stones, I was not considered for surgery.
The significant UP side is that barring the fibro and other upsets, with the fantastic diet and having shed 70 lbs, and swimming several miles a week, at 50 I am the healthiest I have ever been as an adult!
I gather that medical care in Central and South America is rather like it is in Africa: when it's good it's wonderful, but when it isn't you long for Caedfal and his herbs!
Yes, I've heard that, too. But the city she lives near is Guadalajara, the site of a big medical school where most of the instructors are from the U.S., the textbooks are from the U.S., and a good many of the students are from here, also. But Mexico is quite modern in the medical field, from what I understand, with a national health program administered through Seguridad Social. There is currently a project to work with them to honor Medicare for retirees from here.
Years ago I stayed with a family in San Miguel de Allende while attending the language school there. The man was a young doctor who was working at S.S. and they hosted some parties where many of the guests were co-workers. Lots of the doctors were women.
My friends who just moved there last year were from California, and couldn't afford to retire there. California is one of the most expensive places to live, especially in the Bay area where they were. The taxes on their house alone would have required more than their combined social security income. But in Mexico, they were able to buy a home and live comfortably on their fixed income.
Don't knock Caedfal's herbs! Some of them are the basis of very "modern" medicines! ;-) He was a smart cookie.
I'm working at getting there. But hubby is a great enabler. Near every time I long for something like potato chips or something chocolate he'll help me go out and get it. Gotta stop letting him push those buttons and stick with the program. AK in PA
Everyone's system works differently so it is trial and error. A dose of METMUCIL is my answer to the "trotting" problem and it also lowers cholestrol, so my doc says.
I loathe and abominate weekly food shopping. If I had to do it, we'd starve! I plan the meals, write a list, add things like loo roll and washing powder and other household stuff, and DH does the shopping. He rarely buys off the list. If I get a craving for fomething we don't have, tough! Living out in the country, not driving, and having him away half the weeks enforces a certain rigour to the system. I'm lucky that the Weight Watchers way also suits him as a type 1 diabetic, so the temptations are less all round. And when I DO over-indulge, pain is a great reminder of why I shouldn't!
When we were first married, DH and I shopped for groceries together on Saturdays. Later I got a better job which required that I work on Saturdays, so I started making the list and DH would do *all* the shopping and have things put away when I got home. It worked like a charm, but the downside is that after DH was killed, it took me three or four years to finally be able to locate every thing I needed in the stores. And I still struggle occasionally. So be sure you go once in a while to polish your
Omigosh, Beverly, has it been that long ago already? Sometimes it seems like last week - as I guess it does to you, too. You've done well. Rehoning all those old skills -- like shopping. ;-)
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