Jeez, I've really been hammering the blog lately, huh? Sorry all! I'm just as annoying in real life as well :)
So after my successful hospital appointment on Monday, I had a routine ultrasound on my abdomen yesterday to check my gallbladder and pancreas just to make sure everything was checked before my gastroenterologist signed me off as being in good health. After my course of antibiotics for my stomach I've felt great, so I wasn't expecting anything to happen during the appointment yesterday, so much so I went on my own.
Well I was wrong. The very arsy ultrasound tech informed me, quite matter of fact, that I do indeed, have some unwanted gallstones on board (IM 25!) and my gallbladder will need to be removed. Fan-bloody-tastic.
I have since then read a lot about gallstone pain, and I hate to admit it, but it fits. I sometimes get annoying 'back ache' in between my shoulder blades, in fact I regularly get Martin to massage my back a few times a week because of them, pop a few paracetamol and try and sleep it off. This isn't unusual as I have had back problems in the past caused by whiplash and torn muscles. Well, turns out thats gallstone pain. When the gallbladder contracts to send bile into the intestine and there are gallstones, they get in the way, causing the pain. Voila - back ache.
So I find out I can start IUI this month (possibly) then get told the next day I need surgery. The symptoms for my gallstones are manageable at the minute, so the hospital will be in no rush to operate ASAP. Given the 12 week wait for my next specialist appointment, and another 12 week wait for surgery, I estimate November before my gallbladder is actually removed. Some people may disagree with how I'm handling this, but I'm NOT going to postpone by IF treatment because of this. We have a 20% chance of it working, I'm not putting everything on hold for 20%, we've waiting 12 months for this. Gallstones in pregnancy is also quite common due to hormone imbalance, if I do happen to fall pregnant, I'll deal with it the same way every other pregnant woman does. If I don't, I'll just take a month out when I'm having my gallbladder removed. Its never simple.
I also have a sneaking suspicion I ovulated yesterday (a day early!) as I had ovulation pain, which will fuck everything up because AF will most certainly arrive before my injection lessons putting IUI off until June. Although I didn't get a +OPK so I won't know for definite until tonight when I do another...
Damn you gallbladder you useless sack of nothingness! I dont even need you, why are you there?!!!
Damn gallbladder. My coworker did the same thing, waited and waited. The doctor then called her "negligent", lol.
ReplyDeleteI would just ask the doctor if it's a situation where the gallbladder could just be monitored for the next year. If he says yes? Yay, fertility treatment.
Haha, Jess I think my doctor would say the same thing! I know it's terrible, I just can't face putting it off for another 4-6 months after we've waited so long. Now my ulcers/gastritis has been treated with antibiotics I don't get many gallstone attacks at all, a few twinges here and there but nothing more so I think it should be fine to just monitor them for a year or so. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't blame you for wanting to go ahead with the treatment, it's long overdue. I'd also get a second opinion on the removal of your gallbladder. They didn't catch it the first time, and now they're saying it's necessary. It makes me question if they absolutely know what they're talking about. NHS doctors sound as bad as military doctors, the bottom half of their med school. Besides, you're young and very rarely are gall stones fatal. This often happens in much older women. Xx
ReplyDeleteIf you're not having many gall stone attacks then why go all at it? Meh, some things are better wait and see. Coming from experience, it SUCKS to have to have to put treatments on the back burner for other specialists. Barf.
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