Pre surgery gall stone to deal with!

So I was having some mystery pains about 2 months before surgery.  I went to my family Dr and told him, it feels like my ulcers from years ago have returned but I'm wondering if I have gall stones.  If so, they can take it out with the surgery so I need to know ASAP. 

So he made me lie down and he dug his fingers into my abdomen up under my rib cage.  He said my gall bladder wasn't inflamed and he didn't think it was that.  He put me on a wicked medication which is basically mega Zantac.  It worked wonders!

Then I went for an upper GI series of x rays that showed no obvious ulcers but a bad case of GERD.

So post-surgery, I should have a lot less acid and I'm on Prevacid daily and should not be having issues.  Well I had a scary episode of intense pain and sweating that felt like a heart attack in my pouch in a WalMart parking lot. 

When I went for my follow up with Dr Sohi he immediately said it was my gall bladder.  I didn't believe him.  So yesterday I had the ultrasound I should have had months ago and there it is - 1.5 cm's of intense pain *sigh*.

So now I have to get in to see Dr Sohi to find out what he wants to do.  I don't want to wait and have him go in, but the idea of him going in thru the same incisions that are still healing makes me queasy.  I certainly don't want another 5 scars!

I'm so upset this wasn't caught before surgery.  I tried to be pro-active and get diagnosis before surgery.  I even asked Dr Sohi if they would take it out anyway since so many WLS patients develop stones, like they do in the states.  Nope.

And my supervisors are gonna lose it if I have to take more time off.  I definately won't be taking as much of it off.

Thanks for listening.

Prior to having WLS, I knew I had a gall bladder full of gall stones. Unfortunately, my surgeon wouldn't take it out at the same time. Eleven months later, I had to have it out. I have 4 new little stab wounds. They didn't use the old scars. It was honestly an easy recovery. It was day surgery. I went in shortly before 3 pm and was heading home with my son about 6pm.

Your existing stab wounds will heal to a faint scar that you will not likely be able to find after about a year. So don't worry about those little scars. They are significantly better than having it done the old conventional way when they opened you up. You could likely go back to work in about a week. I had two weeks off.

Good luck with your gall bladder and I hope your recovery goes well.

Thanks for the info!  I'm not sure whether he will want to do it sooner or later.  I have an appt next Wed, but she was just writing me in on a full day so she said it would take hours for me to be seen.  After I realized that is the day of my first post surgery nutritionist appt and they can't change the day. I've been playing phone tag with Dr Sohi's receptionist for 2 days to see when I can get in.  I have low grade pain, pretty much daily.

Having been through this 18 months ago, I do know a little bit.

There are two types of gallstones - "gravel" and "pea"

"gravel" is exactly what it sounds like - little broke-off bits of stones, some lmost miniscule, that then pass through the bile duct (past the liver) on their way out of you.
"pea" gallstones are larger, more obstructive. They will generally try to go through the bile duct, btu will get stuck at the entrance and hang around the gallbladder for ages.

One can have a gallbladder filled with either, or only a couple of stones floatin' around in there.

Pain is not generally associated with stones in the gallbladder, but rather as they try to pass through the bileduct. In particular the gravel is the most painful, because it is often jagged or spikey, rather than smooth and rounded by washing around in the gallbladder like a pebble.

The exception of course is when one had a gallbladder FULL of stones, with a blocked duct - and then the whole thing ruptures, like my Dad's did.

So it sounds like you have a "pea" - and it's a fairly large one. They can hide, and unless you had an ultrasound back when they were first looking around inside you, they could easily have missed one single stone.

Don't be too hard on them.

The upside of a singleton is that you can go for years without another episode. Not sure if that helps at all.

I was lucky and had the gallbladder removed BEFORE my RNY. Not sure how they're gonna tackle yours. They may opt to wait for a bit.

Thanks!  I think you are right, it's just the one.

What is upsetting is that my GP thought he could feel around and diagnose gall stones.  Unfortunately I didn't know better.   Dr Sohi was shocked when I told him my dr came to the conclusion it wasn't my gall bladder.  He said you can't tell that way, it has to be an ultrasound.  If only I'd known...

I can't believe that happened to your dad!  He must have already been in so much pain I can't believe it got to that point.

Hi there

When I had my surgery(mind you it was in the States) part of the pre op tests was an ultrasound ........

Sorry you have to go through this with a possible second surgery

Take care

Thanks Joyce!  It could always be worse.

My gal stones were noticed when I had an ultrasound due to kidney stones.  The gal stones had never bothered me. but if they ever tried to move, they were too large to pass through the bile duct, so the doctor offered just to take it out as a precaution.  I had lap day surgery and it was a pretty easy recovery.

Good to know.  I'm sure it's much easier that what I just went thru.

You really do wonder how some doctors got their medical licence. One has to think that possibly some of them found them as a prize at the bottom of a cracker jack box lol.

So sorry you are having to go through all of this now radiogirl.

I too had an ultrasound as part of my pre-surgery tests. I knew they would find gallstones and find them they did. Dr. Yelle told me at my appt that if the moon/sun/stars align and everything goes well with the RNY he will take the gb out at the same time.  I am praying the universerse is with me on December 23rd.,