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Why won't anyone believe me
I have been having gall bladder issues since my second pregnancy in 2008. I would go months with flare ups and then just as suddenly they appeared they would go away up to a year or longer.
On August 9th of this year I had the worst attack of my life. I was preparing dinner and it hit me so sudden and hard I went to my knees. I broke into a cold sweat and threw up. This was a roller coaster for over two hours that sent me to the ER.
Over the next month I had these attacks up to three times a day ranging from 15 minutes to a few hours. After two surgery consultations I was given the date of September 16th.
Two weeks before surgery I got a nasty cold. I wasn't feeling much better before the Monday before surgery but the nurse advised me to keep my scheduled appointment and if my lungs didn't sound clear they would just reschedule.
The day of surgery they said I was wheezing and told me to take a few puffs off my inhaler. The surgeon made me promise not to go to the Emergency Room but call her first if there was any complications. I discussed my anxieties with both the surgeon and anesthesiologist and they reassured me all would be fine. The nurse on duty explained that post op I would be required to eat a small snack and pass gas before I left.
A few hours I woke up coughing and in a horrible anxiety attack. It took what seemed like forever to get a good breath. The surgeon came in and said all was ok and she was going to prescribe me some pain meds and send me on my way. I was taken to the bathroom, given some water asked to rate my pain and released. No snack or passing of gas. It actually took me about 12 hours to do that.
The night I got home I had my first anxiety attack. By Sunday at 9 am I had had six anxiety attacks. I called the surgeon and the on call told me to go straight to the nearest ER.
After getting there my O2 was at 96% and I was wheezing. Along with the anxiety and my other symptoms the Doctor was afraid I had developed a blood clot. So I spent the next few hours getting tests. Thankfully I didn't have a blood clot but had pneumonia. I was given antibiotics, a breathing treatment, and anti-anxiety medication.
I got to add in here as a side note that this was the most caring doctor I have ever had. Besides all the tests he came in and checked on me and talked to me. He held my hand as I cried because of my fear of the clot. He listened to me. He even tried cheering me up. He made me feel like I wasn't crazy.
The next day I started getting the gall bladder pain again. The pain hit me like a brick. Suddenly and sharp. It started in the center of my belly, wrapped around my ribs and into my back. I experienced that up to three times a day for the next few days. I followed up with my Primary care doctor that Thursday. He was upset with me because I was taking the anti-anxiety meds. When I asked him to run some test to find out why I am still hurting he bluntly told me not to ask for tests and told me the pain was in my head.
The next week went by and I still suffered the pain and it seemed worse after the surgery than before. I had a post-op appointment with the surgeon on the 28th. I told her I still had pain. I was having constipation and having to use suppositories that wasn't doing anything. She told me I was supposed to follow a low fat diet and I was over exaggerating the pain. And that she has done all she could do and that if I wasn't willing to take care of myself she couldn't do anything else. She did refer me to a gastro doctor.
I want to add in here a little history of me. I started this year weighing 283 pounds at 5'5". I went on a diet and the day of surgery weighed in at 185 pounds. So I know how to watch my diet. I count every calorie that goes in my body. I count carbs, fat and protien. I am active and was exercising up til the surgery. I do smoke. I have anxiety with bouts of depression. OCD and ADD.
I know I smoke and I know it's bad. But it really felt like a slap in the face when she told me that I needed to start taking care of myself. She really came off like I was lying about something. I felt defeated. I started crying right there. I was done. My thought at the moment was I was better off dead than to deal with this pain the rest of my life. I actually started making a plan on the way home. Then I looked into the eyes of my two young babies and knew I couldn't.
The good thing is my pain has now gotten to where it's only every few days. The bad there doesn't seem to be anything that triggers it. I can get it after eating or on an empty stomach. I have often woke up in the middle of the night with it. As stated before I watch everything I eat. I practice Intermittent Fasting most days are a window of 14:6. I do IIFYM my numbers are 1200 calories 150 C, 27 F, 90 P. I am active cleaning and taking care of two kids. I will be starting back cardio tomorrow.
I have an appointment with a new doctor next month. I mean if my current doctor wont even discuss the possibility of running
more test and insists that its in my head I need a new Doctor. I also have a gastro appointment in December.
Has anyone else ran into the problem that they say it's in your head? Does anyone else still suffer from pain since the surgery? Is there anything you do that help ease the pain while it happens?
On August 9th of this year I had the worst attack of my life. I was preparing dinner and it hit me so sudden and hard I went to my knees. I broke into a cold sweat and threw up. This was a roller coaster for over two hours that sent me to the ER.
Over the next month I had these attacks up to three times a day ranging from 15 minutes to a few hours. After two surgery consultations I was given the date of September 16th.
Two weeks before surgery I got a nasty cold. I wasn't feeling much better before the Monday before surgery but the nurse advised me to keep my scheduled appointment and if my lungs didn't sound clear they would just reschedule.
The day of surgery they said I was wheezing and told me to take a few puffs off my inhaler. The surgeon made me promise not to go to the Emergency Room but call her first if there was any complications. I discussed my anxieties with both the surgeon and anesthesiologist and they reassured me all would be fine. The nurse on duty explained that post op I would be required to eat a small snack and pass gas before I left.
A few hours I woke up coughing and in a horrible anxiety attack. It took what seemed like forever to get a good breath. The surgeon came in and said all was ok and she was going to prescribe me some pain meds and send me on my way. I was taken to the bathroom, given some water asked to rate my pain and released. No snack or passing of gas. It actually took me about 12 hours to do that.
The night I got home I had my first anxiety attack. By Sunday at 9 am I had had six anxiety attacks. I called the surgeon and the on call told me to go straight to the nearest ER.
After getting there my O2 was at 96% and I was wheezing. Along with the anxiety and my other symptoms the Doctor was afraid I had developed a blood clot. So I spent the next few hours getting tests. Thankfully I didn't have a blood clot but had pneumonia. I was given antibiotics, a breathing treatment, and anti-anxiety medication.
I got to add in here as a side note that this was the most caring doctor I have ever had. Besides all the tests he came in and checked on me and talked to me. He held my hand as I cried because of my fear of the clot. He listened to me. He even tried cheering me up. He made me feel like I wasn't crazy.
The next day I started getting the gall bladder pain again. The pain hit me like a brick. Suddenly and sharp. It started in the center of my belly, wrapped around my ribs and into my back. I experienced that up to three times a day for the next few days. I followed up with my Primary care doctor that Thursday. He was upset with me because I was taking the anti-anxiety meds. When I asked him to run some test to find out why I am still hurting he bluntly told me not to ask for tests and told me the pain was in my head.
The next week went by and I still suffered the pain and it seemed worse after the surgery than before. I had a post-op appointment with the surgeon on the 28th. I told her I still had pain. I was having constipation and having to use suppositories that wasn't doing anything. She told me I was supposed to follow a low fat diet and I was over exaggerating the pain. And that she has done all she could do and that if I wasn't willing to take care of myself she couldn't do anything else. She did refer me to a gastro doctor.
I want to add in here a little history of me. I started this year weighing 283 pounds at 5'5". I went on a diet and the day of surgery weighed in at 185 pounds. So I know how to watch my diet. I count every calorie that goes in my body. I count carbs, fat and protien. I am active and was exercising up til the surgery. I do smoke. I have anxiety with bouts of depression. OCD and ADD.
I know I smoke and I know it's bad. But it really felt like a slap in the face when she told me that I needed to start taking care of myself. She really came off like I was lying about something. I felt defeated. I started crying right there. I was done. My thought at the moment was I was better off dead than to deal with this pain the rest of my life. I actually started making a plan on the way home. Then I looked into the eyes of my two young babies and knew I couldn't.
The good thing is my pain has now gotten to where it's only every few days. The bad there doesn't seem to be anything that triggers it. I can get it after eating or on an empty stomach. I have often woke up in the middle of the night with it. As stated before I watch everything I eat. I practice Intermittent Fasting most days are a window of 14:6. I do IIFYM my numbers are 1200 calories 150 C, 27 F, 90 P. I am active cleaning and taking care of two kids. I will be starting back cardio tomorrow.
I have an appointment with a new doctor next month. I mean if my current doctor wont even discuss the possibility of running
more test and insists that its in my head I need a new Doctor. I also have a gastro appointment in December.
Has anyone else ran into the problem that they say it's in your head? Does anyone else still suffer from pain since the surgery? Is there anything you do that help ease the pain while it happens?
Have you ever heard of phantom limb or phantom pains? I've never experienced them myself but people who have amputations often think they can feel the pain the felt prior to their amputation. Same with people who have internals removed. My mom had her appendix removed 25 years ago and sometimes she still thinks she feels the pain of it. No, this absolutely does not make you crazy and it absolutely is. It in your head. It happens to the majority of people who have these kinds of surgeries especially in people with anxiety disorders. Make sure you talk to a doctor or even a therapist about the possibility of this
How are you doing as of this writing? I hope you are feeling better and that you have some answers ...
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