Post-Gallbladder Surgery: Same Pain as Before Surgery

[daron]

I am a 38-year old female.I began having the pain I will describe at the beginning of March.The pain has remained the same, in the same places and is very constant.It is under my right rib cage(right upper quadrant)very deep,radiates around my right side into my right shoulder blade and in between my shoulder blades.The pain up under my last right rib bone feels like someone has a clothes pin on it (a pinching sensation) and is squeezing the blood out of it,which then feels the same in my right shoulder and blades and is a constant ache.

I have seen my Internist 3x since it began.Have since had several blood tests run (CBC, Chem-24, Liver enzymes,etc.);Abdominal and vaginal sonogram;Abdominal CT without contrast because they could not get the IV in;Abdominal MRI with contrast;HIDA scan with CCK;Upper endoscopy;Abdominal X-ray.The only thing that came up was that I had a cyst on my right kidney that is very small.I have seen my Gastro and then the General surgeon on request of my Internist and Gastro,they decided to do an Exploratory Lap with the possibility of removing my Gallbladder.
he Dr.'s have thought it still might be my Gallbladder even though the tests did not show it.I had the surgery 12 days ago. After surgery,the Dr. said she found my duct at an acute angle and that could have been the problem.

I returned this past Tuesday and my pathology reported the gallbladder to be "blue-gray to green and wrinkled;mucosal surface is pink-tan,bile stained;cystic duct is pin point and measures .1 cm with average mural thickness is .2 cm;a lymph node is not grossy identified and no stones are seen. Pathological Diagnoses:Gallbladder,Cholecystectomy: Chronic Cholecystitis.

Here I sit 12 days after surgery with the exact same pain I have had for 4 months to the point of crying most of the time because the pain never stops; its waxes and wanes as far as the intensity but never goes away. I am getting severly depressed with the continuous pain especially after having surgery and the pain still remains. I actually thought it might have stopped 4-5 days after surgery but it has come back in full force. I have a 3 1/2 year old and cannot hardly take care of him because of the continuous pain.  I take Darvocet but it does not take the pain away. My Surgeon does not have a good bed side manner. She did not explain anything of what she did and does not give me the opportunity to explain my problems.

So my questions are: 1)Am I expecting too much too early - Should the pain I had before the surgery (if it was due to my gallbladder be gone)? I have had a C-section and sinus surgery and this does not feel like post-surgical pain because it is the same pain I had before and because it is still radiating.
2)I am very scared of cancer, could they have missed something??
Could I still have a problem with my pancreas,Sphincter of Oddi, common bile duct or a tumor somewhere that could be causing nerve pain?

Please help.I am very desperate and depresse

[astros18]

I can honestly say the ONLY thing that has given me any relief is doing the liver flush. Many people debunk it as nonsense but I know it worked for me. You can find the recipe and information at curezone.com. Just make sure you do not get dehydrated. I don't think you should have scar tissue in your colon as a result of gallbladder surgery. Do your bowels move regularly and without problems? If you don't have a gallbladder, you should be taking digestive food enzymes, especially a hi lipase, to help digest fats. I hope you feel better.

[santacruzshell]

I had my gallbladder removed when I was 17. Iam am now 32. Ever since the removal, I still have the same pains. It starts From the middle of the rib cage to the right side, right shoulder, back. I sweat during my attack like crazy. Peoples say I am pale as can be, clammy, Much like a labor pain, It hits hard for a bit. I even try the breathing to help the pain. I have found myself ever since my gallbladder was removed in the ER so many times. They have no explanation for it. I have kept food diaries. Nothing really agrivates it except eggs and bacon and that is not all the time. I could have nothing in my stomach and get an attack. I have tryed vomiting, enemas, hot showers, different positions. These attacks wipe me out and I will sleep like a baby after one for hours. When I awake I feel as someone punched me in the area and it is even tender to the touch.
I have had ultrasounds, cat scans., mri's, blood tests, and finally a colonoscopy last month. He could only go 1/3 of the way in cause I had so much scar tissue in my intestines. He says I will have to come back in and be put asleep for another one, soon. What is that all about? I had the lapriscopic surgey. Scarring in the intestines?
As for the pain, I have been put on everything from little anti spasms that I place under my tongue to Valuim, anti nauseas to antibiotics. Belladonna to antiacids. Nothing works...
I hate the fact of not know what causes it, how to prevent it, how to stop it, just how to live with it.

[astros18]

I had 2 children without my gallbladder. I was not as aware of my body as I am now, so I really don't remember having too many problems. If you are still having pain, then you may still have stones in your liver. Most doctors say this is impossible, but I know it is not. There is something you can do to find out if it's stones or not. Take 1 tablespoon of epsom salts in 3/4 cup of cold water( yuck, I know). It should relieve pain with in 30 min. Make sure you drink plenty of water or Gatorade to replenish electrolytes. The salts may give you temporary diarreah. They work by opening up the ducts in your liver and the stones can move, relieving your pain. It is a temporary fix. Consider doing Dr. Hulda Clark's liver/gallbladder flush for longer relief. Unfortunately, once you suffer from stones, you will probably always suffer from stones. Magnesium defiency can also cause stones. A liquid magnesium supplement is better than pills.

[JulesNJ]

Thank you so very much SYLLIE!  I really appreciate you replying to my posting.  It makes me feel more hopeful and like there is an end point in sight.  I have tried the coughing thing, but so far it hasn't helped.  Maybe I am not doing it right.  I will keep trying.

As far as your question, I wish I knew so I could provide some answers for you.  I would think the pregnancy might be enough of a distraction that things would go okay for you.  I mean, I am 29 and fully intend on having another baby at some point, gallbladder or not.  Good luck!  Thanks again for replying to me!

Julie

[SYLLIE]

Well, nobody has written back on my question about being
pregnant without a gall bladder, but I do have a comment for
julesnj.

Yes, it does get better!  Mine still hurts sometimes, but if this you gives you any hope at all, I'll tell ya that right after my gall bladder was removed, it was MUCH worse.

The pain will subside. TRUST ME.

Good luck.

[JulesNJ]

I was slightly depressed reading these postings.  I had a gallbladder attack May 17, 2005, and then had my gallbladder removed May 25, 2005.  Afterward I had pancreatitis, gastritis, and then H. pylori.  I went back to work for a couple weeks, but now I am now on short-term disability because of chronic pain in my high abdomen, under my ribs, especially the right side, that radiates to my back.  It is there all the time!  Pain killers dull the pain, but it never completely goes away.  It is much worse when I am sitting up than when I am lying down or standing up.  Unfortunately, I have a desk job!  I have had an EGD, flexible sigmoidoscopy, CT with contrast, cortrosyn stimulation test, tons of blood work, and most recently an MRI and MRCP.  All were negative, except I have not received the results from the MRI/MRCP yet, but the physicians are sure it will be negative.  I have also been passed around from doctor to doctor, and I am so frustrated!  I was hoping I would find a posting from someone saying that this went away after a little while.  Anyone?  I need to get back to work and back to my regular life!  I am a single mom, a full-time employee, and a half-time student.  I need to feel better than this to be able to function!!  Should I resign myself to the fact that I am never going to feel much better than this?  I hope someone out there posts a big old "NO" to this question!  Any advice would help.  Thanks!