Gallbladder concerns

[punkin_eater26]

Hi everyone.  I'm hoping someone can answer this or lead me in a right direction.  I had a GB US and it was negative for stones.  So I had a HIDA scan and it shows that my GB is functioning at 8%.  So this is where I am confused.  Is having it out my only option to relieve the symptoms I have been having or is there some other answer?  I haven't seen a surgeon yet, the wait to get an appt is 3 months, so in the meantime I have to deal with my confusion and misery.  I have the upper right quadrant pain, the shoulder blade pain. Nausea, vomitting, heartburn, bloating, etc...just plain miserable.  So where should I be going from here?  My husband said get it taken out and be done with it, but the more I read into it, the more I don't know.  I hear some say it was the best thing in the world to have done, others say they still feel the same.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.  

Thank you,

Amy

[KRasmus]

A HIDA Scan can detect if their are structural abnormalities within the gallbladder, blocked ducts, infection, motility problems and overall function. You can always call your surgeon and ask him what prompted the date change.

My surgeon had originally scheduled my surgery for 2 weeks after our initial consult, but he moved it up to that Friday of the same week!! To say that I was a bit nervous about it was an understatement, because I had just seen him that Monday. So I had 4 days to prepare for surgery!

It turned out that he would be out of town on the date that he had originally planned. So it may be something as simple as a change in plans, so don't panic. But if it's worrying you, call and ask.

[punkin_eater26]

Thank you all for the information.  I called my family doctor yesterday because just about everything is giving me pain.  Everything is making me nauseaus.  She hung up with me and within 15 minutes the surgeon called me and upped my appointment.  Originally it was in 3 months because he's so busy I guess.  But something about the results and/or what I'm experiencing right now made him change his mind.  The only thing I was told about the HIDA results was the 8% thing.  Is there something else that can come up with the HIDA-CCK test?  So now I'm kind of nervous that something else is going on there.  My appointment is next Wednesday.  He said if things get worse, call him ASAP.  Any ideas or should I just let my brain rest for the week and try not to think about it.  Thank you once again.....

Amy

[KRasmus]

Hi Kim

My husband's company was facing a similar situation with shutting down operations in 2009 and shipping the hold thing overseas. I was told that I had to get my gallbladder out, and kept putting it off until I heard the news. So being uncertain if I were going to have insurance in the coming year, I decided to go through with the surgery 3 weeks ago, and glad I did.

Fortunately, I haven't had any of the issues that others complain about in regards to the nausea, diarrhea, and pain. I was certain that it was my gallbladder causing the pain, but was sort of afraid of the surgery because of the horror stories that you read online, and for personal reasons.

But we must remember that hundreds of thousands of people have their gallbladders removed each year. 95% of  those people have no problems after surgery, it's the 5% with complications that we see online.

[punkin_eater26]

Thank you for the link, that's definetely some interesting reading.  It's all still a scary thought.  In a way I want to wait it out, but then my husband's company is talking about shutting down in the summer, so then I'm thinking I should go ahead and do it so I know I have insurance and won't be faced with a possible emergency.

Thanks for the info though, I am going to pass that along to a few friends as well.

Amy

[KRasmus]

With classic gallbladder symptoms, a low ejection fraction, and pain replication during the administration of the CCK I think most surgeons will tell you that you are likely to benefit from gallbladder surgery. But as with most things in life - nothing is guaranteed.

There is a surgeon who has written an excellent series on gallbladder disease. You can read his blog here:
http://surgeonsblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=50
You can also ask him questions.

[punkin_eater26]

BTW, not sure if it matters or not but....The HIDA scan was done with the CCK (not sure if that's standard or not) and it caused a whole lot of discomfort.  I am also only 30 years old, but everyone in my family has had their gallbladders removed in the early to mid 30 range.

Thank you once again for any responses.

Amy