Hope38 ,Jo,anyone else..do I have an eating disorder?

[Ms_Makita]

Hello! hope,how u feeling? I ended up not going to er,pain finally eased up,it is still there today but mild so far.
  How ya doing jo? hopefully feeling better.Just wondering what kind of food should I be eating with this gallbladder problem..so far I been living on 1 ensure a day along with low fat crackers,soup,oatmeal,juice..let me tell you..it is getting boring!
    I'm afraid to eat most of the time,and really concerned about eating disorder.I lost 100lbs within 7-8 months rapidly because of pain/nausea ,and always felt worse after I ate.It isnt weight issue or trying to maintain..I could care less...it is pain/nausea issue,I just have no appetite.I get full after 3-4 bites of food (I never vomit ) I was 220lbs now 120lbs and I cant stop losing weight,I have to force myself to eat,I try to maintain 1,200 calories a day along with multi vitamin,I'm also noticing my hair is falling out and thinning (UGH!!!!) I have had thyroid blood test done to rule those disorders out.
   pcp says my appetite will return after gallbladder is out and this is common and not to worry about it.I'm starting to look bony,ill,and really weak,I have no idea how to increase my appetite,I'm really worried..any advice appreciated,ty!
               Stephanie
  

[Ms_Makita]

Hi,how are you both doing ? I'm ok! hope I was just replying to your email when yahoo decided to go out on me,luckily it dont happen to often.For appendicitis they did blood work and catscan...blood work was normal but it was on catscan that the appendix showed up swollen,had fecal stone stuck behind it..yuck! I had the pain for 3 months but I doubt it was appendictis whole time since I did have cyst on right ovary. The er just told me to take pain pills  for gallstone pain and stay on clear liquid diet,do u use msn or yahoo messenger?

  Jo I hear so many ppl after gallbladder surgery have bowel issues,was you having severe gallstone pain? I've had bowel problems for years so I believe my case is gallbladder and IBS..not fun eh?!? I want gallbladder out but still afraid of side effects after,everyone I known who had gallbladder out every time after they eat constantly run to the toilet..sheeesh!! how bad is your pain on daily basis? I joined the facebook..love the site..ty! I also added you to msn messenger.
      Time for dinner...Jello,toast, and tea...yummy! haha,my family is eating steak..I wanna slap them (not really) but it sure does smell good!  
                                Stephanie
  

[Ms_Makita]

Hello,ty all for your replies.I went to er Fri night, er dr told me it was time to take gallbladder out but surgeon refused because it was not emergency (no blockage) I was very frustrated and of course still in pain and discouraged.I was at er for 13 hrs just to be sent home with pain pills.I was and still am running a fever/chills,feel very sick,so must be some gallbladder infection.
    Makes sense to just take it out now (daily pain and attacks) before it leads to complications or blockage? I just dont get it. They went by ultrasound I had 3 weeks ago,I asked if they could repeat it but  said  they doubt anything changed.,I couldnt believe it....
hope and I jo I received your email,will answer soon...yahoo is giving me trouble..lol
                 Stephanie

[Joalbert]

Ms Makita I hope that you'll be better after that surgery. I had my gallbladder taken out when I was 14 yrs old. The surgen thought that i was pretty young to have it full of stones. Now its gone. I wonder if thats why I have IBS, because before then I was fine. Little by little after the surgery thats when things got worse. Oh yeah by the way if you want to e-mail me you can at ( josee_albert at Hotmail.com). It's all up to you both if you want to. Talk to you guys later.

[mermaid26]

I'm sorry this has been such agony for you.  I suffered from anorexia as a teen.  That was a different, by choice, control issue experience for me accompanying severe depression.  Last year it took almost six months to diagnose my gallbladder not functioning.  I seemed to naturally develop an aversion to eating and avoiding fatty foods was quite easy because it did control the painful spasms etc...  I would bloat so bad I felt six months pregnant.  Thought I had OC too.  My weight problem was opposite though, I couldn't lose weight even though I was eating very healthy.  Well I finally lost 25 lbs about 4 months after surgery.  I suggest you check the fat content on the Ensure label.  Anything under 3 grams per serving is considered low fat.  The Ensure may be adding to your pain.  Your body needs fat though, so I read you should take a  200 mg Vitamin E supplement daily.  The health of your hair is probably a reflection of your nutritional state.  Since doctors frustate me too, I feel better when I can make good choices about my nutrition etc... to have some positive control over the slow course of action of their part.  I know you will feel better after surgery.  Educate yourself about healthy low fat nutrition and use the info to secure a healthy lifetime approach to eating after surgery.  I know the difference in losing weight from illness or by extreme choice.  When people comment on my weight loss I just think if they really knew me they would know this isn't the way I would have chosen to lose weight.  Hang in there.  Godspeed to healing.

[Hope38]

I emailed the both of you.....let me know if you guys don't get it and I'll try again.

I hope you two are doing well today.

Hope

[Hope38]

Jo....hope your having less pain today.  The Tech said CT scan was the best for appendix, she said based on my symptoms, 2 drs opinions and the length she would doubt it was my appendix.  She saw the gas and she said that was all she did see, and that the colonoscopy is a awesome test and that if anything were wrong in my colon it would have showed.
I hope your tests don't show anything, I didn't have a DR doing my sonogram just a tech.  Like I said she wasn't even suppose to be looking down there, she did that on her own for me :)

MsMakita.........don't worry my sisters came home from out of state this summer getting on my mom about MY weight loss.  Hello, I just had all but 4 teeth removed, and I cannot chew my food.  YES, not being able to eat DOES shrink our bellies.  I'm only 5'3, and I like my weight to be at 115........not like the 108 it is now.  But not being anxious doesn't help, also it takes alot more jaw strength to chew with dentures than natural teeth, so I get tired of chewing before i become full.

We should just exchange email addresses!! lol
Hope

[Jaybay]

Get that gallbladder OUT!  You don't have an eating disorder like anorexia, but you do have a gallbladder problem.  Yes, some people have post-op problems with the surgery, but it's still better than what you're going through now.  Is your surgery scheduled yet?

[Joalbert]

I'm happy that it was just gas, because it could've been worse. Hopefully that the rest is fine for your other test. I can't wait for my results it's so soon ( March 23). Well the doctor that was doing the ultrasound toll me that what she saw about my appendix, so hopefully its nothing to worry about, and just take meds then the problems is gone. Well I'll you guys know. Until then I gotta work, sleep ( a little) then enjoy the discomforts of IBS.
Josee

[Hope38]

At 5'1 you are not to thin.....Im 5'3 and I should be anywhere between 115 and 120.  I've always been underweight..........

If you are feeling that badly then you should go to the ER.  I myself am sick of Drs and hospitals!!!!  

I'm going to email you so we can stay in touch and help eachother out without hogging this board :)

Hope

[Joalbert]

Hello, you know whats really weird too, I've lost like 30 lbs within 5 months. The thing is that I also can't eat 3 meals a day, I get full quickly. I see pictures of myself and it scares me. Because I also lost about 80 lbs in total. The thing is, is that now that your stomac shrink so you won't be able to eat that much at a time. My close ones do also thing that I'm trying to lose weight or even watch my weight. As if they don't believe that I'm full, but I do get full fast. I know that you don't have an eating disorder, don't worry about what people say, because I got through the same thing. I'm happy that the pain is not as worse for you, i hate pain, i wish all the pain in the world would go away, but thats not how things work. For eating habits, as long as you get your daily fiber, fruits and veggies, and eat no frying food, stuff like that you should be fine. Thats what I do. Everything greasy doesn't get inside my stomac. Hopefully you won't loose to much weight because 120lbs is getting small, I'm 130lbs and I wouldn't want to loose more, but it depends how tall you are as well.

[Hope38]

Hi Makita :)

Don't feel alone, Im dropping wait too.  Do you have an anxiety disorder like me?  Sorry I forgot if you mentioned having one.  When Im sick, anxious or upset I CANNOT eat!!!!  I dropped 4 pounds so far thru all this, which I really didn't need, I recently got dentures and dropped 10pds because I couldn't eat with them.  You don't have an eating disorder.........that is someone that has a distortion of their self image.  And they make themselves not eat to reach a certain weight.

I want to gain, I just cannot eat......thinking of food makes me sick because Im to anxious and worried with what is wrong with my body.

I'm telling you I know a few people with eating disorders and this I know you do not have.  Its feeling sick, pain and stress.

I'm ok....I had my ultrasound today, the Dr only gave me the Abdominal ultrasound which I was quite upset about because my pain is LOWER.  The Abdominal one checks Kidneys/spleen/pancreas and gallbladder.  But the technician was soooooooo sweet that she did the pelvis one "Off the record" and my ovaries and uterus is fine.  She did notice where I was having pain though a very LARGE gas pocket.  She said it was so large and dense she couldn't see thru it, but she said it was gas!  She said it could have been due to the colonoscopy, but Ive had that pain down there for 6 weeks.....So my problem may just be GAS!!!! OMG all this stuff for gas.

She said my nausea/burping and the knot in my upper ab could be gallbladder.
Guess we will see what the sonogram says next week.

Also she said the appendix won't show up well on sonogram UNLESS its really bad and really inflamed.....which she saw no indication of.

If you have an eating disorder than so do I !!!!  Your body is going thru so much no wonder you cannot eat, nor do you want to.  I tried eating last night and couldn't finish, thought I was going to throw up.

Your not alone..........Your in my thoughts.

[Ms_Makita]

Hi! ty you all for your replies!

Jaybay I have appt wed 21st with surgeon,I dont know if I'm going to make it..pain is so bad I'm tempted to go to er today .I'm just worried about possible obstuction,I havent noticed any jaundice..just fever/chills w/severe pain (must be inflammation) so maybe it is wise to go to er.I cant wait for it to be over with! this back pain is something else too!! the gyno laparscopy is put off now till gallbladder is taken out..I asked if they could do gyno laparscopy and have another general surgeon to take out gallbladder,they refused.
  
  Hope,gas pockets (trapped gas) can be really painful,common with IBS,colon spasms can delay passage of gas.*knock on wood* that is all it is..sounds good so far!!! I also have anxiety issues also.I know what ya mean about dentures,I have upper partial denture (at 23 yrs old) I've always had dental problems..headed for dentures.I couldnt eat nothing for weeks.I think I've had a root canal in every tooth...lol
   Jo,IBS is VERY distressing and uncomfortable..I was told it was IBS when I was 17 yrs old.Looking back it was nothing I couldnt tolerate,but somedays it did leave me  on the couch not wanting to  eat,move or do nothing.I feel better knowing I'm not alone and I dont have an eating disorder.I use to have love affair with food..I use to be a big eater with huge appetite,no wonder I was 220lbs! I constantly was eating!! I'm just not use to being this small ( I'm 5ft 1 ) 120lbs to me now is skinny!!
     Good idea to exchange emails and not hijack the threads..lol,I tend to post wayyyyyyy to much(miss_makita at yahoo ) If you dont hear from me ya will know why..hopefully in hospital having this gallbladder out!!! time to go to er...hopefully they can do something for me cuz 3 weeks of this pain is really getting to me .I cant thank all of you  enough for your support..God Bless!
                                                Stephanie



  
    
                                            

[debaser23]

Hi.

I've been where you are now.  It's NO GOOD.  

It took them forever to diagnose my gallbladder problem.  I was going to doctors for six and a half months, and was sick for a little longer than that.  Turned out that I had a small, benign tumor in the gallbladder right next to the bile duct.

Every time I would eat more than a bite or two, I'd get ill.  If I got too hungry, I'd get ill.  I lived on saltines for months, occasionally breaking down and eating a burger only to pay dearly for it later.  I didn't have pain and I think that's what threw the doctors for so long.  Anyway, during the worst of this time I lost 40 pounds in 2.5 months.  

I'm not sure if such an ordeal will cause a formal eating disorder, but it will cause bad habits.  I still find myself eating lots of saltines and really bland, useless food because I still get sick.

Why do I still get sick?  Seems I developed an anxiety disorder while I was stuck with that bad gallbladder and didn't know what on Earth could be wrong with me.  I've always suffered from a little depression, and maybe it's not a big step from that to anxiety disorder.  Anyway, it's been almost two years since I had surgery, and I still have similar symptoms.  These "attacks" aren't as bad in intensity or duration, but they're still there.  I've been to many, many doctors and there's no physical cause.  It's all anxiety.  "Atypical panic attacks", they say.

So be careful you don't end up with that.  I'm better than I was, but I'm not as good as I could and should be.  A big part of it is that I'm scared to death of eating.  I'll go hours and hours without food, and my brain apparently doesn't interpret hunger sensations anymore -- I get sick instead.  Please don't let that happen to you.  There's no dietary restrictions after a gallbladder removal.  With your doctor's permission, jump right in after surgery.  Eat small, of course, but eat what you want.  And if you have any discomfort just tell yourself it's the surgery and you'll get better.  Don't let the anxiety get hold of you because if it does it won't easily let go.  

[Ms_Makita]

also forgot to add I cant eat 3 reg meals a day with normal portions..its been 8 months! I nibble 3-5 bites of some kind of food every 2-3 hrs as I feel full fast or feel like I ate a  supersized combo meal at Mcdonalds! is this due to weight loss/stomach shrinking? I do feel hunger pain,that is when I know to "snack".My family is getting impatient and think I'm doing it on purpose to not gain weight back..that is not the case,id give anything to be like I was last yr even at 220lbs,I felt better then! for 5 months I lived on liquid diet (ensure) seems my whole digestion process is painful and out of wack..what can be done?!? will it ever be "normal' again even after gallbladder surgery?