Hi Gayle:
Welcome to this crappy club. There are many of us who have gallbladder surgery and then suffer from "post-cholecystectomy syndrome". I had my gallbladder removed in May 2008 but my pain and nausea continue. I now have excellent pain and nausea relief from medication but I'm still looking for answers. I've learned that there are many things that can cause these symptoms including Post-Cholecystectomy Syndrome, Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction and Pancreatitis, among other things.
Here are a couple of things that I've found helpful.
Research! Read old posts in this forum. There is a fantastic research resource that I've found very helpful called "The First Principles of Gastroenterology": http***gastroresource.com/GITextbook/en/Default.htm.
Log! Keep a journal. It helps identify patterns in your symptoms, foods, medications and pain level. You're welcome to read mine but I write a lot (can you tell?). :)
www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/12546?personal_page_id=8912
Reach Out! You are not alone! Try to stay positive.
I belong to a Yahoo! group called Sphincterofoddi_pancreatitis which deals with Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction, Pancreatitis and Undiagnosed Symptoms, among other things. Please write Michele at Sphincterofoddi_pancreatitis [at-symbol] yahoo groups dot/com and ask to join. Medhelp usually removes these addresses. Email me if you can't figure it out. There is no charge. Michele is a Registered Nurse and has suffered for many years. In spite of that, she is the owner and moderator of this webgroup. She is a phenomenal person; kind, understanding, empathetic and incredibly smart. Since you are undiagnosed, I'm sure you would be welcome. The members of this forum are dealing with or have dealt with similar situations and can provide good practical advice. Please feel free to mention my name, Sam (not short for anything), in your email. There is some great practical information there as well.
When you do find answers,please post to let everyone know what you found and how you got rid of your symptoms. It gives people on this site hope to hear success stories.
All the best,
Sam