About 3 years ago, I had gallbladder attacks that lasted for 15 weeks. I lost almost over 30 pounds due to throwing up daily. I could only hold down apple sauce and jell-o. They refused to take out my gallbladder due to me not having insurance. This was frustrating to say the lease with all the pain and everything. Well since the last day of the gallbladder attacks, I haven't had any pain whatsoever, BUT am curious about somethings going on with myself. No, I do not have a regular doctor due to just getting insurance. I'm not sure how to go about getting one either.
Anyways. Lately, I have been throwing up about once a week. It's usually after eating something greasy or with dairy (yes my family is lactose intolerant, but I am not). I have read up on the gallbladder a little bit and noticed that the runny stools, throwing up, pain, even chest pains are some of the symptoms of a bad gallbladder. Yes, I have been having all of these except the chest pains and actual pain. (I do however have irregular heartbeat). I'm not sure exactly how to address a doctor with everything. Most don't take things seriously and just say that I'm fine. Yes, I'm fine as in I'll survive, but seriously how do I address this with the doctor and those who have had their gallbladders removed, what are your inputs. Please no negativity.
***Let me clarify. I do have insurance now, but I do NOT have a doctor and I'm not sure how to go about getting a regular doctor. I've never had insurance before. Not since I turned 18. Also it's rare that I eat greasy meals. It's when I'm cooking with my client and it'll be made with butter or margerine making it a little greasy. (I have to taste it because my client is nonverbal and autistic so a lot of sensory issues). But I am NOT lactose intolerant. My family is, but I am not. I was the lucky one.
***Another question. Does it really take six weeks of recoup time? If I have a low stress job could I be back in a few days?
No way is recoup six weeks it is done laparoscopy. Sore for a couple of days. I had mine done before laparoscopies, and was out of work for two weeks.
If you throw up after eating greasy food - stop eating greasy food.
If you're lactose intolerant - use a dairy substitute - nut milk, coconut milk, etc.
You can't avoid all fat - some is healthy - and a no fat diet can make gall stones worse.
Use olive oil with vinegar or lemon juice as a salad dressing.
http://www.gallbladderattack.com/gallbladderdiet.shtml
http://www.md-health.com/Gallbladder-Diet.html
If you now have health insurance, your insurance should have a list of doctors that you can look through (usually online).
Find an internist in your area, call their office, ask if they are taking new patients, and if they are, then make an appointment.
In the mean time, keep a food diary and note symptoms as they occur.
it will help to have this with you for your doctors appointment.
Okay, let's start with the first and most important thing. Do you have an amount of time with your new insurance that considers things to be part of pre-existing conditions? Some insurances will not cover you for things that you went to the doctor for previously - 3 months is kind of usual for that. You need to find out SPECIFICALLY if this is the way it is for you. Read everything you can about your policy. Get the actual date you began coverage. If it's through your company or your husband's company, go to HR (or if it's your husband, have HIM go to HR) and find out the answer to the question. I would be very careful about going to the doctor right now unless you know for a fact that you don't have a waiting period. I will bet you do, unless the Affordable Health Care Act has made this illegal now. Even with that, I'd make sure that there is something in writing that says you are covered for pre-existing conditions...
Have you actually been tested for lactose intolerance? I have, so I know that I'm not.
Anyway, do your best to not eat the offending foods unless you have to (with your client). At the time that you do work on this issue and if you find out you need surgery, they will most likely tell you that they can do it laproscopically, so your downtime won't be so long.
Dawn
You may have a dairy allergy (lactose allergy doesn't happen as often as a dairy protein allergy contrary to what most people believe). Don't discount it. People deny they have allergies even after they go through a whole list of symptoms they're having. I know, I was one of them. My husband has finally coming around to acknowledging a few allergies, has quit eating them and his symptoms have gone away. There is no harm in cutting out the dairy for awhile and see if things improve. If not, your insurance company should have a website that gives you doctor recommendations or check with friends about their doctors. Angieslist now does healthcare reviews although you have to subscribe to the website.
I had mine removed emergency style.
I had an eating disorder and it was literally killing me. I started going into organ failure and if it was not removed, I would have starved to death. It (Gallbladder)stopped working, stopping up my whole digestive process....even for things like applesauce.
I was super malnourished and weak, and my doctor did not know if they would be able to get it out laproscopically(spelling) or if they would have to open me up old school.
Point to all this being......I was in bad shape. Really really bad shape when I had mine out.
My recovery was slow. I had more than one thing I was recovering from......so I was down for the count.......about a month and a half I had people in and out to help me(my husband was off for three weeks).
Under normal circumstances it may only take two full weeks to bounce back 100%.
I too this day can not eat greasy food. Things like eggs are impossible for me to digest(not sure if it is the fact I have no stomach lining any more...... or the ability to fully digest things like that).
I did not get too much of a choice on Doctors, I did not have insurance when all this happened.
I would start by asking around, friends, family too see if they can recommend a daily doctor to you......then start from there.
1) Call the 1-800 # on your insurance card and ask themj how to find a doctor. They most likely will direct you to their website where you can put in your address and a bunch of doctors will come up who are in your 'network'.
2) It didn't take me 6 weeks of recovery when I had mine taken out. Maybe 2 days of real pain and about 2 weeks of pain when sleeping on that side.
3) Find doctor. Tell them about your past pain and now future sypmtoms and tell them you want it taken out.
3)
First, you find a doctor by asking friends if they like their doctor. Or you call your states Medical Association, tell them you're looking for a primary care doctor in your area and they'll give you a list of doctors. Then you find out their location and a bit about their practice. Call each one and ask questions. For example, ask how long the doctor has been in practice, what is his education and experience. Briefly describe your symptoms and ask if he would be the best doctor to see or if they can recommend someone else. You can instead just make a get acquainted appointment and talk with the doctor to see if you like him.
I would think that you could google"questions to ask when searching for a doctor" and get addresses for sites that could help you.
Once you decide on a doctor, make an appointment for a physical exam. Describe for him all of your symptoms just as you told us. I strongly believe, based on years of personal experience and the experience of family and friends that doctors do take us seriously and he will not say you are just fine. He may say something is wrong and it will take time and tests to figure it out.
An example: I was having heavy and painful periods. After several visits and tests the doctor told me that he didn't know what was wrong. I asked if it was possibly in my head. One doctor had hinted at that but he was no longer my doctor. This doctor said, no, he believed me, that he knew something was wrong but he didn't know what it was and I was to keep in touch with him. After several years I was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition about which little was known when I started having symptoms.
So, yes, every now and then a doctor can be unsympathetic and not listen but I've gone to several doctors over the past 50 years and I met only this one. None of my friends and family ever had a doctor like that.
If you're open and honest with the doctor the doctor will take you seriously. If you stall and not talk openly for fear that he won't take you seriously the doctor may not take you seriously. If you find that the first doctor doesn't mesh with you, then try a different one.
Just tell the doctor that you think your symptoms are related to your past gallbladder troubles and that you want him to order a HIDA scan - which test the function of the gallbladder.
I had mine out, the surgery is easy...laprascopic - 24 hour stay in the hospital then about 6 weeks recovery, pain not too bad. I have felt much better since getting it out several years ago.
I would definitely say its your gallbladder. Had mine out about five years ago. Besides the gall stones attack I had some of the other symptoms you had as well. I would usually get nausea after a greasy meal and would need to use the restroom within a short time. I'm just curious have you looked into any low cost insurance or could you qualify for assistance. Not judging and I'm guessing you have looked into options. I just feel bad that you are unable to have the surgery. I had my taken out on a Monday morning. Laproscropic. I was fine by that Friday. Typically it does not take 6 weeks to recover.
If you call your local hospital or clinic, they will tell you who is accepting new patients and you can ask for a recommendation based on what you want.
The only other info I can offer is that I have two friends who had symptoms much like you describe, and they both had their gallbladders removed.
No, it does not take 6 weeks of recovery if you are not lifting your client. If he is ambulatory and can move on his own you could go back to work in a couple of days. I did. I had mine out on a Monday, went back to work as a nanny on Wednesday, it was too much so I called a friend, I went back the next morning and was fine.
I also took 1/2 of a pain pill. I felt so much better that a little tiny bit of discomfort was nothing to me. I didn't have any real issues, it was really really really easy. And I am NOT an easy patient. I'm a big whiny baby....lol.
I think that if your doc says you have to be off work 6 weeks then your employer cannot allow you to come back before that 6 week check up where the doc releases you. If you got hurt on the job for anything during that time they could be held liable for all sorts of complications to the surgery, like if it ruptured and came open inside.
After having mine out I was able, for the first time in my life, to drink OJ without burping it up for days. I could eat anything I wanted. Fatty foods didn't bother me at all.
All in all having my gallbladder out was really easy and pretty much care free. I hope you can call your insurance provider and get a list of approved docs that take their insurance. Once you get that list you call each one and find out which ones are accepting new patients.Once you decide which one you liked the best then you make an appointment. They'll see you and most likely do a yearly physical along with pap and mammogram in applicable. They should do blood work and perhaps take an X-ray too. Once this is all done you can talk about the gallbladder issue. He'll have practice rights at certain hospitals and there will be surgeons on the insurance list too. I'd pick one that has practice rights at the same hospital as your regular doc too. That way your doc can come visit you if you are in overnight. Usually gallbladder is done in outpatient surgery centers nowadays though.
Do you want a male or female doctor? Do you want an internist or family practice? Once you decide....look on the internet and call to find out if the doctor accepts your insurance. If they do...make an appointment for a physical and also describe you symptoms as well. They will do bloodwork etc. Good Luck.
don't wait for it to rupture and just be beyond sick
ETA: Regarding recoup time: I went in for a laparoscopic procedure and was home within a few hours. I had a limit on the amount I could lift or what I could do but within a few days(sorry, it's been a few years so I don't recall exactly)I was doing things on my own completely. However, I still could not get onto the floor or do much bending. Seeing as you are a caretaker for an autistic individual(I am the parent to one myself)it might be better if you wait to resume your regular work until you are fully healed. Of course only you know either what you can handle or what your jobs entails but just thought I'd add in my thoughts and experiences.
Go into your doctor prepared with a list of your symptoms and all incidents you are going through or have gone through in the past year or two. If you do not trust the doctor you currently see go to a different one.
Once I finally started to figure out what was wrong with me it only took me going to the urgent care and a follow up after that for an abdominal scan to get my diagnosis. In my case I had horrible gallstones, and no there was family history nor any other key factor in why I had them. Needless to say I was able to get my gallbladder removed only a few weeks after seeing the urgent care doctor and having a follow up with a surgeon.
You don't need to settle for no one helping you. Ask for further testing if and don't explain to the docs that you researched things - only because you don't want them going with the notion that you believe everything you read. Rather, go in there with an open mind and lay all your cards on the table in terms of what is wrong with you and don't settle for less than you deserve.
