by Laura Seil Ruszczyk

Created on: June 21, 2009   Last Updated: June 24, 2009

Gallbladder diagnosis took longer than surgery

Three days after being diagnosed with a gallbladder that only functioned at nine percent, I was being wheeled into surgery for removal of this organ, and I was pleased about it.

I went through five weeks of not knowing what was wrong with me. I woke daily with sharp stomach pain. I would use the bathroom, which often included having severe diarrhea, and then I would go back to bed to rest before getting ready for my day. Often, I would leave work early because I was nauseous, weak and exhausted. Coming home and resting seemed to be the only activity I could do to get some relief from this vicious cycle. I existed mostly on Gatorade during this time because I discovered eating most food would cause added stomach pains and diarrhea the next morning.

Unfortunately, two of the doctors who saw me during these five weeks decided I was suffering from virus that would eventually go away. Apparently, the fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, sporadic temperature and dizziness could all be attributed to the virus. And the blood and stool samples that were performed did not shed any light on my condition.

After four weeks, I spoke to a nurse at my doctor's office about my problems. She listened carefully to my list of symptoms and decided to have me come in the next day for another exam. A week later, when I saw her for my pre-operation physical, she said the fact I had told her I had not biked for five weeks and had missed my favorite entertainers in concert - Elton John and Billy Joel - helped her decide these symptoms were serious.

The third doctor that saw me did something that the other two hadn't - pushed on my stomach below my right rib cage. That hurt at which point the doctor asked me if anyone in my family had gallbladder problems. Yes, my two sisters and mother had their gallbladders removed before they reached 44, my current age. Gallbladder disease can run in families and the pain in my back - which I thought was typical back pain but more intense - could actually be my gallbladder.

I went for 14 blood tests - eight vials - and a sonogram to see if I had gallstones. Two days later the sonogram came back negative and my doctor sent me for a HIDA scan. A HIDA scan is a nuclear medicine test done to determine if there are infections or other abnormalities of the gallbladder or bile ducts. A machine, called a nuclear scanner, takes pictures of the gallbladder and bile ducts following injection in the arm of radioactive material.

My HIDA scan took about two hours. I had to lie very still on a table while the radioactive material was watched as it traveled through the gallbladder. The radiologist injected a second substance in my arm and watched me carefully to see if I had distress from this part of the test. I felt nauseous immediately and had stomach pains similar to the ones I had experienced every morning. I also shook a little - which I do when in pain - but all these symptoms subsided after about five minutes.

That was on a Monday. Tuesday I found out my gallbladder only worked at nine percent, Wednesday I met the surgeon, had a preoperation physical with the primary care physician, had blood tests done and a chest x-ray, and scheduled surgery for Friday morning. The surgeon was kind enough to get me in quickly, as five weeks of suffering was enough.

Today I am recovering from the surgery. I am learning what I can and cannot eat, and have discovered that smaller meals are better than large ones for me. My nausea is gone and my diarrhea is better. My energy is increasing and I am hopeful that the four small holes I have on my stomach become a distant memory of a time when I was too sick to ride my bike and live a normal life.

Learn more about this author, Laura Seil Ruszczyk.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.