The pain of a gallbladder attack can be so severe I would describe it like someone sticking a butcher knife in my back and right side repeatedly and so quickly, I cannot even catch a breath. I felt like I could be having a heart attack – the pain in my chest was excruciating. I felt dizzy, nauseated, and scared. More so since my last major and most painful attack occurred right as I was driving down a busy 4-way intersection with my mom and two small children in tow. A trip to Goodwill sidetracked into a visit to the ER! Although they gave me all kinds of tests and an EKG to check my heart, no one guessed it was my gallbladder. I was not even 30 yet. After several hours, the pain did subside, and I was instructed to follow up with my doctor. My mother suggested it could be my gallbladder and when I posed the possibility at my follow up, I was pretty much dismissed.
About 6 months later, I was having an abdominal ultrasound for another reason, when the tech began to focus on my upper right quadrant. She asked me if it hurt, and I explained to her about the unexplainable pains. Turns out that I had cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) and massive cholelithiasis (gallstones), so bad that they were close to causing total obstruction. Although treatment for this disease can include change of diet habits and sometimes medicine, I was past all that and required immediate surgery- a cholecystectomy or removal of my gallbladder.
Gallbladder disease is a more common occurrence in our society – one that lives on fast food. And why not? It is cheap and well – fast. However, there is nothing to these meals other than grease and fat and other chemicals that are probably detrimental to us as well. Immediately after high school, I went to work for Wal-Mart – located in a shopping center where three well known fast food restaurants within walking distance. With the crazy schedule that retail work follows, fast food becomes the main food. At least it did for me! Not knowing enough about nutrition and genetics, I greatly increased my chances for developing gallbladder disease. Now I was in search of information about this medical condition I knew nothing about, but one I would be facing major surgery to fix.
The gallbladder is a pear shaped sac located just under the liver. Its main function is to store bile that is produced in the liver. Bile aids in the digestion of fats and is released from the gallbladder when we consume fatty drinks and foods. This is a regular body function, but when we consume obscene amounts of fatty and greasy foods, and may already be genetically prone to developing the disease, the chances increase.
Gallstones form when substances in the bile harden and build up inside the gallbladder, unable to pass through. The prevalence of this condition occurring increases in older adults, obese women, and those of Native American descent. Although disputed among doctors, there can be a genetic predisposition to gallbladder disease. My maternal grandmother had hers removed at age 33. My surgeon remarked to me after the surgery that he had never in all his years as a doctor seen such a diseased gallbladder in anyone my age- I was 30- and compared my organ to that of an man or woman in their 80’s!
I suffered through years of pain and agony and did not know why. Symptoms include severe, recurrent abdominal pain, pain on the right side, especially after consuming fatty or fried foods, and increased pain when taking in a breath during an attack. The pain generally has a sudden onset and can last for several minutes to several hours. Nausea chills, and chest pain can also occur. Avoiding fatty and fried foods can aid in decreased attacks.
The key is knowing the symptoms and listening to your body. You know your body and when you should seek out medical attention. It could save you years of unexplained pain and surgery.
