Internist: Didn't Diagnose Gallbladder Pain

[Abraham]

I had a rather dull, but ongoing pain just below the mid-right rib line.

My family doc (an internist) had me go for ultra sound testing and blood work.

Findings: Negative and he suggested nothing more be done.

I pursued it on my own with a Gastro doc and without going into laborious detail - my gallbladder needed removal.

At this point, I'm wondering if I need to find a new family doc?

Or, is this type diagnosis something an internist wouldn't reasonably be expected to find or even vaguely know about?

P.S. I'm not remotely considering suing for malpractice - I'm not the litigious type

[Vol Texan]

Gall bladder pain is elusive to those who don't expect it.

My wife I went for a trip to the emergency room several years back over very serious pain in that area. They did ultrasounds, found nothing, admitted her, and held her for two days until I finally blew my stack (because they were not putting enough energy into finding the problem).

Once I blew my top with the hospital administrator, they brought in a surgeon. He knew within minutes what the problem was, and they had her under the knife to remove the gall bladder in a couple hours.

[Abraham]

Vol Texan,

Thanks for your response.

I really like my family doc and don't want to go elsewhere, but I was dismayed with, well, you know the rest...

Gallbladder pain/problem is apparently something not easy for most docs to diagnose unless presented to a Gastro doc or if a Surgeon is involved.

The Gastro doc had a Hida Scan done and the finding was grim... The Surgeon I went to took one look at the Scan and said, yep, gotta yank it out.

It was yanked this past Friday...

[Andrew]

God bless you, prayers for your speedy recovery.

[anygunanywhere]

Glad you are recovering and that obamacare is not fully implemented.

Anygunanywhere

[RPBrown]

We had a family doc that we really liked the first couple of years. Then he got to where he seemed to be just guessing at things. Then my wife went to him for insomnia and he puts her on Ambian (sp.). She took it for 2 years and was still having problems sleeping. Finally I convinced her to go to another doc. First thing he did was send her for a sleep study and showed she had sleep apnia (sp.), put her on a CPAP machine and weened her off of the Ambian. She has been sleeping great since.

Needless to say, we changed docs.

Now I know why they all have a "practice", they cant get it right so they have to practice.

[anygunanywhere]

Now I know why they all have a "practice", they cant get it right so they have to practice.

Anygunanywhere

[Keith B]

Vol Texan,

Thanks for your response.

I really like my family doc and don't want to go elsewhere, but I was dismayed with, well, you know the rest...

Gallbladder pain/problem is apparently something not easy for most docs to diagnose unless presented to a Gastro doc or if a Surgeon is involved.

The Gastro doc had a Hida Scan done and the finding was grim... The Surgeon I went to took one look at the Scan and said, yep, gotta yank it out.

It was yanked this past Friday...

Well, that's what most surgeons are gonna tell you. However, gallbladder is something that is pretty common to have removed and usually is needed.

Hopefully they were able to remove it laparascopically and you heal fast!!

[G26ster]

The Surgeon I went to took one look at the Scan and said, yep, gotta yank it out.

Yep, that's the surgeon's creed, "If you can't cut it out, it can't be cured." Get well quick

[Abraham]

Thanks all for the well wishes. Cranky old curmudgeon I am, I'm touched.

Laproscopically done it was.

In fact, I'm waiting to go see the Surgeon at 3:30 today for a post surgical check up.

So far, so good...

Except for feeling like I was stabbed, I feel quite well.

I can 't wait until I can work out and ride my bike and of course, shoot.

[Keith B]

Thanks all for the well wishes. Cranky old curmudgeon I am, I'm touched.

Laproscopically done it was.

In fact, I'm waiting to go see the Surgeon at 3:30 today for a post surgical check up.

So far, so good...

Except for feeling like I was stabbed, I feel quite well.

I can 't wait until I can work out and ride my bike and of course, shoot.

Well, you were, in about 3-4 places. LOL

It gets better quickly. Just do what the Dr. says and don't try to do too much or over exert yourself and do more than they tell you to on lifting and movement and you should do fine.

[jimlongley]

Glad you're better, I went through something similar, months of intermittent dull pain interspersed with some really OUCH! attacks. In and out of the hospital, this test that test, upper GI series, lower GI series, drink the greasy milkshake, etc and the only thing they could come up with was that they couldn't get the Gall Bladder to visualize so it had to come out. When they took it out it was in pretty rough shape, and we thought that was that. Turns out I also was suffering from the onset of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so I had another "attack" a couple of months later. IBS is a lifetime thing, so I live with it, but my Gall Bladder WAS in pretty bad shape.

[Waco1959]

I had mine removed but the only pain I had made me think I was having a heart attack. The ER doc said no HA but check with my dr about my gall bladder. My dr sent me for an Ultrasound and the tech wanted to know how many years I had been having the pain since my gallbladder was more than half full of gravel.........

I wonder if the Ultrasound tech messed up.

[Abraham]

jimlongley

Thanks!

I'm very sorry to hear about your medical situation.

One of the things most of us (me) take for granted is our good health, until it departs...

I've another friend with Crohns, (as I'm sure you know about being another form of inflammatory bowel disease) and he's suffers dreadfully.

[Songbird]

Sadly, I think lots of the "family" doctors don't know much more than doling out antibiotics for sore throats. Mine told me for four years that I was "just" having anxiety attacks and poked antidepressants at me (which I never took). Turns out I have Lupus (I suspected that and even asked for the appropriate tests). He told me I didn't have it.

My husband's gall bladder experience was much the same as yours. I'm glad you got the help you needed and I hope you're feeling much better by now.

Bottom line.... You know your body. If you're not getting the answers you need, keep fighting until you do!