LBTC
11-16-2006, 11:45 AM
Have you ever waited a long time for a specialist appointment, made a list, was sure you had all the bases covered, but after the appointment, after all his questions and all the things you tried to tell him, left the appointment and then thought "I'd like to change my answers!!"?
The good news is, I have now seen a specialist. It's also good that he has ordered another ultrasound. I liked his logic on this one - if the gallbladder problem was new in July when I had the first one done, the GB would have looked pretty good still. Then by September, after it intermittently causing me pain (could be a really small stone that's bopping around in there), the CT scan showed some problems with the gallbladder, then in October the HIDA scan showed normal function of the GB (the stone was happily out of sight and not causing any disruption)....after that amount of time, the size and shape of the gallbladder may have changed from healthy to shrunken and whatever else they do. So, I have an ultrasound next week. Yay!
On the other hand, I'm missing some of the normal symptoms....or I didn't answer questions correctly. I mean, does a fatty meal make me feel worse? Well... the worst I do for a fatty meal is an omelette or pizza, and, yeah, a little. But I don't eat fried chicken, fast food, french fries, and if I make anything with fat at home, it's with olive oil, which does not make the GB feel worse, so.... Can I change my answer?
And, does the pain ever radiate to your back? Well, not really, but there I am, after walking briskly for a few minutes to go the lab for the next blood test, and strenuous activity increases my discomfort, so there I am sitting and waiting and feeling the discomfort/pain radiate from my upper right abdomen, to my right side and a bit into my back. Can I change my answer?
Well, just to be sure of what to look at, he ordered the blood test (no idea what all the little abbreviations mean, so I don't know what he's looking at, but they took 2 vials this time), and I'm waiting for the hospital to phone and book a "small bowel follow through"....I get to drink barium! He said he wants to check for Chron's disease.
So that's where it is. I'll get to see him one week after the last of those tests, so it may even be within the month! Yay!
If any of you have had the barium test, please tell me about it.
And, of course, please tell me there are others of you who "want to change your answer"! I feel like such a geek right now!
Hugs and butterflies,
~T~
The good news is, I have now seen a specialist. It's also good that he has ordered another ultrasound. I liked his logic on this one - if the gallbladder problem was new in July when I had the first one done, the GB would have looked pretty good still. Then by September, after it intermittently causing me pain (could be a really small stone that's bopping around in there), the CT scan showed some problems with the gallbladder, then in October the HIDA scan showed normal function of the GB (the stone was happily out of sight and not causing any disruption)....after that amount of time, the size and shape of the gallbladder may have changed from healthy to shrunken and whatever else they do. So, I have an ultrasound next week. Yay!
On the other hand, I'm missing some of the normal symptoms....or I didn't answer questions correctly. I mean, does a fatty meal make me feel worse? Well... the worst I do for a fatty meal is an omelette or pizza, and, yeah, a little. But I don't eat fried chicken, fast food, french fries, and if I make anything with fat at home, it's with olive oil, which does not make the GB feel worse, so.... Can I change my answer?
And, does the pain ever radiate to your back? Well, not really, but there I am, after walking briskly for a few minutes to go the lab for the next blood test, and strenuous activity increases my discomfort, so there I am sitting and waiting and feeling the discomfort/pain radiate from my upper right abdomen, to my right side and a bit into my back. Can I change my answer?
Well, just to be sure of what to look at, he ordered the blood test (no idea what all the little abbreviations mean, so I don't know what he's looking at, but they took 2 vials this time), and I'm waiting for the hospital to phone and book a "small bowel follow through"....I get to drink barium! He said he wants to check for Chron's disease.
So that's where it is. I'll get to see him one week after the last of those tests, so it may even be within the month! Yay!
If any of you have had the barium test, please tell me about it.
And, of course, please tell me there are others of you who "want to change your answer"! I feel like such a geek right now!
Hugs and butterflies,
~T~