Hi everyone --

Had that basic HIDA scan today -- as predicted, gall bladder was slow to act and after an hour I was given a small carton of whole milk (blecch!). After waiting five more minutes, the tech started taking pictures again and within 15 minutes I was out of there. Felt kind of crummy a few minutes after the milk but no major pain, just twinges and a little queasy. Of course, I haven't had whole milk by itself in any quantity in probably 25 years.

The tech and a radiologist both said they saw no blockages today.

I gather that means that, since I HAVE had several painful attacks recently and vague discomfort in GB area for over six months, this "scan" is showing that there is nothing blocking any ducts TODAY. And that it doesn't mean it hasn't happened before, or won't happen again if another stone decides to "escape."

There ARE numerous large and small stones in the GB, but it's far from full of them.

Assume I will soon hear from my gastro doc with his view on what to do. Sounds to me from reading lots of messages here and elsewhere that the opinion will be to take the GB out now as a pre-emptive strike, or wait and see how things go. Some people seem to have had several HIDA scans before going ahead with surgery. Am I right about that?

Thanks for any and all input!

Hi Carol. I think it all depends on what YOU want to do - do you want to wait it out and continue to have "attacks" or get it out now to prevent them in the future? I opted to have mine out even though my ejection fracture was "normal", but the pain elicited by the CCK was just like my typical pain "attacks".

By the time I got a 2nd opinion (which insurance required since my test results seemed "normal"), I was admitted to the hospital within 2 days of the 2nd opinion. Believe me, I was jumping for joy to have the GB out - my "attacks" were a daily occurrence, and if I wasn't in pain from eating, I was nauseated all the time with a chronic dull achy feeling in the GB area.

No one should tell you to get it out or not - YOU must decide. The gall bladder is probably not going to get better on its own, and you can function without it, but there are drawbacks to the surgery too. You need to determine how much you're suffering while it's in, and when you're ready then have it removed if needed.

Good luck to you,
Katie G