I had bulemia for a very long time, then when I stopped that, I stopped eating and started to slip into anarexia. So when I went to a funeral one night, the guy that worked there told me since he went to medical school, he know's what he is talking about and that my eye's are yellow and my skin was turning jaundice and that it could be my liver and to go and get a blood test done at the hospital. I went 5 day's later and they came in the room and told me that my liver was damaged, and my billiruben was real high. They told me they couldn't do anything until I seen my family doctor, but they transfered me over to another hospital. They took blood. and the result's came back abnormal there as well. Both hospital's told me that they would send the blood work to my doctor, but when I set up an appointment with him neither hospital sent there blood work over so he took his own. I was having alot of pain and he sent me for a sonogram because he thought it was my gallbladder since my liver didn't feel swollen. well I went and about a week after that I got the results back that my liver came back abnormal & there was a shadow, along with the abnormal results on my liver that he took that day, and I did infact damaged my gallbladder. I caused so many problem's with the whole eating disorder. I've had burning pain and I told the surgeon about it and he said "thats probably because your gallbladder is damaged, all should be fine when you are done with the operation" and the same day I stopped taking the medicine for the recovery, I got drunk. and this was on new year's eve. It has only been 8 and a half day's since I got surgery as well when I drank. The pain came back, and came back alot worse. It's real bad burning pain, like someones lighting the insides of my stomach on fire...on upper right side. I'm not sure if the pain has been there all along but the pain med's taking care of it..or if when I drank it really did something wrong. I am not a heavy drinker, I just drink occasionally. Also, when my doctor couldn't figure out what was wrong with my liver since it wasn't swollen [[ he was supposed to refer me to a liver specialist to find out what was wrong, but never did ]] *before the gallbladder operation* since he figured the burning pains was because my gallbladder was damaged, that he figured my liver was fine and that I might have something called Gilbert Syndrome instead. Different people had told me that they would do a liver biopsy and everything else. Recently the pain has been getting ALOT worse, i'm having a ton of stomach problems now. If my liver isn't swollen...but keep's coming back abnormal, could something still be wrong? or can that be my billruben getting higher? I'm young and hate to see myself go through this. Thank you all very much.
Can I ask just how old you are?you really really have to stick specifically with all of your docs orders here,honestly,or you could very well end up in some sort of organ failure,most likely liver.you absolutely cannot drink alcohol,at all anymore,or at least til any of your docs actually tell you that it is okay.what you did,most likely caused ssome very bad inflammation to the GB and the liver.alcohol is very very hard on even a healthy liver but the one you have is even more sensitive to the effects and WILL cause more damage.It sounds like you really do need to sit down with your primary doc and set up a plan to follow.you are not getting the right type consistant care that you have to have in order to get the best possible treatment.I do think that you may also have to deal with what sounds like possible depression?you just have so many different things going on here and need to get a soecific plan in place set up between your main doc and all of these specialists that you need to see.once you get that plan set up and know what your steps should be,things will not feel so totally out of control as they do for you right now,trust me,i HAVE been there and I am also suffering from many many different medicl problems,some of which stem from spinal cord injury and all of the secondary medical problems and syndromes that came along for the ride.I also have a kidney disease that affects my liver as well,and my son,only six years ago,went thru the hell of total liver failure which ended up with a liver transplant.He was only 12 at that time.I know how difficult it is to try and keep all the many different things you are dealing with all straight in your mind and co ordinating things theu all of the different docs.You HAVE to take control here and start demanding good treatment from all of your docs and then follow their orders to the letter.start out by getting copies of all of your medical records from every doc and every hosp and any testing that you have had done.then keep all of these things in an expanding file according to each doc or some other way that will keep everything in order.I don't know what I would do without my folder of medical stuff when seeing so many different docs for very seperate reasons.it really does help alot.you also need to take this file with you to every appt and make sure to always ask for all copies of any tests that you will have in the future so you will always have the updated info in case one of your other docs wants to know something that one of your other docs said about something.all you have to do,is just go into that folder and give him the info,pretty simple,and will save you a ton of hassle.espescially as in the case of what happened when the hosp was supposed to forward your test results,I cannot even tell you how many times this has happened to me during one of my appts.someone always seems to drop the ball when they are supposed to be doing this for you.this is why you have to have your own copies of stuff.all you do is go into that folder,take out the records and tell them to make a copy of what you have,never ever give them your copy to keep or it will be kinda difficult to replace.
Once you can get things all in order here,it will not all seem so out of your control,really.You really do need to get set up with a good GI doc who can coordiate all of the liver and gi issues you are dealing with.this will help alot.discuss the referral with your primary doc.But you do need to start taking much better care of yourself here in order to actually give yourself the best chance of getting healthy.I know I was having a really hard time in dealing with all I have had to deal with and i was also becomming more and more depressed.so I started seeing a therepist and taking my anti depressants.she really really helped me alot to get me back on track and able to handle the nightmares that keep coming my way.i would really highly suggest that you see one too just to help you deal with all of the crap that comes along for the ride when you are dealing with chronic medical issues such as we currently are.This really really does help or i wouldn't even bother to mention it to you.please see one.Please let me know just how you are doing,K? hang in there and if you need help,I am always wandering thru here,K? good luck,Marcia
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3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.
Well said Marcia! LilK--listen to her--she knows what she's talking abt. She's beent here and has - unfortunately--too much knowledge in this area!! When my liver failed I came home and was overwhelmed, but once I realized I had to do it, be my own advocate and keep the ball rolling, it was easier b/c I had the reins...I wasn't at other ppl's mercy waiting for THEM to call ME--which usually didn't happen.
When my GB was removed I was told no alcohol for 4 weeks-which was fine w/me b/c the last thing I felt like doing on day 8 aft surg was drinking. I'd see my GP--be straight and tell everything--abt the last day of meds and alcohol that night.Altho it doesn't sound like you took the meds W/the alcohol, it's really not wise and you should let your dr know. Confess everything --he's there to help, not to judge. (maybe it's reflux?) Hang in there and let us know how you're doing. Gina
Marcia -- I'm 16. They have asked me if I drank, but I told them that I drank once in a blue moon and that was it. Yesterday, Children's hospital had told me that they would like me to go there, so they could take blood and do a sonogram to makesure everything is okay. But I have no way there. Everytime I go to an appointment, I makesure I take two people with me so we could hear everything they say and not miss a thing, since I am not living with my mother at the moment. I am infact going to use your idea though. I will get copy's of everything they say. but All I can say is that they need to figure out what's wrong asap because the pain only seem's to be getting worse. The doctor's haven't been concerned about my liver in a whole month, so that's why I figured everything was fine and that it was okay to go and drink. I'm not drinking no more though, I've learned my lesson once and don't even want to think about going through this again. and, I am dealing with depression right now, but the councilor wasn't licensed to prescribe me anything so I am going to see a phychiatrist in a couple week's. What's depression have to do with the liver though? May I ask you what a GI doctor is? I've heard about one of them once, but don't really know what they are. I will definetly take your advice and it was very well appreciated to by the way. Now, all I have to do is start making appointment's now, right? what will the GI doctor do? Thanks in Advance. -- Kayla.
Gina -- They never told me after the operation that I wasn't allowed to drink any alchohol. I tell my doctor EVERYTHING that is going on, and he seem's to only do one thing at a time. I have been in and out of hospital's, and have only seen him once and that was only when he sent me to another hospital for a sonogram, and took blood in his office. I was going to make an appointment with him today, but he told me I was better off going to the ER because It sounded to him that I was severelly dehydriated, because I haven't beenable to drink or eat anything in the past few day's and I pratically fainted earlier from that, but everytime I eat or drink anything, no matter what or how much it is, it just goes right through me...The trauma nurses over @ Children's told me they were concerned, because when you get your gallbladder removed, it is only fast food that does it to you...but it's everything to me.
Thank you both for the help though. It's really appreciated.
Kayla...16--you're so young to be going thru this. I'm so sorry. I wonder if they didn't tell you not to drink aft gallbladder surgery b/c you're not 21?? (just a thought--even tho I don't think your age should prevent them from giving you ALL instructions.) It's good you're telling your doc everything--you're a smart girl. Ususally for the first month or so everything wreaks havoc on your digestive system aft gallbladder surgery. Your digestive system is changed so it's only natural that your body would need time to adjust. But--if the nurses at Childrens hosp tell you that this soon ONLY fast food should affect it--maybe it depends upon age.(for us older folks our bodies need more time to adapt--haha I was 35 at the time). If you need fluids by all means go to Childrens like your dr said. It sounds like you're in a tough position and are the one in charge here, and he's not very hands on. Being dehydrated will only make you feel worse. Maybe then the nurses/drs can shed some light on what's going on. Hang in there hon--it'll get better. Let us know how you do...Gina
ps--a GI is a gastrointestinal specialist (stomach) also called a Gastroenterologist.
I'm Young...& Already Getting Problem's. 
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