As I mentioned yesterday in my SWW post I had to go to the hospital to get a HIDA scan to check my gall bladder. With all the stomach issues I've been having lately my doctor wanted to see if that was the cause. I had an ultrasound a few months back to check for gall stones and that came back normal but just because you don't have stones doesn't mean that you don't have gall bladder issues.
The whole test took about 1 1/2 hours. I had to get an IV in my arm (I HATE IV's) and they first injected an isotope that would help my gall bladder be visible on screen while the x-ray type machine scanned my abdomen (it was similar to an MRI machine but without being stuck in a little, claustrophobic tube), that took about 45 minutes. Then they hooked a bag up to my IV with a medication that would travel to my gall bladder and basically mimic what happens when I eat food (which is often a trigger for gall bladder attacks). The technician watched on the screen to see how my gall bladder processed the medication, this process took another 30 minutes. Also, if there was an issue with my gall bladder I would most likely have stomach pain and discomfort. Fortunately Kristian was able to be in the room with me (after the IV was started) so he kept me company during the 1 1/2 hour wait.
Well I did NOT have a reaction to the medication and the technician said my gall bladder looked good. So the good news is that I get to keep my gall bladder....at least for now. The bad news is I still don't know what's causing all the issues. My doctor told me if it turned out not to be my gall bladder then he suspects possibly IBS and wants me to add fiber to my diet and also cut back on fatty foods (easier said than done). So I guess I'll give that a try and see if it helps. Otherwise I may end up needing further tests to figure out the problem.
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5 comments:
That's good that you get to keep your gallbladder, but sucks that they still don't know what's up. I've had a plethora of stomach issues so I am familiar with the guessing game! Hopefully they figure it out soon!
Uh. not that I wanted you to have surgery, but an answer to why this is happening would have been nice!
So glad to hear that you get to keep your gall bladder and that all went well... other than of course that they still dont know the problem. How frustrating :( I have IBS and definitely find cutting back on fatty foods does help... but like you said.. easier said than done!!
So glad to hear you can keep your gallbladder for now! My husband had a ton of stomach issue when we first met but he finally listened to me and changed his diet and they're pretty much gone. I wouldn't say he has any food allergies but he became aware of what foods do what to his body and now knows what he can eat and can't eat. A big one for him was red meat- I don't eat it and he ate of ton of it and since basically removing it from his diet his stomach has totally improved. Now he only eats it on special occasions.
Maybe keep a food journal and see what happens?
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear about everything that you're going through. I hope they can figure out the cause soon and that you feel better.
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