daytime/nighttime

[anbuma]

I felt ok- ish all day today-sitting in the garden enjoying the sunshine with my dogs actually sleeping! then tonight I feel my whole body getting worse-it seems everywhere is now lumpy and sore to touch all around my stomach and now radiating to the back of my shoulders.

(I listened to my DR the other day and had to really concentrate on what he was saying to me and then he said I wasn't saying much to which I replied my minds struggling to take in what you are telling me so I didn't say half of what I should have.i have now written things down fro my next appt which is after I have seen both consultants btu I keep adding to it or changing it every so often.)

I got ready for bed washing at the sink as I cannot get in or out of my bath to have a shower-and everywhere felt tender and lumpy.its like its spreading all over my upper body. and I notice it as soonas I get into bed and how uncomfortable it is.

after seeing my DR and him talking to me and saying that my swollen abdomen is bloating I supposed I should accept thats what it is and then I remember what my friend and neighbour and another friend said.they both knew the lady who passed away from cancer which wasn't detected and another who had a 22lb cyst removed that was not detected in scans plus all the other stories I have read.. this unconvinces me it is bloating.

also he told me that my BMI classed me as obese which I disagreed with as he only knows my total body weight from weighing me.the scales don't show that I have gained weight in my abdomen and lost weight everywhere else.i said the same to the rheumatologist .how can I lose weight when I don't eat cakes biscuits puds etc and have cut out fried foods and only eat a small meal at lunch time with cereal in morning and evening.I am only a size 12-14 (everywhere except my stomach)so don't class myself as even slightest bit fat.it is only my swollen stomach whatever the cause that is why my weight is more and if it is bloating surely there must be something nhs can do?

[ladymoth]

Hi Anbuma,

I'm sorry you still have this worry, but I have to tell you that you shouldn't listen to your neighbour's horror stories! I have heard these tales about giant cysts remaining undiscovered, and they are a bit of an 'urban myth'. The stories have been circulating for thirty years or more - before modern ultrasound - and the cysts are reported as bigger with each telling. It's all complete rubbish!

These days with modern ultrasound, it would be impossible to miss a cyst or tumour. I used to do these scans for a living, and I once picked up an ovarian tumour less than the size of a dried pea! The lady in question had no symptoms at all, she was having a routine scan for something else.

I promise you that the machines used are specially made to pick up the tiniest anomaly, and tumours show up very, very brightly. Cysts are just fluid filled spaces, and show up as black areas surrounded by normal tissue. They are common and rarely cause any trouble unless large, but again they are very easy to spot.

You have had more than one scan, so I reckon you can put your mind completely at rest!

You don't say your age, but I guess you are a middle aged lady, and you have gallstones and fibro. The gallstones would account for your symptoms of nausea and loss of appetite, and at our age, we DO lose muscle mass and get skinny arms and legs, but the poor old tum gets bigger, especially if we can't exercise very much and don't eat a balanced diet. Feeling lumpy all over is another common symptom - most of us put it down to cellulite!

I guess you should concentrate on getting those gallstones sorted, and when they're removed, the surgeon always has a good look around your abdominal cavity to see that everything is where it should be , so that should settle your anxieties once and for all.

Try to eat a balanced diet, too - it sounds as though you are picking at your food, which is not healthy, and can add up to an alarmingly high calorie count!

I am surprised that your doctor isn't treating your anxiety, tho' - maybe you could ask him for some help with that specifically?

Take care, and try not to worry so much!

Love from Moffy x

[anbuma in reply to ladymoth]

are all these stories I ahve read in women s mags and on other forums fake then?surely the magazines would not print them if not true and why so many people with cysts say they have had scans but cysts not detected?i guess anyone can write nayhting on a blog if they wanted to

[anbuma]

hello moffy

I take note of what you say.i am 54.i am waiting until I see the consultant for gallstones and they will find out if my "mass" is something else.

it still leaves the questions as to why my doctor didn't investigate fro gallstones?and that if it is bloating they cannot do something.my dr has never mentioned diet!in my last paragraph I explained about my diet etc and think this should be noted.re weight loss -surely it is the drs that should tell their patients these things instead of just saying what tehy have said to me which is quite a lot of times-nothing.i would be interested to hear your response to my comments in the last paragraph.

I kinda object to you suggesting I pick at my food.i odnt.i can only eat until I feel full which I know a lot of other sufferers have the same symptom.i have said all along I don't eat cakes biscuits snacks or puddings and I rarely have fried foods so my problem is not fat,again as i said the weight gain is abdominal and the dr should consider this when weighing me and saying I am obese and that it is not thru overeating or eating the wrong diet.and I walk my dogs fro up to two hours every morning

[ladymoth]

I'm sorry anbuma, I didn't mean to be rude, but I'm only going by what you say - I had gained the impression that you find it difficult to eat a good meal and were just having small snacks. I have done this myself, and it can lead to malnutrition.

How did you find out you had gallstones if your doctor didn't investigate?

Bloating can often be eliminated by a good diet, which is a very individual thing. Mostly, it's recommended that you eat more fibre - weetabix, wholemeal bread, fruit and veg etc. The only problem being that until your digestion gets used to it you may actually feel worse for a week or more. It does work if you persist, tho'!

Some people find that milk makes them bloated, so you could try cutting down a bit, but I wouldn't advise eliminating dairy foods altogether as they are important in the diet. You also need to drink plenty of water, which helps tremendously if you have digestive problems.

I suppose the best thing is to wait until you see your consultant, and see what he says about your abdominal swelling. There are so very many causes of an enlarged tum, but as you have had a couple of scans, I don't think you need to worry about anything too serious. Gallstones do make you feel very unwell, tho', so it will be good to have those dealt with.

Moffy x

[anbuma in reply to ladymoth]

thanks Moffy

gallstones were discovered in January when my mum paid fro me to "go private" and they discovered the gallstones in an USS .I went back to my dr with the results fro a referral and he said he was happy to refer me but made no comment as to why he hadn't investigated them.that is one of my questions I have when I see him again.

I have changed my diet to include more fruit and veg and I only eat wholemeal bread anyway,i have stopped eating red meat since the horse meat scare so now eat more fish and chicken and pasta.i think I do have ample water as I drink 8 glasses a day when taking meds plus I drink flavoured water.my dr said potatoes don't help and I know caulis and broccoli can cause bloating.how can bloating casue the stomach to be so hard and lumpy?it sbecasue of the hardness and lumps that I believed it to be a cyst or tumour.

I know the pain on my right side of my ribs is due to the gallstones but dont kjnow what is causing protruding ribs ?

I saw the text my neighbours friend sent her to her phone and cannot see why someone would make up a story like that?

I am waiting now til I see the consultant in may but wish it was sooner.my ENT appt is next week/.

anbuma

[Hidden]

Hi anbuma .. I think I have mentioned to you earlier both my OH and myself have had our gallbladders out ... My OH had symptoms totally different to me ... But the pain only came on a night for him .. But he lost weight everywhere he look skeletal it was very scary for me... He wasnt that bothered men!!!!

Anyway my gallbladder pain, always came on at night was in my shoulder blades upper back and started being uncomfortable. Which over the weeks became unbearable which is when they whipped me into a&e found them and didnt let me out of the hospital til they had removed it..... While I was having blood tests in hospital and them trying to fit me in as gallbladder is not considered an emergency.... Believe me it is to the person suffering with them ... I found anything with fat in it .. Low fat spread , chocolate, anything set the pain off again... It came to the point my OH was bringing me in 0 fat yoghurts and crab sandwiches with no butter on ... It was revolting but I couldn't eat anything with fat in as I had an immediate pain.... As soon as my gallbladder was gone. I was sore as I don't heal very well at all , but could and still can eat anything I like no problems ...

So it sounds to me as your pains are at night mainly... its your gallbladder and once you get that out ....you know you have gallstones so you need the op you will feel better...

Have you got a date for the op or just a date for an assesment about them

VG x

[anbuma in reply to Hidden]

hello vg

at the moment I only have an appt to see the consultant.after you had your gallbladder op how long was your recovery period?i live alone with my dogs so don't have anyone as such to walk them or to help with housework and guess its like 6 weeks or more

[Hidden]

If you have it done by keyhole surgery it won't be too bad I have had keyhole surgery and been back to normal fairly quick though I couldn't lift anything for a couple of weeks. For open surgery which were for most of my ops a good 6 weeks were needed because all the nerves around the operation cut went into overdrive and refused to calm down..... And I couldn't bear clothes touching the operation site.....

But that's just me hopefully you won't experience this

Good luck with your consultant appt and hole you get a date for the op soon

VG x

[anbuma]

thank you VG.my DR said they don't do keyhole surgery now??

will let you know what happens.