'I was doubled up in pain by cholecystitis'
Back in July 2007, I woke up at 3am on morning with the most terrible pain in my stomach.
I took some painkillers, but it just wouldn't go. I was still rolling around in agony at five o'clock the next afternoon. At that point, my husband came home from work and took me straight to A&E.
The doctors gave me morphine for the pain, and I was kept in hospital to be monitored for five days.
While I was there, I had a scan and the results confirmed that I had - gallstones, which were causing something called cholecystitis. This is basically when the gallbladder gets inflamed. Apparently, it's nearly always caused by gallstones.
The doctors told me I'd need to come back for an operation to remove them in about a month.
Six weeks later on 4 September, I went back to the hospital as a day patient. I'd been told it would be a simple 25-minute operation to remove the gallstones.
When I woke up after the operation, I was all confused and didn't know where I was. The consultant came round and told me that the operation had taken longer than expected, more than an hour.
My gallbladder had got stuck to my liver and he'd literally had to chisel it away. He couldn't believe I'd never had any pain before that first night in July.
I was kept in overnight and released the next morning. It took a couple of weeks for the pain from the operation to disappear, but I'm moving about again now OK.
I'm just thankful that it's all been sorted out and hope I never have to go through pain like that ever again.
Sharon Payne, 52, East London
More help and advice
- Get all the facts on cholecystitis
- Find out more about gallstones
- Get expert advice on gallstones
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DONVILL, 11 months [Offensive? Unsuitable? Report this comment.]
Hi in my 20s i had a pain while at work that i collapsed with i could not drive or walk with it my Drs could not find any thing wrong over the years i still had the pain and was found to have colitis i collapsed in my 40s still had this pain but no one took any notice telling me it was the collitis then at age 69 i collapsed with a terrible pain and could not move for the pain and my daughter [took me to Hemel Hempsted hospital Herts ]where because the pain was so bad i could hardly talk for the pain [but the Dr treating me could not have treated me any worse he treated me like a drunk ] all he wanted to know was how much did i drink no xray or follow up just pain killers and then discharged 2 months later i told my Dr treating my colitis he then booked a scan for me that i had today result i have gaul stones so much for that hospital Dr And my many thanks for my Colitis Dr and the Scan unit at St Albans City Hospital Herts that have found in ten months what caused my pain All i can say is as i was told many times time is a great healer DONVILL