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19 February - Gallstones redux

I'm in quite a lot of pain at the moment. Three or four times in the last few weeks I have had a pain in the small of my back that doesn't quite feel like normal back pain. At times it is quite excruciating and prevents me from sleeping at night. Sometimes painkillers help, sometimes they don't. Usually it wears off after a few hours.

[Too much detail alert] At around the time I have this pain, I notice that my urine is darker than normal. My stools are pale brown in colour instead of the normal dark brown. Today Olga noticed (no secrets from each other in this marriage!) that they were speckled with different sized black dots. [End of too much detail alert]

We think this is because of the gallstones I discovered back in November. A stone could have moved and blocked the bile duct so that bile is not going where it is supposed to. The black spots could be disintegrating gallstones. This is Olga's diagnosis. But a GP hinted that this could be what is happening the last time I saw the doc. At the time they (and me) felt that we should wait and hope that the problem clears up without surgical intervention.

This time has been the worst occurrence. And the pain has moved from the small of my back to my abdomen. Yesterday we made a doctors' appointment but the earliest we could see the GP I like was next Monday. After a disturbed night we decided this was too long to wait, so we have got an appointment with whoever was free this afternoon.

I don't think there is any connection between this and my brain tumour unless the gall bladder problem is a delayed side effect of all the drugs that were poured into me during my cancer treatment. This has certainly caused a lot more pain than the brain tumour did. I don't even feel like playing radio at the moment. Fingers crossed that the doctors can accurately diagnose and treat the problem.

7 comments:

  1. Julian,

    We'll be praying for you. I had to have my gall bladder out a few years ago and have to say that the surgery is quite simple and a quick recovery. Just be prepared for a few annoying side effects that may keep you near a restroom. That being said, it is much better than being in pain though! My sister had stage 4 cervical cancer several years ago and was successfully treated for it, but suffer random after effects to this day. The chemicals they use to treat cancer are straight-up poison, the hope is that it just kills the cancer before you kills you. I wouldn't be surprised that this is related, but as my sister always says, at least she is here to experience the annoyance of the side-effects! Anyhow, keep your chin up and we'll be praying for you!

    73,

    Richard, KK4JDO

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  2. My wife had gall bladder problems and said the pain was worst that childbirth, so my sympathies are with you. The good news is it responded to antibiotics in a couple of days and she had keyhole surgery on the NHS a few weeks later and was cooking Christmas dinner just a few days later. No problems since.

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  3. Hi Julian, I had kidney stones and it hurt like hell, I was crying from the pain, was not able to sit up when the waves of pain arrived every minute or so.

    I wanted to ask, are you still taking Clomipramine? Did you ever have to stop it for any reason?

    All the best
    Akis

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  4. Yes, I am still taking Clomipramine (200mg a day) and have been since soon after I started radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

    Regards,

    Julian

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  5. I have been prescribed Clomipramine. But when I mentioned it to the oncologist he went ballistic.

    How do you feel with it now that you are off chemotherapy? Is it having serious side effects on you?

    Is there any others that are also on this so we can exchange stories and views?

    Thanks
    Akis

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  6. I am still taking 200mg Clomipramine daily. I don't experience any side effects at all. If there were any side effects initially they wore off after a few weeks (I started about the same time as I started radiotherapy so it is difficult to say what caused what effect.)

    I think I have seen a couple of posts on the Macmillan Cancer Forum from people who are trying clomipramine.

    Julian

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  7. Hi Julian
    Have you heard of Curcuma longa?
    My sister had breast cancer years ago.
    2 years ago the symptoms returned but
    this herb did let disappear spots in her lungs.
    We take this in our food in the dessert.
    It taste well and has not side effects.
    I can not hurt you.
    Jaap




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