Hi Everyone!
This is just to give you a bit of background on my medical condition. I've been diagnosed with gallstones (Cholelithiasis) around September 2015. Unfortunately, I had to stop working as a full-time employee for a travel agency. I just do freelance work at the moment when I can actually function as a human being (due to the pains of having these stones). I've decided to push through with keeping a blog as I have more time to myself and I want to document my journey with gallstones - before, during and after an alternative to surgery.
I had my first trip to the ER due to hyperacidity on Aug. 23 or 24, 2013. I had to go and visit the Emergency Room of Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) (a local government hospital, which, by the way does not charge anything to the residents of Makati who get hospitalized.) I was pregnant and I was vomiting like crazy after taking anything in. I felt very bloated and was really concerned as I had a baby growing inside me. A trip to the ER was really necessary. I was given hyperacidity meds as well as tips on what foods to avoid, etc. That wasn't my last trip to the ER due to hyperacidity, I've had maybe 5 or more trips before being diagnosed with gallstones.
Ospital ng Makati. Image from Inquirer
DIAGNOSIS OF GALL STONES
I had hyperacidity attacks last September 2015 (eating and vomiting what I had eaten; nauseous; pain in my upper abdomen; bloated) and I had to visit the ER of OsMak yet again.
Fortunately, a former highschool classmate (Dr. John David Commandante) was on-duty and took really good care of me. (Hi JD, thanks again!) He gave me the usual medications given to me when I've had trips to the ER before due to hyperacidity. A few hours after, the pain has not subsided thoroughly and he suggested an ultrasound on my abdomen. Come to think of it, he was the only one who suggested to do such in all my trips to the ER. I dunno if it was because the pain did not subside or maybe he just wanted go be thorough as we were friends and did not want anything bad to happen to me.
Well, lo and behold, I had three huge stones in my gall bladder which caused the excruciating pain! Three huge stones! I was even thinking that all the "hyperacidity attacks" could've well been pain due to the gall stones. Did they misdiagnose me all these times? It wasn't the most important thing to me now, getting cured is.
After being referred to the surgery department for the follow-up, they gave me painkillers. I had a trip or two to the ER after that. I had to undergo lab tests to get clearance for surgery. I did all those but unfortunately, I wasn't able to come back for my check-up due to a lot of reasons (and excuses).
The date for this ultrasound result was September 16.
This was done maybe a day or two after being diagnosed with gallstones.
November 3, 2015
I had to visit the ER again due to pain that would not subside even after drinking painkillers.
A copy of my discharge form from OsMak.
If you're unable to see the fine print even after
clicking on the pic, please click here instead.
November 4, 2015
I had my ultrasound done with the same diagnostic clinis so we can compare the findings. Basically, 2 stones increased and 1 stone decreased in size.
2nd ultrasound for my upper abdomen to compare the sizes of the stones.
November 5, 2015
Follow-up check-up with the OPD-Surgery Dept. I found out that the lab tests had only 1 month validity. The earliest I can undergo surgery was in January as November was fully booked and they do not schedule surgeries in December. My lab tests were scheduled on January, too.
Laboratory request forms to be done on January, 2016.
Tough luck or maybe it was a sign that there's still some hope. Maybe there was an alternative to surgery, my dad reassured me. He told me that maybe God has a different plan for me.
Well, there surely was. Read my other blog posts to follow my journey with gallstones and trying to eliminate them without surgery.
Thanks!
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