I've had numerous digestive issues and many tests over the years. The most comprehensive was a 'pill cam' - don't remember the technical name for it. Anyway, it takes a LOT of pictures as it works it way through your entire digestive tract, and can see parts that aren't visible on either an endoscopy or colonoscopy. Also, has she been checked for the disease with the gluten sensitivity? It goes by several different names. That's a simple blood test.

Good luck.

hmmmmm....I know they ran a tube down & up ...but I don't think it was the bile duct???? May have to check into that? Thanks for the tip!

ThomasJ - glad to hear your surgery went so well. I just returned from the hospital to determine the cause of my chest pain this weekend and, you guessed it, it's my gall bladder. I am scheduled to fly out Sunday for Las Vegas (ACAMS) and then to Denver for vacation. I hope I can postpone destiny until later this month. Girl has GOT to have her vacation!

I know one thing for certain--no more taco salads for me!!!

I had an ultrasound this morning, and it is, in fact my gallbladder. I have several small stones & it's inflamed. Not sure when I'll have it out, but hopefully I'll be gallbladderless soon!

Ops...glad to hear you have found the source of your problem! Hope to hear you are doing much better really soon! Blessings to you!

Ops, thank goodness you found the source of your problems! Life without a gallbladder isn't so bad, and I truly hope you'll soon be feeling much better!

I'm having my surgery Monday. It helps that my Mom is an OR RN who works with the general surgeon on a weekly basis!

If you want to try to avoid surgery, please PM me. The doc said last June my only option was surgery, but I found another, non-invasive way to get rid of the pain and start to heal myself.

In addition, my blood tests didn't show celiac or gluten intolerance but I've found that's my exact problem through trial & error (I ate something questionable today and suffered for it). Please, if you want another alternative before invasive surgery (or even in addition to), contact me and I'll share my story. Also, please see my post in the couch under Celiac/Wheat or Gluten Allergies. Best wishes for health for all of you!

FYI, I had my surgery and I'm recooping just fine. It's nice to not have constant nausea. It turns out I didn't only have gallstones. My gallbladder was diseased and eventually would have had to come out. The surgeon said it was a gray, creamy color instead of the baby blue color it should have had. It had a lot of scar tissue from getting infected & then healing itself. I'm very, very glad I opted to have it out.

Thanks for the prayers, y'all!

Best of luck to you Ops!

If you find yourself continuing to have issues after your recovery from surgery, pm me and we'll discuss. Yes, I'm on a crusade. . .

Ops, glad to hear that it all went well and you are on your way to full health!

ops...glad to hear you are better! this is the exact same thing my mother AND young daughter had....praying for things to be much more improved in the days ahead! Will be thinking about you.

Glad to hear you're better! Will you be able to make the Compliance Conference in Macon?

Beth, so glad to hear it's over and you are on the way to a complete recovery!

Beth, I'm so pleased to hear your ordeal is over and you're doing well! May God bless you as you heal.

glad to hear you recovery is going well! My doctor told me that healthy a gall bladder does not produce stones that it is diseased and should be removed. Glad you are feeling better!

Glad to hear you are doing well Ops.

You may have some adjustments to make regarding your digestive tract and some foods you eat, but you should be FAR better off since you had it out.

Thanks, y'all!

(Nope, won't be going to the compliance conference).

Glad to hear you're on the way to being all better, Ops!!!

I had mine removed almost 10 years ago because it was not functioning. My attacks were similar to everyone elses but I was one of the lucky 5% of those with non functioning to continue having attacks. There are a number of tests that should be done before the tube down to see the bile duct. I have had both CT's and MRI's to determine the size of the duct and if there is anything lodged there.

Kaytee, if your daughter is having pain in the stomach area, I found out that when the bile enters the intestine, mine goes backward into the stomach. Because bile is caustic I take a medicine called ursodial that stops the production of my bile and gives me a synthetic bile. That has made most of my stomach pain go away. I also take 2 Nexium a day for GERD. They found the bile in the stomach through an endoscopy.

Good luck

Thanks KAT!!!! That is very interesting! I will for certain look into that!!! Maybe she needs to take something else along with her Nexium as well...very very interesing! Thanks again!

Well folks, I would appreciate your prayers this Friday Morning around 7:00 eastern. I will be having my gallbladder removed. Spent 4 hours in ER Sat nite/Sun morning with a gallbaldder attack and spent yesterday having more tests run and speaking with the surgeon. He says it has to come out this week. He tells me its full of gall stones and inflamed. He's given me antibiotics to try to get the inflamation down. This seems to be going around. Hope I lose some weight from this - can't have ANYTHING with fat/protein in it this week.

Best of luck, Walden. DO you think this was caused by stress from Red Flags?

Best wishes - I hope things go smoothly and you're feeling better soon!

Best of luck.
You now join Natalie in the no-gallbladder-club.
Good luck to you

Your doc should be able to tell you about all the diet restrictions that you'll have going forward. High fatty foods will RUN right through you...

I'm sure you know this but bile helps to digest high fatty foods. The galbladder stores excess bile and when we eat that fried chicken the excess bile is dumped into the stream to help me process it. No galbladder = no excess bile = rough going if you eat greasy foods.

My g-pa just had his out. No one explained all this to him, at least not at this level. I even showed him the drawing my daughter's doctors gave me

You make take ursidol (also known as actigall) post op. Natalie has taken this for the last 4.5 years now. It does not create synthetic bile as was stated above, but rather thins out the bile in an attempt to slop blockages or sluge (stones).

Natalie - even without a galbladder - still continues to have stones - this is what causes the blockages in her ducts and remains on ursidol (actigall) for the rest of her life. Now her's is a special circumstance (post-liver transplant and all...) and was due to damage in her duct system in her liver...

Take care of you and know that prayers are being said.
If you ever need any dietary advice I know an adorable 5 year old that can tell you all out it