Yesterday I went to an appointment for an abdominal ultrasound. This wasn’t a baby-related ultrasound, though. When I was at the hospital last week, having some pain checked out (the pain that the doctor said was probably either a virus or food poisoning), I was told to have a follow-up ultrasound to rule out gall stones.
When the ultrasound was finished, the technician said she was going to ask the radiologist if he wanted to have a look at my pictures. I thought that seemed a little unusual, but sat with Graham and waited. When she came to find me she said, “The radiologist said there’s some inflamation of your gall bladder there, so you should go over to emergency so a doctor can talk to you about the findings.”
Off to the emergency department we went. Two hours later a doctor finally came to tell me that I have gall stones. Fun. Sometimes in pregnancy the hormonal and diet changes and slow-down in the digestive system can cause them to form. Then there are flare-ups, the kind that had me heading to the hospital twice last week because I knew something just wasn’t right. I had a lot of discomfort and swelling under the right side of my rib cage. I couldn’t get comfortable in bed and didn’t sleep through the night.
The last couple of days things have settled down. The good news with gall stones is that I can prevent another inflammation by watching what I eat. No fast food, no pizza, no chips… I don’t have to eliminate fat entirely from my diet, but should eat some fats in moderation, watching my portions and recording any foods that cause real intense discomfort. Maybe after the baby is born I’ll have my gall bladder removed, but for now at least I can take better charge of what I’m eating.
You know, I was really looking forward to that stage in pregnancy when I could kick back with a bag of Doritos, but it doesn’t look like that will be happening anytime soon. This is what happens when you escape morning sickness, isn’t it?
Not to be one of those people but be very, very careful with this. Seriously, monitor and watch- I have had two friends (one pregnant) who had their gall bladders get out of control very quickly. Don’t hesitate to go back to the Dr. or hospital at an increase in symptoms because getting your gall bladder out while you are pregnant is far from ideal.
I don’t want to make you panic, seriously. I work for a medical system (albeit in an non-medical role) but I am just asking you to be very careful.
Good luck lady!
Well no chips might mean your ass will be smaller than mine was when I was pregnant
crap. the eat-what-you-want buffet of pregnancy is now over for you, i guess. oh well. there are worse things than gallstones, right? still. boo.
Blerg. I’m sorry.
One of my friends had to have her gallbladder removed in her second trimester…and it was all fine. So, if worst comes to worst, the outcome can still come out fine in the end.
My friend was pregnant last year. She was miserable because they told her no caffeine, so no dark sodas, and no diet sodas for the aspartame – not sure what it does to the baby, etc. She was craving sodas like nothing else in her life.
She said she lost 8 pounds in about a month just doing that. We all teased her about not gaining weight for the baby, but she is one who is overweight and tried for years to diet. She said if she had known how easy it was to lose those 8 pounds she would have cut out soda years ago – then she had her husband bring her a regular soda immediately after she delivered. I guess the weight loss wasn’t so important after all.
Ha! I went to the Dr. because I THOUGHT I HAD gallstones and I turned out to be pregnant!
One of the women in my prenatal class was diagnosed with gallstones – she was quite uncomfortable. I’d go with what Baltimoregal said – don’t hesitate to go to the hospital/doctor if it gets worse.