Digestive Disorders Community

hello,

I'm a 29 y/o female and have had the exact same symptoms, which started when I got to college. I spent about 6 years or so, in and out of ER's, constantly worrying, having every test known to man, and was also diagnosed with IBS. I know how dibilitating it can be to your lifestyle..my husband just LOVES going places with me, only for me to end up in the bathroom for an hour (if not longer)!! and you really have no control over when and where you get an "attack". I had times where I was sick for days, not eating, in so much pain I could barely move.

However, in 2009, I had an attack that was so painful, and lasted about 2 1/2 days, that I broke down and went back to the ER. (After the many visits in the past, I pretty much know what they will tell me, and it's just NOT worth the money and time and hassle, so I avoided them and docs...no one could fix me) or so I thought...my trip to the ER with a friend that evening seemed standrad, but my friend asked the doc if gallstones could be the issue (she had her gallbladder removed a few years prior)..they were hesitant, but when I mentioned my mother and aunts' histories of gallbladder removal, they decided to run an ultrasound on it...low and behold, it was so full of gall stones, it was about to burst. PACKED!!! Luckily, it wasn't infected, so no emergency surgery, but a week later, it came out at the behest of the ER docs and my gastro.
Since then, I have had a HUGE downturn in IBS symptoms, flare ups, etc. In fact, it's become a much more "routine" event now. While I'm not cured of IBS, I can definitely gauge my BMs and my symptoms, and I'm almost on a routine of sorts...I still have IBS, and I still have really bad days, but I'd say about 90% of the pain, symptoms, side effects, etc are gone, or are manageable. I no longer get woken up at night in pain - before surgery it was a weekly thing - I no longer spend hours in the bathroom...don't get me wrong, I still spend time in there, but I'm no longer in pain for hours on end.
I'm NOT saying to go get your gall bladder checked, nor would I insiunate that it is the problem, but this is my story, and I couldn't help but feel for you, b/c your story is my story in a nutshell. I am not healed, I still take meds for IBS, and post surgery was hell for me...(bile dumping - nuff said). I wish I could make it all go away, but I will take this over my past any day...hopefully they are able to find something that relieves the pain and stress...and BTW - I'm 5'2 and 100lbs, and no babies - so I didn't fit the "typical patient mold" for gall stones (the four Fs)...that's why it took soo many years for someone to even look at it...thank god for my friend and that ER doc...