Hello friends! I’m sorry I didn’t get to post last week. I really wanted to, but I had to make an emergency trip to Tennessee to sit with my father in the hospital! He had a bad attack of abdominal pain, weakness, and disorientation. My mom had to call for an ambulance to take him to the emergency room!
All is well now. After some rest and several rounds of intravenous (IV) antibiotics, he is back home resting in his favorite recliner. Though, for a week, it was a bit of a mystery.
Unfortunately, days of blood tests, x-rays, and even a cat scan left doctors still guessing at the problem. He had so much abdominal pain he couldn’t stand up or lay flat. As his daughter, watching this was breaking my heart! His intestines and liver were affected. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) had to be done to show where the culprit was!
Turns out, even though my dad had his gallbladder removed five years ago, it was still possible for him to develop gallstones! I know, right? As a nurse, it was a learning experience for me as well.
Gallstones without a gallbladder?
So, with gallbladder removal, the ducts that connect it to the liver and pancreas remain intact. Therefore, because digestive fluid continues to flow through these passageways, stones can develop.
In dad’s case, two stones formed large enough to block fluid, causing it to back up into the liver, pancreas, and intestines resulting in inflammation. This caused severe pain and allowed the infection to develop.
Stones cause serious problems to the digestive system
The easy way to think of inflammation, it’s like swelling but just a bit more complicated. For example, when you twist your ankle, you experience the basics of inflammation. Your ankle turns red, swells, aches may even bruise, and feels warm to the touch. All those things you experience let you know that an injury has occurred, and your body is quickly responding.
The inflammatory response involves the immune system flooding the area of concern with distinct types of cells, each with its jobs to do!
The procedure to remove gallstones is an ERCP
ERCP (Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)
Like scopes used for colonoscopy, an ERCP uses a specially designed flexible tube with a camera to look at organs inside your body. Dye is injected through the tube into the area to make blockages show up.
It is also possible to perform tasks to remove the blockage during the examination. Light sedation is given for comfort. Also, a lidocaine spray is used to numb the throat to lessen gag reflex. Watch the video below to learn more about it.
Fortunately, my dad was able to pass both stones on his own. This allowed his liver enzyme lab results to return to normal and made a slightly invasive procedure unnecessary. Thank goodness for IV antibiotics. Luckily, dad’s gut inflammation was reduced enough to create “wiggle room” for those stones to move right on out of there!
Know what foods can cause gallstones to form
Moreover, what you eat can help prevent or lead to stone formation. So, it’s important to understand the good and the bad when it comes to diet and gallbladder disease. Fortunately, this list can help.
Irritation causes inflammation – Inflammation causes illness
Just like walking on a sprained ankle can lead to more injury, certain foods can cause further inflammation to an already irritated digestive system. Listening to your own body will give you an advantage in prevention. Learning what triggers irritation and imbalance in your body will help to avoid an increase in illness-causing inflammation.
Now, mom and I just have to keep dad from sneaking all that cheese and fried foods as his midnight snacks! Should be easy, right? Let’s just say …. He LOVES food! So, we have our work cut out for us.
Be your own (and your family members) best advocate for better health!
