Gallstones – Part 1

I have learned to live with my gallstones. The first indication of a problem occurred a number of years ago. The pain did not abate with pain-relief medication so an ultra sound was performed and three large stones discovered. My doctor recommended surgery and I was placed on a waiting list. Over the next year I had more painful episodes; they began as an ache between my shoulder blades until the pain became centralised just under my ribs on the right. These attacks always occurred at night and lasted a number of hours.

The gallbladder is a storage area for bile, which is produced by the liver. Bile is used in the digestion process to break down the fats that we eat. Two different types of stones can form; it is believed that when the bile contains too much cholesterol or bilirubin, or not enough bile salts, or when the gallbladder does not empty when it should, cholesterol stones will form. Pigment stones are another type; the cause of these is not known but they seem to develop in people who have cirrhosis, biliary tract infections, or hereditary blood disorders where too much bilirubin is formed.

When stones are present, they can move over the duct opening, or into the tube itself, blocking the flow of bile. This is what causes the pain. If the opening is blocked for too long, or if the condition is untreated, it can lead to infection and damage to the gallbladder, the liver or the pancreas. If these organs sustain enough damage, they can no longer carry out their intended functions, which are very dangerous and can be fatal.

After more than a year had passed without me being called for surgery, and after I learned more about this condition, I realised that I could control it and asked my doctor what would happen if I didn’t have surgery. He still recommended surgery but did confirm that sometimes keyhole surgery can become major, along with all possible attendant problems. There are other, non-surgical ways that may dissolve the stones, but these sometimes take years to take effect, and some are still in the experimental phase. Natural healers use an olive oil and lemon juice flush to relieve symptoms, and others recommend eating lots of apples or radishes. I have never tried any of these so cannot attest to their validity.

We can live without our gall bladder; the bile is still produced but instead of being stored, it passes directly to the intestines. This causes diarrhoea in about 1% of people. Because I had been so successful at managing

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