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From: Ron
Date: 09/29/00
Time: 21:09:43
Hi Eric,
I can not believe how many people are fooling the doctors by complaining of chest pains that seem suspiciously, to resemble heart problems.
If the pain happens about a half hour after you eat and starts by a gentle pressure in your lower chest that feels like you are in need of a big burp to relieve the pressure, and gradually gets worse until you feel like you want to throw up (similar to the feeling that you get when you have eaten something that caused food poisoning). The only trouble is that you can't seem to force yourself to throw up.
The pain gets worse, and you soon find yourself pacing around in circles holding the tip of your breastbone, cursing out loud to your god to please make the pain stop.
After an hour or so of this you decide to bow at the throne while trying to make yourself gag by sticking your fingers down your throat. This is only partially successful and you have to help by pushing on your abdomen to force something to come up.
The pain is still there and you don't feel much better after all that retching. You finally give up because you are too tired and sore from trying to force regurgitation.
You are now about 2 hours plus into the ordeal and things are not getting better, so you try to lie down and hope that relaxing might help.
Your throat is sore, you feel like your upper abdomen is going to explode, the pain is constant and you really feel like you are going to die. There is a lump in your throat (muscle spasm) and even swallowing water is a chore. It feels like a pro wrestler has you in a bear hug and won't let you breathe because filling your lungs makes it hurt your chest even more.
This is why you are so tired (inability to breathe deeply) and you finally start to feel a little less pain after three hours has passed.
You ask yourself if labor pains are this bad.... WHAT! All this and no baby to show for it? Maybe resting was a good idea after all. You finally doze off because the pain seems to have abated.
CONGRATULATIONS!! You have just had an eight and a half pound GALL BLADDER ATTACK.
Now where are those cigars, you are supposed to hand out?
If this happens more than 3 times in a year, your doctor will suggest having your gallbladder removed. Get an ultrasound of your gallbladder and try to modify your diet to avoid anything that is hard to digest. Fatty fries, batter coated fish, raw veggies pork chops, greasy salami, etc. should all be eaten in small quantities if AT ALL. This will reduce the call for lots of bile to aid in digestion and this may solve the problem to some extent. If you are careful...for good! An aspirin a day can go a long way to help in preventing future attacks, but be careful not to overdo it.
One of the main reasons why gall bladders act up is as a result of a crash diet. The reason that your doc wants to remove the gall bladder is because this constant blocking of the bile flow can cause damage to the pancreas and you don't want that.
Good luck....... Ron