Hi,
I use to be a regular customer around these parts. It's been so long I barely remembered my username and password. Diagnosed with OCD + panic disorder w/agoraphobia about 6 years ago. Finally was able to regain control of my life. I completed my BSc degree, I've been working full time, commuting 1hr each way for work and I'm about to start my masters. However, the past two weeks I've felt myself slipping back into old habits. I've suffered from IBS-D for as long as I can remember, however the issues I'm having with my stomach right now feel "different" and they're sending me into a tailspin.
Nearly three weeks ago I ate some greasy, fried food from a food truck and afterwards I got a stomach ache. I didn't think much of it at the time, I've had a lot of stomach aches in my life. It was a Friday so I went home and enjoyed my weekend (and indulged in some more very bad for me food - ice cream, hotdogs, the works!) Monday morning I go to work and I get this horrendous stabbing pain high in my stomach, just below my diaphragm. I went to the washroom and I noticed my urine was kind of oily. For whatever reason I went into full blown panic mode. I began furiously googling my symptoms and I came up with ketosis and diabetes. I was hysterical. Then I became so fixated that it was my gallbladder. My mom had emergency surgery about 3 years ago where her gallbladder almost ruptured and it was a very traumatic experience. I became convinced - its my gallbladder and I'm going to die. My co-workers and friends talked me down and the pain lessened, but didn't disappear completely.
The next day, I returned to work and things were ok - until I used the washroom. I noticed my stool was yellow-ish! This confirmed it, it was obviously my gallbladder and I was obviously dying. The pain returned, the anxiety worsened. This has now been going on for two weeks. A pain high up in my stomach, sometimes on the right side, sometimes the left. Sometimes burning, sometimes stabbing. Intense pressure which makes it hard to breathe. The pressure was so bad durning dinner tonight I had to stop eating and I almost burst into tears. Lots of burping and heart burn and indigestion. Lower back pain (a very common IBS symptom for me.)
I'm trying to be rational - I just finished two major courses of antibiotics. I'm also about to get my period which makes my stomach symptoms much worse. My symptoms are also less (almost non-existent) when I'm at home on the weekends. However I just can't shake that it's my gallbladder and I'm going to have to have surgery. I don't know what to do - I feel like I'm losing control of my life again. I'm not even sure why I've turned to this board again - I'm not sure what I'm looking for. For those of you who have had gallstones - did you experience any similar symptoms? For those with IBS-D have you suffered from any of these symptoms? It's getting to the point where I'm afraid to go to the washroom at work.
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