Liver/gallbladder/pancreatic cancer?

[pirossapkaskukta]

Hi! After 3 months of HA vacation I am here again 😞 A week ago a dull pain started in my upper right abdomen, just below my ribs, mildly irritating but not very bad. A few days later here I am, the pain much worse (dull, constant, worse when sitting, better when lying), radiating to right flank and back. No other symptoms, no weight changes etc. I don’t want to catastrophise or jump into conclusions but you know how HA is... I am 39, I keep a mediterran diet (that also means some moderate red wine, beside the vegetables and olive oil). I had blood tests in October, but abdominal us only in 2019 😞 Very scared of 1. cancer 2. life-threatening acute disease.

[panic_down_under]

Most likely gallstones. There are medications which can dissolve them, but they take months, sometimes years to do so and if you're in pain keyhole surgery to remove them is probably going to be necessary. It's a fairly simply procedure. Talk to your GP asap.

[pirossapkaskukta]

Most likely gallstones. There are medications which can dissolve them, but they take months, sometimes years to do so and if you're in pain keyhole surgery to remove them is probably going to be necessary. It's a fairly simply procedure. Talk to your GP asap.

Thank you! Unfortunately gallstones are unlikely since I had US in Oct 2019, and there was no gallstones. As I understand, a gallstone grows 1-2 mm yearly, and so small stones don’t cause pain. The more I read the more obvious the pancreatic cancer is 😔

[JulieJay92]

apple cyder vinegar helps if it is gall stones (well for me anyway) and i had tests and no cancers as i thought the same, but gallstones are in upper right abdomen (just out of hospital)

[pirossapkaskukta]

apple cyder vinegar helps if it is gall stones (well for me anyway) and i had tests and no cancers as i thought the same, but gallstones are in upper right abdomen (just out of hospital)

Thanks, I will try it, but I am 100% sure it is not gallstones since I had ab. US 1.5 years ago and even if I developed gallstones since then, they couldn’t grow so large they could hurt. Cancer is the only thing which can grow invisibly and very quick 😕

[Fishmanpa]

Cancer is the only thing which can grow invisibly and very quick 

Based on my experience on the forum, the fact you're posting here as opposed to seeing a doctor as well as the track record of posters realizing their fears, I would say it's not cancer. And as a survivor, I know what cancer acts like. As an observer and member of the forum for many years, I also know how the dragon operates.

While I'm not a proponent of paid reassurance, if you're that concerned, see a doctor.

FMP

[pirossapkaskukta]

Based on my experience on the forum, the fact you're posting here as opposed to seeing a doctor as well as the track record of posters realizing their fears, I would say it's not cancer. And as a survivor, I know what cancer acts like. As an observer and member of the forum for many years, I also know how the dragon operates.

While I'm not a proponent of paid reassurance, if you're that concerned, see a doctor.

FMP

Thank you! Yes, I should visit the doctor (blood tests & abdominal ultrasound), but I am so scared what will they tell me that I procrastinate and suffer :weep: I hate being such a worrier and I hate having such a problematic body.

[pirossapkaskukta]

I scheduled a blood test for tomorrow (results on Wednesday) and an abdominal ultrasound for Thursday. Now I can't stop crying. In a few days I can get the death sentence, and I have two small kids to raise. Honestly: I don't care about my life, the only thing I want to do in my life is to give love to my kids and husband. I don't care about money and career, or nice things, anything. I just want time to raise them, to take care of them, to love them. I am terrified that I have pancreatic or liver cancer and we will have only a few months together.

[AbyssalStars]

Hey, I just wanted to say that you are not alone in your fears. If you look at my one and only thread, you will see a history of my struggles with excruciating burning back pain after I eat. I knew something was up with my biliary tract (gallbladder and/or pancreas), and so I had an ultrasound, HIDA scan, and CT scan with contrast to see what was up, and all came back normal. More recently, when I had another pain attack and I went in, they found that I had elevated lipase and amylase (which means I was experiencing acute pancreatitis). I have an appointment with a GI coming up and I am going to push for an Endoscopic Ultrasound or MRCP since these are much more sensitive and will hopefully catch what is causing my pancreatitis.

Right now, my logical brain is saying it is either microlithalis (very very small gallstones that are being passed through the common bile duct and can't be seen with an ultrasound/HIDA scan/CT) or its gallbladder sludge or biliary dyskinesia/dysfunction. Hopefully, I can get my bile ducts cleaned out and my gallbladder removed and then all will be well.

A less happy prognosis would be extensive damage to the pancreas with no discernable cause (chronic idiopathic pancreatitis), in which case I would be stuck with this pain for the rest of my life (which would suck). Another fear is pancreatic cancer but that is doubtful since the CT scan was normal.

Needless to say, since I am not a zebra, the most likely cause of pancreatitis is issues with the gallbladder (and is thus most likely what is causing my issues).

Try to stay positive! Some gallbladder issues (like microlithalis/biliary dyskinesia) are not something that can be picked up with an ultrasound/CT scan, and sometimes not even with a HIDA. It is possible that your issues are one of those too. With microlithalis, you are constantly passing small stones so they won't ever have time to get big enough to be seen by an ultrasound, and even if they had gotten bigger, ultrasounds can still miss larger stones and/or gallbladder inflammation. I have been browsing a gallbladder subreddit, and have seen numerous posts from people who had their gallbladders removed due to stones and/or inflammation, none of which were seen on any test or scan.

[Me180]

Hello ��

i feel your your pain and am going through similar right now. The lovely AbbysalStars was lovely enough to point out similar above to me.

but I know how scared you are and I admire you for going to the dr as at this point, I’m too scared to. I can’t seemed to get my head around all the small things it could be and go straight to the large.

i hope your appointment goes well which I’m sure it will, and let us know or specifically me,lol, so I can see a positive thread.thinking of you x

[pirossapkaskukta]

Hey, I just wanted to say that you are not alone in your fears. If you look at my one and only thread, you will see a history of my struggles with excruciating burning back pain after I eat. I knew something was up with my biliary tract (gallbladder and/or pancreas), and so I had an ultrasound, HIDA scan, and CT scan with contrast to see what was up, and all came back normal. More recently, when I had another pain attack and I went in, they found that I had elevated lipase and amylase (which means I was experiencing acute pancreatitis). I have an appointment with a GI coming up and I am going to push for an Endoscopic Ultrasound or MRCP since these are much more sensitive and will hopefully catch what is causing my pancreatitis.

Right now, my logical brain is saying it is either microlithalis (very very small gallstones that are being passed through the common bile duct and can't be seen with an ultrasound/HIDA scan/CT) or its gallbladder sludge or biliary dyskinesia/dysfunction. Hopefully, I can get my bile ducts cleaned out and my gallbladder removed and then all will be well.

A less happy prognosis would be extensive damage to the pancreas with no discernable cause (chronic idiopathic pancreatitis), in which case I would be stuck with this pain for the rest of my life (which would suck). Another fear is pancreatic cancer but that is doubtful since the CT scan was normal.

Needless to say, since I am not a zebra, the most likely cause of pancreatitis is issues with the gallbladder (and is thus most likely what is causing my issues).

Try to stay positive! Some gallbladder issues (like microlithalis/biliary dyskinesia) are not something that can be picked up with an ultrasound/CT scan, and sometimes not even with a HIDA. It is possible that your issues are one of those too. With microlithalis, you are constantly passing small stones so they won't ever have time to get big enough to be seen by an ultrasound, and even if they had gotten bigger, ultrasounds can still miss larger stones and/or gallbladder inflammation. I have been browsing a gallbladder subreddit, and have seen numerous posts from people who had their gallbladders removed due to stones and/or inflammation, none of which were seen on any test or scan.

Thank you for your reply! Your symptoms are totally different than mine, but it is reassuring that I am not alone with these thoughts.

[pirossapkaskukta]

Thank you! Blood results came back, everyhing seems OK, but ultrasound tomorrow... I am scared.

[pirossapkaskukta]

Hello 👋

i feel your your pain and am going through similar right now. The lovely AbbysalStars was lovely enough to point out similar above to me.

but I know how scared you are and I admire you for going to the dr as at this point, I’m too scared to. I can’t seemed to get my head around all the small things it could be and go straight to the large.

i hope your appointment goes well which I’m sure it will, and let us know or specifically me,lol, so I can see a positive thread.thinking of you x

Thank you! Blood results came back, everyhing seems OK, but ultrasound tomorrow... I am scared.

[Me180]

Good luck! I’m sure if bloods were good, nothing catastrophic would show up on the ultrasound. Be good to get it all done and see what happens... I just can’t seem to get myself over the line. We have a lot of advertising of these type of stories which send me crazy! So proud of you for facing your fears x