Originally Posted by fatbrit

Obviously someone who hasn't experienced the pain.

Originally Posted by Ozzidoc

He didn't have a hot gallbladder requiring early cholecystectomy. He did not require emergency surgery.

He had a gall bladder - and a "health status" (for want of a better term which eludes my brain right now) which was/is amenable to late cholecystectomy.

For the record, just this week in our bimonthly departmental meeting we looked at the pros and cons of early (within 48 hrs to within 1 week) versus late (anytime after 48 hrs to after 1 week) cholecystectomy...the jury is still out.

Yesterday I discharged a bloke who came in with a hot GB a few days early. Settled with conservative Rx. (Many, many do) He MAY have a lap chole down the track - but his recent silent MI, and an ITU stay for airway disease means that he has a huge anaesthetic risk. He is NOT an early candidate for cholecystectomy.....he might not even be a candidate for the procedure at all.

Partystar (hello!!!!!) didn't mention the risk of converting the procedure to an open one, and any extra associated costs.

Originally Posted by fatbrit

(I was squirming around on the floor in agony)

Originally Posted by SecretGarden

I had the same experience 15 years ago (in the US)....I had had my first child ten weeks earlier with no pain meds and the pain from the gallbladder was so much worse. I was rocking on the bathroom floor wishing I was dead. My husband at the time called to speak to the doctor on call who was Indian. I remember her saying, "are you womitting?" ---it was like a sitcom with me saying, "I don't know what womitting is!" and her saying, "you know, womitting!" I was crying with the pain and we just kept going back and forth like that for what seemed like an eternity. Finally she said, "you know, throwing up!" Oh. The ironic part of that was that I'm a speech therapist.

Went to the emergency room that night and found out I had a stone caught in the bile duct. By that time I was starting to turn yellow, so out it came. Felt lots better after that.

~SecretGarden

Originally Posted by Partystar

That's an even bigger operation, did you have a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy with an operative cholangiogram?

Originally Posted by Partystar

That's an even bigger operation, did you have a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy with an operative cholangiogram?

Originally Posted by fatbrit

When the pain is at that level, your only words are take the fooker out!

Originally Posted by SecretGarden

I know the surgery was done laparoscopically, but the other term you used doesn't ring a bell......with the stress of having the new baby at home and being in so much pain I probably wasn't paying attention as closely as I should have been.

~SG

Originally Posted by fatbrit

When the pain is at that level, your only words are take the fooker out!

Originally Posted by SecretGarden

I know the surgery was done laparoscopically, but the other term you used doesn't ring a bell......with the stress of having the new baby at home and being in so much pain I probably wasn't paying attention as closely as I should have been.

~SG

Originally Posted by Partystar

Did you live in England legally or were you on holiday?

That should be your answer as to whether you were eligible.

I really thought you understood the NHS & how it worked, obviously I was wrong.

Originally Posted by AmerLisa

I was not a permanent resident PS. I know as much about the NHS as I suppose anyone else, certainly nothing at the beginning. There was no questions asked as to me seeing a doctor. Of course I wasn't asking them to do a major surgery, far from it.