M.H. had to have his gallbladder removed a couple of years ago, so anytime I say my stomach hurts, he immediately assumes it's my gallbladder. After breakfast this morning, I had a dull but persistent pain, similar to what I've been attributing to eating dairy, but without actually having eaten any dairy.
Him: It's your gallbladder.
Me: But it has to do with something I ate.
Him: Eating is what triggers the pain.
Me: But it's really minor.
Him: That's how it started for me, too.
Me: But it hurts way up here.
Him: That's where your gallbladder is.
So maybe I've been having gallbladder pain. It certainly runs in my family. After accepting this possibility, my first plan of action was to decide to knock off the dairy. My second was to go to Dr. Google and hunt for natural ways to deal with gallstones. I came up with vinegar, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, magnesium, and peppermint tea. So I went downstairs and had vinegar, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, magnesium, and peppermint tea, and now I feel much better. Yay!
Controlled experimentation is nice and all, but when you're in pain you sometimes have to just throw everything you've got at the problem.
I hope your plan works! Let's inventory this on your paternal side: 2 aunts (with a third aunt that has said she had a "pain" and a change in her eating prevented more and therefore avoided surgery) , 1 parent, 1 great-grandfather...yep, keep eating "right" and avoid the surgery. (I thought I was having a heart attack because the pain was so high, but the dictionary - pre-internet - told me that the gall bladder was a probability. BTW, I never had gall stones - neither did your great-grandfather, our gall bladders "died".
ReplyDeleteBleck., I need to know more about this, because I share the same (wonderful in many ways) family history.
ReplyDeleteJust eat real food and stay skinny (because losing a lot of weight rapidly can be a factor, which is why probably everyone ended up having surgery shortly after their 20th high school reunions). The only other thing I can tell you is that my own gallbladder doesn't seem to enjoy cheese as much as I do.
DeleteI have a girlfriend that can no longer eat onions because it sets off a gallbladder attack. Julie is right, eating healthy is a critical key.
ReplyDelete