Emmas story

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At 4 years old i was diagnosed with a gall stone. This was very rare I was also born jaundiced. Over my childhood i was constantly on antibiotics.  Surgeons wanted to remove my gallbladder at 6 years old but my mother decided not too. I am wheat and dairy intolerant also. 

At the age of 11 i was perscibed antidepressants as I was in pain and doctors couldnt figure out what was wrong so it must be in my head. My mother refused this . We went to see a chinse acupuncture doctor and I was treated for liver stagnation. I was great until  at 23 years old I opted to remove my gall bladder as I didnt want it to get infected ... even though Id only had occasional pain with a bad diet e.g. pizza .

This changed my life ...the single biggest regret of my life. From the surgery i was in constant pain constant diaroeah.  I went back to the surgeon he said its normal.

It got progressively worse,  i cut out gluten and dairy I was no longer having diaroeah which was great.

I was at a friends party drinking alcohol when a sudden pain came on i couldnt move or speak I went in the ambulance to hospital  they gave me morphine.  I was referred to a specialist but the Dhb lost it multiple times. 

I stopped drinking alchol after i found it triggered severe abdominal pain... the doctors had no explanation i was treated as an alcoholic. 

It was managed by this for a while. Then I started to get attacks again. I could mostly trace it back to gluten or stress . Then caffine and sugar triggered it. I ended up in hospital multiple times each time drs not knowing what was going on. 

I asked the surgeon if i had SOD  and he said no .

I got pregnant and had a flare up and went jaundiced. I then paid to see a specialist myself. While waiting to see him I misscarried... I was taking herbs to support the liver that can cause uterine bleeding.  After seeing him he was sure I did have SOD.  so he sent me for a test and it came back as type 1. 

He said i could have also had this from a young age and that the pain was never actually the gallbladder. 

He wanted to cut the spincter. I have not had surgery.

I am able to control it with diet.  I work shift work full time and if i get an attack I take GTN spray and colofac. I  have nearly been 11 months without an attack that has put me in hospital.

I still get niggling but im managing it