Mike's daughter is ill.....

[BikerGran]

...and we need some help.

Mike's daughter Sam is 38 and has a 6 year old son. Her marriage broke up when Adam was only 1 so she's a lone parent.

She was diagnosed with quite bad gallstones a couple of months ago and 11 days ago she went into hospital to have her gall bladder removed. This used to be a major operation but nowadays its just routine, done with keyhole surgery, only a day in hospital and only 4 days off work. She had her op on the Friday, went home at 5pm, and at 8pm was rushed back into hospital via ambulance with suspected internal bleeding.

It turned out that the real problem is that bile is leaking into her abdominal cavity and they don't seem to be able to find out where from. She's had 2 further procedures and each time they think they've fixed it but then she's ill again and it's still happening. This afternoon she was due to have an Ultrasound scan and a CT scan.

From research we've done on the net we know that bile leaking into the abdomen is almost as devastating as acid leaking into it.

We're terribly worried about Sam, she's an hour away from here so we can't just pop in, the whole thing is complicated by poor relationship between her dad and his ex, so we only know what Sam tells us, nothing the hospital staff tell her mum gets passed on - but thats not the hospitals fault, so we can't really pester them for info they've already given. On top of all that, I daren't really go to the hospital because of the danger of cross-infection, bearing in mind I have holes in my leg that go right thru to the bone, tho I'm much better at finding out stuff than Mike is.

Sam says that she's been told that she has an extra tube that only one in ten thousand people have, and thats whats causing the problem. I can't see tho, if thats the problem, why they can't fix it? And also we haven't been able to find any info about this extra tube even after hours of searching the internet.

So, if anyone on here is a nurse or doctor, or has any contacts that can help, could they please point us in the right direction for info about this complication, as we really want to know whats happening, its been 11 days now and Sam hasn't even begun to recover, in facxt she seems worse all the time and we are now beginning to be really afraid what the outcome will be.

[Gypsy]

no expert but i would have thought they could sew up any extra tubes to the (now non-existant) gall bladder - Bill? might know - doro (and wishing her a speedy recovery)

[manky monkey]

I know heartfelt sympathetic thoughts aren't much use to you right now, but I'm sending 'em anyway.

[BikerGran]

Always appreciated tho MM, thanks.

[Crofty]

I know heartfelt sympathetic thoughts aren't much use to you right now, but I'm sending 'em anyway.
hear hear, I'll get my mum to light a candle at mass.

[Creature]

giver her all our luv

[Blurt]

cant they inject a dye that shows up on scans?

hope all turns out well, my thoughts go out to you

[critch]

best wishes from critch and family

[Mooncat]

I just wanted to say I'm sorry for the anguish you're going through at the moment and I really hope that something can be done soon to help resolve the situation. Best wishes.

[Creature]

were abouts are u - maybe me n parrot can ride over and maybe just help her to forget for a short while

[BikerGran]

Think she got problems enuff Creature! ;)

[Spike]

Wishing her all the best...

[Mrs Reject]

Here we go, it's knowing what to look for. Try "Accessory bile duct" on google:

http://www.medigraphic.com/ingles/i-htms/i-endosco/i-ce2002/i-ce02-2/im-ce022f.htm

Seems like it's a rare event but usually resolves on it's own and as long as there is a drain in place the bile will not cause any lasting damage to her innards. I guess if the gall bladder has been removed the remaining tube will eventually run out of bile!

[BikerGran]

Thanks Mrs R, that's a real help. Pity the main article's in spanish but we prolly wouldn't understand it anyway!

It seems this a case that isn't resolving on its own tho. We'll know more tomorrow, we're both going to the hospital as I'm much better at asking the right questions, and finding the right people to ask - Mike will get too uptight and raise his voice, it doesn't help. I shall cover my leg with a bandage and sprinkle some tea tree oil on it to ward off infection, if there's any natural justice in the world it should be ok, anyway I feel I have to go so I will.

[Mrs Reject]

Thanks Mrs R, that's a real help. Pity the main article's in spanish but we prolly wouldn't understand it anyway!

It seems this a case that isn't resolving on its own tho. We'll know more tomorrow, we're both going to the hospital as I'm much better at asking the right questions, and finding the right people to ask - Mike will get too uptight and raise his voice, it doesn't help. I shall cover my leg with a bandage and sprinkle some tea tree oil on it to ward off infection, if there's any natural justice in the world it should be ok, anyway I feel I have to go so I will.

I have more info, I'm just reading thru some stuff I printed off the university resource library - it's heavy going......back later!!!

[Mrs Reject]

Right.......it is very rare but treated like any other post op leak. Following gall bladder removal, leakage enough to cause really serious complications, is only 0.1 to 0.5% of post op patients.
Can cause: abdominal pain/distension, jaundice, fever, abdominal distension.
Usual course of treatment is investigation by ultrasound or CT scan, this lot were not done until 9 days after surgery.
Most (97%) resolved on their own as long as they had drains in. Only one patient in these studies needed to be opened up to find the leak, the others were discovered on CT or U/S and a stent put in to drain the bile away from the abdomen. Naso-gastric tube is sometimes put in.
It's often not possible to do anything straight away because of swelling etc from the original op which can hide the remaining stump or duct and they have to let a certain amount of healing go on first before going back in with the endoscopy while keeping them going with IV fluids, antibiotics, naso-gastric tubes and so on which is probably the explanation for the delay but who knows with the NHS!!!
I remember seeing this type of leakage before and the patient did look dreadful but pulled through even though recovery took a long time, he was extremely yellow as well.
Hopefully once the U/S has been done they will be able to find the problem, if not it really has to be a CT scan and quick!
This page is quite handy too, general info about leaks post surgery:

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=leakage+post+cholecystectomy&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

[BikerGran]

Wow, thats fantastic, thanks Mrs R!

That much info is really useful, I can talk to them properly now and they can't blind me with science!

They put a stent in a few days ago but it hasn't done the job, no idea whether thats incompetence or further complications, the ultrasound and CT scan was today so we'll ask about that tomorrow.

I'm really really grateful, you're a star!

[Borg]

Ahh fuck I'm up for the key hole Op soon to remove the stones :( not nice to read I really hope she pulls through. Please let me know I feel a sort of empathy with her now.

[Freak]

Lets hope she's the right side of being poorly now and gets well real soon. :)
(Mrs R should start a premium rate helpline, free to forum members obviously)

[TaxiDave]

(Mrs R should start a premium rate helpline, free to forum members obviously)

I'd love Mrs R to be at the end of a premium rate line. :D

Best wishes to Sam though, and BG and Mike and all concerned.

[Mad Liz]

I hope she starts to mend soon, BikerGran.

All the best.

Liz

[Santa]

Healing thoughts headed your way BG. Hope the news is all good :D .

[BikerGran]

Ahh fuck I'm up for the key hole Op soon to remove the stones :( not nice to read I really hope she pulls through. Please let me know I feel a sort of empathy with her now.

Sorry Borg if I've worried you - but please bear in mind that apparently only one in 10,000 people have the extra tube thats caused all the trouble!

Mike's going off to see Sam in a minute, I'll let you know how she is later and thanks for all the good wishes, we'll pass them on!

[Borg]

Bound to be me then, if anything can go wrong it will with me :(

[krammer]

no consolation i know, but will you pass on a get well soon message to sam from me (mark) and yvonne. i'm sure thing's will get better very soon for her and she can go back to leading a normal life.

[Shep]

Best wishes to you all, BG.
Not much help, I know, but I really hope it all comes out right.


Same to you, Borg, let us know how you get on, dude.

[BikerGran]

Sam was a little better today when Mike saw her - she's very weak and can't eat much, feeling sick all the time, but she's on strong antibiotics. We're a bit happier about her now we understand a bit more whats happening (thanks to Mrs R!) .
They think the leaking has stopped now and they just need to make sure that all the stuff that got where it shouldn't gets drained away. She must look like a skeleton by now - she's always thin rather than slim, then she lost weight before the op cos she was on a NO fat diet, now she will have lost more with 11 days not eating, it will take a while to build her up again.

I sent a note with Mike, telling her of the good wishes of all the peeps on the forums, apparently she was a amazed! And thanks you all!

[manky monkey]

Invite her to come & say Hello when she's all fixed up again. :)

[Borg]

How is she now ?

[Jay]

Best wishes to Sam, hope you're holding up there too BG ;)