Anyone know why it hurts?

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lydaugherty
lydaugherty Posts: 69
in Health and Weight Loss
Well, After I eat something nasty (and by nasty, I mean extremely unhealthy for you.. like pizza or fast food, cakes or snacks) my right side under my rib cage hurts.

It's right at the bottom of my right rib cage, it's very tender to the touch. Depending on what and how much I ate, it varies from slightly uncomfortable, to hurting when I take a deep breath or even when laying down or moving in a certain way.

I don't know if it's the liver, pancreas, gallbladder... and I don't know of anything that would cause this pain so I'm wondering if there are some things you can tell me, so I can google it.

I know, I know, you're going to say "go to the Dr." but I don't have insurance so I can't go :)
(And no, the ER won't treat me for a non life or death situation because I don't have insurance.. i've been rejected before, hehe)


(And yes, it goes away after eating healthy again)

Replies

  • justahorsen
    justahorsen Posts: 234
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    if it is "fat content" related it could be your gall bladder!! I had mine removed because it was one big stone....
  • lydaugherty
    lydaugherty Posts: 69
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    if it is "fat content" related it could be your gall bladder!! I had mine removed because it was one big stone....

    What happens if you don't get the stone removed?
  • steventhomas
    steventhomas Posts: 1
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    not getting a gall stone removed,... I'd assume that it just gets worse and worse. as it gets bigger and bigger it could cause infections and other snowballing illnesses.

    Hasn't Obama's health care deal passed yet? ;)
  • Crysta1976
    Crysta1976 Posts: 184 Member
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    I don't know where you are located, but most ER's HAVE to accept you, unless they are completely full or if there is a major trauma that needs their resources.

    I don't have insurance either. It's very difficult!

    It sounds to me like it could be a gall bladder issue. Do you ever get pains behind your right shoulder? I've been having the same issues for about 15 years now and can't get a doctor to do anything about it. Ahhh...western medicine, gotta love it. =)
  • antiadipose
    antiadipose Posts: 447
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    cholesterol stones, gall stones..... or gall spasms. u need to see ur doctor and stay away from fatty foods, red meat, cheese... etc until ur doctor sees u.
  • tralalara
    tralalara Posts: 149
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    Ha, good one about Obama care!

    But seriously, gallstones are very painful and if they are many small b.b. sized stones (like mine was) they can actually be squeezed out into the bile duct and cause a blockage which can damage your liver. Watch for any signs of jaundice. Yellow tint to skin, eyes or even very dark urine. You need to get it fixed. First try avoiding fatty foods like cheese and ice cream. You can't completely cut fat out of your diet though as you need it to absorb and process your nutrients.
    It was the most painful time of my life when I had mine. Thankfully, they have a much easier surgery for it now. People recover very quickly now.
  • judithsimons
    judithsimons Posts: 19
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    if you don't have ins. go thru emergency room, but you probably need to wait until it gets bad enough to do surgery and trust me it will. Lower your fat intake, but after awhile it will get triggered on any amount of fat. I suffered through about 3 years with it. eventually went to er and was in surgery in matter of minutes. I didn't have any ins either. Hang in there.
  • chacker
    chacker Posts: 2 Member
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    Sounds like Gall stones. The Gall bladder is responsible for storing bile that your body uses to break down fat. If you regularly eat fatty foods then over time stones can collect in the gall bladder. The pain is caused by stones migrating and getting trapped. Often this will feel like indigestion but can be very painful (I speak from experience!). If it is gall stones, they can be picked up on an ultrasound. If left untreated, as you say, the stones can get bigger and could get lodged. Apart from being extremely painful, it can be very dangerous.

    I had my gall bladder removed 3 years ago. It used to be quite a major operation but can usually now be done by keyhole surgey. You can be in and out the same day. The operation can cause a bit of muscle tearing which is a bit painful but after about a week I was absolutely fine. A lot of people say that after having their gall bladder removed, they are unable to digest any fatty foods such as pizza or curry. From my own personal experience I have not had any problems.

    HTH.

    C
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
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    Sometimes with gallbladder issues, yes, it'll be post-fatty meal and you'll feel super full. Stones can pass themselves depending on size. But if you are getting pain due to a stone, from my understanding, the stone would be too big for it to pass on its own, hence the discomfort. There can be a number of symptoms associated with it. My stepdad had his removed a number of years ago and his main symptom was being rediculously full feeling after a fatty meal. But you meantioned cake and such as well which is more sugar than fat, so perhaps it's not really your gallbladder. Yet at 87, why worry? ;) hehe

    I'm wondering if it might be with the salt content and you getting a cramp.

    However, if you look around on here, after you get used to eating healthy, your body gets mad when you eat unhealthy. Here's an example for me, I did a quick lunch of chinese yesterday (big mistake!) and 20 minutes later I was lethargic and felt like poo. Your body is probably just reminding you that it prefers healthy, like mine did. :)
  • lydaugherty
    lydaugherty Posts: 69
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    Thank you everybody for your responses. I will look more into gallbladder issues
    I don't know where you are located, but most ER's HAVE to accept you, unless they are completely full or if there is a major trauma that needs their resources.

    Yes, they accept you, but they don't HAVE to TREAT you

    MEN: DO NOT CONTINUE READING :):)

    I had vaginal bleeding from January 1st to April 1st. Heavy bleeding, changing a pad every hour, LARGE clots (as big as my palm) and one day I had an appointment, I put a tampon in because I dont like going anywhere with pads lol. Well after that tampon was in, I didnt even make it down the stairs, It was dripping down my leg and would not stop.. at all. It just kept dripping down my leg. I went to the ER, and they took me in and diagnosed me, but could not treat me because I did not have insurance. And that IS what they told me. They HAVE to take you in, diagnosed you, but do not have to treat you. Maybe it's where I live. (West Virginia)
    lol


    I eventually didn't pay my cellphone bill and rent and spent $800 going to planned parenthood (and no, they do not offer services for free or based-on-income ... at all, I asked.) I got a bunch of tests done, they didn't know what was wrong, but gave me something for a thyroid problem? And honestly, it was only after taking that when my pain started. I had pain the entire week I was taking those pills. But then I started birth control pills to keep me regular, and alls fine and dandy unless I eat something bad.
  • lydaugherty
    lydaugherty Posts: 69
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    cholesterol stones, gall stones..... or gall spasms. u need to see ur doctor and stay away from fatty foods, red meat, cheese... etc until ur doctor sees u.

    Red meat eh? Funny, yesterday I ate well, but I did have a steak last night for dinner. And I am hurting this morning (which motivated this post)
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
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    Thank you everybody for your responses. I will look more into gallbladder issues
    I don't know where you are located, but most ER's HAVE to accept you, unless they are completely full or if there is a major trauma that needs their resources.

    Yes, they accept you, but they don't HAVE to TREAT you

    MEN: DO NOT CONTINUE READING :):)

    I had vaginal bleeding from January 1st to April 1st. Heavy bleeding, changing a pad every hour, LARGE clots (as big as my palm) and one day I had an appointment, I put a tampon in because I dont like going anywhere with pads lol. Well after that tampon was in, I didnt even make it down the stairs, It was dripping down my leg and would not stop.. at all. It just kept dripping down my leg. I went to the ER, and they took me in and diagnosed me, but could not treat me because I did not have insurance. And that IS what they told me. They HAVE to take you in, diagnosed you, but do not have to treat you. Maybe it's where I live. (West Virginia)
    lol


    I eventually didn't pay my cellphone bill and rent and spent $800 going to planned parenthood (and no, they do not offer services for free or based-on-income ... at all, I asked.) I got a bunch of tests done, they didn't know what was wrong, but gave me something for a thyroid problem? And honestly, it was only after taking that when my pain started. I had pain the entire week I was taking those pills. But then I started birth control pills to keep me regular, and alls fine and dandy unless I eat something bad.

    Something isn't right there! The place I work has lost tons of money ($228million in uncompensated care) because of dealing with patients that don't have healthcare and other reasons. When you go into healthcare, you vow to help, not shun. We haven't closed our doors.

    Find a different place to go to. People come here from all over to get care. It's a pain, but you need to take care of yourself. If you aren't getting what you need at your local hospital, go elsewhere. There ARE places that WILL treat you!
  • lydaugherty
    lydaugherty Posts: 69
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    So much easier said than done, I live in a small town. All four places I've inquired cost money, and don't offer assistance or payment plans. The dentist offers payment plans, though!!! Haha.

    When living in Minnesota, I did get services at planned parenthood for free, same in Los Angeles. But ours does not offer free or low-income services. So I assume the same thing goes with the ER. Our ER lobby here is almost always empty, and if there are people, they have babies or are moaning in pain. When I lived in Los Angeles, the ER lobby was full all the way outside full of people just waiting. So it must be where I live.
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
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    I agree with everyone else about the gallbladder thing. Is the hospital in your town a private or public hospital? If you are in that much pain, please find a public hospital and go!!!

    Public hospitals can not refuse to treat you and if they do, file a complaint against them so it will affect their grants that the government gives them to help operate and treat people that do not have insurance.
  • lydaugherty
    lydaugherty Posts: 69
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    Is the hospital in your town a private or public hospital?

    The main hospital is public, non-profit. The other smaller one is a religious private hospital.



    Hey... Taking donations. LOL kidding




    Public hospitals can not refuse to treat you

    They can, and have. They said that it would cost $XX and they can go ahead and get an ultrasound and all that, but not having money, they couldn't continue to treat. And this is when I was bleeding, non stop. lol
  • TropicalKitty
    TropicalKitty Posts: 2,298 Member
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    So much easier said than done, I live in a small town. All four places I've inquired cost money, and don't offer assistance or payment plans. The dentist offers payment plans, though!!! Haha.

    When living in Minnesota, I did get services at planned parenthood for free, same in Los Angeles. But ours does not offer free or low-income services. So I assume the same thing goes with the ER. Our ER lobby here is almost always empty, and if there are people, they have babies or are moaning in pain. When I lived in Los Angeles, the ER lobby was full all the way outside full of people just waiting. So it must be where I live.

    I know it's difficult. But your health seriously matters. And really, we have people drive here from hours away from very rural areas. I guess it just depends on how much you care to go after it. Just know service does exist for you. I really don't like reading that you're in the predicament you're in. :flowerforyou:
  • lydaugherty
    lydaugherty Posts: 69
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    I suppose I could drive to Ohio lol. It would be hard to fit in though, I have no family here, and two children, and husband can't call off work. I don't have a license.

    Wow, life is crazy!

    You know what I just remembered? I will be getting student insurance next year, maybe (hoping?) that it would cover some of the costs getting this looked into. Not sure, but it would be nice, hheh
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Do ypu qualify for medicaid? That's public low-income insurance, but there are lots of hoops to jump through to get it and keep it.
  • lydaugherty
    lydaugherty Posts: 69
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    Do ypu qualify for medicaid? That's public low-income insurance, but there are lots of hoops to jump through to get it and keep it.

    My husband and I do not, but my two children do, and have it.

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