HEALTH PROBLEMS

STOMACH BLOATING AFTER CHOLECYSTECTOMY

After my cholecystectomy three weeks ago, I still feel bloated sometimes but not as bloated as before when I still have my gall bladder.  I had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy after I was diagnosed with cholelithiases and chronic cholecystitis.  It was difficult for me because my gall bladder was inflamed for too long and it’s what makes me bloated a lot and the pain was intolerable at times because of the gall stones on my gall bladder.

It was easy for me to decide to undergo surgery because I can’t tolerate the pain anymore.  After surgery, I was happy because I no longer feel the intolerable pain on my stomach after eating meals.  I was told to stay away from fatty foods since I no longer have the gallbladder that helps digest fatty foods.  Sometimes when I eat foods that have fats on it, it makes my stomach bloated and uneasy but it was not painful.  So I really try as much as possible to not eat foods that have high fat content on it.

I heard that some people who have undergone laparascopic cholecystectomy have complains about feeling the same pain that they previously felt before they had their gall bladder out and some even have bile leak. I was never informed by my doctor about these possibilities so I read a lot about these problems after surgery.  It’s really best to stay informed specially when there is a possibility that I’ll encounter these problems in the future.  But as far as I’m concerned, I just feel a little bloated sometimes but nothing painful and I’m thankful for that.

AFTER CHOLECYSTECTOMY

I have just undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy due to inflamed gall bladder (result of numerous gall stones). I have suffered recurring stomach pain, bloating and indigestion for years and when I was diagnosed last year, I was a bit worried because my doctor suggested surgery. I’m currently under medication at that time for hyperthyroidism so I refused her suggestion to undergo surgery. After a few months, my thyroid level result became normal so I decided to follow up on my gallbladder problem. I was referred to a surgeon and after seeing my untrasound result, he decided to set the date for my surgery. According to my surgeon he is going to do a laparospic cholecystectomy possible open surgery. It wasn’t 100% laparospic cholecystectomy surgery because there’s a chance that the gallstones wouldn’t fit into their instruments and if it’s the case then they would have to cut me open. However I was fortunate that what they did was the first, laparoscopic-surgery so I din’t have that big scar on me. It was just 4 tiny different holes in my stomach and the pain wasn’t hard to bear. after 3 days I can walk without pain anymore.

My doctor told my that I have to refrain from eating fatty foods and anything oily. The gallbladder is not present anymore so my liver will have difficulty digesting fats. Since writing this post, it was only 10 days after my operation. The surgery was done 10 days ago and trying my best not to eat foods that are high in fats. I don’t eat meat and I don’t eat fried foods.

After my operation, I was only allowed to take sips of water for my medicine but after a day, they allowed me to eat soup and water. After a few days, they allowed me to eat full meals but not too much. I’m in a low fat diet and I’m going to maintain that even it it’s not needed because I want to stay healthy and fit.

After cholecystectomy, I think it would be better if I exercise regularly and eat healthy meals everyday. I’m glad that I don’t feel stomach pain after eating anymore and I don’t feel the pain that I always feel in between my shoulder blades and I don’t feel difficulty breathing so I’m glad I wen’t thru the surgery.

CHOLECYSTECTOMY AFTER

I’ve researched about the problems that may arise after cholecystectomy and these problems includes BILE LEAK, ADEHESION etc. Bile leak is possible after the surgery and this is painful for a patient to handle and needs immediate medical treatment when there is too much bile leaking into the system.  Patients posted their problems after cholecystectomy on ehealthforum.

If you don’t have inflammation, there is an alternative for you to flush out your gallstones. It works for a lot of people but it didn’t work for me because mine is inflamed for years. I will write about it on this blog on my next posts.

HYPOTHYROIDISM DISEASE

WHAT IS HYPERTHYROIDISM?

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone for it to function properly. Thyroid  hormone is responsible to run the body’s metabolism. People who suffer from hypothyroid disease have slow body metabolism.  Women are likely to suffer from hypothyroidism than men.

CAUSES OF HYPOTHYROIDISM
There are two common causes of hypothyroidism. The first is a result of previous (or currently ongoing) inflammation of the thyroid gland, which leaves a large percentage of the cells of the thyroid damaged or dead and incapable of producing sufficient hormone. The most common cause of thyroid gland failure is called autoimmune thyroiditis (also called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), a form of thyroid inflammation caused by the patient’s own immune system.

The second major cause is the broad category of “medical treatments.” The treatment of many thyroid conditions warrants surgical removal of a portion or all of the thyroid gland. If the total mass of thyroid producing cells left within the body are not enough to meet the needs of the body, the patient will develop hypothyroidism. Remember, this is often the goal of the surgery for thyroid cancer.

But at other times, the surgery will be to remove a worrisome nodule, leaving half of the thyroid in the neck undisturbed. Sometimes, this remaining thyroid lobe and isthmus will produce enough hormone to meet the demands of the body. For other patients, however, it may become apparent years later that the remaining thyroid just can’t quite keep up with demand.
Similarly, goiters and some other thyroid conditions can be treated with radioactive iodine therapy. The aim of the radioactive iodine therapy (for benign conditions) is to kill a portion of the thyroid to prevent goiters from growing larger or producing too much hormone (hyperthyroidism).
Occasionally, the result of radioactive iodine treatment will be that too many cells are damaged so the patient often becomes hypothyroid within a year or two. However, this is usually greatly preferred over the original problem.
There are several other rare causes of hypothyroidism, one of them being a completely “normal” thyroid gland that is not making enough hormone because of a problem in the pituitary gland. If the pituitary does not produce enough thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) then the thyroid simply does not have the “signal” to make hormone. So it doesn’t.

SYMPTOMS OF HYPOTHYROIDISM

Dry, rough pale skin
Fatigue
Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido
Hair loss
Cold intolerance
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
see ref:  endocrineweb

MESOTHELIOMA CONDITION

Mesothelioma possibly can grow and stretch in different ways compared to other tumors. Rather than forming a “lump”, mesothelioma tends to point from the pleural lining to press adjacent to the lung or abdominal organs. Moreover it grows along the pleural lining, eventually forming a hard casing around the lung and making it hard for patients to take a deep breath. Mesothelioma normally does not stretch widely to other organs but, considerably, tends to extensively affect the chest and lungs or abdominal cavity before it affect the other distant organs, at late stage of the disease.

If the disease is detected at an early stage, when only limited growth on the pleural lining has occurred (stage I), the lump is considered potentially curable and an attempt can be made to surgically remove the lump. Usually, however, the lump is detected at a later stage when it  involves the pleural lining and has possibly invaded surrounding normal structures. At stages II, III and IV, the cancer significantly impacts the quality of life.

Mesothelioma Symptoms includes difficulty in breathing, chest pain, or both. Occasionally, a patient may not have mesothelioma symptoms at diagnosis. Other less common symptoms include weight loss, fever, night sweats, cough, and a general feeling of not being well. Mesothelioma symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include swelling, pain due to accumulation of fluid in the abdomen cavity, weight loss, and a mass in the abdomen. Other mesothelioma symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever

Mesothelioma clinical trials follow a plan of very strict scientific guidelines, which is called a protocol. The protocol explains everything that will happen in the study. It must be approved by review boards made up of health care professionals and other qualified people before the study can enroll patients.

When a potential mesothelioma drug is first identified, preclinical studies, which are conducted in a laboratory setting, help to find out whether the drug is safe to test in humans. During this stage, the drug is usually studied in animals to answer questions about how a drug works and how the body changes and disposes of it. Humans do not participate in preclinical studies. There are four possible phases of cancer clinical trials in humans, each designed to answer different questions about the treatment being studies.

In Phase I mesothelioma clinical trials, doctors are primarily studying the safety of giving mesothelioma drugs to humans, while also looking for a great way to give a medication. They will  study how the mesothelioma drug is eliminated from the body in humans. Also, doctors are trying to learn the exact doses for additional testing. They carefully watch for any side effects. Phase I study drugs are usually given to small groups of humans. During this phase, for drugs used to treat mesothelioma cancer, investigators may be able to find out which tumors a treatment works best in.

In  Phase II mesothelioma clinical trials, the mesothelioma drug is studies in a larger group. The primary purpose of these studies is to see how well the drug or treatment shrinks tumors in patients with specific types of cancer. The investigator will watch closely for side effects and will also watch how the disease responds to the treatment.

In Phase III mesothelioma clinical trials, the new cancer treatment is generally compared to a standard existing treatment. Patients are usually randomly assigned (that is, a process similar to flipping a coin is used to determine which treatment the patient receives) to receive either a standard treatment or the new treatment. During the trial, patients may or may not be told which treatment they are getting but are told what to expect and what to watch for. Occasionally, even the doctor will not know which treatment each patient is getting so that he or she can remain unbiased about how the disease is responding to the treatment. (This is uncommon in cancer clinical trials). Phase III studies are designed to ensure that any side effects that patients experience are identified treated according to local standards of care.

Phase IV mesothelioma clinical trials study a drug that has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Drug companies often sponsor these trials to study even more uses of drugs already available.

WHAT I FELT WHEN I WAS TOLD I HAD TO UNDERGO SURGERY!

When I was told by my doctor that I had to undergo surgery due to gallbladder problem, I was not shocked or terrified at all.  Maybe because I had already set my mind to thinking that I have a serious illness.  I had been feeling frequent pain in my stomach after meal and it had been for years so this made me think that I have serious problem.  I didn’t seek medical attention for a long time because I was afraid what the doctor would find out after series of tests.

But after years of feeling pain, I couldn’t stand it anymore.  Pain is getting worst and it was becoming more frequent so I gathered all my courage and then I went to the hospital and consulted a doctor.

My ultrasound showed numerous gallstones on my gallbladder and the gallbladder is inflamed (cholecystitis) .  The inflammation is difficult to manage because it caused my upper right stomach to hurt so much and I have difficulty breathing at times.  I felt bloating on my stomach all the time and it hurts a lot when I eat foods which is oily and fatty like french fries, meats, fats, dairy products etc.  I couldnt’ drink cold water and softdrinks so I had to get by with lukewarm water everyday.

I don’t feel terrified of getting a surgery because I know that it will make me feel better.  I wont’ be feeling this pain after I’m done with surgery so I’m really looking forward to it.  This is what I constantly tell myself so that I won’t panic when my schedule arrive.  It will be after 25 days from today and it’s not yet finalized because I had to undergo first thyroid hormone testing to see if i’m no longer hyperthyroid because I had been hyperthyroid for I think more than two years now and I just had normal results recently.

I have thyroid problem and gallbladder problem before the age of 30!  This is hard for me but I have to accept it and I know that I can get over it and I believe that I can live a normal life after this with Gods help and family.  I just hope that anyone who is facing the same situation as me would feel the same way.

WHAT YOU FEEL WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED

What actually happens when you are stressed? Your body goes into “flight or fight” mode. Without getting into complexityl, here are some changes that you encounter with your physical state; your sensitivity and blood pressure boost, your blood gets rerouted from domestic organs to your muscles.

Other changes take place with the intention of deposit habitual things like incorporation, tissue renovate and your immune logic on call. That is OK pro a fleeting calculate, but if you are in a constant state of stress, your body starts to break down, and you be converted into more susceptible to chronic diseases such as diabetes, sensitivity disease and particular cancers. Other things like reminiscence loss and depression are furthermore linked to stress.

What can you sort out?

Exercise the stage a answer role in stress reduction: If you haven’t started physical activity yet, it is about time  to start joining aerobics or Yoga , ballroom dancing,  take a 10-15 little pace previous to feast, join in a sport league (for the ended 30, 40, 50 crowd). Start with a small exchange. Other ways to help physically: Relaxation, breathing techniques, involving with others and result approximately endeavor with the intention of adds joy to your life.

Certain vitamins and mineral deposits are essential pro survival. Stress depletes your body of these mineral deposits. Equally you are made known how to deal with your stress, make sure you are getting proper nourishment. These include things like B vitamins, antioxidants (hello blueberries), magnesium, omega-3’s, and fiber. Let’s think it over; blueberries, spinach, oatmeal,  and salmon is a skilled place to start. Say: NO MORE FAST FOOD!

Doing these things will surely make a great difference in your way of living.  It will make your life easier and more fun.

STRESS LEADS TO MENTAL DEPRESSION

Stress leads to mental depression. This is a fact and all of us feel depressed in one way or another. Stress triggers mental depression and it’s not just mental depression, it can also cause physical problems as well. Coping with mental depression is not that easy but it can be done. Family influence can be a great factor when it comes to dealing with mental depression. There are people who have trouble dealing with depression and this is due to the history of that person and how he was raised by his parents. It is important that every parents must know how to educate their child in coping up and dealing with depression. They should provide or counsel their children on how to withstand problems,pain and difficulty in life.

Any person feel stressed when they are working under pressure or if something is troubling them. This is natural but it is also a serious matter to consider because it can lead to mental depression which in turn leads to different complicated problems later on. It can affect our physical health and mental health.

So as early as possible, we have to get rid of stress. There are medicines out there that Relieves stress and alternatively you can also explore materials that helps you get rid of stress.

HYPERTHYROIDISM CONDITION

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid gland is not working normally. It produces excessive thyroid hormones and the person who suffers from this condition experience a lot of symptoms like muscle weakness, extreme nervousness, general weakness, diarrhea, protruded eyes, heat intolerance, irritability, depression and insomnia. Thyroid hormone controls most of the body’s metabolism so even if you’re eating heavily, you still will continue to loose weight and will feel weak and jumpy as long as your thyroid hormone is not normal. Hyperthyroidism causes many of the body’s functions to speed up. About 2 in 100 women, and 2 in 1000 men, develop hyperthyroidism at some stage of their life. It also affects the ability of women to get pregnant.It’s not advisable for people who suffer from hyperthyroidism to get pregnant because it poses a special danger to newborns and infants. It makes the infant prone to sickness and if the mother has severe hyperthyroidism during pregnancy it will be most likely that her child will also have the same condition and there is a risk for the child to be born premature.

One cause for hyperthyroidism is Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder wherein the immune system manufactures thyroid antibodies called as TSI. These antibodies direct thyroid cells to overproduce the thyroid hormone and release into the bloodstream. Many times thyroiditis which is an inflammation of the thyroid gland can also cause hyperthyroidism where inflamed cells produce more thyroid hormones.

Symptoms:

If you’re hyperthyroid you will have this symptoms: heat intolerance, sweating, weight loss, diarrhea, muscle weakness, nervousness, extreme fatigue, insomnia, general weakness and tremor of hands, protruded eyes

STRESS AND FUNCTION

Each body system performs specific function to sustain optimal life for an organism. Mechanism for adjusting internal conditions promote the normal steady state of the organism and ultimately its survival. These mechanisms are compensatory in nature and work to restore balance in the body. An example of this restorative effort is the development of rapid breathing (hyperpnea) after intensive exercise in an attempt to compensate for an oxygen deficit and excess lactic acid accumulate in the muscle tissue.

Pathophysiologic processes result when cellular injury occurs at such a rapid rate that the body’s compensatory essary to remain healthy. An example of pathophysiologic change is the development of heart failure; the body reacts by retaining sodium and water and increasing venous pressure, which worsens the condition. These pathophysiologic responses give rise to symptoms that are reported by patients or signs that are observed by patients or nurses or other health care providers.

STRESS AND ADAPTATION
Stress is a state produced by a change in the environment that is perceived as challenging, threatening, or damaging to a person’s dynamic balance or equilibrium. The person is, or feels, unable to meet the demands of the new situation. The change of stimulus that evokes this state is the stressor. The nature of the stressor is variable; an event or change that is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another, and an event that produces stress at one time and place may not do so at another time and place. A person appraises and copes with changing solutions. The desired goal is adaptation, or adjustment to the change so that the person is again in equilibrium and has the energy and the ability to meet new demands. This is the process of coping with the stress, a compensatory process with physiologic and psychological components.

People typically experience distress related to alternations in their physical and emotional health status, changes in their level of daily functioning, and decreases social support or the loss of significant others. Fears of immobilization, isolation, loneliness, sensory changes, financial problems and death or disability increase a person’s anxiety level. Loss of one’s role or perceived purpose in life can cause intense discomfort. Any of these identified variables, plus a myriad of other conditions or overwhelming demands, are likely to cause ineffective coping, and a lack of necessary coping skills is often a source of additional distress for the person. When a person endures prolonged or unrelenting suffering, the outcome is frequently the development of a stress-related illness.

EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL DISTRESS

Emotional health involves the ability to function as comfortably and productively as possible. Typically, people who are mentally healthy are satisfied with themselves and their life situations. In the usual course of living, emotionally healthy people focus on activities geared to meet their needs and attempt to accomplish personal goals while concurrently managing everyday challenges and problems.

Often, people must work hard to balance their feelings, thought, and behaviors to alleviate emotional distress, and much energy is used to change, adapt, or manage the obstacles inherent in daily living. A mentally healthy person accepts reality and has a positive sense of self. Emotional health is also manifested by having moral and humanistic values and beliefs, having satisfying interpersonal relationships, doing productive work, and maintaining a realistic of hope. When people have unmet emotional needs or distress, they experience an overall feeling of unhappiness. As tension excalates, security and survival are threatened. How different people respond to these troublesome situations reflects their level of coping and maturity.

Emotionally healthy people endeavor to meet the demands of distressing situations while still coping with typical issues that emerge in their lives. The ways in which people respond to uncomfortable stimuli reflect their exposure to various biologic, emotional, and sociocultural experiences. When stress interferes with a person’s ability to function comfortably and inhibits the effective management of personal needs, that person is at risk for emotional problems. The use of ineffective and unhealthy methods of coping is manifested by dysfunctional behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. These behaviors are aimed at relieving the overwhelming stress, even though they may cause further problems.

Coping ability is strongly influenced by biologic or genetic factors, physical and emotional growth and development, family and childhood experiences, and learning. Typically, people revert to the strategies observed early in life that were used by family members, caregivers, and others to resolve conflicts. If these strategies were not adaptive, the person exhibits a range of painful and non productive behaviors. Dysfunctional behavior in one person not only seriously affects that person’s emotional health but can also put others at risk for injury or death. As these destructive behaviors are repeated, a cyclic pattern becomes evident; impaired thinking, negative feelings, and more dysfunctional actions that prevent the person from meeting the demands of daily living.