So it's been an "interesting" week.

[thedivinegoat]

It started really well, and involved lithiumdoll, doccy, jackiekjono and some dinosaurs. And so was pretty awesome.

Tuesday was a nothing day, neither good nor bad.

Wednesday I went into work and got told they were cutting my hours back to 4 hours a week. Effective immediately. Which complete screws me regarding money and the whole thing where my boss lied about the reason they were cutting my hours. (She said they were doing it because they needed to pay Fran to organise the community day & the openings [both fake opening for the BBC in May, and actually opening in July], only I then found out that Fran's being paid by a grant from the National Lottery) Oh and then I found out that's it's illegal to just cut my hours like that so now I've got to decide if I want to fight it and risk things getting nasty, or leave it and be screwed money wise.

I'm looking for another job, but it's going to be near nigh impossible, seeing as I need it to be within school hours, and I need them to be flexible during the holidays. (There is no way I will be able to earn enough money to pay for childcare for four children).

Thursday was good as it was Welsh, and we sang the National Anthem, and mostly got the pronunciation right.

Saturday was a Quiz Night also known as get struck by excruciating pain, spend a large part of the night led on the floor in the loos, (And may I just heartily thank Kath for keeping the pub loos so spotlessly clean) before getting taken down to Neville Hall by Ambulance Night. What sucks is that my team was in the lead, and if my attack had happened about five minutes later so I could have argued my point about the answer being Wellington, not Nelson (Thank You Georgette Heyer and related fandoms!) we would have won. ;-)

I have a tentative diagnosis of gallstones, will having an ultrasound sometime this week to confirm it, and have Tramadol in case I get another attack.

I've been getting a milder version of this pain since I was fifteen, but stopped seeing Doctors about when I was in my early twenties, due to how dismissive they were. Over the years I'd learnt what foods to avoid, (greasy foods and caffeinated tea for some reason) and the attacks were normally bearable with co-codamol and ibruprofen. For a given value of bearable.

I'm so glad to finally have (tentative!) diagnosis, and a really scared that I'm going to have the ultrasound and they going to say it's not gallstones after all and I'll be back at square one.

And I'm still really bummed about my team coming second. (We lost by two points! TWO POINTS!)

Comments

[azurelunatic]

The history is certainly consistent with gallbladder problems, so here's hoping!

And argh, that job situation sounds horrid.

[ilthit]

My first instinct is to say fight your workplace, but you have to make that decision yourself.

Good luck with the health stuff! :(

[lilacsigil]

That work situation sounds nightmarish. But yay for a tentative diagnosis or a long-term problem! Good luck.

[ancarett]

The job and hours is entirely awful of them - better not to lie than to leave you so dismissed in their treatment.

Regarding the attack. It sure sounds like gallstones. My mother went through something similar in her forties after having problems since she was a teen. Like you, her doctors dismissed it as "female exaggeration". When they finally opened her up, they found over a hundred gallstones. Bugger all misogynist medical doctors! I hope the ultrasound gives some clear evidence so you're treated soon.

[sorchar]

That stuff with your job is bullshit. Unfortunately, as much as principle matters, sometimes it's too costly in terms of money, time, and stress to fight. Especially when you've got so much else going on. Whatever you decide, good luck to you.

If it's gallstones, can they get rid of them? I know there's a non-surgical treatment for them, something with sound waves.

[bluemeridian]

Interesting is one word for it! Good luck with the diagnosis. *hugs*

[pinesandmaples]

I had my gallbladder out when I was 15, after throwing up every morning (around 10a) for an entire year. No weight loss, no other physical anything except being sick at the same time, every single day. Man, it was bad.

The surgery was such a welcome relief after that.