Annabel health update:

We have met her surgeon again and he is passing her over to a 'laser specialist surgeon' who is going to try and blast the last problem gallstone tucked right up in her liver and causing about a quarter of her liver not to function correctly. They are leaving the op until about mid june (no date fixed yet) to give the drain tube a chance to toughen up (the body starts adopting it as it's own) so they can send the laser tube up it direct to the stone.

Annabel is comfortable enough at home (up and about but external drain tube still in place) and is gutted not to be doing her nitch lady dancing for village oak apple celebrations!

The medical bits so far (most recent at top):

Tues 11th may: Annabel has been sent home whilst they work out what to do next

It has surfaced when annabel was being prepped to come home that her main bile drain tube had been redressed with a kink in it under the plaster/dressing

This would explain why they were unsuccessful in the last attempt to inject the acid direct into the area via the drain tube, and then couldn't flush the tube out. The registrar who was trying to get the acid in was apologetic for not having checked the tube for kinks as she was sidetracked by thinking there must have been an internal blockage

We wait to see if the acid they initially got in by drip has done anything (annabel reports gurgling in the liver area) and what they will do next to tackle the remaining gallstones and when!

Monday 9th: Annabel still in hospital. Surgeon been round this morning and feels the acid drip (started last thursday) has not been getting into her liver area as well as it should so have tried slowly injecting it in via the same bile acid drain tube that's still in place. However not much appears to have gone in due to some sort of blockage at the end of the tube so it's back to the surgeon for new ideas.

They will probably rescan to see if it's done any dissolving. No real clues when she might be allowed home, but very likely she may need to go back in a month for more surgery to remove what remains of the stone. The acid that's got in should have made removal task a bit easier but they have grown within her tissue/ducts and this approach is not standard procedure by any means!

She is however more comfortable and a better colour, down to paracetamol tablets and going for wanders around ward/corridor more. She may make a trip to the hospital shop for change of scene as 11days in the same ward is starting to lose her interest. Other patients come and leave and must frustrate her

Tues 3rd may:

Annabel is starting to feel better but unfortunately has many more gallstones left, mainly in her liver. As she has a liver drain tube in place the surgeon is going to try and inject an acid into the area to dissolve the remaining chlosterol gallstones. He has done this successfully for a couple of other patients so fingers crossed it may work for her and negate further surgery. Side effects are likely to leave her quezy but sounds like better than more surgery!

Fri 29th:

Later on friday - saw annabel today - she's uncomfortably from extended anaesthetic and internal rumaging. Surgeon saw her today and thinks she should be in for around 10 days to recover - it will take a few days for her to start to feel normal. Next week he is thinking of injecting an acid into her liver area to dissolve remaining gallstones as there is the suitable tube already in place go to the right area

Am : Have spoken to annabel this morning and obviously she is disappointed not to have had all stones removed (see below) Tired and not great (her not me - though same can be said of me as I've just had my 4 weekly injection!)

Thurs 28th April: Annabel and Ed went into salisbury hospital and after long wait due to another emergency Op she went in at approx 7pm for over five hours of complicated keyhole surgery to remove gall stones from her bile ducts and liver

Spoke to her surgeon straight after surgery finished (after midnight) and he confirmed her case is very unusual in that the gall stones have been there for years and are unusual in type and position and are embedded into her ducts and needed chipping out - the first one took over 3 hours to remove. He has now cleared only one side of her liver of gallstones but will have to repeat surgery in some weeks time to remove (I think) the main problem one stuck at the main junction of one of her bile duct just under her liver and any remaining gall stones. Think lots not one or two!

------------------------

Monday 4th: Admitted to salisbury hospital as still had jaundice . Scans on Tuesday revealed extensive gallstones. Tube down throat on Thurs put Stent in place to drain bile acid away from liver to aleviate problems whilst waiting for surgery. Annabel came home late on saturday and clearly stent has been working as much better and jaundice went.

First week of April 2011: Annabel had nasty vomiting problem that had to eventually be stopped by injection

-------------------------

Last few years/ possibly decades: Colostasis of the Liver during pregnancies and occcasional odd episodes of being sick that now know were probably stuck gallstones.