This post was written by Shane Cooke’s mother Mary. There have been developments since – see below.
I used to really enjoy Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dall when they were first broadcast on television. Each was a complete story with a twist in its tail – usually a most unexpected twist. They seem to be reappearing on some channel or other nowadays, but I’ve only caught one of them which brought back the memories of old times.
I am about to tell you a tale of my own, or rather, of Shane, my son. An unexpected tale which may have a twist in its tail too.
As a teenager, Shane had an anaphylactic shock to a measles vaccine and had to be rushed to hospital for a thorough check-up. As a result, when talk first came of a vaccine to fight Covid, Shane was unsure about taking it but, following a discussion with the surgery medical team, he went ahead and had his first and second jabs of AstraZeneca’s magic potion without any problems other than the sore arm and slight headache and tiredness that were expected.
Now 42, time came for Shane to have his booster jab. Again, he wondered about it since, this time, instead of the AstraZeneca dose, it would be Moderna. He went along and everything was fine. There was a slight upper arm ache later that day but nothing to be concerned about. As he is lefthanded, Shane has his jabs in his right arm.
Things Not Quite Right
That was on Monday December 13th. On the Tuesday Shane found that he had very little interest in eating but was taking plenty of liquids. On the Wednesday he lost his appetite for any meals and his arm began to ache again – the ache slowly moved on to his shoulder and up his neck. The Thursday was no better, again he was struggling to force himself to eat anything and complained of a slight ache in his upper back. On the Friday he was coming up to our house for the weekend. The backache was still troublesome, and we all assumed that it was muscle ache, probably due to the vaccination a few days previously.
During the Friday evening Shane became extremely anxious. He could offer no explanation whatsoever for this overwhelming fear that seemed to grip him. He felt that breathing was getting very difficult – something that had never been present during his many panic/anxiety attacks of years ago.
He slept fairly well that night but on Saturday morning he was feeling much the same and by then the ‘ache’ was not only at his back but also down his right side, almost to his waist. He had to take paracetamol to help with the pain.
Sunday came and matters deteriorated. The back and side ache were still present but now there was also an ache along his front, just below the ribs. We tried everything that we could think of to make him more comfortable, but it was getting almost impossible. He couldn’t lie down, he couldn’t move his head backwards as the pain became unbearable whenever he moved. He couldn’t eat at all and taking liquids was getting more of a problem too. By Sunday evening Shane was vomiting and was sweating profusely. He was groaning with the pain which was coming in waves. His breathing had become extremely shallow by this time.
Emergency Department Please
At half past ten that Sunday night an ambulance came to take him to hospital for observation. They completed as many tests as possible here before leaving and found that he had some sort of infection somewhere. The ambulance attendant had asked him almost immediately if he still had his gallbladder as, to her who had been through the procedure of gallbladder removal, it seemed that Shane’s excruciating waves of pain were due to a gallbladder problem.
Due to Covid restrictions, hospital visits were not allowed which resulted in everybody trying to phone in for news of their loved ones. This led to a jammed switchboard and no news whatsoever about Shane’s condition.
Knowing that all of this had happened since the booster jab, I went online to see if I could find any information about possible side effects. I found the ‘Drugs.com Know more. Be sure’ website which has a page on the Moderna vaccine. The first side effect on their list was anxiety – that seemed to explain Shane’s agitated state on Friday evening then. I read on, wondering if anything else would prove applicable in Shane’s case. There was mention of ‘chest discomfort’ and ‘chest pain, possibly moving to the left arm, neck or shoulder’. For Shane, this applied to the right arm of course – that being the jabbed arm – so, here again, it seemed to follow Shane’s experience. Having read this, I felt sure that the problem was down to the Moderna vaccine but still had no idea what the hospital may have found to be the problem.
We did find out, eventually, that Shane had been moved from A&E on the Monday to the Surgical Assessment Unit but still had no idea of his condition or diagnosis.
Back Home with Diagnosis
Late on Wednesday afternoon, Shane phoned for us to pick him up – he’d known since 9am that he was to be discharged but, since he had no means of contacting us, he had to wait until he was taken to the “Discharge Lounge” to be able to contact us. It took until 5pm for medications to be brought down from pharmacy and the discharge to be completed.
That is when he was able to tell us that the problem was his gallbladder, that they had carried out very many tests etc. but could find no other causes except the cholecystitis. To clear the inflammation Shane is on two lots of antibiotics and regular doses of painkillers. He remains in pain at the side and chest areas, but the level of pain is now tolerable – unlike the weekend when it really was very bad indeed.
Once home, we could read the Discharge Advice Letter. This described the reason for admission as “right upper quadrant pain” and the clinical findings on admission as “tender in right quadrant”. The test results show that many tests were carried out – with references to ‘all areas’ being clear of blood clots and no signs of gallstones – and the conclusion being Cholecystitis.
When we read this sheet, I decided to look online for signs of inflammation of the gallbladder and, much to my surprise, found that the list was very similar to the list of side effects from Moderna vaccine. This puzzled us. Had Shane been very unfortunate in having some side effects from the jab which masked the onset of the gallbladder problem? I felt that maybe I should be less determined that all his problems had been caused by Moderna and just accept the idea of a coincidence. This was very hard to accept though!
He now awaits an appointment with a specialist to arrange the removal of his gallbladder. He is still in bed mainly, sleeps an awful lot, takes plenty of liquids and is beginning to eat very, very small meals – making sure that everything is fat free for the time being.
Do gallbladder problems often appear out of the blue? I expected that there would have been a spell of troublesome twinges of pain or discomfort after eating before a fully-fledged case of cholecystitis. Shane hasn’t ever had any pains which could indicate this type of problem.
It is still my opinion that the Moderna vaccine was responsible for more than the first few signs of suffering. The first signs were the expected side effects of the jab – what followed, uncontrolled, through the following days, and continue, but now controlled with medications, were totally unexpected.
Shane’s case will be one of ten covered in more detail in a few weeks time on a new Cause and Effect Forum on davidhealy.org. Was this problem caused by the vaccine? If it was caused by the vaccine or might have been, would you have your Gallbladder removed?
Have you had anything like this happen to you?
susanne says
Best wishes Shane and to Mary. Hope you will get this sorted out and feel much better soon Susanne
Justin Oxley says
Mary I’m so sorry that happened to Shane. I thought perhaps the vaccines might have a kindling effect with those who have been taking ssris. I had a few problems crop up but nothing so severe. I wouldn’t cope well in the situation you describe as I quickly get burnt out in stressful situations so I avoid them like the plague.
I am eating healthy regular meals which I think is helpful plus I take supplements which do appear to help dampen the ridiculous stress responses. I still feel spaced out when I visit my local grocery store, I forget items I want to buy my short term memory doesn’t work as well as it used to so I have to take deep breaths to gather my thoughts to remember what I am doing. I have found taking lysine with arginine at lunch time helps me in the afternoons. I take lemon balm, ashwagandha, magnesium glycinate and montmorency cherry with my dinner in the evening which really help me to sleep.
In the mid afternoon I drink a hot chocolate with added valerian powder now. I have moved away from my morning coffee and afternoon soup regime as it didn’t feel right for my current state. I have been a bit stressed due to the DWP not accepting a perfectly valid fit note issued by my GP at the beginning of February. I think that issue should get resolved soon. I want to get back into work again but I feel that I cannot do that in my current condition.
I have found that taking baths with acai berry baths salts very soothing. I burn incense sticks and put on relaxing spa music as I spend alot of time in bed feeling rather peculiar. There might be things that I do that will help Shane to feel better.
I have a plan to taper off the remaining liquid Fluoxetine which my father kindly produced a spreadsheet and sent it to me from his home in Warragul in Australia. The tapering plan will create a non linear dose reduction as I go from 2.5mg down to 0mg, it will take about a year to complete. The idea is that I keep taking 0.6ml of the liquid each day and at the end of the week top the 70ml bottle up with 4.2ml of water.
I performed a linear taper going from 5mg to 2.5mg from July to October last year and remained at 2.5mg. I was hit like a brick wall with some very unpleasant symptoms in early December where I would continually wake up at 2am and had PoTs symtoms and burning hands and feet. I think this occurred due to elevated cortisol you can test your blood for that but I didn’t have the kit. Thankfully this problem diminished in a couple of weeks but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I found after waking up at 2am taking additional magnesium glycinate helped to calm things down so sometimes I was able to get back to sleep. Having elevated cortisol at night has a similar effect as if you drank a strong coffee at night it isn’t easy to get back to sleep.
I was in quite a bad patch in early December and could not think straight so I couldn’t join the Zoom meeting we had scheduled. I had some really incapacitating waves of extreme anxiety during the day during this period so I was very preoccupied dealing with those. I felt as if my brain was overloaded and couldn’t possibly take on anything else.
I still find I wake up in the mornings feeling stingy with a headache and I’m irritable. I take my morning set of supplements which include feverfew, CoQ-10 to deal with the headaches. I also take Omega-3 fish oil, Oregano oil, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin K2 mk4, Vitamin C, Zinc and Fenugreek in the mornings.
I have dropped taking Forskolin as it was making me feel worse but continue to take Artichoke extract usually at lunch time. I have grow my own broccoli sprouts and have those with my lunch along with kale, spinach and avocado.
I hope some of the information I provide here will be useful to others who are trying to taper off an ssri.
Pogo says
Although the FDA do not consider that the trial reports of cholecystitis as being Moderna vaccine related, their credibility is waining. [1] However, as COVID-19 can mimic acute cholecystitis, then I consider it a good working hypothesis that the Moderna jab can too. [2] Also, as there were no prodromal symptoms reported, then this suggests a temporal connection with the Moderna shot.
Haven’t got a clue as to the reliability of the following eHealthMe figures but I’ll give them anyway. [3]
Time to have Gallbladder disease from when people get Moderna COVID Vaccine:
• on the same day: 22.22 %
• in the first week: 50.0 %
• in the first 30 days: 22.22 %
• after 30 days: 5.56 %
Age of people:
• 0-1: 0.0 %
• 2-9: 0.0 %
• 10-19: 0.0 %
• 20-29: 5.56 %
• 30-39: 16.67 %
• 40-49: 16.67 %
• 50-59: 33.33 %
• 60+: 27.78 %
The AZ jab is a different technology from Moderna, so in my opinion from this very brief look, a Serious Adverse Reaction from the Moderna therapy (perhaps alone) has to be seriously considered.
If it was my gallbladder, would I have it removed?
Well, I’d do this first as a final differential diagnosis:
[Now remember, the following is about what I would do and not about what anybody else should do.]
I would first decline any antibiotic enhanced with Clavulanate – It is too liver toxic for my liking. I stick with pure antibiotics.
Next, I would want to treat myself immediately as though I have Covid in order to clear both the spike proteins and mitigate the damage which they cause; for with the discomfort spreading, means the mRNA is still producing spike proteins.
Me being me, I’d sway towards following the Spike Protein Detox Guide [4]. [I do have a list of what I believe to be the best doctor orientated medical treatment protocol sites for covid, which I can post if anyone need them]
Since the pain is due to inflammation of the gallbladder, I’d want to reduce the Interleukin 6 (IL6) level as a priority! In reducing this I’d expect my pain elsewhere to diminish as well.
Then I’d check the vaccine batch number [5]
Report my Serious Adverse Reaction.
Remind myself (and those around me) of the first signs of complications which would indicate that removal of my gallbladder would be the safer option and get a second opinion from a doctor I trust, as my evaluation my symptoms tend to be subjective.
Only after doing all these things would I consider having it removed.
[1] Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting December 17, 2020 FDA Briefing Document Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine https://www.fda.gov/media/144434/download
[2]COVID-19 can mimic acute cholecystitis and is associated with the presence of viral RNA in the gallbladder wall
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7467103/
[3] Moderna COVID Vaccine side effects by duration, gender, age and dose – a phase IV clinical study of CDC and FDA data
https://www.ehealthme.com/vs/moderna-covid-vaccine/gallbladder-disease/
[4] Spike Protein Detox Guide https://worldcouncilforhealth.org/resources/spike-protein-detox-guide/
[5] How Bad is My Batch
Batch codes and associated deaths, disabilities and illnesses for Covid 19 Vacc
https://www.howbad.info/modernaforeigndeaths.html
Dr. David Healy says
Thanks for this detailed comment
David
Pogo says
It was late at night when I wrote my last post so here’s a bit more during my lunch break.
My gripe against clavulanate enhanced antibiotic is that a proscription of AUGMENTIN (Generic Name: amoxicillin clavulanate) left me feeling as though I had gallstones. The pain with each step I took when walking, lasted for many weeks. However, I didn’t get any other physical symptoms nor psychiatric symptoms like mental unrest (as is sometimes the case with antibiotics) to confuse the issue.
https://www.rxlist.com/augmentin-drug.htm#description
Since the cells that Moderna convert in to spike protein factories can die, and if cells die on mass in an organ like the gallbladder, the debris of these cells could block-up the smaller blood capillaries, causing more cell death and ACE mediated inflammation (maybe even leading to gangrene). Therefore, I would feel happier taking an antibiotic (if I had to) like doxycycline (which is I think part of the UK protocol but only if bacterial pneumonia sets it – so I would leave that decision to my doctor – as long as it didn’t contain clavulanate). The advantage of doxycycline is its many modes of action. It is a protease inhibitor so can deal with ACE-2 in the lungs too, thus aiding better breathing. It is thought that the fastest protease inhibitor which brings relief in hours (if the spike is still replicating) is Ivermectin. In this respect it has some antiviral properties as well. It also modulates IL6. Even in Long Covid and vaccine injury it appears to help some. This suggests that some of the mRNA can hide from the immune system for a long time.
After about 8 days with a normal covid-19, I might notice deep breathing more difficult which might not be the start of pneumonia but an autoimmune reaction in the lung from the dead cell debris building up faster than can be cleared. As the spike protein generated by Moderna mRNA in lung cells will kill some of those lung cells, white blood cells will be rushing there to mop up and will be releasing histamine. So I’d find out, by taking an anti histamine and stay away from high histamine foods such as citrus.
Normally I don’t get overly exited by good P values in small medical studies unless the methodology seems sound. Living near a large Asian community I had to take a look at a study with an amazingly good P<0.0001 which has left me impressed. I already have all the ingredients in my kitchen — and so do they.
Honey and Nigella sativa against COVID-19 in Pakistan (HNS-COVID-PK): A multi-center placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.30.20217364v3
If I started developing intense aches I’d suspect lactic acid build up (I have ME/CFS so I can empathise with this sort of pain) so Ivermectin again, is thought to assist the mitochondria to work more efficiently (it is the cell’s mitochondria that deals with lactic acid).
I would hope to avoid vomiting and sweating by thinking of an adverse reaction such as this, as any other normally acquired infection (and the Moderna jab is infecting one with active mRNA) and traditionally treat it as fever by only eating a drinking when I feel like it. Modern medicine seems to be slowly catching up. During fever the digestive system slows down (as digestion has an upfront energy cost which the immune system can’t spare) and so the stomach will just send food back. Also, the chemistry of the body changes and it tends to retain water. Too much fluid and some of it comes out as sweat. At this stage, I would also be taking my blood pressure, as the body’s fluid balance involves Vasopressin, which is an antidiuretic hormone and the knock on effect is a decreases in blood pressure. Although grandmother knew best, this still seems a bit controversial. Maybe the confusion arose out of drinking plain water and ending up dangerously dehydrated with hyponatremia. So I’ve searched around for a paper and a plain spoken English explanation on Youtube. It kinda agrees with Grandma:
Fever: Could A Cardinal Sign of COVID-19 Infection Reduce Mortality? Stephen A Hoption Cann Published: January 09, 2021
https://www.amjmedsci.org/article/S0002-9629(21)00004-5/fulltext
Fever, Fluids, Food in acute infections
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP65st24crc
Knowing that lack of nutrition during illness can lead to muscle mass lost and due having to treat myself for ME/CFS, I would take some of the protein and amino acid mixes (used by athletes in training) that I already have on hand (to mix with water and electrolytes), to mitigate muscle loss without over burdening the digestive system. Even then, I would just sip them as I felt the need.
Very importantly, I would write down everything I took and the time, together with the time for the next dose. For when I’m very ill I find it very hard to think and remember anything.
Whilst doing all this I would glance at:
COVID-19 early treatment: real-time analysis of 1,447 studies
https://c19early.com/
Multifaceted highly targeted sequential multidrug treatment of early ambulatory high-risk SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19)
https://www.imrpress.com/journal/RCM/21/4/10.31083/j.rcm.2020.04.264/htm
I-MASK+ Prevention & Early Outpatient Treatment Protocol for COVID-19
https://covid19criticalcare.com/covid-19-protocols/i-mask-plus-protocol/
Zelenko Early Treatment Protocol:
https://vladimirzelenkomd.com/treatment-protocol/
annie says
Doxycycline –
The MHRA is now probing the drug’s safety.
https://www.irishnews.com/lifestyle/2021/01/07/news/how-some-antibiotics-may-trigger-mental-breakdowns-2177260/
But Professor David Healy, a psychiatrist who was consulted in the Alana Cutland case, first raised concerns about potential harmful effects of doxycycline in 2013, when he was a professor of psychiatry at Bangor University in Wales.
Now based at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, Prof Healy says: “I know four or five people personally who have been on doxycycline and felt very anxious as a result. In all cases, the symptoms disappeared as soon as they stopped taking it.
“In Alana Cutland’s case, it was an extreme effect. Most doctors think doxycycline is benign, but it may simply be the wrong drug for some people. The drug should carry a carefully worded warning to let people know the risks and that they should stop taking it immediately if they experience a mental health problem. It could save lives.”
mary H says
Hi all,
I would just like to clear up one or two facts.
Firstly, this post was written, at David’s request, very soon after Shane came out of hospital. ( I had to record it whilst fresh in our minds!). It refers to the pain as being “controlled by medications” which is no longer true. He had the antibiotics for 7 days after discharge and used strong painkillers at that point. However, since January 8th. he hasn’t used the painkillers.
He does get an occasional twinge in his back but he feels that this is muscular – he does not connect it to the cholecystitis but, quite naturally, hopes that it does not escalate at any point to the pre-Christmas horrors.
Shane now has an appointment at the hospital for March 12th. This, as far as he knows, will be a discussion about the need to remove the gallbladder. We can update here at that point if a decision is made.
The passage also mentions that Shane is “mainly in bed” – that is no longer as true but the exhaustion, which has ruled his life throughout withdrawal and beyond, continues to be a problem. The difference now seems to be that it only affects physically whereas previously it affected mentally as well as physically.
One good to come out of all of this is that Shane has completely changed his diet. He was asked to follow a low fat diet for the time being. Shane hasn’t ever been one who eats fat but was very fond of snacks of all sorts. The snacks are gone and he now prepares fresh main meals or reheats ‘home cooked and frozen’ meals. He is quite pleased with his new appearance and now sees that sugar was far more of an enemy than ‘fat’.
From the update you will glean that Shane is now, thankfully, in a far better place than described in the post above.
(One last point of interest – this was Shane’s first encounter as an inpatient with a PHYSICAL ailment, having, unfortunately, had a good few inpatient spells with MENTAL issues. The differences in the way that he was treated this time – every word of his believed, absolutely every test etc. explained to him, the respect shown to him and the understanding of his level of pain were in stark contrast to the treatment in the MH Unit. Same hospital but worlds apart in the ‘human touch’ shown to patients. We need “levelling up” in so many ways here in the UK!
Pogo says
So glad your son Shane is recovering.
Lets hope the inflammation of the gallbladder fades, never to come back, then there’s no point in having a medical procedure thats not needed. The cell renewal I believe is normally low in this organ so it might take some time to be sure everything’s OK again. With the NHS waiting lists so long, the consultant may take the same view that it would do no harm to wait and see.
Scanning though the main medical journals these last two years, it is as if the whole medical community have suddenly contracted amnesia regarding the importance of early treatment for both viral infections and Serious Adverse Reactions to reduce the likely hood of these types of preventable complications. Those in the profession that do try to spread the word get censored and persecuted. What little is allowed to be talked about in the journals strikes me as just a pseudo debate, kept under control by big Pharma.
Hopefully, Shane’s state of constant exhaustion will also fade away soon. Doctors are finding more similarities than differences between long haul covid, long haul vaccination reactions and ME/CFS. Therefore, the same treatment protocols appear help all three. As there still remain variations in peoples responses, treatment requires testing out different combinations of drugs and supplements to find the best mix.
For those that wish to explore treatments:
Management-Protocol-for-Long-Haul-COVID-19-Syndrome.pdf
[https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/FLCCC-Alliance-I-RECOVER-]
[Cumin is cheaper to buy as ordinary culinary Turmeric. Nigella Sativa powder and whole seed can be bought from most Asian food stores. They commonly refer to it as ‘Black Seed.’ Great also for sprinkling over salads etc.]
Frequently Asked Questions on Ivermectin
https://covid19criticalcare.com/ivermectin-in-covid-19/faq-on-ivermectin/
Spike Protein Detox Guide
https://worldcouncilforhealth.org/resources/spike-protein-detox-guide/
The exhaustion appears to be the result of the mitochondria being knocked out of kilter. Although the next two papers are about rare inborn errors of mitochondrial metabolism, the support treatment for them helps long Covid and ME/CFS exhaustion. I decided on choosing these two, as the explanations given in the papers also provide a rational as to why they are worth trying. Otherwise, doctors tend to roll their eyes at any anything they weren’t taught in med school.
The Spectrum of Mitochondrial Disease. (Page 9 for suggested support treatments).
http://pirate.shu.edu/~rawncarr/Mito%20disease%20review.pdf
[The Acetlyl L Carnitine form seems more effective than the plain L Carnitine]
Mitochondrial Cytopathies: A Primer. (Page 15 for suggested support treatments).
https://www.emdn-mitonet.co.uk/PDF/MITOCYTO.pdf
The protocols all recommend prednisone, as it proven to be so effective but its not without some risk. I suspect a British GP may be reluctant to prescribe it for a complaint that just by coincidence came on the after the receipt of a safe and effective vaccine.
See: Side-effects, further information
https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/prednisolone.html#cautions
mary H says
Thanks for all the suggestions given to help Shane to recover – your thoughts are much appreciated.
A problem here is that Shane is extremely sensitive to any sort of medication or supplement. He is now eating a varied diet, keeping well away from extra sugar in hidden forms and fizzy drinks. His sleep pattern is good over all. Exhaustion has been a massive problem for him since he started reducing his psychotropic drugs. He used to be completely wiped out – mentally as well as physically but now it is mainly physical.
We shall hope for better as the weather improves!
Zoe says
My father received a dose of Moderna vaccine on 7/7/2021. He had extreme abdominal pain on 7/13 and had a gallstone removed on 7/14. He fainted and fell at home for no obvious reason that same month but was able to regain conscious shortly on his own. In the last few months, he had a few prolonged sleep episodes. He would sleep for several days without eating much food, and he has since lost about 15 pounds. Last week, he has a routine health check and some blood work done, but the doctor did not find anything alarming. I am all ears if you would be so kind to share some insights.
mary H says
It may well be appropriate to add here that Shane did have his appointment to discuss gallbladder removal. There was really no decision to be made as he had been completely free of any signs of pain since the facts recorded above. He is to be seen again just to make sure! Sure, of what I wonder? Sure, that the gallbladder does not need to be removed …….or sure that Shane asks no more awkward questions about Moderna’s role in his suffering? He asked a few questions at that appointment and was told that replies (apart from the determined “NO” to the Moderna connection suggestion!) would be sent in writing. He is still waiting for any communication about his questions and the further appointment!
mary H. says
Just to complete the record of Shane and his cholecystitis. He DID eventually get his latest check up appointment earlier this year (2024). As is usual, the person that he saw was yet a different person – still from the medical/ surgical team. It took them about ten minutes to sort out the exact nature of the need for this appointment – the end result being that, since there had been no return of symptoms, there was no need to remove the gallbladder.
The questions that he’d asked previously, about a possible link to the Moderna vaccine weren’t ever answered although they had been promised to be sent to him in writing.
So, this story remains, to our minds, right there with a reaction to the Moderna vaccine. It has all been recorded by Yellow Card and the GP surgery has been requested to ensure that the Moderna connection, rather than a gallbladder problem, is entered in the medical notes.
Momma D says
If this is helpful – a family member had the jab…unsure which brand. Not long after – a month? He had persistent abdominal pain – seemed more centered over the stomach. Months went by with the doc not offering many ideas. He then ended up in the emergency room with severe abdominal pain and was admitted. It took about a week for to figure out what was wrong and only after his gallbladder burst during a scan. Apparently on ultrasound, it the organ was not clearly seen or ? Anyway, the organ was removed and found to be full of “sludge” and gangrene. Ugh.