Checking up on my gallbladder polyps

Day 791.

Last year I had an abdominal scan ordered by the rheumatologist to check my liver. I ended up having two of these scans, as the first scan showed something unusual looking on my liver.

The second scan was in August and showed nothing alarming on my liver. But it did show some polyps in my gallbladder. These polyps were 3 mm big.

The radiologist recommended that I have a repeat scan this year to see if the polyps have grown bigger.

What is a polyp?

I had no idea what a polyp was. I had to Google it.

Polyps are tissue growths that most often look like small, flat bumps or tiny mushroom-like stalks. They are usually small and less than half an inch wide. Most are benign but can become cancerous.

Thanks, Mayo Clinic.

So, basically it's a growth that may or may not be cancerous. Most of the time it's nothing.

If the polyp is larger than 1 cm or growing very quickly, it may be a bad sign. In that case you may have to have your gallbladder removed.

The scan

I went in on Monday morning for the repeat scan. It is called an abdominal ultrasound. The whole thing took about 30 minutes with various points where I had to hold my breath.

It all went quite smoothly. I don't have much to say about the scan, to be honest.

It's kind of like an ultrasound you might have when you are pregnant, except there is no cute baby snaps after.

The latest scan results

My GP messaged me on Wednesday with the results. The polyps are fractionally larger, but nothing to worry about.

However, of course there is now a new problem. They found 3 lesions on my liver. The radiologist who wrote the report called it fatty infiltrations. I think that means I have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

My GP wants me to go on a no-fat diet. I need to make an appointment to see her as a next step.

It is all quite demoralising, as I have lost 7 kg since February. I am not sure what I can really cut that I haven't cut already.

I don't drink alcohol anymore. I don't drink coffee. I don't eat potatoes anymore. I have limited myself to one portion of carbs a day - a slice of toast or sometimes rice. I only eat a fruit for breakfast. I do still eat red meat, but much less than I used to. I do still allow myself snacks. I guess that will change now.