Hi all---I am "unfortunately" a newbie---fellow sufferer of probable gallbladder disease. It just "struck me out of the blue"---never any previous problems with indigestion, stomach, nothing! Then one day I got this RUQ pain, with nausea and pain into my back---a "7 on a scale of 10!" I suspected GB problems. My mother had a GB loaded with stones and near rupture at age 56...heredity does play a part I hear. Anyway, my GP thinks it is GB from my symptoms, but I had a totally normal GB ultrasound that day--no thickening, no stones seen. I had very good liver enzyme results on my blood work, everything normal but a little high cholesterol. From reading this board for a couple weeks, the thought keeps occurring to me--with laparoscpic surgery getting so commonplace and easier all the time, WHY do most here choose to SUFFER when it seems that these GB flushes must be done OVER AND OVER again and usually it seems the pain comes back? Obviously, it s not curing the situation! Personally, I DO NOT want any surgery---never had one in my life, and I am afraid of the general anesthesia risks, possible complications of bile leaks, injury to cystic ducts, etc and chance of having to convert to an "open" procedure frightens me even more! But it is only one day out of our lives, and many times, the suffering ends. I am a massage therapist, and use many herbs right now---the slippery elm bark, oregon grape, beet extract, lecithin and Vit E, castor oil packs, GB massage--and although my pain has lessened greatly, my NAUSEA is daily and I am not sure how much longer I can stand this. My dr wants a HIDA scan--but it is $2200 and I am trying to avoid it. So, I would like to hear comments on if you all think the flushes, etc vs laparoscopic surgery that takes one hour is worth all this? And don't forget there are risks of letting a "bad gallbladder" go on and on--likek rupture and gangrene, and emergency surgery like my Mom. Thanks in advance!