I’m 27 and I have gallstones. Odd, right? I first noticed something wasn’t quite right when I started experiencing intense acid reflux and heartburn halfway through last year. I was confused because I eat healthily and had been cooking all my own meals in lockdown, so I knew it wasn’t the consequence of poor takeaway orders.
It was clear that my symptoms, which included simultaneous back pain and stomach cramps, were here to stay, so I booked an appointment with my GP, who took my pain more seriously than I expected and sent me for an ultrasound “just to be safe”.
It was still a slower process than usual, given the understandable strain on the NHS, but a few weeks later the ultrasound revealed I had gallstones. Sure, I enjoy the odd burger or bowl of ice cream – who doesn’t? – but I was far too young and healthy to have a diet that could affect my digestive system and cause something like gallstones. But here’s something I didn’t know: gallstones are more common in women than men, and you’re more likely to have them if somebody in your family has had…
