The whole gallbladder thing

DrLabRat

But welcome to a world of lets just yank it out instead of learning how to live with it.

You're expressing a rather ridiculous sentiment. If you want to learn to live with it, you do that, but there is nothing heroic about this approach. You are not better, smarter, stronger than those of us who chose to have our gall bladders removed.

Mine's gone. I'm happy that its gone. I don't have to deal with the pain and the sickness any more.

it's ridiculous to object to losing an internal organ without even contemplating the alternatives?

wow.

It is ridiculous to express a sense of superiority to others because you've chosen to live with re-occuring pain rather than have surgery to remove an internal organ that is not essential to life, well-being, or happiness.

You understand that, don't you? It's your superior attitude that I find ridiculous, not the choice you've made to live with a malfunctioning gall bladder.

TigressPat

Rapid weight loss of any sort can cause gallstones. I had mine out and I feel so much better.

"But welcome to a world of lets just yank it out instead of learning how to live with it. " My doctor made a sharp point of telling me that it would not get better. It would get progressively worse, and it could cause pancreatitis as well. And yes, I was eating very low fat at the time, so that wasn't a contributing factor. So while surgery certainly isn't the cure for everything, I see nothing positive in living with gallbladder attacks and trying to soldier on.

the OP said she had attacks when losing weight. and possibly from eating excessive amounts of greasy food. Unless I misunderstood?
as the gallbladder does not like weight fluctuations it's entirely possibly that if the OP maintained her weight and did not overindulge in fried foods, hers would never bother her again.

However, doctors and patients are very quick to simply remove an internal organ these days despite many people having problems after the loss of it (google it). It's apparently a "useless" organ. I wonder why it's there?

Nope, you didn't misunderstand. I threw it in there that I was eating low fat because some folks have more trouble with their gallbladders when they eat fat, apparently the OP being one of them.

I suppose the OP may never have another issue, but I am skeptical of it. My understanding is that the issue is progressive for most people.

I did not say it's a useless organ, and I am well aware some people continue to have trouble. However, if one is having pain and inflammation and stones, it's not going to get better. It isn't as if I had attacks and a surgeon rushed at me with a scalpel. My doctor warned me the issue would only get worse. I didn't want to continue with the debilitating pain. So I saw a surgeon, who couldn't operate for a couple of weeks. During that time, despite a very low fat diet, I had pain that doubled me over, and I'm not a wimp. When I did have surgery, the surgeon told me that my gallbladder was very inflamed, full of stones, and that it would only have gotten worse. Some people end up with stones in the common bile duct---another painful issue.

I don't think surgery for a failing gallbladder is bad. If the OP wants to let it ride, by all means she should do so. But I think it's precipitous to say that in this instance doctors or strangers on the internet are urging her to make a hasty choice. I am not urging her to see a surgeon. I am stating I had mine out and haven't had any further issues. Mine wasn't going to get better.

ETA: you seem to have a strong anti surgical bias, and that's cool. Everyone has to make their own choices. No need to snark at people about a quick fix over having their gallbladders out. It's a medical issue, not a moral one.

it's not a medical issue as much as it a question of ignorance and apathy.

If you feel that my having my gallbladder out is an issue of ignorance and apathy, then cheers to you. Live as you wish; I'll be doing the same.

yes, because all my posts and observations were specifically tailored to you and YOUR situation.

butthurt.

metaphoria

My doctor wanted me on anti-spasm meds for the rest of my life, which helped for five minutes and made my head swimmy and stupid for half an hour. So I got another opinion and got it taken out. Gall stones can scar up your insides and don't just go away. I looked into homeopathic flushed because I hoped to deal with it without surgery, but the studies I saw on these "flushes" proved them to be a bunch of hooey, the ingredients basically creating little globs in your stomach that you pass with your stool. So I had the surgery and no longer wake up to debilitating pain.

My triggers for pain were red meat, fried foods, and coffee. Healthy oils like nuts and avocadoes don't seem to have a negative effect.

TigressPat

But welcome to a world of lets just yank it out instead of learning how to live with it.

You're expressing a rather ridiculous sentiment. If you want to learn to live with it, you do that, but there is nothing heroic about this approach. You are not better, smarter, stronger than those of us who chose to have our gall bladders removed.

Mine's gone. I'm happy that its gone. I don't have to deal with the pain and the sickness any more.

it's ridiculous to object to losing an internal organ without even contemplating the alternatives?

wow.

It is ridiculous to express a sense of superiority to others because you've chosen to live with re-occuring pain rather than have surgery to remove an internal organ that is not essential to life, well-being, or happiness.

You understand that, don't you? It's your superior attitude that I find ridiculous, not the choice you've made to live with a malfunctioning gall bladder.

Just because you do not understand something does not make it wrong.

Meggles63

Wow! I was unaware that the decision to have one's gallbladder removed was such a moral issue!:noway:

Rosytakesoff

Rapid weight loss of any sort can cause gallstones. I had mine out and I feel so much better.

"But welcome to a world of lets just yank it out instead of learning how to live with it. " My doctor made a sharp point of telling me that it would not get better. It would get progressively worse, and it could cause pancreatitis as well. And yes, I was eating very low fat at the time, so that wasn't a contributing factor. So while surgery certainly isn't the cure for everything, I see nothing positive in living with gallbladder attacks and trying to soldier on.

the OP said she had attacks when losing weight. and possibly from eating excessive amounts of greasy food. Unless I misunderstood?
as the gallbladder does not like weight fluctuations it's entirely possibly that if the OP maintained her weight and did not overindulge in fried foods, hers would never bother her again.

However, doctors and patients are very quick to simply remove an internal organ these days despite many people having problems after the loss of it (google it). It's apparently a "useless" organ. I wonder why it's there?

Nope, you didn't misunderstand. I threw it in there that I was eating low fat because some folks have more trouble with their gallbladders when they eat fat, apparently the OP being one of them.

I suppose the OP may never have another issue, but I am skeptical of it. My understanding is that the issue is progressive for most people.

I did not say it's a useless organ, and I am well aware some people continue to have trouble. However, if one is having pain and inflammation and stones, it's not going to get better. It isn't as if I had attacks and a surgeon rushed at me with a scalpel. My doctor warned me the issue would only get worse. I didn't want to continue with the debilitating pain. So I saw a surgeon, who couldn't operate for a couple of weeks. During that time, despite a very low fat diet, I had pain that doubled me over, and I'm not a wimp. When I did have surgery, the surgeon told me that my gallbladder was very inflamed, full of stones, and that it would only have gotten worse. Some people end up with stones in the common bile duct---another painful issue.

I don't think surgery for a failing gallbladder is bad. If the OP wants to let it ride, by all means she should do so. But I think it's precipitous to say that in this instance doctors or strangers on the internet are urging her to make a hasty choice. I am not urging her to see a surgeon. I am stating I had mine out and haven't had any further issues. Mine wasn't going to get better.

ETA: you seem to have a strong anti surgical bias, and that's cool. Everyone has to make their own choices. No need to snark at people about a quick fix over having their gallbladders out. It's a medical issue, not a moral one.

it's not a medical issue as much as it a question of ignorance and apathy.

If you feel that my having my gallbladder out is an issue of ignorance and apathy, then cheers to you. Live as you wish; I'll be doing the same.

yes, because all my posts and observations were specifically tailored to you and YOUR situation.

butthurt.

As you will. I don't think for a moment all of your replies were about me and my situation. And you are clearly determined to argue. I simply don't give a rat's back pocket any more, so carry on. BTW, I have no idea what butthurt means. I assume it is insulting. Apparently I am not current on internet speak.

TigressPat

Wow! I was unaware that the decision to have one's gallbladder removed was such a moral issue!:noway:

it's not.

I stubbed my toe, hurry, cut it off!

DrLabRat

@ the OP,

I do wish you the best of luck with your surgery and with your continued weight loss. I hope that you can avoid another attack. I don't know if there's a sure-fired way to do that. My experience was a little different than yours, it sounds like. I experienced a major attack (ouch!) and the gall bladder was out a month later. In between time, I think I lived off cereal and fruit smoothies. Anything else would cause problems.

Congrats on your weight loss. Pretty impressive!

Meggles63

Wow! I was unaware that the decision to have one's gallbladder removed was such a moral issue!:noway:

it's not.

I stubbed my toe, hurry, cut it off!

I really hesitated to respond to this and probably will be sorry that I am, but stubbing one's toe is a bit different than dealing with gallstones, etc. If you cannot understand that, then I can only shake my head......

kylejh

Have it taken out. Mine has been gone for 10 years. With the exception of needing to avoid rich foods first thing, I have no issues not having it.

TigressPat

My point, for all those who have missed it, is that not everyone who experiences a gallbladder attack or stones MUST have it removed.

This may or may not apply to YOUR specific situation, I don't know. I don't particularly care, I'm simply saying that perhaps people might want to do a little bit of research and experimentation before going under the knife. It's all too common now for anyone who experiences any sort of discomfort to be advised to have it out.

TigressPat

Wow! I was unaware that the decision to have one's gallbladder removed was such a moral issue!:noway:

it's not.

I stubbed my toe, hurry, cut it off!

I really hesitated to respond to this and probably will be sorry that I am, but stubbing one's toe is a bit different than dealing with gallstones, etc. If you cannot understand that, then I can only shake my head......

and you can't understand analogies and sarcasm.

*shakes head*

DrLabRat

Wow! I was unaware that the decision to have one's gallbladder removed was such a moral issue!:noway:

it's not.

I stubbed my toe, hurry, cut it off!

A silly analogy.

Cut off a stubbed toe? No. Cut of an infected, necrotic toe? Yup. Hand me the scalpel. Better to cut off the toe than risk the foot... or your life.

Gall bladder disease can (rarely) develop into something life threatening, especially if a stone blocks the ducts. More importantly, gall bladder disease seriously diminishes ones' quality of life... and the 'quick fix' is, in fact, quick in this case.

For me... I went from miserable to 100% better in just one month. So much better than living with chronic, re-occuring misery.

LauraW1219

I had two attacks, but there was no time for me because my son has autism. Then I ended up in the ER. I didn't know what it was. I waited so long they had to make three holes in me to get all the pieces out. Get it down now. It's not worth the pain. Also, LISTEN to the doctor. I didn't and gave myself a hernia where the gallbladder used to be trying to do too much too fast. Best of luck.

ldrosophila

THANK GOD THEY ARE TAKING THAT LITTLE F'ER OUT! Why God made that organ I will never know. You will feel a million X a million times better.

It got so severe for me that there was nothing I could eat didnt matter if it was fat, carbs, are protein. I wont touch macaroons to this day because of how much pain was caused from that stupid organ.

This surgery is the best thing that will ever happen to you. Take it from someone how spent 7 days in the hospital and was the color of an orange.

I'm glad you are going to get relief!

TigressPat

Wow! I was unaware that the decision to have one's gallbladder removed was such a moral issue!:noway:

it's not.

I stubbed my toe, hurry, cut it off!

A silly analogy.

Cut off a stubbed toe? No. Cut of an infected, necrotic toe? Yup. Hand me the scalpel. Better to cut off the toe than risk the foot... or your life.

Gall bladder disease can (rarely) develop into something life threatening, especially if a stone blocks the ducts. More importantly, gall bladder disease seriously diminishes ones' quality of life... and the 'quick fix' is, in fact, quick in this case.

For me... I went from miserable to 100% better in just one month. So much better than living with chronic, re-occuring misery.

note the "rarely"

ldrosophila

I had two attacks, but there was no time for me because my son has autism. Then I ended up in the ER. I didn't know what it was. I waited so long they had to make three holes in me to get all the pieces out. Get it down now. It's not worth the pain. Also, LISTEN to the doctor. I didn't and gave myself a hernia where the gallbladder used to be trying to do too much too fast. Best of luck.

Maybe thats why I ended up with a hernia too...hmmm never thought about it I was exercising like the minute I got out of the hospital and taking a full class load.

So yes, take rest and try to stay low fat as possible. I didnt want much roughage then afterwards, but some nice chicken and mashed potatoes would have been great.

DrLabRat

Back to the topic on hand...

I don't think weight loss actually causes the gall bladder to go bad. I think weight loss just triggers an already sick gall bladder to attack. I could be wrong, but I really think it takes years of eating poorly + genetics + environmental factors we don't understand to fill that thing up with crystalized, sludgy bile.

I DO think weight loss, especially rapid weight loss, can cause the gall bladder to spasm and hurt.

Oddly enough... while a diet high in fats are bad news for gall bladders, if you already have some crystals in there, a diet very low in fat can also be a problem. My understanding (and it could be flawed) is that the bile sits in storage and has more time to form chunks that cause 'ouch'. So... you do want SOME fats in your diet even when you're losing weight to keep the bile flowing.

Anyway... yah... chat with your doctor and good luck.

Oh... and regarding the weight thing, I was 225 when mine was taken, so I think you'll be just fine at 150.

GurleyGirl524

to the OP, I had mine out 16 years ago. The attacks are horrible. I would avoid leafy greens until your surgery. They can be a major trigger food. After your surgery, there will be certain foods that will be triggers for needing a restroom nearby and good running shoes on your feet. Once you figure out what those foods are, avoid them for a while and you should be able to reintroduce them gradually as time goes. by. I eat any foods now with no problem and have been able to for a while.

I hope you have a nicer surgeon than I did though. I was 210 pounds when I had my surgery and when I went back for my followup I asked were there any foods I should not eat. His comforting reply was, "Well, just be careful, you don't want to get any fatter." Such lovely bedside manner.

Good luck to you.

ldrosophila

My point, for all those who have missed it, is that not everyone who experiences a gallbladder attack or stones MUST have it removed.

This may or may not apply to YOUR specific situation, I don't know. I don't particularly care, I'm simply saying that perhaps people might want to do a little bit of research and experimentation before going under the knife. It's all too common now for anyone who experiences any sort of discomfort to be advised to have it out.

Nope cut it out...when you have pancreatitis, the only relief you have for days on end is to stand under a scalding shower, you cant get out of bed, wont even drink water and are knocking on death's door its' time for the blessed surgeons. Best option for gall stones is to take it out. I am right on this end of story.