Gallbladder Issues

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  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    Both my parents, my husband, and most recently my sister have all had their gall bladders out and recovered without issue. The problem with putting it off is that you are risking being a LOT sicker when you do get it out. Hubby's, for instance, was heavily infected and would have made him an extremely sick puppy had it burst. Pancreatitis can kill you. If my doctor said, "Time to have your gall bladder out," I'd be packing my toothbrush for the trip to the hospital. Most people are home the same day. They kept hubby overnight to pump him full of antibiotics. My sister's came out two weeks ago and the insurance company approved her to return to work this week. She feels better than she has in ages except for soreness. Bear in mind all this folks were older than you are and took longer to recover than you probably will if you do it NOW while you're healthy.
  • jaecamp1
    jaecamp1 Posts: 120 Member
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    I had mine out last year. I was up walking a few hours after I woke up and picking up my kids the next day. I could have returned to work two days after, but I took off two weeks just because I could :)
  • mgobluetx12
    mgobluetx12 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    I had mine out in 98 and also experienced IBS for a few years after. That was absolutely awful, but it eventually got better and now I have no problems at all.
  • metaphoria
    metaphoria Posts: 1,432 Member
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    I had mine out last summer and had some digestion issues for the first couple of months, and found that too much beef makes my stomach mutiny, and coffee can cause pain like a gallstone attack if I drink too much over a few days. So more tea and chicken, and I feel fine.
  • running_free_1984
    running_free_1984 Posts: 115 Member
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    Went into pancreatitis was hospatilzed for 7 days...best surgery of my life. I think it is such a worthwhile surgery there is no sense in being in pain when you can do something about it.

    Never had issues afterwards.

    Discuss with your doctor and what you want out of your quality of life, but personally I say get it!

    Another who experienced the complication of gall stones. I've never experienced anything like pancreatitis and never want to again. Saying that having given birth with no pain relief!

    24 weeks pregnant here. So the pain of pancreatitis was way worse than birth? I can remember laying on my bed then thinking I was ready to die.

    If I can get through that then birth will hopefully be easier...crosses fingers

    birth was a lot shorter and was only really painful when in the transition phase from stage 1 to 2. You'll be fine Hun :)
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,157 Member
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    Had my laprascopic choleycystectomy in 1992 when I was 28 and the procedure was fairly new. From my first attack to the surgery was two weeks, so it was acute and needed. Met the surgeon that morning before the nighttime procedure. It was four days before Christmas and if it had to be converted to the open incision version, I'd have been in the hospital for Christmas, but it was highly necessary to risk that. My final attack had been for six hours straight and had been because I had a slice of really good pizza that had some extra oil dripping off (New Yorkers will understand).

    Loved it. Stayed overnight only because the surgery was at 8 PM. They stuck me on a low fat diet in the hospital but once I got out of there it was back to normal. Have not had any problems and it was such a relief to eat something and not go to bed thinking I'd be awake in agony a few hours later. Immediately after my belly felt like I had done a million situps, but oral pain meds helped. I was in the mall Christmas shopping two days later - keeping my arms out so no idiot would bump into me. I had two weeks off because that's what they gave you, and since it was the only way I'd get off for the holidays, I was okay with that. Also I worked in a busy delivery room and it's very physical so I would not have been able to lift patients right away. I took my time with that when I went back but there wasn't a problem.

    You have to do what's best for you, of course, but I just can't imagine waiting and always wondering when the next attack would be, like on a vacation. Good luck with whatever you choose.
  • xoxolindseym
    xoxolindseym Posts: 43
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    I had my gallbladder out a couple months ago on July 31st. I had been having trouble with it but for years I put it off and tried it ignore it as I was in school and didn't have time to deal with the recovery. I was TERRIFIED to be put under.

    The longer I put it off, the worse it got. I ended up with a VERY infected gallbladder which gave me liver disease and beginning stages of pancreatitis. It was scary to be in the ER and have the doctor come in and say, "We need to get it out asap and you can't leave the hospital till we do."

    I'm loving life not having one. I feel completely awesome. It only took me about 5 days to recover and I could get up/walk perfectly fine, pain free.

    I say if you can get it out now, do it. Do. Not. Wait. The couple days of down time with the recovery is worth going through.

    If I could go back I would beat myself up for not doing it sooner.

    Edit: I also ended up with a gallstone blocking my bile duct. Caused my bilirubin levels to rise from 1 to 5.8. I felt like I had fire ants crawling under my skin 24/7 for two months and completely scratched my legs to shreds. No shorts for me anytime soon.
  • WrenTheCoffeeAddict
    WrenTheCoffeeAddict Posts: 148 Member
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    I had my gallbladder out 2 years ago - but the doctors and hospitals really let me down. It took them a year to diagnose it, and then they postponed the surgery once - but by then it was too late. My gallbladder actually died, and my body became riddled with infection within 24hours. They had to rush me into hospital after I had a fit, keep me on a high dose of morphine and antibiotics just to kept the infection down enough for them to operate.

    Do not postpone it. Because of the extent of my surgery I was laying down in bed for 2 weeks before I was even allowed to walk downstairs.

    No post-effects, I can drink alcohol fine, I don't eat much fat anyway, so I've noticed no difference.
  • running_free_1984
    running_free_1984 Posts: 115 Member
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    Just a thought, if you get any bilial colic in the mean time take anti inflammatory meds. Ideally take naprosyn or diclofenac. Even stuff like ibuprofen can help.

    they loosen the bile duct and allow the stone to pass. Its handy if you have stones that are numerous in amount but below 5mm diameter. The bile duct is on average about 4mm across so it possible to get rid of an attack that way. I did it a couple of times before i went in for the removal and it stopped it.

    i wouldn't rely on it as anything but a short term measure but its worth doing if you can get past an attack quicker.
  • FourIsCompany
    FourIsCompany Posts: 269 Member
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    I had my gall bladder removed some years ago (maybe 5 or so). The surgery was laparoscopic (small incisions) so the recovery was minimal. Within days, I was fully functional. I laid off fat for a while, but eventually, I was able to eat anything. Sometimes, when I eat a fatty meal, I can feel a discomfort in the area, but it passes. Having several debilitating gall bladder attacks convinced me to do it. I have NO regrets.

    I don't drink alcohol, so can't speak to that.
  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
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    I had WLS AND gallbladder surgery at the same time. They found out I had stones during my pre-op ultrasound. I was having pain, but it was fairly mild and I didn't know what it was. I have had ZERO issues and am happily stone-free. Get the surgery. I don't think you will regret it. However, you will be regretting it during your next attack...
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
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    Went into pancreatitis was hospatilzed for 7 days...best surgery of my life. I think it is such a worthwhile surgery there is no sense in being in pain when you can do something about it.

    Never had issues afterwards.

    Discuss with your doctor and what you want out of your quality of life, but personally I say get it!

    Another who experienced the complication of gall stones. I've never experienced anything like pancreatitis and never want to again. Saying that having given birth with no pain relief!

    Agreed! I had mine out last year and it was the best decision I've made. I had attacks on and off for a few years before I had one that lasted 3 days, worst pain ever, even worse than 100% natural child birth! I was only down 5 days after surgery and have not had any major digestive issues.
  • schonkreuz
    schonkreuz Posts: 493 Member
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    I had mine out two months ago and did not experience the decreased appetite they said I would, instead I wanted to eat all the things(I was on a strict diet to prevent attacks, toast soup and sf jello get boring)! The only thing I've noticed is when I eat too much fat I have to go to the potty quickly :blushing: nothing much other then that.
  • AbbyCar
    AbbyCar Posts: 198 Member
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    I had my gallbladder out one month after having my last child. I had problems for about six years, but noticed my attacks were getting more frequent, more painful and lasting longer. I figured I'd just have it out while I was on maternity leave. Best thing ever! After a couple of days I felt really good, other than being a little sore. I have not noticed any issues with eating fatty or greasy food.
  • gabbygirl78
    gabbygirl78 Posts: 936 Member
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    Hi everyone. Long time user, first time poster! I thought I'd try these message boards for support about some gallbladder issues I've been having since I've seen some great support go out to others!

    I had my first ever 'gallbladder attack' about 5 years ago while I was at university and have had them on and off since then. I've had 3 in the space of a week, and I've also gone months with no pain whatsover. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with gallstones after a particularly bad attack in January. 26 hours of pain, codeine, valium, nothing would shift it. The consultant scheduled me in to get my gallbladder removed and since then I've postponed two surgery dates.

    The hospital have obviously had enough and scheduled me an appointment on the 21st of September, but as i'm crazy busy with work and social things, I'm reluctant to take time off for recovery. I've also been doing a lot of research and though I understand people turn to the internet when things go wrong, there do seem to be a lot of issues to do with digestive problems after removal (I was especially upset to learn that some people end up completely intolerant to alcohol!)

    On top of that I've not had any pain AT ALL in 9 months. I'm not sure if that's due to doing more exercise, becoming pescetarian and losing 20lbs, or if i'm just in 'off season'. I've certainly had nights of excess in the space of that time and I've had no bloating, pain or any bad symptoms at all.

    I'm in two minds about surgery because on one hand, it is preventative and removes the fear of gallstones getting worse. On the other hand, I feel perfectly healthy and I don't want to go messing with organs and my digestive system if I don't have to.

    I'm fine with having a low fat diet afterwards as I follow a relatively low fat diet already, but the thought of rushing to the toilet immediately after having an alcoholic drink or slice of pizza really depresses me. I'm only 22 and I'm really settled into my diet and exercise plan, I'd hate for it to get ruined.

    I was wondering what others experiences of gallbladder removal have been? Were you unable to eat certain foods or drink alcohol after having your gallbladder removed? How quickly did you recover? (I have a weekend away booked 10 days after my surgery is scheduled that I've been looking forward to all year).

    I know that my health comes first and that's precisely why I'm asking. I don't want to cause myself issues if diet and exercise seems to be keeping problems at bay.

    Thanks so much for any advice!

    I developed Gallstones when I was 7 months pregnant with my son. I carried him for another month before they had to take him and my Gallbladder. I had developed Pancreatitis from it and was very sick. I was in the hospital for 16 days with only IV fluids until my Pancreas recovered enough to have the surgery. After having it out, I have had little problems... I can tolerate alcohol and other things. I seemed to go to the bathroom every time I ate for a little while after but I was use to that after having IBS all my life. In fact that has actually got better since then. If you have Gallstones then it is almost a must to get the surgery. My first attack was so bad I stayed in the hospital for over a week and my blood pressure kept bottoming out. and I was very very sick. My pancreatitis was caused from an actual stone getting lodged in the duct between my gallbladder and my pancreas. My pancreas is forever damaged now since a pancreas cant regenerate. I was already a candidate for pancreatic cancer due to my gallstones and the damage it did, but now on top of that my father just passed away in April from pancreatic cancer. My advice is get the surgery. You wont regret it. It is a same day surgery and a fast recovery. You don't even have stitches. just 4 to 5 tiny incisions in your abdomen with the Laparscopic Cholesystectomy. You will regret NOT having it in the long run I think. Good luck
  • gabbygirl78
    gabbygirl78 Posts: 936 Member
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    Went into pancreatitis was hospatilzed for 7 days...best surgery of my life. I think it is such a worthwhile surgery there is no sense in being in pain when you can do something about it.

    Never had issues afterwards.

    Discuss with your doctor and what you want out of your quality of life, but personally I say get it!



    Another who experienced the complication of gall stones. I've never experienced anything like pancreatitis and never want to again. Saying that having given birth with no pain relief!

    24 weeks pregnant here. So the pain of pancreatitis was way worse than birth? I can remember laying on my bed then thinking I was ready to die.

    If I can get through that then birth will hopefully be easier...crosses fingers

    birth was a lot shorter and was only really painful when in the transition phase from stage 1 to 2. You'll be fine Hun :)

    I gave birth a couple weeks after having pancreatits and YES child birth is much less painful!!! The pain was so excruciating that it had thrown me into premature labor and I didn't even feel my contractions( that were registering literally off the charts). I dilated 3 cm before they got it stopped . Most horrible experience I have ever had. Labor was easy after that!
  • Patzycakes
    Patzycakes Posts: 175 Member
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    I'm in the same boat. Just got my ultrasound done a week ago and have to meet with a general surgeon to schedule.

    I'm not going to think too much into the possible side effective. I'm primarily meat and dairy free. But boy, would I hate not being able to have a vodka cranberry!

    TIme will tell i suppose.
  • running_free_1984
    running_free_1984 Posts: 115 Member
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    Went into pancreatitis was hospatilzed for 7 days...best surgery of my life. I think it is such a worthwhile surgery there is no sense in being in pain when you can do something about it.

    Never had issues afterwards.

    Discuss with your doctor and what you want out of your quality of life, but personally I say get it!



    Another who experienced the complication of gall stones. I've never experienced anything like pancreatitis and never want to again. Saying that having given birth with no pain relief!

    24 weeks pregnant here. So the pain of pancreatitis was way worse than birth? I can remember laying on my bed then thinking I was ready to die.

    If I can get through that then birth will hopefully be easier...crosses fingers

    birth was a lot shorter and was only really painful when in the transition phase from stage 1 to 2. You'll be fine Hun :)

    I gave birth a couple weeks after having pancreatits and YES child birth is much less painful!!! The pain was so excruciating that it had thrown me into premature labor and I didn't even feel my contractions( that were registering literally off the charts). I dilated 3 cm before they got it stopped . Most horrible experience I have ever had. Labor was easy after that!

    OMG! to have pancreatitis in late preg is something i cant imagine!
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    It's been about 3 years for me.

    No issues with alcohol (I don't drink very often or very much). Normally I know that I will need a bathroom roughly 1/2 hour after eating anything high in fat so I prepare for it. It's never caused too much of an issue and better than the pain from the stones was any day ;)

    It was 2 years before they finally figured out what was wrong with me. I'd have an attack, go to emergency and by the time I got in to see anyone the pain had gone away. I had it worked out to last around 6 hours so the last few attacks I just dealt with because I knew it was pointless to go anywhere.. When the pain didn't stop after 6 hours and I started puking from it I knew it was something really wrong. By the time I got in to see the doctors, they admitted me, and figured out what the problem was I had to be scheduled for emergency surgery. I was off 1 week and had to be a little careful moving around for a while. They would have given me 2 weeks off but I needed to work.
  • gabbygirl78
    gabbygirl78 Posts: 936 Member
    Options
    Went into pancreatitis was hospatilzed for 7 days...best surgery of my life. I think it is such a worthwhile surgery there is no sense in being in pain when you can do something about it.

    Never had issues afterwards.

    Discuss with your doctor and what you want out of your quality of life, but personally I say get it!



    Another who experienced the complication of gall stones. I've never experienced anything like pancreatitis and never want to again. Saying that having given birth with no pain relief!

    24 weeks pregnant here. So the pain of pancreatitis was way worse than birth? I can remember laying on my bed then thinking I was ready to die.

    If I can get through that then birth will hopefully be easier...crosses fingers

    birth was a lot shorter and was only really painful when in the transition phase from stage 1 to 2. You'll be fine Hun :)

    I gave birth a couple weeks after having pancreatits and YES child birth is much less painful!!! The pain was so excruciating that it had thrown me into premature labor and I didn't even feel my contractions( that were registering literally off the charts). I dilated 3 cm before they got it stopped . Most horrible experience I have ever had. Labor was easy after that!

    OMG! to have pancreatitis in late preg is something i cant imagine!

    I wouldn't wish it on anyone! It was horrible!:sick:

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