Gallbladder, anyone?

[Lise]

Hi, TE'ers--

I'm scheduled to have my gallbladder removed 11/2. I've known I had gallstones for about 5 years, but hadn't had a bad attack since the first one in 2001. Then this year it picked up--three very painful attacks between Feb and August. The second one convinced me, and I went to see the surgeon.

I had the worst gallbladder attack yet on Monday. I was at the hospital, finishing a 24 hr shift when it happened. My friend/colleague/boss Sandie had just arrived to take over for me and found me in a lot of pain, then I began throwing up, so she helped me to the ER.

They gave me morphine (a wonderful drug) three times, and some anti-nausea meds. I got admitted to the hospital for observation and more drugs if I needed them. I was doing fine by the next day, and they sent me home. I had another attack last night, but was able to manage it here with the meds they gave me. I've talked with the surgeon, who does not feel it's dangerous to wait for the surgery. However, he did say, "You can't go on having attacks every night, Lise." I agree with him there.

My surgery is scheduled for Nov 2. If I have another attack before then, I will just bite the bullet and have the surgery sooner. I'm trying to hold out; I have plans to go to Florida this weekend to see my dear friend, who had a stillborn baby earlier this month. I also don't want the other midwives to have to cover for me for ten days, when I already have the time off in November.

So, here's the question: If you've had your gallbladder removed, what pearls of wisdom would you give me for before or after the surgery? I'm grateful for any tips! I'm heading to Florida tomorrow morning, but will get back online Sun night at the latest.

Thanks, TE!

[crazycanuck]

(((((Lise)))))..I have no words of wisdom to offer :( except take care of yourself :)

Please have J give you lots of hugs. :)

I'm sorry to hear about your friend's loss:(

take care

C

[Lise]

(((((Lise)))))..I have no words of wisdom to offer :( except take care of yourself :)

Please have J give you lots of hugs. :)

I'm sorry to hear about your friend's loss:(

take care

CThanks, CC--John was wonderful, as you might expect. Sandie called him, and he arrived quickly. Stayed calmly and lovingly by my side until they got me settled into a room and gave me one more hit of morphine. His presence is so calming and theraputic for me. I'll miss him this weekend. Thanks for your loving thoughts. L.

[LBTC]

{{{{{{{{{Lise}}}}}}}} Visualize butterflies. Gentle blue and green ones, for healing and calm.

The docs didn't want to take my GB out, because there were no stones, even though it was badly inflamed and causing a good amount of pain. My naturopathic program, acupuncture and integrated massage have gotten me to almost well in the last few months. I wish you could try these same treatments before surgery....but if you can't, I have lots of extra butterflies poised and ready to be there from now until and through your Nov 2 surgery and beyond so you feel well until then, your surgery is flawless, and your recovery is swift and complete.

Many hugs and even more butterflies,
~T~

[Pax]

Hey Lise, had mine out a few years ago, simplest surgery I've ever had (of 9 total). I felt better immediately and was just tired for a few days.

Learn to watch what you eat until you see how your body reacts...it'll help with potentially embarrassing situations. Examples: cheese and eggs now give me the runs, meat plugs me up, and EVERYTHING gives me gas. :D

[Lise]

Thanks, T and Queen! I think I will go see an accupuncturist before surgery. I see a woman who does energy work/healing as well as talk therapy--I'm sure she can make some good suggestions.

About the food--the surgeon told me that my GB is so full of stones and sludge that it's likely that it doesn't contribute much to my digestion anyway. It will be interesting to see what changes, post-op. It will be a relief to not worry about when the next attack is coming. :D

[maillotpois]

I don't have any experience but from what you've described, it sounds like you are going to have such relief when it is done. You've really been suffering. I can imagine it will be great to get it out!! :)

[silver]

I haven't had mine but my mother did. She was supposed to have the easy scope surgery, but it didn't work and they had to open her up. So do keep in mind that this is a possibility and discuss it with the doctor. It did require a much longer hospital stay. She recovered fine, it just wasn't what she was expecting.

[velogirl]

I had my gallbladder removed in 1998. It was the easiest surgery I've ever had and I wish it hadn't taken so many years to finally diagnose me correctly. I had some horrendous attacks and was hospitalized and jaundiced and doubled over in pain more times than I care to remember.

I haven't noticed any negative GI impact from not having a gallbladder. I can still eat spicy, greasy food (and sometimes I do). I don't get gas or have digestive issues and I have regular bowel movements.

My only complaint is that the doc put my belly button back together differently that it looked before!

Good luck, Lise! Hopefully you won't have another attack before your surgery.

Lorri

[SandyLS]

I know what you are going through. Mine was removed laproscopicly about 10 years ago as I was about to turn 50 and had lost 40 lbs. Both of which can contribute to gall bladder disease. It took my doctor about a year to figure out what was wrong with me. Way too long. I remember telling him that I was having the worse pain I had ever experienced outside of childbirth. It took a week or two for me to feel fully recovered from the surgery. Since that time I have had not noticed any changes from the missing gall bladder except for the complete absence of that awful pain. Good luck. I hope you stay pain free during your visit this weekend.

[amymisk]

I don't have too much to offer. I had mine out in 2002, laproscopic. Easy recovery. The belly button incision heals slower and has some drainage. It can change the appearance of your belly button too.

I do have some GI issues with greasy foods/high fat. I don't eat them often anyway, so no loss. Avoid what triggers your attacks until surgery.

Good Luck!

[Lise]

I had a frustrating experience today. I saw the woman who I've worked with for three years, doing various kinds of energy healing. She is totally opposed to surgery. Strongly suggests I do "gallbladder flushes". The idea of trying to flush all those stones through the duct where they get stuck and cause excruciating pain sounds like madness to me. I finally said, "Can you support me in whatever decision I make, and help me through it?" She said yes.

It's true, I'm trained professionally in western medicine tradition. The plain fact is, my gallbladder is a diseased organ, causing me unpredictable and uncontrollable bouts of extreme pain, and, ENOUGH!

I didn't know that weight loss could contribute to it. My first attack came after I'd lost 30# about 5 years ago.

Thanks for your support and encouragement. I *did* take Maureen's suggestion about some homeopathic remedies to reduce the inflammation.

Now, to go pack for my trip to see my best friend. YAY! :D

[Pax]

Lise - My energy worker told me the same thing at the time...then when I finally had it out it was so full of stones and crud they had to enlarge the incision. I truly appreciate Eastern/alternative options but sometimes you have to go with a more traditional approach.

Regarding weight loss, I was so sick while waiting for my surgery (had to wait a month to get in to my preferred doc) I lost twelve pounds and was pasty gray and sick...and everyone told me how wonderful I looked with the weight loss. :rolleyes:

[Lise]

Thanks, Queen. I'm glad you shared your experience. I've read the ultrasound of my gallbladder, which says there's "layered sludge and multiple stones". Sounds like surgery would be a good way to get rid of that!

I've been OK since Tuesday night. Sore under my right rib cage, but no attacks. I'm back from Florida, and so very glad I got to see my friend. I'd like to wait 33 more days until my surgery date, but if I have another attack before then, I'll just go in and let them operate.

I will probably lose weight just cuz I'm now thoroughly scared to eat anything with much fat in it!

When my sister was diagnosed with an adrenal tumor some years ago, she had been seeing a Chinese accupuncturist. She told him of the diagnosis, and he told her that it didn't matter if she had surgery or not, the problem would remain. :eek: Ummm, not so much. She had a 10 cm tumor removed from her adrenal gland, and things got a lot better! I agree that the Western perspective is often overly interventive. But not always.

[echidna]

Although gallbladder disease is widely discussed by docs as a product of Three F syndrome (Female, Forty, and Fat), weight loss can trigger it, too. Gallstones are basically little calcified wads of cholesterol. If your body is transporting to much cholesterol in either direction it can start forming stones. In the case of weight loss, you are "reversing" the normal flow of cholesterol in your body - repackaging it from cells that no longer need it.
Maintain a moderately lowfat diet until your surgery, and especially avoid sudden big influxes of fat. When your stomach receives fat, it signals the gallbladder to contract to squoosh out bile that emulsifies it. The more fat, the bigger the squoosh, and the more it hurts.

[LBTC]

When your stomach receives fat, it signals the gallbladder to contract to squoosh out bile that emulsifies it. The more fat, the bigger the squoosh, and the more it hurts.

This is an especially good reason to not do a gallbladder flush when it is in such poor shape. Real lemon juice can produce the same function, as can ginger, and I think onions. Unfortunately, you'll need to keep a pretty low-key bland diet until the surgery, but I'm sure you can handle that!

I have heard and read many stories where patients have had numerous vague gastro intestinal complaints (not unlike what I've experienced over the last year or so). Doctors have found stones in the GB and removed it. Unfortunately, in lots of cases the GB stones are not actually causing any problems so the symptoms don't go away.

It doesn't sound like this is your experience, Lise. So don't feel like you're doing the wrong thing! I sure as heck wished I could have just had a little surgery 10 months ago, but the docs wouldn't do it, and I was left to my own devices. Turns out that for me, this was the right thing. We all walk this journey on a little different path.

Still sending calm refreshing butterflies your way...and hugs,
~T~

[sbctwin]

Had mine out several years ago. I was experiencing extreme pain for several years, but the episodes were so far apart. I then told my doc and she ordered an ultrasound...the next week I had my gall bladder removed. It had been months since the last attack, but apparantly I had a stone that was starting to block the duct and the surgeon said I needed it out immediately before it went into the duct. I haven't had the pain since. Be careful on your trip, Lise...

[marycarrell]

I'm getting mine out soon so I totally feel your pain. Also, my dog looks just like yours. I love finding other dachshund nerds :p

[Domas]

Sometimes the interrupted pain (colic) in the gallbladder area in the abdominal cavity can occur after operative removal of gall bladde (http://gallstones-gallbladder.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-is-gall-bladder-pain-attack-and.html)r, and such pain can be caused by gall stones in the common bile or pancreatic duct. With such problems it is best that the patient visit the doctor that will determine the matter.

[schnitzle]

Although gallbladder disease is widely discussed by docs as a product of Three F syndrome (Female, Forty, and Fat), weight loss can trigger it, too. Gallstones are basically little calcified wads of cholesterol. If your body is transporting to much cholesterol in either direction it can start forming stones. In the case of weight loss, you are "reversing" the normal flow of cholesterol in your body - repackaging it from cells that no longer need it.
Maintain a moderately lowfat diet until your surgery, and especially avoid sudden big influxes of fat. When your stomach receives fat, it signals the gallbladder to contract to squoosh out bile that emulsifies it. The more fat, the bigger the squoosh, and the more it hurts.
This ^

I had an inkling that something was going on with my gallbladder but it was Thanksgiving dinner that pushed me over the edge into horrible pain! I had been dieting and lost a good bit of weight before this occurred.

I had a laparoscopic gallbladder removal with 3 incisions. After surgery I was in a lot of pain for about 10 days, couldn't really stand up straight. It's nice to have someone around who can help you out the first few days.

Once I healed up I didn't notice any problems with my digestive system, and for better or worse I can still eat fatty foods without a problem.

[texascampgal]

I still have my gall bladder but occasionally suffer from painful episodes. My cure is.... baking soda. I desolve about 2-3 teaspoons in a cup or so of water and gulp. It's kind of like drinking sandy, salt water, but within 10 minutes the pain stops... completely.

I know this is only a temporary fix and eventually, I'll also have to have the surgery. For now though, no meds and no talk of surgery.