What can i expect from having my gallbladder removed?

[Zaralea1987]

For the passed 2 years ive had this problem an the doctors have only just decided to tell me what it is after going back nearly every week complaining of the pain, Everything is now going quick an being 24 an nobody in my family having this (they put it down to loosing 4 stone quickly) i really do not know what to expect. I have the attacks more or less every other week an they only way i can take the pain away is making myself be sick (wrong i know but if yo have this pain you would understand) The doctor at first was not going to give me the op as he said i was too fat? 24 size 14 i thought i was doing ok Hes asked me to loose abit more weight an to expect my opertion in a few weeks ive had a mri scan lots of bloody tests an just waiting today for the results of my blood test.

Has anyone lost weight after the op?
Is the pain bad?
And how long do you have off work?

[IHateMarlo]

The pain, I'm guessing you mean post op?
Not bad but there are one or 2 tips that can help, I'm assuming that the op will be done laparoscopically? If so most of the pain will be coming from the gas that they pump in to your stomach to allow them to see what they?re doing. As some of the gas will stay in the area post op most of the pain is been caused by the pressure of the gas on the inside of the incision (IYSWIM).
The best way to relieve this is (a) as well as drink water when you wake up also have something fizzy, and then (b) as painful as it may sound get up and out of bed, once you?re moving, gravity and natural body functions will kick in and help move the gas downward and outward .
You will be prescribed pain killers but seriously moving, even very slowly (but loudly) helps the most. Once the gas moves you?ll feel a bit stiff and tender, but as 2 of the incisions are tiny they will heal really quickly the largest of the 3 which actually wasn?t as large as I thought it would be about _ took a few days to knit fully, I had dissolvable stiches.
Workwise, the hospital signed me off for 2 weeks, as I have a mainly sit down office job in reality I could have gone back after one week from a pain/healing POV, however it can take your system a little while to get used to your new plumbing and I did have one or 2 times where I ate something that was a bit too rich and needed to be near a loo for an hour or two.
I do feel (rightly/wrongly I have no evidence) that the op speed up my metabolism a bit.
(BTW I was a size 24, not aged 24 when I had the op, so I while I can agree that maybe size 14 is big for you??? Can?t see why it?s an issue?)

[Zaralea1987]

Hi Thanks for your reply, Ive been googling i like mad but everyone seems to put bad points more than good? So when i come across this site i just stopped reading it an hoped to get a reply from someone whos had it done, So thank you again...... I am having it laparoscopically an read the notes they gave me but it was mostly all pictures, I didnt think a size 14 was that big to be fair thou i can get in a 12 but maybe fit about better in a few weeks, He said if i loose more weight that it will not leave big scaring but everyone said thats down to how he does the op?? Ive took ur post down an will make sure i try an do that im not bad with pain really nothing can be as bad as they attacks :)

[TheMoominator]

I too had mine done laparascopically. The tummy button incision hurt the most, and I couldn't wear a bra for a couple of weeks as the second scar is just under where the bra would sit between your boobs, so be prepared for that. I just had a couple of times where I had to dash to the loo, but since the op (mine was back in late March) I've been able to eat foods that I couldn't have touched before the op. Curry is the only food I can't manage but that's a small price to pay for the pain-free lifestyle I now have.

I think you'll be surprised how much better you feel after it - just give yourself at least a week to be pampered and take it easy. Hope all goes well for you :-)

[Bearskinwoolies]

I had my gall bladder removed in 2007 - the best advice I can give to help manage things until you have yours removed is to eat a very low fat diet, avoiding things like fried food, onions, dense (hard to digest) meat like pork and high fat dairy products. Try googling gallstone diet, and adapt it to suit you.

Making yourself sick doesn't really help the pain, but it can relieve the nausea to an extent.

Hope all goes well for you both

[IHateMarlo]

Hi Bluddy, all I can say it it worked for me, every step and release I could feel the pain ease

[thelittlebluepills]

I had mine out last Monday - I left hospital the same day and am now back to most normal activities.

That's despite the fact that I had a complication which put me back in hospital for 3 days with obstructive hepatitis - it's unlikely to happen to you but just wanted you to know that despite the set back I'm generally doing ok and the extra help with childcare etc (from the family) is ending tomorrow and I feel fine about doing everything myself again. My tummy is still a bit bruised/swollen/painful but nothing serious

good luck

[duende]

BluddyMoFo, I had my 6 week post-op check up last Friday. I feel great. Recovery from the op was really quick. I felt very rough the day of the op, and quite sore for a week after. The second week after the op I felt much better.
I am so happy I had it done.

Anyway, the things that helped during an attack: codeine :( buscopan, hot water bottle. I would have gone mad without codeine.

I ended up on a nearly fat free diet. I hated it and was very miserable. I was eating lots of carbs as I was constantly hungry (or obsessing about food I couldn't eat.)
I would eat pasta, potatoes, rice, grilled v.lean meat, cooked veggies, fat free dairy. I couldn't even handle musli with semi skimmed milk - both too high in fat.

Do you have a date for your op yet?

[ohnelly]

Hi I was just going to start a thread about this, but thought I would look for one first. I've had a letter this morning to say that I am having my gallbladder removed and was just wondering how long I would be out of action for.
I have two dc's ages 5yrs and 14months, and Dp works away a lot. I assume it's in & out same day for op? I am a SAHM at the moment, but hoping Dp can take a few days off work to look after dc's.
I have buscopan and codeine from gp in case of attacks, which are really painful. I have also lost weight quickly (stone and a half) doing that celebrity slim diet, assume this hasn't helped! Also find eating pastry really sets me off so am keeping away from that. So far, I have only had the attacks when I'm at home, and dread having one if I'm out somewhere. Has this happened to anyone?
Do you think the fact that I am on my own a lot with two dc's could get me moved up the waiting list?

[ohnelly]

Sorry for hijack OP! do you have a date for your op yet?

[vintageteacups]

The only way to stop the pain pre-op, when you have an attack is to take Diclafenac sodium. This is the strangest painkiller they can prescribe so ask your GP for it. It stops pain within a couple of mins.

To prevent attacks (much better way of doing things) is to completely cut out any saturated fats from your diet - and I mean completely! No butter/milk/cheese/red meat/chocolate etc - it really does stop attacks.

Then you won't have attacks before your op.

I had mine done in Germany so didn't have to wait but the list here is long (was a year).

The keyhole means the scars are so tiny, you can hardly see them - one of my drain holes is not even visable anymore. And the scars are so tiny, you'd have to search for ages to find them. The one on the right hand side probably hurt the most afterwards.

I was a 14 when I had my op and they never even mentioned it.

I think now, they do it in day surgery but if there's pain/slow recvovery, they'll observe you overnight.

[vintageteacups]

I could comfortably walk after a week but over exertion made me tired and it pulled a bit.

[IHateMarlo]

Hi ohnelly, it an be done as a day case but to be honest the first night is the worst and you might be better off been in hospital. Personally codeine really doesn't do it for me, makes me feel really nauseated I managed with brufen and paracetamol.

You really need to cut out as much fat as possible, fat will trigger the pain. Best motivator ever!
Re: scars yes the top one can rub against your bra line I tucked a piece of nonstick gauze there that helped [am rather booby, can?t go out without a bra on or people would point and laugh ].
But now after 3.5 months the scar are pretty much faded and I haven?t bothered to do anything with them.