Gallbladder attacks advice PART 2, where heybwoss gets ready to celebrate

[dudsville]

In June 23 Heybwoss started the thread titled "gallbladder attacks advice". I don't know how to do links, but that thread helped a number of us through some really dark and scary times. Now heybwoss is finally getting her gallbladder removed this Friday! This thread is to have a space to check in about that, and for anyone suffering the awful physical and psychological pain and suffering while waiting to have theirs removed, for all those missing all the celebratory and holiday meals, missing the ease of simply eating when hungry, and simply missing the ease of enjoying eating without The Fear. Come on heybwoss 🥳🥳🥳

I've tried to link posters names but i can't work out how to do this.

Now they have to measure how much wee I'm producing. Luckily I'm feeling too out of it to be embarrassed.

Success! I have managed to wee!

Getting up really want as painful as I'd expected. I suppose it might be the painkillers. Anyway, it's all good so far.

wasnt

Where's the editing button gone?

Thats great, pleased it went well.

I had my consultant mtg today (Private). I have an apt for removal on the 21st Feb, blood and ultrasound next week to make sure nothing major had changed. He did scare the sh*t out of me by talking side effects and I completely forgot to ask him about time off work and how much etc.

That's great news! Try not to think about side effects (not that I followed this advice). Focus on the benefits.

I think you can take 10 to 14 days off after keyhole surgery. I'm freelance, so can take as much or as little time off as I need. This saga has ruined my business for the moment, as I haven't been able to commit to any work. I'm going to have to really go for it once I'm better.

@Rarewaxwing yay! So pleased it all went well! Your much braver than me?! Are you staying in overnight? Did it take long?

So pleased for you @Rarewaxwing! Enjoy all the good food (eventually)

Yes, staying overnight. All the staff are lovely. The nurse has just brought me more pain killers. I'm only on paracetamol and ibuprofen because the pain is minimal.

Ask for a premed if you're scared. I was all woozy by the time they took me down to theatre and the last thing I remember is them putting a canula in. A much better experience than the time before.

@AlltheJays23 - I went into theatre at 3 and was texting my DH incoherent messages by 6. (He said, "You do realise 90% of what you're writing is gibberish, don't you? Don't do on social media!").

Thank you! The nurse just bought me some biscuits and I've, tentatively, eaten three.

But I'm so looking forward to eating the things I've missed (in time).

Great news @Rarewaxwing - hopefully everything will go well from now on.

I've been waiting nine months just to see a surgeon - I'm beginning to think my referral has got lost in the system! However, my issues aren't too bad so I will continue to wait ......

@dudsville the surgeon I saw today said he had a lady who suffered that condition after her surgery. She went to her GP who had never heard of it either so went back to the private surgeon who said he gave her a medication that he called 'bile dust' and it resolved her issue (constant diarrhoea). Can you go back to your private surgeon?

Ooh, that's interesting, thanks @MiniCooperLover !

Feeling good this morning. The only slight issue is shoulder pain (from the air, I assume), but I've just taken more painkillers, so that should pass.

I have been allowed to have a shower, but told no baths for now.

Getting in and out of bed is fine. I do roll a bit, rather than get up normally, so I don't put pressure on the wounds, but really there is very little pain.

Hoping to be discharged late morning/early afternoon with codeine and laxatives.

It might be worth chasing this up via your GP or hospital, just to make sure you're definitely on the list. And then you might find out how long you'll have to wait.

The trouble is that the gallbladder can be no problem for months, then suddenly - bam! - you have an infection or biliary colic. So it's important to know the surgery date is getting closer.

The pain started kicking in around midday today, maybe as the painkillers were wearing off. I'm now back home with a big bag of meds from the hospital pharmacy. I'm on morphine, ibuprofen and paracetamol. They've also given me a week's omeprazole to protect my stomach lining and a big bottle of Lactulose 😄!

If I take the pills on schedule, I'm fine. But I can't laugh because it hurts my shoulder - I found this out when DS1 was laughing at my unintelligible WhatsApp messages to DH yesterday, just after my op!

I'm still being really careful what I eat, so no fat. That's going to be a hard habit to break, I think.

I'm so glad I found this thread, due gallbladder removal on Monday and feel quite anxious about it! It first started with an infected gallbladder in September, pain was excruciating and I spent 4 nights in hospital with lots of antibiotics. They discovered I have gallstones, the largest one is 2cm in diameter, and I was told to have a fat free diet. I was meant to have surgery in December but then it was a strike, again in January, another strike so now I'm booked in for Monday. The funny thing is that I haven't had any problems since my infection and I have been eating more or less as normal, so sometimes I do think I don't need the surgery but as both my mum and grandma had problems around my age I know it has to be done...

I'm much in the h same.boatbas to. Had issues with my gallbladder 18 months ago, the surgery kept getting postponed and I was taken off the list. I've had barely any major issues with my gallbladder even though we know there are deffo stones there. It doesn't giv m much jip anymore so my GP said we will watch and wait. I get off niggles and tenderness but only occasionally. I guess I've been lucky up until now. @Rarewaxwing glad to know you are home and recovering well!

Hi @Anotherdayanothernight I’m having mine out on Monday as well! Do you have blood tests between now and Monday? I’m having bloods done tomorrow to somehow check that my gallbladder is not infected, so I’m almost worried in case they call it off because something shows up in the blood test results.

I'm just ahead of you (operation yesterday).

I had weeks when my gallbladder didn't cause problems and I wondered if I needed the operation, but when the pain kicked in, I remembered! By the time the operation came round, my gallbladder was infected. So have the op on Monday and avoid all the other problems (and pain) you'll get if you don't.

Plus, it's better to have the surgery when it's planned, rather than an emergency, if possible.

If you're feeling anxious, ask for a pre-med. I didn't do this when I was in a fortnight ago to have gallstones removed from my bile duct and I was shaking from fear. This time, I requested a pre-med and they gave me tramadol. I was calm and sleepy on the way down to surgery and don't remember a thing after they put the canula in. It was brilliant.

Hi @vinoandbrie, like your name btw, I did my blood tests in December as I was meant to have the surgery then, and they told me I wouldn't have to redo them for 3 months. I haven't had any pain there since September so it should be ok...

Ah well done, everything crossed that you are nailed on to have it finally done on Monday, I hope it goes really well for you.

I have bought peppermint tea, but apart from that I feel really disorganised!

@Rarewaxwing thanks, I've been reading your updates on your surgery and I will definitely have it on Monday, even if it does feel like I don't need it! Both my mum and grandmother had so many problems with their gallbladders and the surgeon I spoke to said as it's genetic it's not really a question of if I will have problems but when.

Thank you, and I hope it goes well for you too! Haven't really prepped anything, was told to wear loose fitting clothes

Thanks. I've been a bit blase about the whole thing. Originally diagnosed around 18/20 years ago, and no real problems until the last four or five years when I've had gastritis, which I never linked to my gallstones until I ended up at a weekend duty doctor last year when I had severe gastritis, plus gallbladder pain. Only had one attack since, presumably due to overindulgence over Christmas. I'll give it a few weeks then contact the surgery to make sure the referral has gone through. I do eat whatever I like most of the time, although I check the fat content of lots of things, so I really should make a change to my diet while I wait. My GM had gallstones, and my DM had lots of digestion issues, and I seem to take after that side of the family healthwise.

Good to hear you are on the mend