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.

@Anotherdayanothernight - your progress sounds much like mine. It's funny that you have had the loud gurgling stomach too. I hope this calms down for us both.

I found today was the best day so far (Day 12). I felt pretty much normal again and was able to get lots done at home 🙂.

I had a sprinkling of cheese on chicken fajitas tonight as a test: no ill effects at all!

Just had my post-op review. The surgeon said my gallbladder was infected and had clearly been that way for a long time. So I'm pretty certain that the symptoms I started out with two years ago were gallbladder related rather than the indigestion I was originally diagnosed with. I always thought the symptoms were too severe to be indigestion, especially when I started vomiting.

I feel as if I've finally back in the normal world again. My energy levels are up, I'm not in pain and I can eat fatty foods without issue. However, I'm still being really cautious about what I eat and I'm not overloading my body with fat. So far, this week, I've tried a homemade cookie (loads of butter), some grated cheese and some roast beef and potatoes. I haven't suffered any ill effects at all 😊.

I asked if my body could still create stones that might get stuck in my bile duct. The surgeon said he'd made an incision to enlarge the duct when he performed the ERCP, so even if I do create stones again, they will pass through.

'I feel as if I'm back in...'

(Where did that useful edit button go?).

Thank you for sharing this update, delighted to hear you feel so much better!

I’ve also been fobbed off with ‘acid reflux’ for years, which I now very much hope was gallbladder all along, as the pain was that bad each time.

Yes, I bet it is your gallbladder! I stopped taking omeprazole once my gallbladder issues were diagnosed and I'm not planning on restarting. Since the op, all my symptoms have disappeared. It's actually quite strange (and wonderful) not to have pains. I still expect them and am on alert for them. I suppose it takes a while to trust that your body is healthy again.

By the way, I believe that omeprazole makes gallstones worse, which means misdiagnosis doesn't just delay treatment - it aggravates symptoms.

So happy for you that all your symptoms have disappeared since the op, that is amazing, what a result!

I had no idea that omeprazole makes gallstones worse. Guess what is the only medication that I have been offered to deal with the pain?! Crackers isn’t it. Fortunately, as it’s never seemed to make a blind bit of difference in terms of improving my symptoms, I’ve never persevered with it beyond a few days.

@vinoandbrie - I've just had a look for research to support what I said about omeprazole (which I read online recently), but now all I can find is a couple of small studies suggesting there may be a link between long-term use of omeprazole and gallbladder issues. So, actually, the evidence is still unclear.

It's worrying, though, that gallbladder issues are often misdiagnosed as indigestion, especially when things can easily turn nasty. For instance, I know of someone who ended up with pancreatitis after being misdiagnosed with indigestion.

Glad to hear all is feeling better now Rarewaxwing. I had my pre op and final consultant apt y'day, seems we are all go for the 21st. I've been v fortunate lately and haven't really followed the diet much but will try to make sure I do for the next 2 weeks so I don't jinx things!

@Rarewaxwing I'm so pleased that your recovery is going well.
@MiniCooperLover Good luck for the 21st. I totally get it that you don't want anything to happen which would prevent the surgery, I'm in the same position as my surgery is booked for 1st March.
@vinoandbrie I was told that I have having bouts of gastritis for a couple of years before the gallstones were found.

Sounds like you're all set! Very good idea to stick to the diet before the operation, though. I hope the next couple of weeks go smoothly.

Thanks, I feel very fortunate. Just hope this continues.

Good luck for the next few weeks before your operation. I was literally counting down the days in the end.

Interesting that you were told you had gastritis, not gallstones. Misdiagnosis sounds pretty common.

No major issues this week, trying to be good and healthy and just eat well and not tempt fate. I've been in a bit of a down mood though, I don't know if it's apprehension at the idea of the op or the amount of work I know I've got to get through before next Wednesday. Not helped by my boss again asking 'so when do you think you'll be back' (I guess hoping I'd say less than the two weeks I'd mentioned previously) and not sounding thrilled by the answer, but I can't do anything about it. It's just making me more tense.

My gallbladder came out yesterday. Home last night, made supper, ate, unpacked my bag, saw to the children, and have been for a good walk this morning.

The surgeon said that he was surprised I’d been able to function as my gallbladder was ‘full of pus’. My discharge papers say ‘Cholecystitis+ empyema’.

I was a bit shocked, and am wondering whether this is why I’m (so far) bouncing back well - I was just so unwell before, and hadn’t really noticed as it was a gradual decline.

Glad you've had the op! But it sounds as if you've been very active. It's amazing that you feel well enough (I certainly didn't), but do remember to rest as well. Activity is good, but your body still needs the opportunity to heal.

Are you taking painkillers?

That's shocking that your gallbladder was full of pus. Sounds like things could have turned very nasty without the operation.

I hope you continue to feel well. I am still enjoying the contrast between how ill I felt before the operation and how I feel now. I'm not taking it for granted yet because the attacks of pain had become my new normal. It's such a relief to be able to eat without fear.

I hope you continue to fend off the attacks before your operation.

Sorry you've been feeling down, though. It's probably a build-up of stress dealing with the pain and worry, plus pressure from work. Your boss needs to stop asking when you'll be back! How on earth can you possibly know beforehand? It's very insensitive of him / her.

She's a fantastic boss generally, I wouldn't get better I don't think but I think she hears key hole and thinks oh that's good that's minor. Understandable really. It'll be fine 👌

@MiniCooperLover - gah, how frustrating! But at least she's a good boss overall.

I’m now day three post-op and am feeling really good. I had paracetamol for a bit but am now stopping it.

One thing is getting to me… Can anyone help?!

I’ve been told to wear surgical stockings for two whole weeks, with the exception of when I take a shower. But they irritate me! They are waking me in the night as they are quite uncomfortable, so I’m not sleeping very well.

I’ve looked on the NHS website and they just make reference to wearing them until you’re ‘fully mobile’, which I have been since a couple of hours after the operation.

I don’t want to go against the advice given, but ahhhh! I don’t have anything else going on which I think would increase my risk of a DVT.

Really pleased to hear how well you're doing 😊.

Sorry to hear about the irritating stockings. I was only advised to wear them for a few days and was lucky not to find them annoying. Could you ring the ward you were on and ask advice? Maybe they didn't expect you to be so mobile so quickly or something.

It's great that you're up and about so much. I was in bed a lot of the time, but I also had an iron deficiency which was making me exhausted. I didn't really pep up until I'd been on iron pills for a week or so and then it was like a miracle. It's so nice to have energy again.

Thank you so much for the advice, I will ring them and ask.

I am really pleased that you are now full of energy, absolutely fantastic, who knew a little thing like iron could make so much difference!

These threads are making me really hopeful that once I'm healed I'm going to really start feeling better. I think I've just got used to how 'rotten' (can't think of a better way to describe it) my insides feel, particularly (or at least until) in the mornings before I've fully used the toilet. Then I usually feel a bit better but almost like a 'refilling' feeling (I know I'm not making much sense really). But it's so hard to explain it to people who have had no issues. I'm certain my gallbladder is also what's hurting my back (pressure on my kidneys) and hips so we'll see how it all goes after.

@MiniCooperLover - I hope and expect you'll feel transformed once you've recovered from the operation. I had similar sensations of things being wrong inside me before my operation. We sense when our bodies go wrong. When my gallbladder became infected, I knew there was something really badly wrong inside - I just didn't know what it was till the doctors diagnosed it.

Now, post-op, I just feel normal again. That feeling that I took for granted before is so precious now. So far, I've been able to eat whatever I like without repercussions. I even tried half a glass of wine a couple of nights ago and didn't have any ill effects (I haven't had any alcohol since the surgeon told me to avoid it when I was first diagnosed in November and wanted to let my insides heal before trying any post-op).

You don't have long to wait now (I think your op is on 21st?). So only a few more days of feeling so unwell, then you'll be restored to good health again 🥳.

@MiniCooperLover - just wanted to wish you all the best for your operation tomorrow. It'll soon be over - and you can look forward to feeling healthy again.

@MiniCooperLover Good luck for tomorrow

Thanks all, went ok I think. Dr said there's either a bubble of air in the area or a stone but they're hoping it'll absorb but they'll do a blood test at my follow up to be sure. I've had a lot of tea and a sandwich. Hoping to agree I can go home, just waiting on some pain relief and then they’ll start paperwork to send me off home 🏠 Slightly sad to miss my evening meal and breakfast but it is quite hot and noisy so I'll be happier at home I think 👍