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.

Ah, this thread popped up on my "active" list and I've enjoyed catching up on everyone's news. So happy for you all @Rarewaxwing , @vinoandbrie , @MiniCooperLover , @Anotherdayanothernight and @ihaveayod !!! Hope I haven't missed anyone, celebrating a gallbladder removal is a wonderful thing.

For me it's been a week shy of 7 months post op. Reading your accounts of your recovery reminds me of that I call my "gallbladder holiday". I was lucky not to have pain after, just a little swollen, and I didn't have pain so stopped pain med after a couple of days. I remember that first croissant, and I still have moments where I really just savour a thing. My op was in August and it was sunny and I got out for walks, the first 3 were soooooooo gentle and slow, I must have looked so weird!

I've maintained the weight loss as a result of the dreaded gall bladder fiasco. Luckily I only had 2 months between diagnosis and surgery (private) but in those two months, once I knew what foods, or even that food, triggered it I quickly lost about 2 stone.

I do still have these odd twinges that a few of you have mentioned. They can be severe but respond immediately to paracetamol and buscopan. GP have done a sonogram of everything and tested blood, faeces and urine, so it's psychological as far as they're concerned!

I still get so angry about the waits on the NHS, I hope those who are waiting for diagnosis and treatment plans get them soon.

@dudsville - ah, really good to hear that all's still well with you several months on from your operation (aside from the odd twinges - I hope they fade).

Like you, I'm also still relishing being able to enjoy previously banned foods. I'm not sure when the novelty will wear off.

I'm trying to maintain the healthier aspects of my gallbladder diet (low fat, no alcohol) for health reasons, but I'm so happy that I can have times when I enjoy, for example, steak, chips and wine, without suffering for it.

My bruising has all gone now and the scars are healing well. However, I still have some hard surgical glue left in my bellybutton. I'm scared to pick it out (what if I unravel? 😄), so I hope it will gradually wear off.

Hope everyone else is doing well, whatever stage in the process you are. I'm still so grateful that I could have the operation, rather than living in pain. I keep thinking that if I wasn't living in a time and place with access to modern medicine, the gallbladder issue would probably have heralded my end, or at the very least a life with ongoing pain. It's a scary thought.

I think about that too @Rarewaxwing, with the infections it caused. That's weird you still have surgical glue. Can you soak the area? My scars are weird. They are fading but still really visible, and sometimes they still itch just a tiny bit. My skin has always been slow to heal though. If i get a spot then i have the redness for months!

Hey all, I've just found this thread, and read through everyone's stories. Glad to see I'm not alone and hope everyone doing ok.
I was wondering if anyone had an experience of a surgical drain post surgery?
I had my gall bladder removed ( mostly/sub-total) almost two weeks ago. I had been really unwell- pancreatitis/cholecystitis, all as a result of a 34 mm gallstone blocking the entrance to the duct. They struggled to remove everything. Post MRI suggests nothing left in the duct but I'm left in limbo with a surgical drain as there's a leak..
hoping it heals on its own, and the fluid level slowly decreasing, but some chat about needing an intervention/ a stent placed if no improvement.
It's been tough. Taken awhile to recover but hopefully going in right direction.

Welcome @waitingforthedrain. Glad you've found us 🙂.

It sounds as if you've had a really tough time. Pancreatitis is awful. I hope that you're not in pain anymore and that the hospital can get the bile leak under control ASAP.

@dudsville - I've been soaking in lovely, long hot baths, but the glue hasn't budged! Maybe I will just have a plastic bellybutton from now on 🤔.

@Rarewaxwing
I think the pancreas was fine by the time the did the surgery thankfully. I had had about 7 days of oral antibiotics and 4/5 days of IV antibiotics by that point so responded well.
My gall bladder was not pretty and with a stone that size they struggled to clear the area. MRI a few days later shows everything ok. Hopefully the leak will heal on its own without intervention...

Hello @waitingforthedrain Sorry to hear that you have had a rough time. I'm 12 days post surgery but mine was straight forward. That was some stone you had there. Hope you recover quickly.

@Rarewaxwing Would the nurse at your GP be able to advise regarding the glue?

@waitingforthedrain - I think you have to be mostly infection-free to have surgery. It's good that they gave you plenty of antibiotics to get the pancreatitis under control. You must have been in a lot of pain 😔.

I hope you're not in pain now?

My gallbladder was infected the week before surgery (also very painful), but antibiotics got it sorted in time for the surgery. The surgeon said it was still inflamed and must have been like that for some time, so I have no doubt I did the right thing to have the operation.

It's astonishing that your gallstone was such a size. I had loads of Malteser-sized gallstones which, unfortunately, meant they rolled into the bile duct as well. It's weird to think my body had been making them.

@ihaveayod - yes, probably. I'll give it a bit longer first - it's a good excuse to have more extra-long baths instead of quick showers 😊.

My op is booked for next month. Could have been done in January but logistics of travel and return from a bigger hospital were too complicated. My gallstones just twinge occasionally but it’s possible any pain is masked by regular painkillers. I take 6-8 paracetamol each day for other conditions.

Still waiting for a booking in appointment, might have been called a pre op assessment? Can anyone tell me what that involves please?

Hello @Andthereyougo. It's good that you're having your operation so soon. In my experience, paracetamol isn't enough to control the pain of a gallbladder attack, but, as you say, might mask twinges. The only thing that helped me was paracetamol with codeine (at prescription-level doses once the gallbladder was infected).

The pre-med is just a meeting with a nurse who'll do blood tests and check you're fit for surgery. It's also an opportunity for you to ask any questions about the operation.

@Rarewaxwing I'm not in pain now, and all of my symptoms pre op have gone. I'm eating relatively normally. It's just this drain... I'm
In limbo with it. Can't walk too far, can't work. Can't drive

@waitingforthedrain - that sounds so frustrating. Have you been given any idea of timescale at all?

@Rarewaxwing thanks for the info. I was surprised at the scan to see so many stones plus “sludge” and the pain has reduced since then which seems strange. It’s possible that I’m just so used to being in pain every day my brain somehow blocks part of it out . 🤷‍♀️
very nervous about the operation and reading everyone’s stories on here last night really helped to calm me down.

@Andthereyougo - very natural to be nervous! I had two operations a few weeks apart and decided to ask for a 'pre-med' the second time (drugs to relax me) because I'd been so nervous the first time. I would recommend it! Not sure what they gave me, but I felt great 😄. I actually can't even remember being given the proper anaesthetic - I recall being wheeled through to the theatre and then the next thing I knew was waking up (sore!) and feeling relieved it was all over.

@Rarewaxwing no timescale. I've got another review next week

@waitingforthedrain - I hope you get good news then.

No gallstones on my scan, frustrating as would’ve been nice to have known why I’m getting this pain

I did feel like she saw something though, but all she’d say is your GP will be in touch to discuss results

@Trying81 - that's so frustrating. At least you'd have had an answer.

I hope you hear back from your GP soon.

@Trying81 there were no stones on my inital scan. The next that I had as an emergency the year after showed stones.

Thanks @Rarewaxwing my bloods were clear so I'm guessing nothing major can be wrong

@Trollfeet that's good to know, although must've been frustrating for you - I have read some can be too small to be visible

The past few weeks the pain has been left side under ribs as well as right, so I'm wondering if it could be liver or pancreas. My body has taken a beating since my pregnancy, and I have high cholesterol apparently.

Trying81, frustrating for you that they didn't see stones, did they say anything about the thickening of the gallbladder wall? It could be inflamed without stones. I'd keep pushing for answers if you can.

I had my sign off y'day with the surgeon and he said mine had been chronically inflamed as well as stones. I'm feeling very well but my joints are aching. I read online (so clearly true I know 😂) that joint pain can be a thing after and I need supplements but my Dr didn't mention anything? Does anyone do any supplements, VitD or anything called Ox Bile? I'm aware this is an American site so it may not mean anything over here?

I'm going to up my vitamins and cod liver.

@MiniCooperLover I take Vitamin D, have done since last year when blood tests showed my levels were very low. I had the loading dose and now take it every day although they told me to stop about 2 weeks before my surgery. I have started taking it again now. I know this is unrelated to gallstones but before taking the vitamin D I would get quite ill with any cold and covid was bloody horrible the first time. I caught a cold in January and I breezed through it, really mild and then caught covid at the end of February, again very mild and feeling better within a couple of days. I don't know if it's coincidence or whether the vitamin D helped but I'm going to carry on taking it. Low vitamin D also affects my mood - I feel quite low when my level drops.