Gallbladder removal POST OP

[PopcornBits]

Hi, I posted up a few days ago about having gallbladder removed and catching a cold! (Which almost cancelled my op today)
Have had the op after begging, pleading, mostly because I have no family, my husband just got back from overseas and will be starting a new contract 6th Feb. So I really needed to get this surgery done.
Anaesthetist checked chest redid temp, all came back ok he was happy to proceed but told me I was at risk for chest infection/pneumonia.

I just want to ask a few questions to those who've had it done now:
How bad was your pain after op? I woke up with bilary colic type pain, (probably from gas) and had to have in total, morphine injection, 2 lots of oramorphs and have just had a codeine. Basically I'm in a lot of pain, not just slight discomfort like the pre op nurse made it sound like!

Secondly, my chest and throat are as dry as sand, and coughing is hurting!
How long is the grogginess dryness going to last?

Also, my wounds have been glued back together, is that usual? I apparently have stitches on the inside though.

Thanks in advance :)

Thanks- hope you feel better asap.

Look after yourself- it is major surgery- I forgot that cos it was just keyhole!

Also, side effect, I've become an epic trumper! Sorry for the overshare!

It took me a good 2 weeks to recover and start weaning myself off the painkillers. I wouldn't think you will be up to much this week tbh op good your mum is coming to help out.

I had mine out 2 weeks after an EMCS it was all a bit of a hideous blur but totally worth it, the pain from gallstones was the most horrific pain I have ever endured. That said I still can't eat anything fatty without having to rush to the loo the next day

Oh my...my heart goes out to all of you.

I've had blood tests. Everything has come back fine.

Still have bloated tum..despite being told am not gluten intolerant. I think I am . I just hadn't eaten enough to show up in the two days before blood test.

Liver fine, kidneys like a young girls . Ezcr test fine.

So, what next?

Nurse says 'some discomfort' translation - ' it will hurt like shit'

Nurse says 'you will be back to normal in a week or so' - translation ' you will be able to pop to asda for half an hour in a couple of week's ( then need a lie down)'

Hope you feel better soon op.

Also, my wounds have been glued back together, is that usual? I apparently have stitches on the inside though.

I had my keyhole surgery holes glued (not gallbladder).
It takes about 3 weeks for you to heel and for it to start to peel off. I trimmed the loose bits off as it came unstuck.

I found the worst bit was the stretched stomach muscles, they ached as they returned back to shape.

Quick question, for those who've had it removed, did you suffer diarrhoea?
I stopped the codieine today, as I'm not in as much pain, I've ended up having bouts of diarrhoea instead!
I do hope this is temporary

It is one of the side effects, but for me anyway it decreased in severity and frequency after a few months.
The only thing I'm left with is when I have to 'go' I really have to, holding on not an option. Thankfully this only happens when I have my first coffee of the day I suppose I should give it up. But I need and love a

I do hope that's the case. I had the same urgency today whilst talking to a salesman at my door. I ended up screaming no thanks at him, slamming the door, standing on my poor DD foot whilst racing to the loo and then consoling crying DD whilst on the toilet 😳
It was bloody horrible.
I hadn't even eaten anything fatty, I've been really conscious about what I'm eating, it actually had started just before I ate, then eating made it worse.

I'm anxious that this is going to go on for months and months!

Only pain relief DH had was paracetemol - and he only needed that for 24 hours after the op. No other side effects, he can eat what he likes. Dr signed him off work for 4 weeks - he went back after 10 days as he was bored and felt fine. Sorry all is not going well for you OP.

I'd read diarrhoea was a possible side effect & did have a period when it seemed it was an issue after my op. I think it's to do with the bile leaking into your stomach instead of being stored in your gallbladder - mine didn't last long. My only real side effect I'm left with is a ridiculous amount of unexpected wind That's the 1 thing that's changed & I do pin on my op. But, it's less & less of a problem & im just about able to stick a cork in manage it without it causing embarrassment.

Use your recovery period to allow your body to get back some balance. If your anything like me you'll be analysing all the things that happen & worrying it's permanent. Luckily for me it wasn't - I'm sure given time you'll be the same

Haha yep I am analysing everything I'm consuming.
It seems luck of the draw doesn't it, some people are perfectly fine after, others not so much.
I guess time will tell!

I also felt fine a little stiff but no pain Remember waking up and wanting a wee the nurse wanted to get a bed pan not likely please remove drip and I will waddle to bathroom Said I preferred a cuppa to a drip
Was out of hospital next day and apart from stiffness felt no pain

I wish the doctor had been honest with me before I had my gallbladder out! I'd had pancreatitis so it probably would have had to come out sooner rather than later but I would have tried a low fat diet first.

Afterwards I had diarrhoea but I found anything high fibre set me off - it was nearly 3 years ago and I'm still too scared to eat Shredded Wheat! I was off work for 4 weeks and I still have to be careful what I eat - we've got pork chops tonight and I'll be dosing up on the Gaviscon afterwards as I know I'll be burping away afterwards! I don't eat lamb or beef at all.

If I go out with DH I'm more likely to be less careful than if I'm out with work for example. I don't mind telling him I don't feel so good, but I'm too embarrassed if I'm with other people.

I hope you're one of the lucky ones OP.

You will get diahrroea for a while. It should settle down. If it doesn't after a few months then ask to try Questran. 20 years post surgery I still take it (and sorry to say still regret listening to the surgeon to have the damn thing removed)

Thanks for the advice I will definitely look into it further if this persists. They did warn me about post cholecystectomy syndrome, so I'm aware there are risks - we always hope we're the lucky ones though don't we?

I'm sorry to hear you're having side effects from the op pinksparklypussycat I know that digestive enzymes are supposed to help, I don't know if that's something you've already tried :)

Oh god op I feel for you. I vividly remember my attacks 13 years down the line. I was a new Mum and devastated to be away from. (In fact one kind nurse went and got him a little plastic cot to lie in one day. She used to happily pick him up and take him visiting the old folk when not too busy. My Bil dropped him at the hospital as I said I could mind him during the day. Kind nurse let me. Anyway I've waffled...)The waiting list was six months but because of the frequency and severity they reduced it to six weeks. I lost 4 stone. Even salad and water hurt to consume. I practically danced into the operating theatre. I had horrendous shoulder pain after my op. In fact it was so bad I thought they'd dropped me when I was under. Side effect of the gas apparently. I also had my incisions stapled. They gave me a pair of special scissors to take to the docs for when they were removed. The stitches were a bit itchy but removal didn't hurt. Anyway because of the shoulder pain I couldn't enjoy myself. But a week later when everything settled I ate a KFC without having to go to A&E for morphine. It was bliss. My cousin after years of suffering bit the bullet and got it done because she'd seen the effect on my life. It was terrible for her. The gallbladder was stuck to something else (liver maybe?) and she still continued to have vomiting and diarrhoea. Two weeks before she got out.

Having the same post-op issues as you OP. Hoping things settle down soon! Thankfully the ridiculous burping seems to have lessened today. Still in considerable pain but mine was open surgery.

Oh goodness I do feel for you yerdasellsavon you sound like you had it horrendous I know some people really couldn't eat anything when they had gallstones, I was a lucky one I think as I could eat most foods (only certain food triggered it) you sound like you had a very empathetic nurse that lovely what she did for you :) so glad you are coping well now, KFC sounds bloody amazing to me right now!

fuckweasel so glad we're in this together, when did you have yours done? How are you coping? I keep getting weird cramping on both sides under my diaphragm, actually when I had the runs earlier they cramped so bad I thought I was gonna pass out!
Let's hope it tapers off soon! X

Nearly two weeks ago. Signed off work for a month minimum. Consultant thinks longer. Argh! I live alone and am pretty much housebound so heavily relying on lots of lovely friends to visit and do my shopping! Little trip to GP as an outing tomorrow.

I'm so sorry, that sounds crap! I can't imagine how open surgery feels (probably much worse than keyhole)
And being in your own as well, there's no way I'd of been physically able to do anything without my husband and my mum being here. I have a 3 year old who needs entertaining!

I'm a week post op tomorrow, it's gone bloody fast. I'm only just getting over my post op chest infection too - hurts like buggary to cough.
Your lucky to have good friends weasel I do hope the GP helps tomorrow x

Yikes! I'm so glad I've declined surgery! I've had symptoms, and an ultrasound scan showed a cloudy gallbladder, but that could also be due to my weight. That was back in the summer, and I was due to see the consultant again last week (I had an EMCS last year and didn't fancy more surgery so close after!). I cancelled the appointment as I've not had any issues since June.

I think it was all my bits settling back down after the C section rather than a proper issue with my gallbladder.

But yes, you all seem to have suffered far more than I was led to believe and I think you're all very brave! Hope you feel better soon!

Thanks for the update popcorn.

Hoping it's all going to be worth it.

I've just been reading hulda Clark's liver cleanse.
I've done 7 of them in the past and I really don't want to do another one!

Thanks for the tip about digestive enzymes, I'll take a look.

One good bit of advice I was given was to stretch my arms above my head to prevent the shoulder pain. That along with buckets of peppermint tea seemed to prevent any pain and I still use the arms above the head trick now if I have bad indigestion.

I'm living off peppermint tea so funny you should say that actually!

handbagfan I postponed my surgery originally as well, due to the horror stories, I decided after a year of postponing it was time to get it sorted. I had symptoms every day, real horrible gnawing in my stomach even if I didn't eat. And the bilary colic was just awful, I didn't have episodes very often in comparison to some but I had one a week before the surgery.
To me it made sense to have it out as I have a young child and a husband who works away, I can't afford to be going to a+e when it wanted to flare up. So that was my reason.

Hopefully it'll get better, and if it doesn't, at least I can go GP and they can give me something for it (hopeful thinking )

I read about those cleanses dowser I was always scared of doing them incase it gave me an attack, or are these cleanses for after surgery?