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Original poster

Gallbladder removal POST OP

132 replies

PopcornBits · 01/02/2017 22:33

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 :)

OP posts:
TheRealBarenziah · 18/02/2017 12:52

I'm still - over 2 weeks post-op - getting occasional diarrhoea. I went out for dinner last night and had to rush to the bathroom after my main course Blush Other than that, and some residual tiredness, I'm essentially back to normal. The first few days post-op were miserable, as I was groggy from anaesthetic and constipated, but now it all feels worth it!

Original poster
PopcornBits · 20/02/2017 09:05

Glad to see you're all slowly coming along :)
I haven't had diarrhoea now for over a week, it has regulated itself properly now. And I've had McDonald's lol.
Coffee seems to hurt where my gallbladder was, a pinching sensation.

I have mostly been able to eat what I want though.

How is weasel doing?

OP posts:
TinyTear · 20/02/2017 09:43

I'm still a bit hit and miss with the diarrhoea, but I'm using it as a chance to eat better...

Still feel quite tired but i guess my body is repairing itself inside...

Tomorrow I will brave the tube for the first time post op

TinyTear · 20/02/2017 09:45

BTW have reported to ask to be moved to Health or somewhere this won't be deleted after a while
Hope it's ok

TinyTear · 21/02/2017 08:40

Had my first tube commute since the op (2 weeks post op tomorrow)
Fortunately got a seat on the first train but no seat for two stops between embankment and blackfriars... feeling tired but managed so a small victory...

only coming to the office two days this week and working from home the rest of the time... but it feels good to get some normality back...

how is everyone?

fuckweasel · 21/02/2017 12:55

Three and a half weeks post surgery (open) and still not very good! Getting there, but very slowly. My liver function tests are still appalling, but thankfully no signs of bile duct blockage. Ultrasound shows I still have some large residual blood clots over my liver but nothing to worry about. Going to get signed off for another two weeks tomorrow at the consultants request (though sonographer recommended another four weeks). Consultant said my gallbladder was full of pus and could have had very serious implications (ie sepsis) and the gallstone removed was 'incredible'!

Very, very bored of box sets now! Very much looking forward to being able to sleep on my side not propped up on pillows. Hope everyone is recovering well.

TinyTear · 21/02/2017 13:37

Oh no @fuckweasel I'm happy they managed to do mine keyhole as the doctor did say it was a bit touch and go to do open...

Did they tell you the size of your stone? Mine was 1.6cm according to the ultrasound. I'm still waiting for my follow up appointment.

Yes, sepsis is always a scare... when my GP who told me to pack a bag and go to A&E phoned the hospital she said "no signs but can turn at any time" and I think she was referring to sepsis... when I got there they put me on IV antibiotics straight away and I think that all helped...

fuckweasel · 21/02/2017 13:43

I think about 5cm! How I was asymptomatic for months, I don't know.

TinyTear · 21/02/2017 13:49

WOW!
That is a whopper!

I have no idea when i got mine... My attack was so sudden and painful as the stone moved towards the bile duct that they just did the surgery quickly...

But in hindsight there have been grumblings probably for the last year as i had a mysterious tummy bug on mother's day last year, which could have been gallbladder related but not excruciatingly painful and passed in a day

trinity0097 · 27/02/2017 06:34

I can officially join the club!

I feel like my stomach has been a punching back for a boxer! Operation was on Saturday afternoon and I came home yesterday.

I was so constipated, and I can't really push due to the pain, in the end with a bit of help I think I gave birth to an elephant, and then clogged up the toilet so much it took a few flushes to clear it!!! I have been on pain meds though for the last 2 weeks solidly. The nurse asked if I would need any paracetamol and ibrufen prescribed, I said you do realise at home I have them, 100 tramadol, 2 bottles of oramorph and boxes of codine!!!

I have no clothes I can wear comfortably, so am wearing my much larger husbands loungewear to avoid pressing on the bottom incision, which hurts the most.

Dreading taking off the surgical stockings, as DH will have to get them back on after I shower and that will be entertaining!!!!

I feel shit, but at least I know it should be getting a bit better each day.

TinyTear · 27/02/2017 08:17

they told me not to shower for a week... and the belly button incision is indeed the whopper... the three top ones are virtually healed for me nearly 3 weeks later...

trinity0097 · 27/02/2017 08:47

They said that can shower whenever I want, the surgeon even told me I could before I left hospital, but I decided against it, they are all covered with waterproof dressings and the nurse said just not to direct water onto them then I can shower. I have been doing that anyway for the last however long with the gallbladder drain, so know how to shower and keep my front kind of dry. Too much pain at the moment to contemplate showering, it's not like I'm seeing anyone or going out!

Waiting at the moment to ring the hospital and tell them I won't be having their NHS operation.

fuckweasel · 27/02/2017 15:31

My belly button incision is barely noticeable after four weeks. I did have a ridiculous deep purple bruise around it for a while though! (I have keyhole scars in addition to the open surgery scar. Lucky me.)

trinity0097 · 28/02/2017 06:36

I will have 5 scars, the 4 keyhole, plus the one from the drain, which is right next to the middle right one.

At least none of them are where anyone will ever see them!

TinyTear · 28/02/2017 08:49

Same Trinity... I never wear bikinis...

Although my 2yo loves asking to see belly buttons, so I show her my dressing as that is still covered (and the drain one too)

The top one on the middle of my chest under the bra strap is only about 2cm, and the other two one is about 1cm and the other is tiny - nurse described it as a 'cat scratch'

trinity0097 · 28/02/2017 19:31

Anyone else get really bad heartburn type feeling?

Not liking this at all, hope it passes.

fuckweasel · 28/02/2017 19:47

Yes. Heartburn and burping for about a week after discharge from hospital.

trinity0097 · 01/03/2017 07:18

Resorted to max strength Gaviscon last night and at 4am, still didn't sleep well from the heartburn.

3 bowel movements in the last 24 hrs so I hope that as I become less bunged up the bile will have somewhere to go other than up into my stomach. I know I produce around 600ml a day which is quite a bit to be dripping into your intestine undiluted!

TinyTear · 01/03/2017 08:47

I just used Boots indigestion tablets... but only lasted about a week

trinity0097 · 02/03/2017 18:06

Really struggling again this afternoon 😖

I decided to limit what I ate today to see if that helped this awful heartburn type pain, I suspect bile reflux.

So I had 1 weetabix, topped with fruit and fibre with skimmed milk for breakfast, that seemed ok, went to the loo afterwards.
About 11.30am I had two slices half and half bread with a scraping of low sugar jam. All fine, no toilet urges.
3pm - 2 crumpets with jam. Awful pain after these. Not touched by painkillers or gaviscon. Heartburn type pain and also backache. Hot water bottle on back didn't help. Urge to go to the loo after these crumpets.
It weirdly has just started to ease, but I am kind of half laying down rather than sitting upright.

Going to eat some boiled vegetables for supper, rest of the family having sausages and rice with theirs as well.

So concerned that I will be stuck with bile reflux for life - I can't function like this forever!

trinity0097 · 02/03/2017 19:26

Very weird, before supper I went upstairs and lay down - by laying down I reclined, propped up on some pillows - the pain went within about 5minutes - very strange.

I ate my boiled veg semi reclined on the sofa - no pain. Had some toast half an hour later semi reclined no pain. Have now come up stairs to send an email or two and am sitting up again and no pain.

Very peculiar!

Anyone else experience anything like this, or am I weird, or it just be very flukey!?

nakedscientist · 09/03/2017 19:15

Hi, I had mine out on Friday the 3rd of March.
I woke from the op in severe pain and needed to stay the night. This is day 5 and I am having the staples out tomorrow. It has been painful and I am exhausted ( though lying in bed all day!). They made out that it was nothing and so I felt a bit of a fraud until I saw all your posts. I've been signed off for three weeks and now am hoping that will be enough! Currently on codeine and laxative, paracetamol and antibiotics!
Hope you girls are felling better. Flowers

LuluJakey1 · 09/03/2017 22:17

I had mne out laprascopically. Went to theatre at 8.30am and by 11 was up and walking round the ward, dressed in my own clothes and lookng forward to lunch.They let me go home mid afternoon because I was so lively and they were sick of me.
I never even had a paracetemol.
No after effects. I have had worse fillngs at the dentist.

TinyTear · 10/03/2017 08:19

Lulu you were lucky!

Mine was also a lap, had it on wednesday and home on Friday - to be fair, they could have sent me home thursday evening, but it would have been too much of a faff

i had tramadol and morphine but really really didn't like them

naked I was signed off for 2 weeks, and the third week worked from home 3 days and in the office 2 days, so not too bad...

I am now 4 weeks post op and feel fine... only thing that is still hard is carrying the 2yo for a long time (had to do it from a shop the other day and needed lots of sofa time afterwards)

nakedscientist · 10/03/2017 09:22

Had a bad night with sharp pain in belly button. All wounds sore and itchy. Hobbling to docs on my own for staple removal. DH has to go to work and Dteens at school, Dteenplus at work ( thank the Lord). Hoping belly button isn't infected. Does staple removal hurt?

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