Gallbladder Removal 2019 - support thread

[UserThenLotsOfNumbers]

Who is or is likely to have their gallbladder removed this year?

There seem to be a lot of threads on the topic (I've read most of them lol) so thought it would be a good idea to start a support thread for people for people having the op soon?

My story:

I'm 35, married with one daughter. I'm about half a stone overweight but reasonably fit. I work full time, husband is SAHP.

Comfort ate and ate irregularly after having my daughter and I have had issues with overeating, which I've now mostly conquered. I also have ulcerative colitis which is being controlled successfully with medication.
I was diagnosed with gallstones in Feb 2018. At the time, I had 2 large ones, 1 and 1.1cm respectively. Could be more by now!

Had been having symptoms for about 6 months before that. It started some time after my daughter was born. She's now 2.2. 12 years ago I had v similar symptoms which ended in a terrible night of pain then nothing for years until 2017. On reflection I wonder if I passed a small gallstone?

So after a year of dithering and fear, plus waiting to get over a colitis flare up earlier this year, I'm now having the op on 18th Jan.

My symptoms started as a dull ache upper right side, feeling sick and occasional vomiting. Now I get back ache, wake up with sore back, twinges, soreness, some acid indigestion. I don't (frantically touch wood) have the terrible colic. But I have some symptoms most days and I feel overall it's getting worse. I want to be well again.

I sometimes feel my gallbladder is swollen, especially at night. I do panic about it.

I've read all the post op horror stories, and all about the post op conditions, although I know that's comparatively unusual. Of course the op is sold as being easy and problem free - I don't believe that's the case! Most common outcome seems to be people are mostly fine unless they have something very fatty or take codeine. Ok, can live with that (hopefully).

What's your story? What are your concerns?

My fears are having digestive issues and pain after the operation, also am apparently being discharged with paracetamol! That doesn't even cure a headache for me! I was on oromorph for 3 days after having my c section, although I know that's not really comparable.

Hi Partridge - I hope your MRI goes well tomorrow. I hope you will get answers and treatment swiftly. Is it the MRI you are worried about or what it might find? I will be thinking of you tomorrow.

Hi Hubcap and welcome! I’m glad to hear you are healing well so far. I took co-codamol for a couple of days post op and was ok, but I agree, reading about others’ experiences put me off taking more!

The belly button wound is a pain, isn’t it? I had to change my dressing there after a day as well, although I didn’t experience the bleeding. Keep and eye on it and if it keeps bleeding or you get pus etc. definitely get it checked out. I think you will feel much better once the gas is out. I didn’t poo for 2 or 3 days after the op, but drank lots of water and ate vegetables etc. which I think helped. I bought some lactulose just in case (as I had to take that after my c-section). I hope your recovery continues to go well, do let us know how you get on.

I am now day 6 post operation. I’m eating normally and my bowel habits are normal. No digestive issues so far, save for a bit of acid here and there. I’m still feeling tired and get a bit faint if I do more than 10 mins activity. I removed my dressings yesterday evening.

I showered this morning and this made me concerned about my chest and belly button incisions as I thought they looked a bit red and angry. One ached badly and one wept a little in the shower.

I got them checked out with my GP this afternoon, but she thought they looked ok, so that’s a relief. It’s hard to know what’s normal. Am going to keep a close eye on them. No pain from any of them now except the belly button incision, which is very sore on and off. I am not taking pain relief anymore.

Hi User.. what it might show. I know I have gallstones but am scared stiff about the liver and pancreas.

Hi, @Partridge,
If it helps, I had similar high ALT/ALP & Gamma GT readings whenever I had a liver function test, had extreme itchiness and jaundice when I had an attack, and was not allowed to take paracetamol until I had the scan, so I was also scared stiff of having damaged my liver. I asked the sonographer at the time of my ultrasound if she could see damage to the liver, and she told me no, that it looked fine. My GP said that the readings and symptoms were just caused by the gallbladder not allowing the liver to function properly and would return to normal after removal. I still asked the surgeon yesterday to check the liver whilst he was in there, and hope he did. ( I didn't see him post-op and was too hazy to remember to ask the staff if anything had been recorded. ) I'm proceeding on the trust that all is well, and I'll find out more on my follow-up. I assume I'd have been told already about any issues. At any rate I'm managing to take paracetamol without problems.

Also, best wishes for tomorrow. I hope it goes well.

Thank you so much Hubcap x

I hope it goes well Partridge, will be thinking of you!

Thank you User x

I had Obstructive Jaundice and very high liver function tests before my surgery, most of them 10X the upper level of normal (GGt topped out 1050!)

They all returned to normal after the gallbladder came out.

@UserThenLotsOfNumbers glad you’re feeling ok!

My liver tests were very high, I can’t remember specifics but I know the surgeon said they were high, I was kept in while they got the jaundice under control. After my gallbladder came out everything went back to normal and I’ve had no trouble since, just to reassure anyone who needs it

Hi I'm being referred for an ultrasound. Have right side discomfort/indigestion (not bad pain) and bloating after fatty food. GP said they probably won't remove it anyway unless my symptoms get worse.

My question for you lovely people is when they did your first ultrasound do they only scan the gallbladder or do they also look at other things eg liver/kidneys. I'm worried I might have fatty liver.

Also if you were referred for USS via GP non urgently how long did you wait please? Realise this will vary by area just wanting a rough idea.

Thanks, hope you're all recovering well

Thank you Happiness!

Hi Messy. When I had my ultrasound they looked at the gallbladder and surrounding area. They looked at the bile duct, liver and pancreas. I got the report afterwards. Not sure if an ultrasound would show up a fatty liver or not though? I hope they find the cause of your symptoms and your able to have treatment ASAP.

I waited a month (non urgent).
I'm in Essex.

So jealous of everyone who has had theirs out! Diagnosed in August, finally got a date for surgery (today) but pre-op bloods showed deranged LFT so cancelled, having an MRI next Friday to see if there is a stone stuck in my liver they need to remove at same time, then back on the waiting list 😭 gallbladder attacks are now 8-10 hours long at a time!

Currently 36wks pregnant been induced next week. Have had about 4 bad attacks during pregnancy needing hospitalisation. Been told my gallbladders fit to burst with stones. (Non of which where there prepregnancy)

Have had surgery signed off but they wont do it whilst I am pregant.

So once I have had my 6wk prepartum check. (If I can last that long). Then its straight to surgery for me.

I have suffered badly with hyperemesis through out pregnancy. So been told malnutrician, dehydration and lack of eating has deffiantly played a part in how many stones I have. Along side pregnancy being a trigger by its self.

My only saving grace is several people who have had attacks said the pains worse than labour. So heres hoping labours a breeze 🤞

Has anyone had theirs out with a newborn? I have been told as I will be EBF baby can stay with me. And visiting hours relaxed for me so I can have someone mind her whilst im in theatre. As well as pumps and a fridge and the feeding team on hand should I need them. Still makes me nervous though.

Those who have had theirs out how was recovery? I am worried I wont be able to lift my baby 😢

Sorry for the essay. Just really stressed about the logistics of it all.

Thanks OP

*postpartum

This is perfect timing for me as I had surgery on Wednesday to remove my gall bladder. Still sore and tired but hopeful that the pain will be no more.

@Notquiteagandt everyone experiences different recovery times, personally I was fine within a couple of days, I remember hoovering probably about two days after I was home. Pregnancy was the trigger for mine too but after I’d given birth, I had mine out when dc was jst short of 1.

Notquite- to be honest unless there are complications they will probably want to discharge you within 3 or 4 hours post op, at least that was my experience. Can't really help about the EBF element though, sorry. How much does your baby weigh? If they are a typical newborn size I doubt you'll have problems lifting. Read others and my posts below for more detail re recovery. In a nutshell I had my surgery Friday afternoon and was more or less back to normal (but sore, and still am sore and tired) by Sunday. However, I don't have a newborn to contend with and sleepless nights! The main thing is to get support in place beforehand if you can.

to those suffering at the moment. I hope you are able to have treatment and recover as soon as possible.

Take it easy Skunka, hip you feel better soon!

Thanks user. Not having the hideous middle of the night pain is definitely something to look forward to!

Sorry Notquite, I didn't read your post properly did I. You haven't had your baby yet! I am definitely quite vague since surgery. My apologies! You will be fine lifting a newborn.

I was First hospitalised with the attack’s when my little girl was 7 weeks old. I was EBF and still am but they wouldn’t allow her to stay with me so she has to go on formula for 2 days initially. Luckily she took back to my milk. When I had my gallbladder out as an emergency, she was 12 weeks old and again had to have formula for 5 days and I used the hospitals breast pump to pump and dump due to anaesthetic!

Hi @messyhousetidymind. My wait from ultrasound referral to appointment was 26 days. From gp referral to appointment at gallbladder clinic was only two weeks, and from then to the op it was nine weeks. All non-urgent, in east midlands. I thought that was pretty good going really. I chose the nearest private hospital with NHS services as the waits there were about half those at any of the big hospitals in my area.
The ultrasound looked at gallbladder and liver area, and I asked the sonographer to let me see the screen, so I could see the stones for myself.

So, it's day 2 post surgery. Yesterday was ok, but not great. Today has been better. I went to the surgery this morning and had my belly button incision looked at as it was still bleeding after my coughing fit, and thought I might have popped a stitch , but it was all ok. Nurse cleaned it off and redressed it. Chest incision is getting a tad itchy today, but no signs of anything wrong with it.

I've been up for periods during the day, doing a bit of tidying and pottering, but my DH has things pretty much in hand, so not much to do. Have had several naps, when tiredness hit. I've been (just) managing with paracetamol and ibuprofen. I'm pretty sore and it hurts to laugh and cough, which I seem to do far too often. A couple of friends came round to visit for a little while. I haven't had this many flowers since the kids were born and the youngest is 30 soon.

I've not attempted any fats yet. Had scrambled egg and toast for breakfast and made some veg soup for lunch with more bread. A couple of satsumas in the afternoon, but no dinner, as I've been feeling mildly nauseous since 4 o'clockish. I'm keeping up the drinks though. That's it for today. I've retired to the bedroom, to let DH watch the football in peace, but can't be bothered to watch anything on netflix. Hope everyone is doing well.