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.

Hub your experiences are so like mine. I'm exhausted still. I'm plodding around a bit but still v sore. Have had my first poo (sorry tmi) which was greenish but seemingly that's normal.

The poo thing is normal, your body has to get used to having lots of bile dripping down into your intestines, where it wasn't before. You might get episodes of greenish diarrhoea for a while, especially after fatty foods.

Someone mentioned upthread about whether you can see a fatty liver on ultrasound?
Yes, you can. I had an abdo ultrasound recently (after my Gb was removed) and the only finding was some fatty infiltration in the liver (which I wasn't surprised about).

Thanks all. Huge reassurance.so much interesting and useful info here to read through.

Thankfully the hospital I will be having op in is baby friendly so they have to accomodate me.

We shall see how I feel once shes here. Im sure not having little feet kicking my gallbladder constantly will help a little!

Thanks @Hubcapdiamondstarhalo and @Chocolatedeficitdisorder for your answers to my Qs

Apologies for not name checking people, I'm away for the weekend so internet is shonky.

I've read all of your updates and they're all helpful, I've got an appointment to see the specialist soon.

Typically...I've had no symptoms all week. No pain, no pain relief, all normal loo-wise.
This is what happens with me.
Hideous pain for a while, usually 6 weeks or so. Then nothing for a while, sometimes only a week or two, sometimes months.
Does this/did this happen to anyone else?

I've no experience of gallbladder pain in pregnancy or post partum mine are adults now but I did have hg and that was awful.

Hi all had the mri yesterday. Been drinking at least one kale smoothie a day to try and help out my liver and eating v low fat (around 10-14g a day in total) since the last attack two weeks ago. Drinking a lot more water too. Have lost around 9lbs in two weeks which is unsurprising really seeing as I am at least 4 stone overweight and I have been on around 1000 calls a day since 2 weeks ago. Still v worried obviously about scan results. Thanks all for the support on here xx

Thank you for starting this thread. I'm also in the system for a gallbladder removal operation due to lots of stones in my gallbladder. I have experienced aches and pain under my right rib, particularly after exercising. Did anyone else get this?

I also find that I have a heavy feeling under that rib, particularly at night when I lie on my right side.

OP - glad to read that your operation has gone well. Keep resting.

Good afternoon everyone, I hope you're all doing well.

Hi Nancy - yes, I would have periods of being ok and then periods of being ill. That was one of the reasons I dithered about getting the surgery to be honest. The good times lulled me into a false sense of security!

Hi Patridge - I hope your results are good. How long do you have to wait for them?

Hi and Welcome Emilie! Your experience sounds a lot like mine. Do you have to wait long for the surgery do you know?

I'm now day 8 post operation, and I feel about 90% back to normal. Went into town this morning on the bus to do a bit of shopping and get outside! Felt fine afterwards. I am eating completely normally and have normal bowel habits. No pain relief needed. I did however feel worse and achy last night, as well as anxious and tearful. Oh no I thought, I'm going backwards, what's wrong! Then I looked at the calendar, and yep, period started this morning ! The only thing I have to be a bit careful of, apart from lifting heavy things, is reaching up to get something. I did this a few times yesterday and it made things sore. Otherwise, business as usual.

I’m now 3 months post surgery and started a few days ago with pain at the belly button incision like I’d just had the operation again. I’m fine sitting still and lying down but any movement and I’m in pain. I wonder if I have a hernia 🙈🙈

No way! I'm sorry to hear that. Did something happen to make it do that or did it just happen? I've heard it's possible to get hernias in the scars. I hope it gets better!

I have a 6 month old baby so do a lot of lifting and shesbloody heavy especially in her car seat lifting in and out the car 🙈 think a trip back to the doctors next week! Gonna feel a right donut going back for a third time 🙈🙈

Day 3 post-op and it has been shit. Last night's nausea was translated into having the runs the whole night, up numerous times and this has continued through the day as I've eaten. I know that some people can have a couple months of diarrhoea as their system adjusts to the new bile delivery system, but I was hoping not to be one.
I've had a half weetabix and half banana, and a blueberry smoothie - all fat free. DH is making a spag bol for dinner so I will have a tiny portion of that later, and keep my fingers crossed.

Pain has been worse front and back, similar to an attack, but not a full-blown one, and the pain killers are just not up to the job, and I've supplemented with heat packs. Plus I'm coming down with a cold - hence more coughing and more blood seepage into my bellybutton cut. DH has had to go out and track down some more dressings as I've run out of the ones the hospital supplied. I've had DH up and down the stairs like a fiddler's elbow today, and he is being such a love about it.

I've been wiped out all day so spent most of it in bed feeling tearful and sorry for myself. Oh, and I managed to decant a full glass of water all over the bedside table and into my handbag while DH was out and couldn't help to clear up.

I don't mean to be so dismal and woe-is-me, so sorry for that. At least I'm not so bad that I can't get on here and have a moan. Very much hoping for a better day tomorrow.

Hope tomorrow is a better day Hubcap x

Getin - sounds a likely cause! My daughter is 2.3 so won't be picking her up for a while! Definitely get it checked out. Hope it's something that can be treated easily

Hubcap - am so sorry to hear this. That sounds awful. Did they check your bile duct for stones etc during your op? Might be worth getting that wound checked out by the doctor on Monday? Hope you are feeling better soon. I find horlicks/ovaltine, Farleigh rusks and digestive biscuits are easy on the stomach

I’m now 3 months post surgery and started a few days ago with pain at the belly button incision like I’d just had the operation again. I’m fine sitting still and lying down but any movement and I’m in pain. I wonder if I have a hernia 🙈🙈

I know from experience, both from my GB surgery a few months ago and my Thyroid surgery many years ago that this is common with surgical wounds.

I went back to see the Surgeon who did my thyroid and he told me that the pain you feel a few months later is the feeling of the cut nerves starting to rejoin.

Chocolatedeficitdisorder

Thanks for the reassurance! Did yours feel like really tender to touch and bruised inside? I’m only okay sitting down or lying down at the minute! Lifting my daughter or getting up and about is so sore!

Hubcap I had a few days of the trots after surgery but it went quickly and hasn't been back since.

Thank you MissMarple, Partridge and User.

At my first consultation the surgeon said he would be checking for stones in the bile duct, so I assume that's ok. I had the wound checked yesterday, and the nurse said to come straight back in should I feel I need to again, so I'll see what it's doing by Monday. The blood just seems to be seeping through the suture holes with the extra pressure when I cough, rather than the wound actually opening. I should see if there's a cough suppressant I can use alongside the painkillers.

I've recovered some of my equilibrium now - I shortened the gap between painkiller doses so the two overlap. I'm having to keep a note of when I take what, so I don't have too much. Pain is not so bad at the moment. I've just had dinner, and was ready for it. Now waiting to see if my body copes or if I'll be hot to trot again.

Hubcapdiamondstarhalo

They butchered my throat with the breathing tube when I had my surgery and they prescribed me simple linctus which is a cough medicine so you could probably try that ☺️

Hi Hubcap how are you doing now? Hope you're feeling better.

I'm up and down, User, thanks for asking. I've managed to work out how to cough without making my incision bleed which is a bonus, and have managed a couple of showers.
I've had to stop taking the ibuprofen as it was wrecking my stomach, so now juggling paracetamol doses to get the max coverage. Unfortunately the last couple of days when the paracetamol wears off I've felt very poorly, and in quite some pain. Wasn't sure how normal that was. My temp has been 38.5 - 39C, which I've just checked on the NHS website means I should be contacting the gp. So first thing tomorrow, that's what I'll be doing. Happily as soon as you mention having just had surgery they whip you straight in, so I should be able to see someone in the morning.

All that aside I'm doing great!
How are you, and @skunkkatanka ?
Also thanks for the advice re linctus GetInLoser; ouch about your throat!

Hoping it's all ok tomorrow hubcap, sounds like you need a course of antibiotics but it could have been something that was brewing, rather than a post op infection. There are some nasty infections about this year.

Thanks for asking hub
I'm doing ok. Struggling with nausea though which is constant from when I open my eyes to when I close them. I've managed to reduce the painkillers a bit but still sore in some positions. Things look to be healing though.

Actually, I've just googled this and it suggests that nausea could be a sign of issues and a doctor should be contacted?? Any ideas from those who have been there? Is nausea at 6 days post op normal or should I worry?