Gallbladder surgery, sepsis and generally feeling cr*p

[KatieBenz]

Hi.
I was admitted for emergency gallbladder surgery a month ago. During surgery they discovered that my GB had died and I had sepsis. I was already on antibiotics by that stage, so recovered quite quickly after the surgery and had to do another week of antibiotics. One month has past and I feel rubbish. I have no energy and get out of breath after any sort of exercise (slow walking!).
When will I feel better? I’m due back at work next week, but thankfully, I can work from home, so that should be do-able.
I’m in my 50’s and was healthy before this came on.
Any advice would be appreciated. My gp said that I should just ‘take things easy’ - not something that comes naturally to me! Thanks.

Don't go back to work until you are well.

I had a month off work after mine, I could have done with another couple of weekd really but I work part time so I just about managed. I'd say it was at two months before I was fully recovered and another month before I could run and go to the gym at the level I did before.

I'm also in my 50s and while my surgery was straightforward, I'd been ill for nearly a year so that had an impact.

I got hammered another thread for having a month off work, you will get people saying they were back to normal in a couple of days.
Some people have complications, age, general health have an impact.
Recover at your own pace

Thanks @ted27
I had read that you should be back at work after 2 weeks, but my GP recommended 4-6 weeks because of the complications. I have honestly never felt this tired before - am absolutely knackered.

If you are working at home, it will be easier. I had a 30 minute walk to work, I could not have managed that after two weeks, I couldnt touch my toes for 3 weeks.
There are a lot of factors and you had serious complications.
It doesn't matter if some people are back at work and running marathons after 2 days, going too quickly for you will just slow down your recovery in the long run.

Katie,
I too have recently had my gallbladder removed due to severe pancreatitis. I can honestly say I have never felt so ill in all my life. Needed HDU for the first four days with surgeons wanting me in ICU before I began to respond to the supportive treatment. Had to wait a further four days to become stable enough for surgery with a very grouchy pancreas.
That was nearly three weeks ago. Food is still bleuargh. Pancreatic diet is taking some getting used to. Getting up and managing to get clothes on leaves me wiped. If I take a gentle paddle in the garden I need to rest for a couple of hours. Fall asleep almost everywhere and the fatigue is unbelievable. It is worse than when I had a really bad dose of real ‘flu.

IF it had been a straight forward bit of surgery with no other health conditions making you poorly on top then yes the two weeks might apply. Sepsis like pancreatitis is serious as both can quickly become life threatening. As much as I hate needing my husband to do everything IF I want to fully recover I have no choice. Being well enough to leave hospital and begin to recover at home is not the same as being well enough to go back to work. In honesty I would call your GP and let them know you are still struggling and still not 100%. Post sepsis fatigue is a real thing and can hit anyone. Have a look at the Sepsis Trust website to gain a more realistic idea of recovering from that on top of surgery. Be kind to yourself - ask if you can have a further two weeks off work and negotiate a gradual return to work plan out.

If it makes you feel better for asking your GP for the time you need to recover- I am off for the next two months with a review at the start of Oct to check if I am fit enough to do some work. It is scary to realise how close I came to multiple organ failure and TBH that is making me feel very fragile to reflect upon.

Sincerely hope your GP is understanding and helpful and will both listen and give you a realistic idea of how and when it would be wise to gradually return to work.

Crikey @triballeader you have really been through it! Thank you for your reply and advice. I hope you start to feel more like your old self soon. I too am relying on the help of my husband. He’s been fab and very supportive.
I have my back to work interview on the 24th and will be honest with how I am feeling.. I want to go back to work but I realise that there will be times when I just need to go and have a sleep. If that’s not ok with hr, I will go back to the gp and ask to be signed off for longer.
I’m lucky enough to have got to this age without any major illness or the need to have an operation, so this really has been an eye opener!

Have you had your liver checked. My dh had the same profile. Emergency surgery but unfortunately discharged without antibiotics and then debacle afterwards...long story...anyway he had liver damage. He recovered but needed monitoring and a bit more time off.

It's 2 weeks after a normal gallbladder op in someone who was completely fit and well and having it as a daycase op. And even then a fair few people take longer.

Not 2 weeks after emergency gallbladder surgery with sepsis. Do not work from home if you are not fit for work - you should still be off sick.

Recovery from sepsis takes a long time and you need to give it time. Speak to your GP and ask for more time off. You might also find the Sepsis Trust useful on recovery after sepsis.

sepsistrust.org/get-support/support-for-survivors/

Years ago I went into hospital to have my gall bladder removed after a nine month wait. It had been found when I was pregnant. When they opened me up I spent five and a half hours in surgery. They had to flush it out and the surgeon said another two days and it would be likely that I would have died. I stayed five days instead of one night and I was still breast feeding so DH struggled to get DD to take a bottle so he had to bring her to the hospital. We had to have special permission
as visiting was only an hour a day.
It took me weeks to feel well enough and I was off college for a few weeks. DH works away and I struggled at first as DD was my fourth child and we had no family support. I also had to visit MIL a few times a week as she was disabled and needed support although she had daily carers.
I would go back to work yet. If you GP says take it easy just do that. Sepsis is going take you much longer to get over. I was quite tearful too. I took a vitamin supplement and made sure I ate well.
I hope you feel better soon. By the way I was 35 and I felt the worst I ever have in my life.

I had sepsis with cholecystecitis. It took me 3 months to recover properly.

Thank you Theworld, Anna, Bower and online for being so honest. Wow! @bowerbird5. You must have been absolutely exhausted. I can’t imagine going through that and with a newborn. You must be made of strong stuff!
To tell you the truth, I think redundancies are looming at work, so I wanted to look ‘keen’ and ready for work. I suspect I’m not actually ‘fit’ for work, so perhaps it’s time to have an honest conversation with my GP. Thank you again for your advice.

Katie I do hope you feel a little more empowered to ask for the time off you need to make a good recovery. Being keen to work and fit for work are different things.
In honesty my husband prefers it when his employees have a block of time off for one well documented health thing followed by a gradual return to full time work than take the minimum off- come back in way too soon - end up exhausted and picking up everything going and needing far more time off.

Remember it WAS sepsis and emergency surgery to help resolve the root cause of said sepsis. All but the dimmest of employers will realise that means you have been very poorly and may need a bit longer to recover than if you had hit elective keyhole surgery fitting fit.

Hope your GP is helpful and you never know they may be able to give you some tips to help you to make the best recovery that you can.

@triballeader. I know you’re right. If I was back at the office it would have been a no-brainier as I know I’m not fit for work. Because I’m working from home, I thought I could go back before fully recovered. I’ll make another appointment with my GP. Thanks

I am smiling as I am now well enough sit and to notice the housework that has not been done...till I try anything clever like trying to fold the dry clothes still hanging on the airier.

Now I know why the surgeon recommend at east a month of rest and Netflix!