Gallbladder Removal

[NancyPickford]

I'm due to have my gallbladder removed early next month. I was in hospital last month after a gallbladder attack and had a scan which revealed several gallstones, including one an inch big. Since then I've been watching what I eat and taking (prescribed) co-codamol to keep the pain at bay.

My question is to those who have had this op - what should I expect? Were you in pain afterwards, and if so, how long did that continue? The hospital says I'll be discharged the same day in the afternoon (op is first thing in the morning). Is this really do-able? I have a bit of a car journey home (husband will be driving) afterwards and just wondered if the wound etc will be ok in a car. I was told it will be keyhole surgery, and the incisions will be just glued together, no stitches. Now that the operation has become real, I'm suddenly frightened!

hope all went well for you, how are you feeling now ?,Jeezo I thought I had a bit of journey but no ferry crossing in mine thankfully

@chattyness thanks for asking. Unfortunately it was a bit of a saga. On the morning I started to have tummy trouble which got progressively worse as the morning went on and I wasn't able to go into theatre. So I'm back on the waiting list. I'm fine now, it was just a bug, but if I'd not had that bug the op (and the gallbladder) would be in the past now and I'd be getting on with my life!

och no, I'm sorry to hear that, hope you don't have to wait too long to get another operation date.

Hello again fellow gallbladder folk! Still no sign of rescheduled op and I have a slight worry about something that is growing into a bigger worry. I have a big birthday in February and my husband is taking me down south for a long weekend (we live in the Highlands of Scotland). We will be flying into Gatwick, then train to the destination, taxi to hotel, weekend of fun and then do the whole thing in reverse four days later. Should I be flying/going away with this pesky gallbladder which might go 'ping' at any moment? He thinks I'm being over-cautious. Everything is paid for, and there's still time to get travel insurance if I get a date for the op, or become unwell. Or am I being a big jessie and should just go and enjoy myself?

I meant, still time to get travel insurance, just in case I get a date for the op which clashes.

I'd probably get travel insurance just in case but still plan to go. Hopefully you'll get a date we'll ahead of then so you have plenty of time to recover!

@Allthegoodusernamesareused so it would be safe to fly do you think?Also if anything happened I'd be hundreds of miles away from home. Don't know if I'm just being feeble about it.

I'd probably get the insurance and still go, because you might be there and back again before you get another date for your op, I don't know what the current wait times are for ops up here as I got in through being taken into A& E Are you going to Raigmore ? That's where I went and they looked after me really well.

@chattyness what's so annoying is that it'd be all over and done by now if i'd not had the stomach bug, and it was only 7 weeks from the first attack until date of op. Not Raigmore no, a hospital in the central belt but they were utterly fantastic too. Straight in from A&E to the ward and kept in for 8 days while they brought the infection and jaundice under control. I think I'll get the insurance and risk it.

Ah right, that's kind of what happened to me too, but they kept me in there and sorted it all there and then so I didn't have to wait to go back thankfully. The surgeon was laughing away saying I'd got a package deal like I was having a bargain holiday.I was very lucky to get it done though .

@chattyness :)

I'm now due to have the op next Tuesday, 26th March. I've been doing all sorts of Googling of course, and one thing that keeps coming up in posts is diarrhoea after surgery, often lasting up to four weeks. Has anyone else suffered this? I was hoping to get back to a normal life, but now I'm worried I won't be able to leave the house and have to stay close to the toilet.

Good luck with the operation.

I had mine out nearly 2 years ago now. I did not have diarrhoea. Took 3 days for anything to appear! If I eat an unduly fatty meal even now things can get a bit loose and maybe even a bit urgent, but absolutely nothing out of control. Your digestion may go back to normal or there may be some slight changes and you might have to experiment a bit with dietary adjustments.

Good luck with your op, no runny poops here, all bodily functions were ok & and I was eating & drinking normally at tea time having had my op first thing on the morning, I did have a wee bit of niggly pain in my back for a few weeks in the same place as it had been beating a tattoo as before my op, but it was mild & went after a few weeks .

Hi OP. Had mine out 3 weeks ago and no problems with diarrhoea at all.

I had to avoid fresh orange juice. No problem with the food I should have been avoiding!

Honestly I had absolutely no issues post surgery however about a year later I have found my tolerance for fatty meats and fried food isnt good at all. But that could also be because I am getting older!

You will be SO much better, I promise. I found ice packs really helpful for the first few days while your stomach is sore but I was up and about reallu quickly.

Thank all for the reassurance! I've packed my overnight bag! (I've been told I'll be in overnight due to the distance involved in getting home, so they'll just keep me in, and my husband will collect me the next day.)

I keep gaviscon sachets with me on the very odd occasion I don’t digest well.

@NancyPickford don't forget to pack a cushion or small pillow to protect your tum from the seatbelt for the drive home. A long drive on bumpy, pot holey roads is not fun after an op .I'm glad I thought of this before my husband collected me so he could bring it with him, it really helped cushion the many bumps! Actually it's handy to have a cushion nearby anyway & if you feel a cough or sneeze brewing, grab it and pull it into your stomach and it won't feel as sore .

@chattyness thanks for that, I'll put a cushion in the car. Our lane is very potholey at the moment and I was thinking only recently, as I was shaken from side to side, 'this is not going to be fun coming home after the op!'.

It's the big day tomorrow! Wish me luck.
Travelling to the town where the hospital is and staying overnight to be there first thing in the morning, as have to report to the ward at 7.30am.
Travel involves a ferry sailing, so as the weather is looking a bit iffy, thought it would be wise to go over this evening in case ferries go off in the morning.
I am no doubt catastrophising and there is no need to do this, but it removes one niggling anxiety for me.

I round leggings best as they don't have a structured waist band.

I had been suffering for years but ignored it. Caused 2 hernias on the mid line dancing and ended up on tramadol.

@newtb I've got leggings and a big t-shirt packed for the journey home. I've lost a bit of weight waiting for the op, so I'm going to wear my old ones, which are a size bigger than I am now. I was also advised to wear shoes without laces so that I don't need to bend down to tie them, so will wear loafers. Sorry to hear you suffered that.

Has anyone mentioned wearing a bra without underwires? One of the incisions is quite high and it's more comfortable to wear a soft bra. Obviously it depends if you are planning on wearing one post surgery!!