Gallbladder op - FAQs and words of comfort and wisdom

[Piggywaspushed]

Hello

I am aware lots of us are in the gallstone boat , awaiting ops, post op, post diagnosis etc. There have been many threads but I wondered if we could pull them together into one support thread in which folks can tell stories and share inside knowledge?

I have my op 21st September. Pleased (NHS GP found me a fast track appointment at nearby private hospital - a route definitely worth pursuing if anyone else, like me, was pencilled in to wait nearly a year for even a consultation) but bricking it, too. I am on a few Facebook pages but not everyone on there is UK based and there is a lot of negativity. I don't mind realism but scaring people is not on.

Here are my questions!

1.What are attacks like for you? Symptoms, frequency, triggers? (my consultant seemed unconvinced that my symptoms are gb related - would love to share.)

2.What are your gallstones like? I have one 3cm stone.

3.Is the op a magic wand , or are their post op lifestyle changes and consequences I should prepare for?

4.I have read about the post op trapped wind! Do hospitals give you meds for this or do I need to buy in advance? If so , what?

5.Does anyone take regualr anti histamines? If so, do you take with Buscopan? There is very conflicting advice on this!

6.If I can't sleep the night before my op (almost 100% likely!) can I take something to help me? I ask mainly because lack of sleep triggers attacks for me and I don't want to be too sick to operate on.

7.What were people's recoveries like?

8.How soon before I can have a shower? What happens with the wounds and dressings? Is anyone else allergic to glues and plasters? This is a worry of mine.

9.When did you go back to work? What was that like? I cannot WFH , not a possibility and recuing hours also not likely to occur without adding to my workload. I'll have to set two weeks of work while I'm off as well, which is annoyingly time consuming and stressful (teacher).

10.Bras - I keep seeing people saying vest tops or bralettes. Not really an option for me as I am ample of bosom. Anyone know of supportive but suitable non wired bras?

11.What was sleep like afterwards? All the Americans bang on about recliners . I have a reclining chair but it is self powered so hard to get on and off really (requires stomach muscles). Also, I could not sleep in it at night because the room won't be dark or quiet enough!

12.Eating afterwards - what did people manage? I have a terrible relationship with food . DH can't cook , so this has to be basic easy stuff for me. He and DS can learn to fend for themselves! I am reading a few horror stories about food and eating. Low fat is not an issue for me, to be honest but if I can't drink tea, I'll cry. Did anyone gain weight afterwards? I really do not want to as have recently lost a stone. I have become terrified of eating so am hoping having the gb out will solve a lot of my anxiety around travel, lack of sleep, food.

13.How soon before driving/shopping/ lifting anything?

14.Did anyone go on a holiday after the op? How soon after? What were the travel insurance implications?

15..Any things they don't tell you that you wish they had?

16.Out of curiosity, how long did it take you for a GP to take your symptoms seriously? I'm at about the 10 year mark, maybe 6 or 7. This has been complicated by them focusing on trying to find gynae issues , which may or may not also exist, and various red herrings such as recent shingles and kidney infections. These of course were diagnosed and/or treated so the frequency of episodes was dismissed or overlooked. Annoying, it took DH's assertiveness for me to get referred for an abdo scan. I'm all for peri and menopause being taken serioulsy but it now feels like every ailment a woman has is put down to menopause. I may even have a tendency to do that myself. The pill version of HRT definitley did make my symptoms far worse, possibly coincidentally.

Feel free to answer or ask questions and share your stories!

Yes, me too. I've had it dance a nasty bout of Covid , tbh, and am also regularly slightly anaemic.

Hi,
Gb attacks are caused by eating saturated fat - you could eliminate them almost completely by cutting right down on saturated fat.

The only medication that stopped an attack for me in early stages, in 5 mins flat was Diclofenac.

I had my GB removed via keyhole in Germany about 20 yrs ago.

My consultant said afterwards try not to eat any junk food ever again as you still risk making stones in your bile duct.

So they’re removing your Gallbladder for 1 stone?
Aren't they trying to dissolve it or remove it first or just going for removal?

Read up on vitamins and nutrients following removal of GB. Without your GB, you produce bile 24/7. This means that the bile is much weaker than if you have a gallbladder, where it just sends strong bile to break down fat after a fatty meal. Instead, you’re having bile all day long every day and so it could be harder to break down fat as effectively and I guess that’s when you can get undesirable side effects, such as wind or diarrhoea.

Due to that, it also means without a GB, you will not break down fat-soluble vitamins as well. So you could check out info about that.

My own recovery took a week but they kept me in as the Uk military was paying for private treatment in Germany and they are paid per day- so they kept you in for a full week 😂. That being said, I was in quite a lot of pain and found moving tricky so resting was useful. I had a baby at home so it meant I wasn’t lifting her etc. But everyone is different and I’m guessing that 20yrs later, things have improved regarding recovery time.

Bear in mind that if anything becomes urgent during the keyhole operation, they will switch to old school, so maybe ask them about that if you’re interested.

You’ll be ok - in general recovery is not that bad - just keep up with your pain meds for a few days and ease them off to see if you still need them.

I really don't think they try and dissolve gallstones any more.

Besides which, mine is big!

I have a very low fat diet. Not out of any smug millennialness. I dislike fat.

Thank you, I'm sorry you have the same but I'm also reassured to hear I'm not on my own with it. And similarly to you I have eliminated the fatty food from my diet. So yes I haven't got any new stones but as you say they don't dissolve them nowadays anyway, and yes mine is too big for that anyway. I'm sure your surgeon will have explained all the risks and possibility of switching to open surgery etc as well, they're very good in that respect

This explains multiple different methods
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/gallstone-disease-treatment

The alternatives are rarely done ,even in the US mainly because stones tend to recur but also they aren't suitable for large ones, like mine.

So, how are we all?

I'm a week away from the op now, had my pre op. Feeling quite unsettled.

Have had what might be gallbladder flare ups for 3 of the last 4 weekends, including a trip to urgent care where they sat me in a chair for 4 hours (at least a fairly comfy one), announced another kidney infection and sent me away with ABs.

Have bought so called comfy bra and it's winding me with its tight band so that won't do.

I was mid 50s. Dairy and bacon were my triggers. I had no idea what it was until I visited the GP and explained the excruciating pain and, a quick examination, told me gall bladder and I'd have a 3 to 6 month wait to see the consultant and, probably, wouldn't be operated on for another 6 months! Luckily we had private medical so I saw a consultant within 2 weeks, another week to have a scan, and my 5 gallstones (sizes between 3 mm and 10 mm) were removed within a week (the surgeon was going on holiday and gave me the option of having it done on one particular day or choosing a date when he got back!)
After the op (keyhole) I was referred to a gynae consultant for something found whilst he was "poking around" but, at the time, I was still competing in karate competitions and I competed and won a competition within 6 weeks of the op, much to my competitors' horror (they saw the bandage when I was changing back to my outdoor clothes).
Looking back it was stupid but I had felt fine.

Wow!

I did wonder if they ever look for/ find other stuff.

Hi, just as an update, I went in today. Gallbladder is gone! Pain so far bearable.

Unfortunately, I am being kept in because I am.very dehydrated and can't wee. I am also vomiting unhelpfully. Not a nice impact on the stitches.

Oh no! I wish you all the best. It will get better, hopefully very quickly xx

@Piggywaspushed I hope you're ok and manage to sleep. Thank you for updating us. It's good to have an idea of what we could expect. The honesty is appreciated.

Thank everyone for kind words. And reassurance from those who experienced this and can say it will pass.

Pulse a bit high this morning but assume that'd a response to pain and nausea.

Just given nausea meds which helped yesterday, at least for a few hours.

Got earplugs as nurses have them. I have always slept better with earplugs.

Things I wish I had. My travel pillow which is on DH's car. I normally attach it to my hospital bag. I also should have brought change of clothes. I came in in my comfy huge , two sizes too big pj's, thinking that would suffice.
Should have also brought a nightie and my loose fitting shorts. I have lost a stone since a scary triglycerides test a few months back, at which point I virtually gave up eating so thankfully I have loose things at home. Giving up eating anything other than ryvita, water biscuits , occasional toast , baked pots with cottage cheese felt good for a few weeks. However, constant thunger pangs seems worse for gallbladder, for me. I have no love for food, as all my teacher friends know, but I think trying to be more sensible than normal did nothing to help GB.Am overdue LFT and cholesterol test, so that will be interesting my BP is really good for me so far : 150/89.

I also should have brought two books as one is nearly finished. A shortish Scandi wartime thriller. Quite good. But short!

Goes without saying should have brought my own super duper earplugs !

In other FML situations I have a hysteroscopy in a few weeks.My hospital doesn't do them on GA and actually I seem to struggle with GA. I have been offered sedation. Anyone had their endometrium butchered with sedation?

Nurse said 4 people yesterday were kept in overnight, when I apologised for being a nuisance. In some ways this was better than being at home as DH would fret, fuss, call ambulance etc. He is always helpful when I'm ill but in that man way that likes time suggest I am dying. But who will cook the tea, DW? DS2 is most kind and comforting but he doesn't have a car. He does WhatsApp me pictures of a Teddy bear he gave me when he was about 13. Can't decide who I'm missing more: DH or the bear. [GRIN]

I realise I am messaging from a hospital bed and that MN posters will tell me I am a troll or not that bad , but not you lot!

In glorious news, I have had two wees! Small and not worth the toilet roll but at least that means I'm less dehydrated.

Spectacular thunder storms here all last night.

This op is obviously bigger than cocky consultants say to you

And, yes, one of the wounds is on my bra line.

@ZeroFucksGivenToday
I had or have gallbladder stone but haven't had an attack for over 2 years.
Losing weight, running and drinking less wine seemed to help. I had to do those things because of being diagnosed with fatty liver at the same time as my gallbladder disease

By the time I got to the top of the waiting list, all my symptoms had been gone for a long time.
My consultant said he couldn't recommend me for surgery as I'd had no symptoms
I'm still fine, though get the occasional grumble if I let my healthy lifestyle slip
Maybe I'll have to have the op sometime...
But I'm fine for now.
BTW, I eat lots of fat, butter cheese, etc without any issues.

Listening to podcasts or soothing music is good if you have headphones/earphones. J K Rowling has done a good one on writing. Good distraction.

Ask for a hospital gown if the pj bottom is rubbing. They usually have a pattern on and are fairly thick so it’s not noticeable going without a bra.

I take it from the toilet roll comment you are not bedbound which is less restrictive. When do you think you’ll be out of hospital?

Yes,not bed bound. Can walk about.

good

Best wishes and hope you’ll be out soon and start to enjoy lots of different food again.

How are you doing now @Piggywaspushed? Been thinking of you and hope you're recovering ok

Thanks for asking. Was fine but got constipation, took Sennokot and had to go to hospital because it made me ill. Fun times .

Sorry to hear that. Doesn't sound nice at all. Have you been able to eat normally again or are you sticking to your pre-op eating? Hope you feel back to normal again soon.

Still eating next to nothing but I am a terrible eater anyway. Today has been a big set back. Planning to cook lasagne tomorrow and will see how that goes! At the moment, the thought of salad or fruit really bothers me and yet that was all fine before!

You've really gone through the mill, Piggy.

I am three weeks post-op and am mostly fine in the upper abdomen, but have recently had a few twinges that take me back - with about 1% of the pain.

I still have a sore stomach, so need to really sort out my diet.

My appetite has returned. I now realise that I must have been ill for a long time before the pain set in, as I ate like a bird and was often nauseous.

Oh not great you had a setback. Here’s to onwards and upwards. Would something like prune juice give you fibre and be something you didn’t need to eat?

I might give that a go zanda.