Gall bladder op' queries. Please come and talk to me!

[cariadambyth]

Hello, this is the first thread I've ever started on here and what a glamorous topic to begin with

Basically, I'm booked in to have my gall bladder removed on the 23rd of this month and was hoping some of you could share your wisdom with me.

How long will I be out of action for? I have two dcs under 5.

I am due to stay in hospital over night, what should i pack?

Will I have to make any significant changes to my life style afterwards? My attacks don't appear to be diet related, more hormonal.

Finally, a very trivial question I know but I am going to a wedding about 6 weeks post op and I just wandered whether anyone had experience of putting on/ shedding weight after the op. What I'm really asking is, can I buy an outfit noe while there are sales on or would it be wiser to wait until afterwards?!

Sorry this has turned into such a ramble

Looking forward to hearing from you

I had mine out ages ago. Was in one night and it was absolutely fine - just a nightie needed, wash stuff,and set of clothes. I'm bad with anasthaetics so it took me a while to get over that, but otherwise it was all very straightforward. As for how long, what you should or should not do - talk to the surgeon/consultant. Certainly for a day or so you'll need to take it easy so arrange cover if you can, but I don't remember having any problems. Good luck.

I had mine out through keyhole 4 years ago. First of all, be ready for a possible cancellation! like mine initially.

Second of all be ready for the fact they may have to convert to open surgery during the op which will of course increase your stay in and your recovery time. They will tell you this and of the 4 beds in ward I was on, two had this happen.

That aside - I was in on a Friday, operated on late in the day, keyhole, all fine, came round to a face to face with a jar full of stones, promptly threw up and then conked out till morning. I wasn't in any pain which was glorious after ten years of pain and the last 6 months of which constant.

Take nighties not pjs as if they are high waisted it'll be uncomfortable, and a dress if you can or soft joggers/leggings to come out in. Plenty of magazines and books. Mars Bar for if you come round late at night and they won't go and make you a sandwich after starving for hours

I was kept in till Sunday afternoon - not entirely sure why tbh, think maybe as there was no-one free to discharge me on Saturday in time? So another thing to be prepared for.

I was walking to school for pick up the Monday albeit slowly and carefully, and took a week off work. The only problem/pain I had was at night getting comfortable in bed, and of course turning over in the night - not good!

I lost weight afterward, not a huge amount, maybe half a stone.

Good luck!

Missed a point - for a good year after I couldn't tolerate alcohol, it would give me huge tummy bloating/cramps and go right through me, can only attribute that to the op really.

Thank you both ever so much. Lots I hadn't thought of. Wil certainly pack a nightie rather than pjs. Glad to hear you are both well now and no longer have that awful pain

Hi all.

In the same boat, op next week, trying to work out how long I needed childcare - as its the school holidays and partner not here. So all the specific info is great! Good to be reminded that I may have to have open rather than keyhole and that may have to stay overnight. All my complex childcare plans are based on me coming out same day and mobile in a couple of days.

cariadambyth - I will try to remember to post after the op so you have some idea of how it might go.

Can't wait to see the back of those pesky stones, they havn't half given me some gyp

Even if you have keyhole it will all depend on how late in the day they take you in, if other emergencies come in before you, if anyone having same op as you needs converting to open which takes a while longer etc etc, things you cannot really plan for.

For childcare I would go for worse case scenario and anything else is a bonus.

Best of luck!

Afterwards, you're up and about within about 48hours, but won't be able to lift anything heavy etc - I found I was fine as long as I kept still but going from lying down to sitting up was a nightmare. So you'll probably need help with DCs if you need to pick them up, shove them around etc,

I'll give you the same tip I gave hackney earlier - save a little cash to buy yourself a new lipstick and/or foundation afterwards as you will loko and feel so much better your old stuff will be horrible!

Foodwise - I was starving. And I really enjyoed eating as I had always had mild pain in my right side which I hadn't even noticed until I didn't have it any more - but keep food to things that are relatively easily digested. this is NOT the time to be going all low GI!.

Weight stayed the same after - I gained a bit over time as I was so happy to be eating and drinking again! :-) and I've struggled to lose it, but not sure if that's connected.

If you have norks you like to have restrained, get yourself a tight tank top or something as a bra will be uncomfortable for the first little while. Ditto, no tight waisted trousers - especially higher waisted onces - as they'll get in the way of your small holes on the stomach. [I went to a job interview a few weeks after and had slightly awkward moment where I moved, my skirt band caught and I had to subtly ease the band off the wound while continuing to chat about credit markets or whatever it was!]

But overall, it's brilliant and you'll be so glad you did it.

Oh - and don't get cocky! I was feeling so cooped up I decided to go for a walk. Just round the block. "I feel fine" I thought.

Hahahahaha. Some lovely older lady came up to me to check I wasn't dying as about a quarter of the way in I realised that even just half a block was a bit ambitious!

Thanks again all, it's lovely to know so many of us are in the same boat, albeit a painful one! Thanks Hackney, will be thinking of you next week, make sure you let us all know how you get on.

oh goodness yes, I forgot about the bra thing, I didn't wear one for a couple weeks, let them swing free

Just had my gall bladder out 4 weeks ago and it has taken me 4 weeks to start eating proper food. Felt fine the day after the op in fact I wolfed down a cooked breakfast. Went home next day then I started to feel really unwell. Got searing pains in my abdomen when i tried to eat and could only tolerate specialised high calorie drinks. It has taken four weeks of very careful eating and really tiny meals. I am still having pain just below my kidneys in my back and it gets worse as the day goes on. Had to have a gastroscopy to see if the worry had caused me an ulcer,didnt have one b4 so why shud i have one now....cud it be a by product of the op that they dont tell you about. Scared a stone has escaped into pancreatic duct as i had between 200-300 stones and 4 x 1cm ones. Never seen so many people with problems after gall bladder op as I have on the internet. Why do the consultants believe it is such a sucessful op if there are so many problems being reported. I am a really sporty lady and play badminton to a national standard and to be honest i am scared to death of playing any sport or leaving the country in case anything goes wrong.

Had me out 18 moths ago. In and out in one day 'keyhole'. I was told not to drive
for 4 weeks. Took 6 weeks to get over it and very tired for 2 weeks. You will need help if looking after 2 DCs under 5.

I have not been able to really eat 'normally' since. I did what alypaly did and felt bad too. I have to be careful to not have too much fat, too much meat, too much alcohol. Everything in moderation and I take Gaviscon to control acid. I also went to a Gluten Free / lctose Free diet 10 weeks ago. Feel so much better and lost 7 kilograms of fat and fluid.

Hi, I've just had mine out on Thursday (I Think - still a bit confused on what day it is!) Came home Friday.

Pain is OK (stomach feels like I've done hundreds of sit ups), main pain is in neck - apparently something to do with them pumping you up with air when they do the key hole stuff. Have been given 4 different pain killers which seem to be doing the job.

Need childcare though as still feel wiped out. Have spent most time in bed so far (neck hurts when sit up for too long). Hoping this will pass today.

Also have lost my appetite so feeling a bit light headed as not eaten much since Wed (was on NBM for ages).

Overall am feeling OK, just taking it easy.

Hope yours goes OK!

Hi abetadad, i hope I can eat properly after 18 months as i absolutely adore cooking, other than sport it is my one big interest. Today i have eaten a tiny bit of something every 2 hours to see if i can prevent the pain coming on. It seems to get worse towards evening but the odd thing is it is on my left side about 2 inches up from my belly button. Just wanted to die last night cos the pain was unending.Didnt have this pain here b4 the op and i am not a drinker. Only used to have 2 units a week b4 the op so it definitely isnt alcohol induced, so i am hoping it is not pancreatitis that they have caused from the op.I believe that can happen if a stone gets flipped out into the pancreatic duct during the op but i do not fancy having the ERCP camera into the pancreas to check as this can bring an attack on. Really scared and fed up. Kind of therapeutic to talk to others tho i am sorry u r in the same boat after 18 months. Did you like sport too.

BTW I have lost 16lbs in 4 weeks which is a bit scary. no interest in food.

Anyone want to chat?

Alypaly - that doesn't sound good and they should be checking you. My surgery got delayed as they thought there was a stone floating around that they wanted to be sure had gone before cutting anything. Good luck in getting to the bottom of it.

ABetaDad - doctors will claim there is no link between gallbladder and acid problems. I think they're talking absolute rubbish. If you are experiencing bad acid related problems, you should speak to your doctor about putting you on omeprazole or something similar for a few weeks/months. They are proton pump inhibitors (I think) but basically reduce the amount of acid your body creates. Astonishingly helpful and generally, if you respond well you can stop taking them or reduce the dosage over time.
Good luck!

HiInstitches welcome to the world of gallbladderless people. Hope u make a speedier recovery than I have. Felt totally zapped for 4 weeks, just wanted to sleep, no appetite, scared to eat actually. Still feel as if a horse has kicked me under my breastbone and all down my diaphragm area near my ribs. Now wishing I had never had it done as i am now in pain daily rather than once every 6 weeks. Not normally so pesemistic but have got myself really upset and a little weepy with all this. The pain in your tummy is due to the CO2 that they pump u up with which is really painful when you come round from the op and they say it shud go in 48hours!!!Hmmmmm.

Good luck

OhBling hi its not acid related, had a gastroscopy on wednesday at the alexandra hosp and thay said there was no gastritis or ulcers and i had been put on omeprazole and also ranitidine just in case, But obviously neither worked. I think being in the medical profession as a pharmacy dispenser hasnt helped as i understand everything they are doing. The pain feels as if its eminating from some structure rather than in my stomach. The thing is bile which obviously now trickles into the stomach continuously rather than being pumped out after eating from the gallbladder is alkaline so omeprazole, lanzoprazole nexium and all H2 antagonists should not in theory work.hmm

How long was everyone else uncomfortable in their abdomen post operatively??

Hi Aly - my omeprazole suggestion was for ABetadad. Yours sounds pretty bad and like there's something wrong post surgery. Pain in the butt and I really hope they figure it out soon for you. For me, removal of my gall bladder literally changed my life and it kills me when others don't have similarly positive experiences.

OhBling How long did it take you to feel okay again

please don't hate me... about 2 hours. Honestly. Sure, it took a while for the pain of the surgery itself to go away and I was tired for the first two weeks, but in terms of overall healthiness and feeling better - that was almost instantaneous. DH laughed at me as I gobbled even the dodgy hospital food with enthusiasm.

I couldn't believe how much better I felt right from the start - and as I've said further up on this thread, it even affected my skin tone and complexion very quickly.

A friend's mother ws the same - I kept getting text messages from my mate asking me how to keep her mother from bouncing into the garden to tackle the huge pile of things she'd not had energy to do for months!

OhBling. I didnt feel particularly unwell when i had the op. In fact i was playing competitive badminton and playing my best ever.Its just that three years ago i had a really bad bout of pain which lasted 6 weeks and was rolling around my bed in agony and so distended..I felt like a horse with colic....I believe it was biliary colic but i had a slightly raised amylase so they said it cud b the start of pancreatitis. Then just had niggles every now and then but nothing i couldnt handle. It was about 10 weeks ago, i collapsed whilst i was on the phone to my boyfriend and i thought i was having a heart attack. Pain lasted for about 2 hours and the ambulance took me to hospital to check that i hadnt had one. They then gave me a ultrasoundscan 3 weeks later and told me my gall bladder was full of lots of mobile calculi. Consultant at the BUPA hospital told me it was best to come out....wish i had left it til i was really ill now.
Nice to chat....yes I do hate you

I was told it was supposed to happen to people who are fair,fat,fertile and forty and i dont fit into any of those categories do you?

I was told the same but my surgeon laughed and said it was crap (his words, not mine). I was (and am) overweight, but not the rest. Although I heard the 4 Fs where - Female, Fat, Forty, and something else.

Can you see specialists? It definitely does sound a bit strange to me. Perhaps there are still stones lurking or you got an infection or something?

If it's any consolation - I was sick off and on for 18 months before they decided to take the gallbladder out. And those were a horrible 18 months - trips to hospital, missed work, never knowing when I was going to be sick etc etc etc.

yeah I can see specialists and the one who did mine did my next door neighbours( she had a stone the size of chicken egg...ive seen it!!!!!!! and he has ben doing keyhole for over 9 years. He came highly recommended by my friend who is a theatre nurse at the local private hospital. I am going back to see him on the 26th July hopefully feeling better by then but that seems a long way off. Sorry to depress you with my problem but as they say its nice to talk and i am a single mum so I dont get too much opportunity with my older children,they are always busy and they dont seem to notice that i am not usual self.