Anybody had Gallstones?

[minnie56]

Because I recently found out I do and I don't much like them!
I am awaiting being seen by a surgeon...but I am wondering what happens in most instances? Has anyone had the sugery? They have mentioned micro-surgery...

I am trying to avoid flare-ups by watching what I eat but it doesn't always seem to help...

 

[minnie56]

sugery...what's that??? I mean.....surgery!

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

I had to have my gallbladder removed about 6 months after I had my daughter (I had a C-section). They did the laser surgery and it went really well. I wasn't in any pain. I mention the C-section b/c it was nothing like that so I'm not sure if I'm even a good judge about how the laser surgery is

I did have a friend who let the gall bladder attacks keep happening before going to see the Dr. (she didn't have insurance) and by the time she did go to the Dr. they had to do the old fashioned surgery. Those attacks are NOT fun. Good luck to you!!

 

[minnie56]

I don't think I have heard of laser surgery...Is that done as an outpatient? (ie: day surgery?)

I seem to hear about 3 small incisions and a camera being implanted and used for entire GB removal...something involving shockwaves which just breaks up the stones leaving the gallbladder intact...and of course the conventional old-fashioned surgery.

How was your recovery?
Can you tell I'm a 'wee' bit scared!!!

 

[addicted_to_WDW]

I had gall stones after losing too much weight too quickly. The pain was horrible. In the time between the ultrasound and the other tests, my gallstones resolved themselves. It's been about 5 years.

My father had his gall bladder removed a few years ago. It was the 3 incision deal and outpatient. He had the surgery on Thursday and was back to work on Monday. Dad's kind of wimpy, so I have to believe the surgery and recovery weren't so bad.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

Sounds like we are talking about the same procedure I just thought it was with a laser lol. I do have 3 small incisions, you can't even see them now.

I spent the night in the hospital but it's a 23 hr short stay so they (insurance) considers it an outpatient procedure. I can see where one might be a bit sore but that didn't affect me. I even told the nurse I didn't need help going to the bathroom b/c I had just had a C-section...she laughed.

It's perfectly normal to be scared. But, it is a fairly routine procedure and no where near as dangerous as the old kind of surgery. I had the surgery almost 12 years ago. I don't remember if they gave me meds to take home but I'm pretty sure they did.

 

[minnie56]

I lost 54 lbs in just under 3 months about 3 years ago...it seems shortly thereafter I began to have a sensitive stomach....occasional pain....but upon testing nothing showed up. How did yours resolve themselves? Maybe you only had a few? Apparantly my Gallbladder is pretty 'packed'!

Thanks for the help tho...it's good to hear that it's fairly uneventful!

 

[minnie56]

Do they put you to sleep??

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

They put me to sleep which I beleive is why they keep you overnight. I was wide awake and went home after the carpel tunnel surgery...now THAT hurt!

 

[minnie56]

Sorry for all the questions!

I've had 2 more-than-10 pound babies so I can do this right??

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

Originally posted by minnie56
Sorry for all the questions!

I've had 2 more-than-10 pound babies so I can do this right??

LOL YES! you can! It's perfectly normal to be scared. And how will you know anything if you don't ask??

 

[CindyKansas]

I also had the the gall bladder surgery with the three incisions. My gall bladder acted up after I had lost weight due to a thyroid problem. When I had my first and only gall bladder attack it was more painful than anything I can remember. And yes, they put me to sleep.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

What were your symptoms for gallstones?i have major pain in my stomach and certain thing i eat make it worse.i live on pepcid

 

[dzneprincess]

I had my gallbladder removed almost 7 years ago. Keep in my mind it was my 1st surgery ever, and it was NO fun! I did have it laproscopically (3 incisions), and because of the way I felt after, I am scared to have my tubes tied.

When I woke up, I felt like someone had spent the whole time puching on my stomach. I was very sore. I went home the next day and was prob out of commission for 2-3 days. I HATED the way I felt after coming out of anesthesia.........but all in all, that few days of pain was much better than living with the pain of those attacks the rest of my life.

 

[minnie56]

Thank you all again....

It is both scary and so painful...they put me on a demerol drip in the hospital the night I had my attack (It actually was my second one...but the first one I toughed it out!!) and when it wore off and I was pretty much allright they let me go with instructions to see my Dr and have an ultrasound...all of which I have now done.

They asked me to compare the pain to labour and I said it was worse. I think it was only because labour pains are pretty much intermittent where this was constant!! ouch!

Every time it becomes a bit painful I dread that it will become like 'that night' again....I really want it taken care of a.s.a.p!

Thanks for sharing your tales with me!

 

[minnie56]

My symptoms began pretty suddenly about 3 years ago in varying degrees. My pain was not really typical (according to my Dr) of Gallbladder. It was located in the center of my stomach just below the ribs. It can come when I am hungry or when I don't eat for awhile and then I do...and it has been a full blown attack after being a particularily bad girl and eating too much 'high -in fat' food in one day...ie: pastry, pizza etc.. That just sends it over the top!
Nothing...short of Advil would bring relief. I tried Prevacid and Nexium (which actually made it worse) There is a history in my family of GB disease so I guess that makes me a candidate...Get yours checked out, don't wait like I did for that awful flare up in the middle of the night!

Good Luck to you!

 

[luvindisneyworld]

that is exactly where i hurt is in between my ribs and below.my mom had your gall bladder removed.she tells me all the time i need to go to the DR.thing like slaw and meats just kill my stomach almost everything i eat hurts me.

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

I actually had pains before the Big Attack as I call it (that's the one that had me running to the ER). The pains were located towards my back so I thought I had something wrong with my back. The Big Attack was awful. They gave me this green liquid and some heavy duty pills and that did the trick. But they scheduled me for surgery ASAP

 

[browneyes]

I don't know if I have gall stones, but I definately have problems with my gall bladder. I've been too lazy to get a dr to look at it (or scared, same thing sometimes ). I have some severe seizing in the gall bladder area sometimes (my SO calls the way I deal with the pain my baby breathing technique).

Good luck with the surgeon, Minnie56. {{hugs}}

 

[denisem]

Had laproscopic surgery two weeks ago. Keep in mind I'm a bit of a wimp about pain....

Well, it was a snap, compared to the pain I'd been in for the last month ! Outpatient surgery at 7:30 am (BTW, they anesthesized me as they were wheeling me to surgery). Woke up a few hours later and was home before noon. Took some prescription Motrin a few days for pain, but strangely enough my right shoulder bothered me more than the four incisions. (They cautioned me that is sometimes a side effect from the CO2 pumped into your stomach, which can hit a nerve leading to your shoulder).

The incisions (specifically my "belly-button" one) was basically only "owwy" for a few days when getting up from a lying position (you learn how to "roll" out of bed or making fast moves). And I was instructed not to lift anything heavy for awhile.

Everything is great now. Ate a slice of pizza two days after surgery - what a treat after almost living on cereal the past 6 weeks!

Hope your experience is as successful as mine. Give a shout if I can answer any other questions.

Denise < --- hoping she can keep off the 25 lbs. she lost

Edited to add: My pain was also atypical - higher than normal & I never had back pain, so I went though the acid reflux/GERD prescriptions until they did the ultrasound.