Want to trade gallstone stories?

[DisneyLover83]

It's just not the right time for me. Thanks for sharing your stories. For instance, the brochure he gave me said nothing about not being able to like you used to before. He made it sound like I could how I have been forever and another stone would never form.

I think you made a good decision, always trust your gut feeling. Did they tell you if you have stones in your bile duct? If so that can be very serious, make sure you are familiar with the symptoms of jaundice so you can get to the hospital in time. Are they going to do a MRCP to "see" whats going on?

 

[Belle0101]

I think you made a good decision, always trust your gut feeling. Did they tell you if you have stones in your bile duct? If so that can be very serious, make sure you are familiar with the symptoms of jaundice so you can get to the hospital in time. Are they going to do a MRCP to "see" whats going on?

See that's the weird thing. The whole thing is weird. All my life I have never had pains like this. 10pm Fri night they started in my back, running from one shoulder blade to the other. An hour or so later, I also had pains running just above my belly button. I had been on the computer all day so I thought I was sore from sitting. Pains got worse in my back, 5am had DH take me to ER. And I'd been vomiting since about 1:30am Sat morning.

About 7:30 am a tech took me for X-rays. Around 8am the doctor came in to release me. I asked him about my pains, could be this, could be that, go home, rest, gets worse come back. Uh, no, what's wrong with me? Really wasn't sure but he'd schedule a CT scan. Took some blood earlier, gave me an oral anti-nausea medicine, made me drink Sprite. That all came back up.

About 8:30 a new doctor comes in. He orders an injection of anti-nausea med, IV and pain meds in the IV. 9am a tech took me for the CT scan, had to drink some vile stuff beforehand for that.

Came back just before 11am and said I had gallbladder disease, some other things showed up on the X-ray (cyst on my right ovary, he didn't elaborate anymore than that) here are some prescriptions, see your regular doctor on Mon or Tues. He was brief but I felt like he was listening to me.

Called my doctor on Mon, scheduled to see surgeon this past Wed ... and here we are. I have no idea how many stones I have, where they are, how I got them, why I never had any symptoms before, no other tests scheduled ... like you said, trusting my gut here and it's saying WAIT!

I'll google jaundice and MRCP.

Again, thanks for sharing!

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Had mine out in 1988, way before the advancements. They cut me O-PEN. I spent a week in the hospital with six weeks recovery and lost a whole semester of college.

Once you have gallstones you really should get it out. It is a serious condition with very serious consequences if left untreated. They have made so many advancements I am sure that you will be in good hands. Best of luck, take care.

 

[lovepurple]

I went to the ER about a year ago because I thought I was having a heart attack. They did an EkG right away and my heart was okay. Then I waited 9 hrs to before a doctor saw me. It was a Friday night and they had gun shot victims, car wrecks, the usual. I was in worse pain than labor. The doctor finally saw me and gave me a prescription for vicadin and told me to see my regular doctor. I went to my doctor and he sent me for a stress test and never checked my gall bladder. Anyway, after a year of having attacks on and off I finally went in a few weeks ago and requested that my doctor please check my gallbladder. He sent me for an ultrasound and sure enough I have several gallstones and one is as big as a golf ball. I am scheduled for surgery in a few weeks and I am very scared. I've never had surgery. And now that I am reading about tubes being stuck down people's throat's I'm even more scared. Is that how they always use anesthesia? I thought they just did an IV and a mask or something. I knew they bloated your stomach with gas. The more I'm learning about this surgery the more I'm thinking of not doing it. But I have been eating mostly oatmeal and stuff like that because the pain is absolutely horrible when I have an attack.
I've also been reading and seeing a bunch of commercials from ambulance chasing lawyers that Yaz and yasmin can cause gallbladder problems. Hmmm. I've been taking yasmin for a couple of years.

 

[DisneyLover83]

I've also been reading and seeing a bunch of commercials from ambulance chasing lawyers that Yaz and yasmin can cause gallbladder problems. Hmmm. I've been taking yasmin for a couple of years.

Wow, I was on Yaz for about 1 year and then I started having problems. I had been a perfectly healthy 24 year old.

I had never even had an IV before I had to go to the ER for severe pain one night, within 2 weeks of that night I had surgery, spent a week in the hospital and many other procedures done. I was terrified, the only thing that made me go through with it all was I knew the stones could kill me.... I had several stones in my bile duct.

 

[Lassie Lynne]

I had my gallbladder taken out last year. I had several test gone, including one (can't remember the name) where they actually inject you with some stuff that simulates having a very fatty meal....boy, did that set me off with the pain!! After that test, I realized that it had to go out. Funny thing, I apparently have had this issue with my gallbladder since I was 10 years old, it just has been misdiagnosed all of these years and wasn't until I was in the hospital for something else and had an attack.

I am very happy with the decision and the pain is gone. I cannot give you advice on healing because I had it combined with another issue and had to actually have a big incision (they did the gallbladder laproscopically). Don't worry about the tube down the throat - I have had it a couple of time and you are "asleep" from IV sedation and do not know about it - your throat may be sore for a few days. I do have to be careful with high fat meals and I have totally given up on ice cream

 

[Pdowning98]

I had my gallbladder out just over a year ago. It was the best thing I ever did. I went for over 7 years miserable, with all the same symptoms that the other posters had, the vomiting was the worst and then the pain. My doctor just kept telling me nothing was wrong (certainly not with that doc any longer)...I couldn't take it any longer went to the ER and they took it out immediately. I had so many gallstones, that they lost count. The relief is amazing. I feel like I can live normally now...

Good luck with whatever route you take!

 

[BCV513]

I've been on Yaz too for just a year. My surgeon said they're looking into the connection between Yaz and gallstones.

I'm curious about those of you who have said that you "miss" your gallbladders. In what way? I don't feel any different now than before I got sick.

 

[DisneyLover83]

I've been on Yaz too for just a year. My surgeon said they're looking into the connection between Yaz and gallstones.

I'm curious about those of you who have said that you "miss" your gallbladders. In what way? I don't feel any different now than before I got sick.

I say I miss mine due to the bile salt diarrhea that I now suffer from. It is a possible side effect from having your gallbladder removed, not everyone ends up with it.

 

[brockash]

I went to the ER about a year ago because I thought I was having a heart attack. They did an EkG right away and my heart was okay. Then I waited 9 hrs to before a doctor saw me. It was a Friday night and they had gun shot victims, car wrecks, the usual. I was in worse pain than labor. The doctor finally saw me and gave me a prescription for vicadin and told me to see my regular doctor. I went to my doctor and he sent me for a stress test and never checked my gall bladder. Anyway, after a year of having attacks on and off I finally went in a few weeks ago and requested that my doctor please check my gallbladder. He sent me for an ultrasound and sure enough I have several gallstones and one is as big as a golf ball. I am scheduled for surgery in a few weeks and I am very scared. I've never had surgery. And now that I am reading about tubes being stuck down people's throat's I'm even more scared. Is that how they always use anesthesia? I thought they just did an IV and a mask or something. I knew they bloated your stomach with gas. The more I'm learning about this surgery the more I'm thinking of not doing it. But I have been eating mostly oatmeal and stuff like that because the pain is absolutely horrible when I have an attack.
I've also been reading and seeing a bunch of commercials from ambulance chasing lawyers that Yaz and yasmin can cause gallbladder problems. Hmmm. I've been taking yasmin for a couple of years.[/QUOTE]

I will say that I switched birth control (to Yaz) after my dd was born, and a few months after that is when I had my first episode of attacks. I have no idea if it really had anything to do with it or not, but I just switched back to my old birth control because I had been hearing the same thing. Like I said before, I can usually control my attacks with just eating better ect. (which really I should be doing anyways) and anytime I do have one is when I've been eating pretty badly, so I really feel like I did it to myself, so hopefully I won't have to have surgery. If I were you, I'd switch birth controls, just to be safe.

 

[daughtersrus]

I had my gallbladder removed almost 23 years ago.

I was only 22yo at the time. My first DD was born via C-sect Dec 16 and I had my first attack Christmas Eve. I ended up in the ER but based on my age and the recent C-sect, they didn't really know what was causing the pain. For several weeks, I would end up back in the ER with pain that felt like a heart attack.

Nothing in particular would cause an attack. I could eat McDonalds and be fine but had a horrible attack after eating homemade chicken soup. I remember laying on the tile floor in our bathroom (because it was so cool) thinking that I was having an heart attack. I actually thought that I was going to die and leave my little baby girl without a mom.

Once they determined that it was my gallbladder, I had to wait until Feb to have it removed. They needed to let my other surgery heal first. At that time, lap surgery was not even available (I later learned that mine was so bad that I couldn't have done it anyway). The surgeon said that he gave up counting the stones when he reached 100. I had some impacted into the duct of my liver.

I don't want to scare you but I have to say that this surgery was far worse than the C-section or having my appendix out when I was 16yo. I was in the hospital for 7 days and left with a drain whole that had to be packed.

Now, I have no problems at all. I can eat anything that I want.

I'm glad that I had it removed. The doctors all said that if I didn't, I would surely end up needed emergency surgery if I ever was to get pregnant again (something about the hormones related to the stone production). The last thing that I wanted was to have surgery while being pregnant.

 

[lovesmurfs]

I had my gallbladder out in December 2005. I actually had passed out from the pain of the attack that sent me to the hospital -- my blood pressure was 70/40 when I went in.

Diagnosed gallstones, then wanted to make sure there was nothing cardiac, so I went through a bunch of other tests (stress test, etc.).

The surgery itself was fine -- Dr. preferred overnight stays, so I left the next morning. Worst part about the recovery was the gas they put in your abdomen to give them space to work laproscopically.

I don't regret it at all! Once I started doing some research about it, I realized I'd had symptoms for years without knowing what it was.

Best wishes.

 

[2binak]

I had 3 attacks within 36 hours and it's not a pain that I ever want to have again! I was doubled-over in pain and having trouble breathing. I ended up in the ER at 11pm after the 3rd attack. After a blood draw and an u/s they confirmed gallstones. I had surgery a week later. I have 2 tiny incisions on my belly and was home within 5 or 6 hours of going into surgery. I felt really good a few days later and was back to work 10 days later. 4 weeks after the surgery, I was WDW!

 

[koolaidmoms]

I had my GB removed several years ago.

I had been having issues for YEARS (talking about 10) and they misdiagnosed it. Then a stone got stuck in the duct and sent me to the ER. I never felt pain like that. The stone eventually worked itself out but I had my GB out the next day.

My GB had 50 stones. After 4 hours of surgery (it was so large they could not get it out) I was being taken back to my room and the surgical intern came and told me I was fine and in his words, "It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. I've never seen one that big with that many stones before. Thanks!"

UGH. Get it taken care of.

 

[englishteacha]

My gallbladder quit working. I had it out last December. No stones were in it, but it was infected because it had essentially died.

I feel a lot better than I did because I was sick for 10 weeks. I do have some trouble with heartburn now that I never had before having my gallbladder out. I also can't eat eggs now, which is weird, but not a huge loss as I didn't really like them much. I just miss the occasional omelette.