Gallstones

My son had his taken out when he was 11! As stated before it is usually 4 small spots and fairly routine. He was very soar for a few days, but then bounced back with out any problems. It made his quality of life 100% better, I hope it does the same for you!

Hello -

I had to do this after my first baby. I was nervous too, but it ended up being pretty simple and boy did I feel much better after. Good luck and try not to worry.

K.

i had mine out about 7 months after my daughter was born. the surgery is pretty quick and the recovery was fast too. i think i was in the hospital 2 or 3 days. not too bad, and they do it laproscopically so the scars arent huge. its been 8 years and i havent had any noticeable side effects from not having a gallbladder. good luck!

I had to have my gallbladder removed about 10 weeks after my son was born. The doctor said that during/after pregnancy a lot of women develop gall stones and have to have their gall bladder removed. I went in for a morning surgery, and by 2:00 I went home. I spent about three days really resting, and by the fourth day, I was ready to leave the house for awhile. The surgery really wasn't that bad, and I only have three little scars (and one in my belly button). Since the surgery, I haven't had any pain like my gall stones, and I feel a lot better. Good luck with your surgery!

Every woman in my family has had her gallbladder removed. I had a laprascopic cholesystectomy less than a year after the birth of my first child. I had horrible pains right between my breasts that at first felt like heart burn, but it got worse. I started having these attacks every night for over a month, which were so painful I was doubled over and they lasted for at least 5 hours at a time, with no break. I soon found out they were brought on by fat in foods, because that is what the bile that your gallbladder stores is used for, to break up fats in the food you eat. The pain is caused when your gallbladder tries to release the bile, and a stone gets lodged in the hole that bile is supposed to come out of. I went to the emergency room and they did an ultrasound and said I didn't have gallstones, stupid Madera Comm. I kept having the pains, so I went to my regular doctor. I had to sit through this four hour test where I laid flat on my back on a hard board under a huge machine. It is very painful when you try to get up after laying flat for that long. My back was killing me. They found gallstones and scheduled the lap chole. Lap Chole is the medical term for removing your gallbladder laprascopically. I have four little scars. One above my belly button, two on my right side, and one a little lower than between my breasts. It was a little painful afterwards because of the gas they fill you up with. Once that has left your body, the pain isn't that bad. If they say you need to have it done, I would definitely get it done. It can be very painful if you don't. Good luck.

yes it is realitivly easy about 45 min. surgery most of the time out paitent.

Dear L.,
My experience was a bit different. I had intermittent pain on my right side under the breast for several weeks. I thought I had pulled a muscle. My internist ordered an ultrasound to check the gall bladder. I saw a general surgeon for my surgery. I got to the hospital at 8am, surgery was at 9am and I was home by noon. I didn't hurt until the pain medication wore off about 12 hours later. I was very stiff and it hurt to move so I just took my time and rested a lot. I had 4 small incisions that I can't see anymore (2 years ago). I used Mederma on the incisions. I had more of a problem from the adhesive tape taking off the top layer of skin when it came off. OUCH!! A week after surgery, I was well enough to go out to lunch (followed by a nap). I was back to work in 10 days. If you have small children, you'll certainly need help with chores and childcare. As to diet- I was advised about avoiding certain foods but I haven't had any problems except when I eat ice cream. Good luck. Don't wait for surgery. It won't get any better- only worse. B.

Hi L.,

I had gallstones when I was 17 & had to have my gallbladder removed. That was back in 1982 & I know that medicine has advanced alot since then because now you can just have the gallstones lasered without surgery. Has your doctor gone over that? Gallbladder surgery is not a major surgery & the recovery is relatively quick. Again, since medicine has advance, I'm sure that the scar will be minimal as I've heard they can even go in through the navel, mine is a huge one across 85% of my torso. It's really nothing to get worried about. Truly the relief from the pain was well worth it! The worst thing was the gas I experienced after the surgery and the hospital menu! I would say you have nothing to worry about. I'll say a prayer for you though to help ease your anxiety & that everything will go smoothly. Good luck to you & if you feel like it, let me know how it went afterward.

D. H. :)

I had gallstones for about 5 years, until they really bothered me and had them taken out about 3 months ago. I had 4 small incisions in my abdomen made and was out the same day. I felt better in about a week. They did have to give me general anesthesia, but thank God, everything went well. Gallstones are fairly common in women, and at times in pregnancy. If they bother you, which can be very painful especially after eating very fatty foods, they can remove either the gallbladder or just the stones. Depends on the size. Don't be nervouse, it is not a complicated surgery and it is very common surgery. Good luck!

My mom just had hers removed about 3 weeks ago after several rounds of gallstones. Her gall bladder had gotten so inflamed that she ended up with pretty bad pancreaitis too, and they had to keep her in the hospital for a few days to let everything calm down before they could operate. She was home in a day and sore but feeling worlds better.

I did a little reading up on it and confirmed that there is a relationship between thyroid problems and gallstone/pancreas/liver issues. All the women in our family have low thyroid, so I had figured there had to be a connection after watching my grandma, aunt, and mom go through gallstones (guess what I get to look forward to in a few years!). I don't know if it's a common issue, but it might not hurt ot have them check your thyroid levels too to help prevent any further stress on your system after the surgery.

After the birth of my daughter, and started having really horrible pain and indigestion and was hospitalized several times because the pain was so bad. After many tests, a ct scan and an ultrasound, they discovered I had many galstones and would need to have my galbladder removed.The ER doctors wanted me to let them remove my galbladder right then - I was NOT into letting a strange doctor cut me open. So I went home, and hoped that the stones would pass and everything would calm down. Well, it only got worse: my primary care, who is also an OBGYN, told me that quite a few women that have had children need to have their galbaldders removed because of how pregnancy changes the way your body processes protein, fat, and cholesterol.
I got in touch with a gastroenterologist: you need to get in touch with one through your medical insurance, and have he/she do all the galbaldder removal (their specialty is the digestive system in its entirity and they are specially trained to do these surgeries, not just some doc that just does them now and then). You will go in for surgery, and wake up in a recovery room, but in no pain. They hook you up to a pain medicine delivery system that allows YOU to control how much meds you are getting - you must stay overnight because they DO have to cut through your abdominal muscles and need to wait until you poop/urinate before you go home to make sure all the pipes are working. There will be only three tiny incisions somewhere on your abdomen below your right breast. They are NO big deal, and have maybe a stitch or two each that dissolve so you dont have to have them taken out. You will be VERY VERY sore, and feel like you have done a million sit-ups - they will reccommend that you not lift anything more than a pound or so for 4 weeks --- which is a riduculous thing to say to a mother with a small child (my baby was 8 months old then). I took it really easy for about a week - you WILL need someone to take care of your children and chores for you for at least the first 5-7 days, as you really REALLY have to be careful you dont rip your abdominal muscles apart. After that, I just took it realy easy and was careful to lift my child and everything else with only my back and arm muscles. You will find that you are very tired for awhile, and you will have diarreah for a period of 4 weeks to a year (I still have some) as your body adjusts to life without galbladder. The procedure itself is not the hard part: its not too invasive, you recover rapidly, ad there is little pain involved - it is the afterwards watching your diet that is hard. You CANNOT eat anything greasy, fatty, high in cholesterol, or really much that tastes good for at least the first few months, or you will find yourself running to the bathroom 10 minutes after you eat as all of what you have just eaten leaves your body. If you do not watch your diet you may also vomit and be in great pain after eating a spicy, fatty, or greasy meal.
SO the actual procedure itself isnt real painful at all - the recovery isnt bad either, you're just very sore. Watching your diet afterwards is the hard part. Dont be afraid, its a really easy procedure to go through - and very safe.

Hi L., I had my Gallbladder removed 5mo. ago. My Gallbladder was very swollen and I had over 30stones. The Dr. informed me that if I didn't had the surgery my gallbladder will burst. I was a little nervous, But I tried to relax because it was something that needed to be done. After the surgery it was a little painful, but thank God for the pain killers. The first week is the hardest, then it will get better. In regards to your eating habits, everything goes to normal after a few days.
Hope everything goes Great and remember that you need to be relax so everything goes well.

Hi L.

April of 2006 I had my gallbaadder taken out a week before i was having stomach pains, and I thought that I had an ulsuer (not the right spelling) or that I had indigestion bad. As the pain got worse at one point I was dobble over in pain and votiming, I went to the ER and the told me that not olny did I have gall stones but because they were so bad I also had the wose case of Paternities that my doctore has ever seen. I was admitted to the hospital on friday and I could not eat or drink anything unitll my leavels went down and I had my surgery on the following Tusday. they made only 4 small insinson two on my right side., one in my admanion and one in my belly button. I went home that night. I was fully recovered in a week. I was told that the more fatty foods that I eat It would go right throught me. Some food do but some don't. the worse part about this was my son was only 3 months old so I spent 4 days away form him. if you have any more questions just let me know.

Wow you're kind of young to be having this. My mom had hers removed - pretty minor surgery, quick recovery. She has to be really careful about what she eats, now. Very low fats, not too spicy, that kind of thing. (it is probably better for you to be forced to eat this way!!) She had a major attack which prompted her surgery, maybe better to have it done before you have a bigger problem.

Hi L.. I too am having problems with my gallbladder. I will have it removed soon. And i too was nervous. Its a very simple procedure. There are 3-4 incisions 2-3 in the upper abdomen and one in the bellybutton area. Yes, it is surgery and you will be sore. I've been told by people that have had the surgery that it takes about 2 weeks to recover and go back to work.
What gallstones are, is that its made up of fat. Its made of our diet. I was told of the f's...female, fertile, fair, and fat. But the fair is now no longer really part of it. To help with the flare ups. Watch what you eat. Fatty foods will cause a flare up. If you drink whole milk, drink 1-2%. Get low fat items. These are all things i've been told by my doctor.
Lots of luck! And "don't worry about a thing cause everything is gonna be alright"....(bob marley)

P.

hi L.,
I had my gallbladder taken out and its a very simple and easy procedure,I have 3 little scars maybe an inch long from it. so do not be too stressed out its really not a big deal.
hope this helps to relieve your fears.
T.

I had mine out in August '06. having gallstones was the worst pain I have ever felt, even worse than labor! I was a bit nervous too before the procedure, but felt more relief than anything because I knew after they took my gallbladder out that I wouldn't be feeling the agonizing pain anymore. It was a really easy procedure. They put you under and the surgery doesn't even last for more than an hour I think. the just make 3 tiny incisions in your belly and one by your belly button, and slip out the gallbladder through one of them. I was in the hospital for only 24 hours I think. easier recovery than giving birth vaginally IMO. You still want to restrict your diet a bit after the first month (food that aren't too fatty and hard to digest stuff like raw veggies and nuts) then after 1-3 months you can slowly go back to a normal diet. Some stuff still upsets my tummy and I have developed a slight case of IBS since having my galbladder out BUT overall i am SO glad I got it out, worth it 100%. It's such an easy procedure. Yous hould be back on your feet after a few days of rest. Hope your hubby or family member can be there for you for the first week or so to do any heavy lifting.

I just had to get mine out back in Sept. Everyone reacts different to the surgery, and I hear most people do just fine after, but for me I had an allergic reaction to the pain killers and everything when they knock you out, and ended back up in the ER the same day because I was in so much pain from throwing up. I had a very hard recovery because I was tearing my muscles from throwing up so much. But, I'm fine now except for a few ugly scars

Wow - lots of responses. I had mine out a little over a year ago, after an entire year of recurring "food poisoning". My goodness, I said to myself (repeatedly), our local restaurants are just not storing their mayo right or something, tsk-tsk-tsk. (I cook very low fat meals at home, so it was when I'd hit the french fries or cream sauces at restaurants that I'd suffer.)

For me, it was a simple procedure. I was in for two nights, because I managed to get a fever and difficulty swallowing the day after surgery - not related to the surgery, it was strep throat. (rolls eyes, blames school-age children)

The difference was night and day. I was getting violently ill on things like a single small bag of french fries before - now, I can have the fries or the onion rings. Just not BOTH at the same time. ;-)

It'll be just fine. Try not to worry. I've since talked with a lot of other folks who have had the same surgery and not heard any horror stories in the 'after' category - only the 'before'.

L.,
I developed gallstones after the birth of my only child. I went undiagnosed for over 2 years before they finally figured out what was wrong. I was immediately placed for surgery and I had my gallbladder removed 6-22-93. I do not regret it one bit, it was done laproscopically. I am subject to scar tissue so that is the only problem I have from the surgery is the location of the main opening in through the belly button. But my recovery was very quick I didn't need the friend that came to stay with me. Just make sure when you get up to hold your bellybutton and you will be fine. Unless they can offer you a non surgerical permanent solution I suggest you go the surgical route it's quick and relatively painless. The bonus no more gallstone attacks. Let me know how it goes. W. H.

I had to have mine remove 1 month after I gave birth to my son! I don't know if you have had any attacks yet but they (at least for me) were worst than the worst labor pain. The surgery is really easy. You might have to stay over night for observation, but that is it. I don't lift over 10 pounds for a week. But after that everything was great. And best of all no more pain!!!

Feel Better,
K.

i have. they did it laproscopically. it was awhile ago, but it was really easy recovery. the first day was tough but it got better from there.

hi L., this is ajanta i read your mail i had my gall bladder removed by laproscopic surgery in 1993,you do not have to be nervous about that.Don't worry o.k you will be fine if you have any questions you can call me at ###-###-####,if my answering machine is on you could leave message and your number i'll call you back.
thank you