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Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,197
Registered: ‎07-29-2014

Yep - in 2009, after seriously painful gallstones with mild pancreatitis.

No biggie (much less invasive); just a little sore at the incision site for a bit.

 

The gallbadder stores bile to help digest foods, so just cut back on everything high in bad (trans or saturated) fat.

Your GI system will let you know if you occasionally mess up. ;-)

 

BTW, I've had decades-long IBS and GERD and neither worsened after the surgery.

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,521
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Both of my adult daughters lost their gall bladders within 10 months of each other, 2 years ago.   Prior to surgery, both had worsening back pain, trouble eating, and gastric problems their doctors couldn't pinpoint.  They pretty much lived on Sprite, sweet tea, and grilled chicken.  With both, I suggested they insist on testing for their gallbladder, and their gallbladder functions came back below 25%.   

 

My trucker daughter gets sick from anesthesia, so she had that to deal with for a few days post-op, but otherwise they were just sore.   Walking takes the soreness out, so besides their steps inside the house, they were able to get outside and walk.  My teacher daughter was in her classroom for the first day of school 5 days after her surgery.   Trucker daughter was off work for 4 weeks, strictly because she has to be able to lift 50 lbs in order to do her job; she had to wait until she was fully healed.

 

Both have to watch what they eat, as they still have issues with diarrhea.  

 

My advice is that you start making arrangements to remove that diseased gallbladder.   I assure you that you absolutely do not want that gallbladder to stop functioning, possibly rupture, or turn septic.   Gallstones are the least of your concern.  

 

I lost a great uncle in the mid 60's to a septic infection from a gangrenous gallbladder.   

 

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,520
Registered: ‎03-04-2012

My neighbor has to run to the bathroom after we eat whenever we go out.  She told me it's because she had her gallbladder out - don't know - but she said she never had the problem before her surgery.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,817
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

I had mine out two years ago.  I didn't realize that mine was as bad as it was because I didn't have the attacks that people talk about.  I went to a superbowl party and ate everything a person shouldn't eat, and a beer, and that was the end of it.  Went to the doctor the next day because I was so sick.  The hida scan showed that my gallbladder had quit working completly.  I was so sick.  At that point I tried getting an appt with a surgeon and couldn't get in anywhere that I called.  I ended up in the ER one evening.  They called in the on-call surgeon.  Poor guy.  He showed up at 10 pm even tho he had surgeries scheduled for early the next morning.  Had surgery and was in the hospital 3 days due to the infection.  I was pretty sore for about 5 days, but they have meds for that.  Everyone is different as far as diet goes.  You'll just have to do the trial and error thing.  And yes, some people have the "dumping syndrome".  You'll have to find out what your triggers are.  I take Ox Bile and that helps.  I avoid nuts, refined sugars and spicy food.

Anyway, short story long, take care of it before it becomes an emergency situation.  Eventually it will quit working and you have to do something about it anyway.  Do it while you can plan when and where. 

Gall bladder not taken care of can lead to pancreatitis, and you don't want that.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,091
Registered: ‎01-02-2011

@hoosieroriginal wrote:

My neighbor has to run to the bathroom after we eat whenever we go out.  She told me it's because she had her gallbladder out - don't know - but she said she never had the problem before her surgery.


I think the bathroom issues were more of a problem before laparoscopic techniques, @hoosieroriginal.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,931
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

@chrystaltree wrote:

It's not your grandmother's surgery anymore.  Have you even seen a surgeon or you just assuming you need surgery?  It's done  laparoscopically through a scope these days, they rarely do an open procedure.  It's ambulatory or day surgery.  You are in the hospital for 24 hours or less and you leave with bandaid.  You have to take it easy for a week and then you are free to go back to your regular routine.  They advise a low fat diet for a couple of weeks and then you it's a matter of trial and error.  We all have different bodies, some people can't tolerate fatty foods without their gallbladder, some can eat fats like they always did and some fall somewhere in between.  You'll figure it out.  My sister had her surgery 10 years ago and she can't eat fatty foods, she experiences nausea and diarrhea when she does.  I had mine out 20 years ago and I can tolerate fatty foods just fine.  When they book the surgery for you, they'll explain everything to you.  If you have questions or don't understand something....ask for clarification.  


@chrystaltree I said in my original post I did not have gallstones but the Hida Scan showed my gallbladder was not working. My previous doctor told me when I was ready for surgery to let him know & he would send me to the surgeon. I never did that. That was almost 3 yrs ago.

I was throwing up yellow stuff when I had my last attack. I figure it's bile but not sure. It was not burning like it did when I had acid reflux & I thought the bile would burn???

I have a problem with the fatty foods now. We had steak last night & there is still over half of it left in the refrigerator. I just don't want to eat big chunks of beef anymore.

I see my doctor on the 4th so I will ask him some more about it. I don't really want to have surgery but I don't want to end up in the ER either.

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,640
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I had my GB removed about 10 years ago.  I think it had started giving me problems about a year prior, but I was in the middle of retiring, selling a house in one state & moving to another & ignored the symptoms, which tended to flare at night & then, subside before morning. 

 

Finally, I had a flare one night & rather than subsiding, it kept getting worse & worse, so about 2am I drove myself to the ER.  They ran a bunch of tests & scans & determined that I had a gallstone lodged in the duct & also had pancreatitis & my liver enzymes were all out of whack. 

 

I was admitted & the surgeon came &  examined me & determined that I wasn't in urgent need of surgery that night, so he scheduled me for surgery 1st thing in the AM.  He had to poke an extra hole to stick a scope in to visualize my GB because it was so enlarged, but the surgery went fine. 

 

I went home the following day (& even drove myself home after I refused the pain meds so they'd clear me to drive) & picked up a Rx for the meds on the way home & was hurting a lot by that time. 

 

By a week or so later I was fine & haven't had any more problems.  I also notice that I have to use the bathroom soon after eating, but I never thought that could be from having my GB out. Interesting.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,520
Registered: ‎03-04-2012

@tansy wrote:

@hoosieroriginal wrote:

My neighbor has to run to the bathroom after we eat whenever we go out.  She told me it's because she had her gallbladder out - don't know - but she said she never had the problem before her surgery.


I think the bathroom issues were more of a problem before laparoscopic techniques, @hoosieroriginal.  


@tansy - to tell you the truth, not sure how long ago it has been that she had her surgery - it could have been before laproscopic techniques.  I do know people who haven't had that problem after the surgery.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,757
Registered: ‎09-06-2014

I had mine out about 9 years ago.  It was my first surgery and everything went very well.  It was laproscopic surgery and I didn't even need any pain meds afterwards.  The surgeon was excellent. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,389
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I had mine removed the old-fashioned surgical way after a horrendously painful attack in 1970.  I got an infection in the incision the week I came home from the hospital, which was miserable.  As soon as that cleared up, I was fine.  No side effects, have always eaten whatever I wanted. 

 

I had the surgery because I was afraid of having another attack at an inconvenient time like while on vacation, etc. 

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