Gallbladder removal...any advice?

[Sunrise81]

Hey y'all! I'm gonna be having my gallbladder taken out on the 10th. Any advice for recovery period and afterwards?? I've heard & read all kinds of mixed reviews but still want more feedback to ease my nerves. ? Thanks y'all!! ?

 

[2earls]

I've had mine removed and it was easy peasy. I felt like sh!t and it was actually a big relief to get rid of the damn thing. I went to the hospital early am and home in the afternoon and with whatever pain meds I had, don't recall any discomfort at all. Was up and about by the next day but I may have been rushing things so follow the doctors advice on how long you should take it easy.

 

[Sunrise81]

Thanks so much @2earls!! Since I have a 'contract' w/my pain dr (he writes for 15mgs of F€€n 3xday but they don't even touch my pain, hence why I seek elsewhere for F€€n), will they prescribe me 'crafts' or just tell me to take what I already have? And yeah, I feel like complete shit right now!! Especially after I eat. I've lost 30 lbs now since beginning of Dec. And so many other symptoms. I'm ready to have this thing taken out but am scared that I'll have to stay overnight (I have the absolute worse luck with things going normal and usually get the odd shit that goes wrong...but I can't be away from you 4yr old that long...he has high functioning autism and SPD and he has severe separation anxiety when he's away from me for more than 30mins). 

But your response has eased my worries some. So thank you so much!! ?

 

[2earls]

I can't predict what your doctor will do, but I find that usually they will give you something above what you are taking on a regular basis. If they ask if you are in pain as they usually do when you come to, say yes regardless and that extra shot of f€€n should get you through the worst of it. The incisions are so tiny that it's not painful.

I hope everything goes smoothly for you. I had infections and pancreatitus?? Leading up to the surgery and I am betting you will feel much better than you have been; immediately. Gawd, I remember how sick I was and they wouldn't remove it until I was free of infection so it took awhile. You should be able to eat normally again and the only thing I couldn't tolerate after surgery was Malibu rum lol. I understand that some people have more issues with what they can eat and drink, but I was lucky.

Let me know how it turns out for you. I know any type of surgery is nerve wracking and for those of us who take pain meds, even more so.

 

[Sunrise81]

Thanks so much again @2earls!! I just didn't want to jeopardize my pain mgmt contract cause I get at least half a month out of that. These drs here in Texas are getting so bad with giving legitimate pain patients meds. I have the mri's to prove how f'ed up my back is and I still get the lowest mg of f€€N. 

But I will def let you know how the surgery goes and everything else. ?

 

[Handsley]

I had the operation and it was laparoscopic, which I'm sure yours will be, too.  It helped so much with the pain, but I still have pain at times because even though they take out the GB, some of the ducts still remain and cause me pain.  It's not bad enough to go to the doc, but enough to keep me on daily OTC acid reducers (I take Zegerid) and have a handful of tums once in a while.  Before I had it out, I could never eat without pain afterwards.  After the operation, I was not in awful pain, but constant vomiting kept me overnight in the hospital.  I have not been the greatest on anesthesia in my life so I believe that was the problem.  Out of all the people that were in there having the outpatient gall bladder operation, I was the only one who had to stay overnight.  I had mine out on a Wednesday and took the next two days off work and I believe I felt pretty good by Monday.  My abdomen was pretty sore and I felt pretty good sitting in a chair the next day but not great standing up and walking around.  That came a few more days later.  I wish you much luck and hope you can go home the same day and have no pain.  If you are in constant pain from the gall bladder, it will be worth it.

 

[Sunrise81]

Thank you so much for your response @Handsley!! Yes, I'm now at the point of being in extreme pain all the time but esp after I eat. I've gotten to where I actually dread eating anything because how much pain I'll be in afterwards. Did you or @2earls have pain in your back exactly where your gallbladder is in the front? My back is beyond screwed up but since the major symptoms tarts a few months ago, one area on my back has hurt so much more and it's exactly where my gallbladder is, just in the back. It's really weird but it started hurting worse there when all the other major symptoms started.

Last night, my gallbladder started hurting really bad with sharp stabbing pains. Thankfully it only lasted a short time and it's doing it off and on today. I'll just be glad once it's out!!! 

 

[Handsley]

Yes, pain in the upper right quadrant in the front and in the back as well, upper back, middle right.  Mostly now I just get burning pain across my upper abdomen like heartburn pain, but lower down and more to the right front.  If you have pain every day, it will give relief.  However, I still cannot eat too late at night or too much late at night.  I wish you the best.  Keep us posted how you're doing.

 

[Caver]

You can have pain in your back it is fairly common. When a Gallbladder gets diseased it swells up and the stones that you most likely you have are blocking the Common bile duct. Just don't eat fatty foods and see if that helps. Soups broths are good. When you take in fat the bile stored in your gallbladder starts to contract to release bile and if the duct is blocked or when compressing a stone to occlude the output pain ensues. Think of blowing up a balloon and squeezing it same thing with a gallbladdder

 

[oldfart]

OK, I'll bite...An enquiring mind (what's left of it) wants to know. How did your surgery and recovery go?

I had surgery in early March and also a few years ago (neither one was for my gallbladder.) I had to tell the pain doc about them even though neither procedure had anything to do with my back. Both times the pain guys colluded with the surgeon about my post-op meds.

The first surgery was major league (a freaking little thing called a thoracotomy.) Nonetheless, all during my months of recovery I got only the same stuff that I had been taking for my back pain - h¥dr0 10/apap. Even immediately after the recovery room and during a month in the hospital, and more months recovering at home that's all I got.

 Three fargin drainage tubes from just outside my left lung went between a couple of ribs and through a four-inch incision. They had to be pulled out an inch at a time every week. There was another incision that was at least a foot long and probably more under my shoulder blade and around to my side. What a chore it was to clean and dress wounds that were basically out of reach. It's painful just to think about the whole ordeal.

I still have problems taking a deep breath and of course there is nerve damage to deal with, apparently forever. Pain docs are a mixed blessing, and in general, chronic pain patients are treated like sheeeiit. We are second or third class patients.