Gallbladder coming out

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Gallbladder coming out
21
Wed, 03-02-2005 - 3:47pm

Well I guess it's final. The gastro dr. wants to remove my gallbladder on March 22. I am a little worried because of all the horror stories I have read on here with diahrrea, pain, etc.
I have a thickened GB wall with polyps, but no stones. I do not have the GB attacks that everyone talks about only the nausea, slight discomfort under right rib cage, and fatigue.
Does anyone have anything similar and any GOOD experiences to share??
I am not worried about surgery as I have had laparoscopic surgery before.

Thanks,
Donna

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2003
Wed, 03-02-2005 - 6:02pm
I didn't have stones either , but I also didn't have polyps.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 03-02-2005 - 6:27pm

Hi Donna -

good things
* won't develop gallbladder cancer. Any area that has been chronically inflamed is more prone to tumours. The thickened walls indicate chronic inflamation.

* once it's out you are no longer at risk of having it flare up and turn into pancreatitis (which happens quickly and can be fatal - even for young people. When I was in the hospital and got my diagnosis the nurses on the ward told me that they'd lost a 26 yr old man to pancreatitis the previous week. Young and other wise healthy - but (like many men) he waited before going the doctor and it was so bad they couldn't control it.

* by having an elective surgery you are likely having it removed laproscopically. If left and a flare up occurs there is more of a chance they'll have to do an open surgery that has a much longer recovery period.

Keep in mind that most people go on to do just fine - they aren't the ones posting on message boards!

Wishing you a quick recovery,

Jo

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-14-2003
Thu, 03-03-2005 - 6:39pm

Donna,

thflowers-hahd23222.gif picture by Wren53B

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2004
Tue, 03-15-2005 - 5:40pm
Hi Donna, my name is also Donna and i am having my gallbladder removed on monday the 21st,,, my sono showed only 1 stone my surgeon said you only need one , i asked why it had to come out now i know so many people who symptoms are much worse than mine,. his relpy was do you want to meet me in the er in a few months or so and have it done in an emergency situation, he said no we will do it now.,. so here we both go i guess i live in Pgh pa and am having it done at sewickly vally hosp.
Good Luck to youk, you will do just fine im sure
Donna
Avatar for diamond_0
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 3:50pm

Good Luck on your surgery. Keep us posted on how it goes!
I don't have any stones...yet. Just polyps and an inflammed wall. Enough to make me nauseas, have some pain and want the darn thing out ;o)

-Donna

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Wed, 03-16-2005 - 5:15pm

Donna,


Good luck on your upcoming surgery.

 
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2004
Thu, 03-17-2005 - 6:37pm

Darn GB operation got bumped to the 29th. Another extra week of this I guess. I was soooo ready to get it out and now I have to wait. Hopefully that doesn't happen again!!

-Donna

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 03-17-2005 - 8:43pm

Hang in there Donna - that's so upsetting when surgeries get bumped.

My friend broke both her legs in December and layed in the hospital awaiting surgery for 4 days - they couldn't co-ordinate an orthopedic surgen & 3 hrs of O.R. time. . . and even at that - she likely bumped some poor person who's been waiting 18 months for a hip replacement.

okay - I'll get off my soap box about wait times.

Just wanted to wish you all the best!
Jo

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2003
Fri, 03-18-2005 - 2:38am

My gallbladder removal surgery went really well.

There was only some discomfort after the surgery:
- they put CO2 in your abdomen to puff out the area, it doesn't come out at once. It moves up to your shoulders and that's where the only real pain I had was after surgery.
- I had the hardest time going to the bathroom although my bladder was full... I think it was everyone standing outside the door wondering if I was OK. lol
- I had no saliva for about 24h. It was hard to eat the crackers they gave me and water went right through me and back to the bladder problem lol

I was in and out of the hospital within 24h. The only hard part was trying to get in and out of bed, you have to do this rolling thing... instead of the just sitting up part.

I was given a whole bunch of pain pills after but I didn't take any of them. I used Children's Motrin, although I was 20 y/o, which has always worked well for all of my surgeries (teeth removal, ovary removal, post-rape suerveries).

Good luck! You'll be fine!!

Jenn

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Sat, 03-19-2005 - 2:56pm

Jenn,


Thank you for sharing your story with us!!

 

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