I have gallstones

[Danmel]

Ended up in hospital today after doubling over in agony at work. Probably under the knife tomorrow! Anyone else have this??

[mackerel]

1. I've never had it but I know a lot of people who have. Diet is the big culprit most of the time.

A friend of mine was in the hospital for 5 days after the Sx.

[NYC_SKP]

2. None here but I do have a head surgery scheduled.

I hope your gallstone thing goes well and without complications.

And, I hope they're keeping your pain under control!

Take care, it'll go well I think!

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. I did, but then they removed my gallbladder, and I've been fine.

I woke up in the middle of the night, thinking my stomach was ripping away from my esophagus. I begged my husband to get me out of the house before I croaked in front of the kids.

Be well!

[elleng]

4. Had them, no problem,

'knife' an exaggeration. Had gall bladder removed, after difficulty navigating to remove ONE.

CINCHY! http://www.sages.org/publications/patient-information/patient-information-for-laparoscopic-gallbladder-removal-cholecystectomy-from-sages/

[Kali]

5. I had mine on schedule

fat, 40 and female. I am still two of those.

It was not that big of a deal for me, a bit of pain and confusion the first day after then much better each day. Partying and horse back with in two weeks. (not advised)

This was laproscopic - three tiny holes they taped over with bandaids.

ask for the stones in a jar. god only know what they do with the soft tissue - they wouldn't let me have mine. oh well, I am gonna get some kid's foreskin implanted on my leg next week.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. I had them too, and it was awful, living through that gall bladder attack!

Usually the surgery is laparoscopic, and easy as can be.

I went home the same day and felt fine.

No more gall bladder attacks!

[HeiressofBickworth]

7. Mee too, fat, 40 and female

It was day-surgery. Home that afternoon. Once the surgical site healed, I have had no further issues relating to absence of a gall bladder.

Recovery was easy -- stay in bed for a couple of days and have the family wait on you. Take care.

[Laffy Kat]

8. You will feel so much better!

If you do well under the anesthesia you'll be home later tomorrow. Rest as much as you can the rest of the week and then take it easy. Positive thoughts your way, but you'll be fine.

[shenmue]

9. {{{Dammel}}}

[DebJ]

10. I had my gall bladder removed in Dec of 2009.

I'd had some odd little pains for a long time, several months, and with increasing frequency, just below my breast bone in the middle.

Suddenly, one day in September 2009, I was in the worst pain of my life. Previously, I have gone into labor with two children, in labor
for many hours with the one, (but both C-section births) and I also cut off the side of my pinky on my left hand in a slicer at work, and as a general clutz over the course of my life, I've had stitches in my head, my face, my finger, my forearm, my knees, my toe. I've had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (called a T&A but I hate posting that LOL). I've had all my teeth pulled with just local anesthetic and the last round of five, one of them had decided it was NOT coming out. All of those things were quite painful. I"ve had migraines all my life, and several were so severe I really did think to myself, "Well, if I don't wake up tomorrow at least I won't feel this agony."

Nothing, nothing ranks with the pain I felt in September 2009. Absolute excruciating agony. As my husband took me to the ER, I was twisting and contorting in agony so badly, lunging my hips way up above the dash, that I'm sure anyone who saw me in the car as we drove down the street was wondering what in the world was going on............

I will not miss my gall bladder, I don't think not ever again.

I never want to feel that kind of pain again. It hurts so much there wasn't even enough brain left to think "I wish I was dead".

And now, my gall bladder can't EVER do that to me again!

I've not changed my diet one iota. Life just went on as usual!

Good luck with surgery.

[hollysmom]

11. i still have my gall stones -

I was going to have the surgery, the doctor was respected in the field, but when I went to ask questions about the surgery, he told me to trust him and handed me the happy gall bladder, sad gall bladder coloring book. I swear this is true. I was 35 years old, ran my own business and did research before I saw him. he also refused to give me the minor surgery, wanted to slice and dice me, than later in that week I read where he was the expert in the small incision surgery - so I cancelled the operation and lived with gall stones.

I found that lemon in water helps almost instantly and walking while visualizing the stoned crashing into each other and breaking up helped reduce the pain, losing weight, not eating fried foods ever. it all helped and led to a healthier lifestyle and pretty much no pain, occasionally I get a quick pang, but then it is gone. it took about 3 months for the pain to go away and i have kept it away for about 35 years. about 10 years later, I was discussing gall bladder with my sister, she had the pain, and she went to a doctor, but didn't have time for the surgery with her kids always in crisis, so she also tried lemon with water and just forgot about it. it is so weird, we talk at lest once a week and try and see each other once a year, but this never came up before. She never hadthe operation either, but unless the pain stops, I would not ignore it.

[No Vested Interest]

12. My son went through this last year, with me in attendance.

He had had two previous episodes, one a month before, the other about 18 yrs before.
We were in a city and state unfamiliar to both of us, though it was his new home state.

We went to the emergency room. where he was (eventually) referred to see a local surgeon.
It was my impression they wanted the inflammation of the gall bladder to recede before performing surgery.
After visit to the surgeon, he was scheduled for laparoscopic surgery, with the navel to be one of the sites.

When he had the surgery, one large stone was found- too large to get out through regular laparoscopy, so a larger incision had to be made to remove the stone.
He healed nicely and quickly enough, as he was in good physical shape.
He said he feels good now, but sometimes has a feeling of fullness he didn't have previously after eating.

Good luck.
All will be well.

[denbot]

13. I had mine removed 1 year and 1 month ago.

Mine kept triggering pancreatitis attacks. The doctors could tell I was getting gallstones because the walls of my gall bladder were thickening, but the stones never showed in any of the scans.

The doctor that did the surgery said that my GB was "like a bag of sand".

Don't worry about the surgery, the incision is only an inch or so, and then it will be a week of low fat diet, then you be right as rain.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

14. I had my gall bladder removed 21 years ago.

I was sent home the next day after surgery and the pain was nothing at all. I have never had any problems.

[LiberalElite]

15. I had a couple of attacks -

actually thought they weren't too bad (just felt like mild muscle spasm across my midsection) and I could just get used to them. I was even resistant to the idea that I needed surgery. Then I had an attack that put me in the hospital for 4 days and I was all "take my gallbladder please". Of course, they couldn't do it then it was inflamed. The attack resulted in my having symptoms of pancreatitis, hepatitis and diabetes simultaneously, all because of a stupid stuck gallstone. I had previously scheduled surgery for about 10 days later and after the last attack I couldn't wait to get the thing out. I had laparascopic surgery, in at 7 a.m. and out around 4 p.m. I was back at work within a week, and 10 + years later, I still don't miss my gallbladder.

P.S.: I see you posted 2 days ago. How'r you doing?

[Danmel]

16. having the liver enzyme issue

Probably will have surgery Saturday. They think it is from a hepatic duct blockage. Want the thing out and done with! So random and out of the blue.

[LiberalElite]

17. For my case - I was perplexed

as to why the gallbladder trouble started after I had lost a lot of weight (intentionally and gradually). I asked the surgeon why this didn't happen back when I was eating a pint of Haagen Dazs at a sitting and she said she didn't know.

[Danmel]

19. same here

I lost 35 pounds-over a year ago, but it seemed odd to me too that this would happen now that my weight is good.

[LiberalEsto]

18. Good luck with everything!

And get well fast!

[sarge43]

20. Yup.

Nasty pain, thought I was having a heart attack.

Don't sweat the surgery, it's laparoscopic. Knocked me out at 10a, back home at 4p, checking email. Some mild pain pills and naps and back on the streets in three days.

Check in when you're back home.