Help. Gallbladder removal?

[5Bmom]

Since there are SO many people on this board, I thought I would ask. As anyone had their gallbladder out? I had mine out laproscopically yesterday morning and was home by 3pm... didn't feel too badly last night. My mom came to take care of me and the kids since DH works nights. But I didn't sleep well all night, couldn't get comfy and I feel like crud this morning. Every single muscle aches, especially with deep breaths. I HATE to keep loading up on the dilauidid and ativan but without it, I can't even walk... and when I do walk, I can't stand up straight.

 

Is this pretty normal???? I think part of it is I haven't eaten much. I hate half an english muffin before I left the hospital about 2 PM yesterday and just jello and hot tea with honey since... or and the honey because my throat is KILLING me from the breathing tube.

 

Thanks :-/

[pdalley]

Gas bubbles from the air they used in the surgery. Hot packs or heating pad will help them dissolve. I was miserable until the gas worked it's way out of my body.

[ChristusG]

I have read that the gas bubbles can cause pain.

 

How is your recovery otherwise? Do the incisions hurt? The reason I'm asking is because I have to call this week to set up my gallbladder removal. I had an attack on Christmas day and went to the ER where they discovered gallstones. How was the procedure itself?

 

I'm nervous because I still want to be able to nurse my 2 month old.

[AdventureMoms]

I have read that the gas bubbles can cause pain.

 

How is your recovery otherwise? Do the incisions hurt? The reason I'm asking is because I have to call this week to set up my gallbladder removal. I had an attack on Christmas day and went to the ER where they discovered gallstones. How was the procedure itself?

 

I'm nervous because I still want to be able to nurse my 2 month old.

 

I had it done when my oldest was 4 months old. I pumped for her while I was in surgery, she had two bottles (maybe 3?) of pumped milk. I nursed her at 1pm, had surgery at 2pm, got home at 7pm, nursed her at 10pm. I had to put a pillow on my incision so she didn't kick me, but otherwise it was NBD to nurse. I could carry her around (a little) by 24 hours, though I was pretty exhausted and uncomfortable, and I could do most normal stuff (with some extra rest) at 48 hours. By 1 week I was totally off meds and back to normal (only with no more gallbladder attacks!).

 

To the OP, keep taking the meds if you are in that kind of pain. It's important to stay on top of the pain to help you heal. I stayed on full dose of everything for two days, then started reducing the dose. It does sound like you have gas bubbles, and those can take some time to dissipate. Feeling cruddy at only 24 hours post-op is pretty normal, I think.

 

If it doesn't go away, though, you should call your surgeon - my DW had some (rare) complications when she had hers out, and she was in excruciating, incredible pain (even with meds) after a whole week. We should NOT have waited that long. She's fine now, but regrets trying to "tough it out" for so long.

[Krista in LA]

First off, you need to walk. I took a couple walks each day down our street and back. This helps work the gas out of your body, keeps your blood flowing, and helps keep food moving. It was also good for my mental state to get outside as well.

 

I didn't sleep well for several nights after my surgery but what I found helped was holding a pillow against my stomach so I could sleep on my side.

 

I didn't eat much but chicken noodle soup. I found drinking Vitamin Water and the like helped some too. My throat was really dry and sore to start with, but it got better pretty quickly.

 

Most of all, know that it's okay if you aren't ready to get back to normal after a couple days. My surgeon told me how many people go back to work in a few days, etc, and the fact that I felt horrible just made it all seem worse for me. It is surgery, they removed an organ, take time to rest and recuperate.

[5Bmom]

I have read that the gas bubbles can cause pain.

 

How is your recovery otherwise? Do the incisions hurt? The reason I'm asking is because I have to call this week to set up my gallbladder removal. I had an attack on Christmas day and went to the ER where they discovered gallstones. How was the procedure itself?

 

I'm nervous because I still want to be able to nurse my 2 month old.

 

It was very easy. Three days before the surgery, I went into the hospital they did my labs an EKG. Two days before, I had a 35 minute phone conversation with a pre-op nurse going over my medical history back to birth (lol). One day before, they called with pre-op instructions on when to quit eating and drinkin. I went in yesterday morning at 7:00am. They did a PG test and more labs to check against the first set. I did MORE pre-op history and then did it all over again with the anesthesiaologist(sp) and was wheeled in at 8:45am. The anesthesiaologist said he was gonna give me a little of the anesthetic(sp) to see how I reacted and the next thing I knew, it was 11:15am!!! I was out of surgery at at 10:10am, I was told I was awake about 10:30am but I must have been WAY out of it... The surgeon flew in, told me all was well. It was a perfect surgery with no complications. By 1pm I was drinking coffee... at 1:30 they gave me had an english muffin and a pain pill, got me dressed, and sent me home...

 

I think I would be OK with just ibuprofin or tylenol, but given previous liver and kidney damage they avoid those, which is why I got the dilaudid... and ativan as needed.

 

I have been up and around a bit since my first post and am standing a little straighter... part of it might be the tagaderm is pulling my skin as I move and its not comfy. I just had some crackers and had no issues keeping them down. I am peeing like a fish from all the IV fluids, which is good...

 

I had my first attack 2 days before Christmas... went to the ER for food poisoning two dys after Christmas (apparently, we all had a mild bit of salmonella from the ham, lol) and the ER doctor noticed my bilirubin was up but my liver tests were normal... so I went into my internist and mentioned the pain under my breastbone, he ordered a U/S and a few stones were found... but when they got that puppy out yesterday, it was veery inflamed and almost gangrenous(sp) and they said a couple of week more and I could have gotten sepsis!!!!! So I am glad I did not put it off... I was going to, because I didn't want surgery on Friday the 13th, lol...

 

I think if you can take percocet or vicodin, you should be OK... I wish I could!

[Maus]

Both DH and I have. He had his out nine months ago (scheduled), and mine was about nine years ago (emergency). What you describe is pretty typical. It takes about 48 hours for the pain meds in the anesthesia to completely wear off, so the day of you feel ok. The next day is worse and the third is the worst (because everything is now out of your system.)

 

I had a 4 month old baby (but i wasn't nursing him due to milk production issues) and had to get up on my feet to take care of him by the next day, and that helped in my recovery. DH had his out on a Friday and was singing Barbershop groggily in the recovery room. He was miserable Saturday and Sunday, but felt well enough to try to go to work on Monday. (He called home at lunch and asked me to come get him, as he'd overdone.) Tuesday, he drove himself to work and was fine.

 

By-the-way, I'd never had a previous attack and they never did find stones, but my gall bladder was gangrenous.

[Word Nerd]

I took the pain meds for several days afterward and still took one at night for even longer because it hurt to roll over. I had more pain than the surgeon led me to expect, but people have different experiences and tolerance for pain.

[mchel210]

i had mine removed at the end of July. I was actually in the hospital over night with Duliaudid. I didnt get any of that to take home. I took percicets at home. I took them regular as scheduled on the bottle for the first 4-5 days. Then I only took them at night to sleep. I was able to take two and go to bed and fall asleep within an hour of taking those and sleep pretty good all night. I switched to only night time at about 5 days and only 1 at night a day or two later. I think you have to take them...plus a colace if you get backed up.

 

I ate very light...maybe soups and such. I still got pain the first few days but slowly it went away. I think the key is dont do anything but lay around the house.

 

I was able to move very slowly after a day but it did hurt. I wasnt back to driving for a week and it was still hard to turn in the car...and I wasnt working out for 6 weeks.

 

I think my worst pain was coughing but it did help A LOT! if you can cough it does something to help heal your or something. I dont know...It hurt like crazy...and I had to roll a blanket and shove it in my stomach to cough.

 

And I wouldnt push standing up straight for a few days...BUT once you do...you will feel a ton better. Im not sure what day I forced my self to stretch out a little but once I pushed through that it was a ton better!!! I remember slowly pushing a little each time to get my shoulders back. That made it easier to move around and breathe!

Edited January 14, 2012 by mchel210