Seasider Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I suspect this is something I need to deal with soon. It would be helpful to hear about the experiences of others. Initial symptoms, diagnosis process, treatment, persisting issues following treatment... Feeling kinda puny this morning after an uncomfortable night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I had gallstones after my 3rd pregnancy. I have a super awesome doctor, so I'll preface my story with that. He sent me to a surgical consult, where the guy told me "You can't dissolve them away, or blast them with lasers, you just have to get it removed." So back to my super awesome doctor I went, where he told me that if I wanted to I could try this medication they used to use before laproscopic surgery and whatnot, when having your gallbladder removed was a bigger deal. I have always had some tummy issues, so I really wanted to try to keep my gallbladder. So I got the prescription for Ursodiol, and hydrocodone to get me through subsequent attacks (which, once I gave up coffee became less frequent). I had to wait several days for it, as it wasn't something Walgreens kept sitting around. Now disclaimer, Ursodiol can take a year to work, if it works at all, and it only works on certain types of gallstones. That said, mine just kept getting smaller and smaller, and then became sludge. (I got periodic ultrasounds). It only took 3 months! So I happily still have my gallbladder, though stones can always return. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Just dealt with this this spring. I lost 20 lbs, had worse pain than labor after even drinking water and seriously thought I was not going to get a solid answer as to what was wrong with me. I unfortunately went through three wrong diagnosis at ER AND more with regular docs before I finally went to someone knowledgeable and thorough enough to take me seriously. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 My initial symptoms were an almost constant low-level nausea, as well as bouts of moderate pain. Diagnostics were a HIDA scan and an upper right quadrant abdominal ultrasound. DIagnosis -- low functioning gallbladder and a gallbladder polyp. That was several years ago. So far I'm controlling things with a low fat diet and an ultrasound every year to monitor the polyp. Gallbladder cancer is right up there with pancreatic as far as a kind you don't want to have, but it is rare and as long as my polyp remains stable I'm okay. My internal medicine doc says he's not too concerned about the polyp (the risk of cancer is increased if stones are present, but I don't have those), but he is concerned that my gallbladder is going to "get me good" one day, and that I should go ahead and schedule surgery at a convenient time rather than wait and be in pain and have to have surgery when it may not be a convenient time. My gastro doc says as long as I can control it with diet then it's fine to do that (along with keeping watch on the polyp). I'd just as soon put off surgery for as long as possible. I typically eat a low fat diet anyway, so that's not a big deal for me, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 After DD1 was born (about 6months) I woke in the middle of the night with a band of pain around my chest. I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I was not. I went to my Dr the next day, he ordered an ultra sound and I had surgery a couple of weeks later. No more attacks, I eat a high fat diet and I have no issues (that I know of). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I was 26, and I thought I was having a heart attack. Nope! Gall stones/sludge. Long story short. I had gained a lot of weight with my pregnancy and then lost it very rapidly. This can trigger gallbladder issues. I had mine surgically removed. And for the the last 13 years I've struggled with "Dumping Syndrome." I recently started taking digestive enzymes to help off set the bile and fat problems. It has changed my life!!!!! I get to drink coffee again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momee Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 You do not want to wait if you have been recommended to have gallbladder surgery. My function test showed such decreased function the tech was very concerned. The surgery did take a recovery time of 10 days and it was mildly painful the second day after. That, however, was NOTHING compared to the days before I had it removed. The pain, even upon drinking water, was almost unbearable. I could not get relief and seriously scared my family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Um_2_4 Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Mine was kind of funny (kind of, not really). I went into the ER when the twins were exactly 11 weeks old with horrible abdominal pain (really, I thought I was in labor again, but the pain never stopped). They did a full CAT scan because they were concerned about some weird post c/s complication. So Doc comes back in and tells me "We have 2 issues, your appendix is still in the wrong place (from pregnancy displacement) and about to burst AND you gave some huge gallstones." So in less than 1 hour I was back in surgery and appendix came out. They told me to follow up about the gallbladder. Well less than 3 weeks later (I was still waiting for an appt for gallbaldder) I was back in the same ER for more abdominal pain and in a few hours I had my gallbladder out (they just did an ultrasound that time). Recovery was quicker than from c/s and a bit rougher since I had just had my appendix out 3 weeks prior. Also, learning what I could/could not eat without setting off tummy troubles was a learning curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatHomeschoolDad Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I had a low-functioning gallbladder, with intermittent LRQ pain. I had the HIDA scan and all, but the recommended surgeon said taking it out wouldn't really change my chances of having the same pain anyway. Fast forward two years and another surgeon took it out to gain better access to my liver, which he then proceeded to flood with chemo. I can't say I miss my gallbladder at all. None of the digestive issues happened. As for pain, I have some, but I suspect it's related to adhesions, plus all the other things going on in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I had mine out last March. My first attack was terrible--I thought it might be a heart attack. But it resolved, and I assumed it was (TMI) gas. Over the next year I had more attacks with increasing frequency. After I finally saw my doctor, he ordered an endoscopy to rule out ulcers and celiac. Then a HIDA scan, which found gallstones. I was sent to the surgeon for a consultation and then I stalled, out of fear, for 3 months. The attacks got worse, I was getting them everyday after eating anything at all. Finally, I scheduled the surgery. The surgery went smoothly, the next several days were rough--I had heard that recovery was quick and easy, but it was about a full week before I felt really up to getting back to life. I started with a bland diet and added foods back in slowly to see if I had any problems, but so far I have had no problems eating anything that I ate before and it is so awesome to eat and not be afraid of another gallstone. There were some..er...bowel regularity issues initially which resolved over 2-3 weeks (initial constipation, followed by loose stool). Now, the only reminder I have is slightly loose stool after any really heavy/greasy meals.(Sorry if that is TMI, but it was a big worry for me beforehand, so I am including it.) I would do it again in an instant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venia Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 It was not me, but my husband who had the gallbladder issues. He had almost constant low-grade stomach pains for months, but no diagnosis. After heavy/fatty meals the pain would double him over and make him want to pass out, but it would eventually subside. Being a stubborn guy, he refused to see a doc or go to the ER when it got bad. Then it happened. His folks flew in for a week visit and insisted on taking us out to eat for the majority of the days. Near the end of the trip, he was miserable. All it took was just a plain hamburger patty to send him over the edge. The pain got so bad he was having trouble breathing, his whole body was white as a ghost, he was sweating profusely and his eyes started rolling back in his head. I called 911. After 2 CT scans, loads of bloodwork, they said his gallbladder was producing stones that blocked the ducts and caused his liver and pancreas to backup with digestive enzymes. Basically, his gallbladder issues were causing damage to his other organs; pancreatitis and eventual liver cirrhosis. Not good at all. He earned a ticket to a 10 day stay in the hospital to flush out his system and re-start his digestive system. No surgery then though yet, they wanted him to try diet changes first. So I cooked almost no-fat meals, lots of green veggies, lean meats, etc etc. He still had low-grade stomach pain and bouts of extreme pain. It was like cooking on "egg shells"; any meal could cause issues and he wanted to just stop eating. He would joke that even water caused him pain. Then with just by popping a single fish-oil supplement capsule, he had another attack. Another ambulance ride later, they took out his gallbladder by laproscopy that night. He is a new man. Recovery from the surgery was about 1 day in the hospital and 2 days at home. He can eat anything now with no issues. We did have to continue a healthier lifestyle to aid the healing of his liver and pancreas, but that is something we needed to do anyway. Looking back, I am horrified that we did not see the signs of all the damage this issue was causing. these are the things I saw, but he ignored that could have helped him so much sooner: Warning Pain - just below the breast bone and radiated towards his back. This is characteristic of the pancreas and liver being inflamed. Liver damage - yellowing whites of eyes, pale colored stools, skin looking dull and greying (not healthy looking). Anyway, the bright part of his horrible story is that he got a whole new life out of that one simple surgery. Immediate relief and no more worries about whether the next meal will cause him pain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowlark Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I had an attack while 30 weeks pregnant. I knew it was not labor, but I was in the fetal position moaning...worst pain of my life up until labor of course! Had one more attack and had it out after my son was born. No problems since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 My dh had his gallbladder removed last November. He had symptoms for 2 years before....but toward the end they got so bad he couldn't get out of bed and he was off work for 3 months. His GP was incompetent to the point of being medically negligent IMO. I still get hot with anger thinking about him. He did an ultrasound and it showed no stones so he, the GP, dismissed the gallbladder connection. 6 weeks later dh was finally able to get in to see a gastro and he ordered a hidda scan immediately. When the surgeon took it out he was like, um yeah it was baaad. I would like to point out that the results of the hidda scan don't seem to jive with actual severity of symptoms. I've know several people with hidda scans of 2%, 6%, 12%.....dh's was 31% but he was MUCH sicker than most of the the other cases I knew about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hypatia. Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I had my first gall bladder attack during my 4th pregnancy, it was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. It didn't come back until a couple years later, when I was pregnant again. No matter what I ate I was having gall bladder attacks every other night. Finally I was in such pain one night (but didn't want to have to drag 4 kids out of bed) I woke up DH and told him I was taking his car (leaving the van with the car seats) and driving myself to the ER, he was going to have to pick me up in the morning. They gave me morphine and did an ultrasound but didn't see any stones. A follow-up scan in radiology with a great tech showed the stones, she said I was the hardest person she had ever scanned but I'm glad she didn't give up. They were going to remove my gallbladder once I entered my 2nd trimester and gave me Vicodin for the pain. Unfortunately I lost that pregnancy due to unrelated issues, and had my gallbladder out about two weeks later. Recovery kicked my butt, however I'm so glad I had it done. I haven't had any problems with my diet afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 It almost killed me - and I don't say that in jest. Let me preface by saying I hate seeing a doctor and will put it off until the very last minute. (I had my second daughter in a car...because I didn't want to go to the doctor...) I had been having pain attacks for about 20 years. Every 8-12 months, sometimes a year or more would go by, but then I would wake up at night with a gnawing pain radiating deep in my back. It would lead to hours of pacing the floor until early morning when it would pass and I could go back to sleep. Over time I began to think it was 'something like a gall bladder attack'. When it finally was really bad, I was living overseas and that was a whole different game as far as surgery so, I just continued to ignore it. Flash forward until 2009 when I had an appendicitis. The surgeon doing the appendectomy mentioned that I had gallstones and should have my gall bladder out before it became a problem. Well, it wasn't a problem so, of course, I ignored it..... Flash forward again to 2011. One Wednesday night I happened to notice that I had some discomfort under my ribs. After awhile, it felt like I had a football shoved under my rib cage. I had to sit up perfectly straight to take the pressure off. I assumed it was something I ate. I would feel better in the morning. By Friday, I was in a fair bit of pain and actually called the doctor ( I NEVER voluntarily call the doctor) only to be told that there weren't any appointments until Monday. When I got off the phone, I actually cried. Saturday and Sunday I was lying on the couch with a fever, wrapped in a blanket and shivering. By Monday, at the doctor's appointment, I must have looked pretty bad because he barely touched me before saying a sonogram was in order. Tuesday morning at 7:00 I was having a sonogram and by 9:00 he was looking for a surgeon! The sono showed acute choleosistitis. I was told I had two choices, I could have surgery or I could die. Not really a choice actually. I had my gallbladder removed and spent the next 5 days in the hospital. My gallbladder was 6 times the normal size and the stone that was causing the problem was about an inch in diameter. (They give you the stones if you ask the surgeon to keep them! I didn't ask. He just thought it was an impressive one and I would want to have it. :laugh: Fortunately, he just kept the impressive one. The others were disposed. ) When I was a kid, I thought gallbladder issues were just something middle aged women discussed. It didn't have any real significance. You just had it taken out like tonsils or old lady hysterecomies. Since I made it as far as middle age with all my organs intact, I just decided to go out the same way. I had no idea gallbladder issues could be deadly. A gallbladder 'attack' is noting like a 'gallbladder infection' in terms of mortality. But, one can certainly lead to the other. Don't mess around with gallbladder issues. I had pain for years, finally had confirmation that I had gallstones, and still ignored it. It almost cost me my life. If stones are an issue and causing you pain, take care of it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 About two months after my 3rd baby was born, I began to have what I thought were gas pains one evening. It was Christmas evening, of all times! It was about 9 PM. I was lying on the couch and the pains were getting progressively worse. I get frequent gas pains so I just thought this was another one of those times. The pain was centered in that hollow spot right beneath the breast bone....probably 2-3 inches about my belly button. Well, the pain got worse and worse. I went to lie in the bed because it was getting so bad. It got to the point where I couldn't even lie still because the pain was so bad. The pain was radiating all the way around my abdomen....it felt like someone had a belt pulled around my upper abdomen and back with spikes in it. I couldn't get comfortable....I couldn't even get in a position that would even ease the pain. I ended up throwing up because the pain was so bad....which actually made me feel better. So at that point, I just figured I had some sort of stomach issue. Then about 30 minutes later the pain came back, just as bad. This felt worse than childbirth. Around midnight I decided that this wasn't normal and called my parents to take me to the ER (DH stayed home with our older kids). In the back of my mind, I was sort of thinking it was probably my gallbladder. Both my mom and my dad had theirs removed. And my mom's was removed within months after having her 3rd child. Sure enough, the ultrasound in the ER showed gallstones (by the way, the pain was so bad that I could barely even lie still for the ultrasound). The (wonderful) ER doc was so careful about the meds that I could have while nursing. He gave me Fentanyl in an IV and boy, did it feel good when that pain finally eased. After that, they sent me home with a referral to a gastroenterologist. On the way home, the IV meds were wearing off fast and I could feel the pain returning. It was now about 5 AM. I took a Vicodin that they had prescribed and I went to bed. When I woke up around 9 AM, the pain was gone. So I had about a 12 hour gallbladder attack! I saw the gastro dr the following week and he recommended having it taken out. He said it's pretty much guaranteed that I WOULD have another attack. It could be the next day, the next week, or years from then. My attack was horrible and I didn't want to live in fear of it happening again. I'd always be wondering when it would occur. Would it happen when I was out alone with the kids? Would I be in too much pain to drive back home? Would it happen on vacation and we'd have to find an ER? I decided to just have it removed. I had researched diets and medicines and everything else....but I decided to go with removal. I scheduled the surgery for a month later (so there was about a month in between my one/only attack and the removal). During that month, I ate as low fat as possible. No fried foods, limited butter. Just to help make sure another attack didn't happen. The surgery itself was a breeze. No issues. I didn't even need any pain medication afterwards. I was up walking within 30 minutes of waking up from surgery. The nurse told me that I must have a high pain tolerance, but I don't! I wasn't tolerating any pain because there wasn't any. I know that's not the norm because my sister and my husband also had their gallbladders out within a year of mine and they needed pain medication afterwards. However, it wasn't horrible. My sister did wake up vomiting though, but that was a reaction to the anesthesia. My dad does the same thing. And my husband was nauseous but didn't vomit. I wasn't nauseous at all. Everyone tolerates anesthesia differently. You can ask for anti-nausea meds in your IV before you even wake up. Since the removal, I've had absolutely no issues. No food restrictions. No nothing. If anything, I actually get gas pain a lot less frequently than before. So that's my story. I wanted to give you a detailed story because when I was researching gallbladder removal, I wanted to read detailed accounts. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Mine happened when my DS was two weeks old. As others have described, it was the worst pain I have ever felt. Went to the ER and got a great dr. She asked how old the baby was and pressed on my upper abdomen. I immediately threw up. She immediately said that she thought it was gallbladder and ordered an ultra sound. I had surgery the next day. I spent an extra night in the hospital because there were concern that some of the stones had gotten into my liver. Looking back, ihad been having symptoms, but I did not realize it. Two days after the surgery I was feeling so much better that I had felt in a long time that the minor discomforts from surgery were nothing. (As long as a didn't try to wear tight clothing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 Thanks everyone. I have had a feeling of discomfort on other occasions that, when I investigated the symptoms, really seemed to point to gall bladder issues. I have had most of the symptoms mentioned above with the exception of excruciating pain. The biggest trigger for me, that I've been able to identify, is eating in a hurry. Last night I had pains and pressure that felt like gas, radiating up above the right abdomen, but mostly in my back near the right shoulder blade. I could not get comfortable most of the night. I feel better today, but still very bloated. Haven't eaten anything yet. About 3 years ago I had an abdominal ultrasound which showed no gallstones. I think if I end up going in I will ask for a HIDA scan right off the bat. Both my parents had to have their gall bladders removed; seems like each of them was around the age I am now when it happened. Last night was the closest I've come to thinking I might end up in the ER. Figures this is now happening as the weekend approaches. Right now just kind of waiting to see how I feel in a bit. I suppose it will probably resolve on its own as it has in the past, but sounds like I should make a follow up with my doc next week. Blech. Thanks again for sharing your experiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 It almost killed me - and I don't say that in jest. Let me preface by saying I hate seeing a doctor and will put it off until the very last minute. (I had my second daughter in a car...because I didn't want to go to the doctor...) I had been having pain attacks for about 20 years. Every 8-12 months, sometimes a year or more would go by, but then I would wake up at night with a gnawing pain radiating deep in my back. It would lead to hours of pacing the floor until early morning when it would pass and I could go back to sleep. Over time I began to think it was 'something like a gall bladder attack'. When it finally was really bad, I was living overseas and that was a whole different game as far as surgery so, I just continued to ignore it. Flash forward until 2009 when I had an appendicitis. The surgeon doing the appendectomy mentioned that I had gallstones and should have my gall bladder out before it became a problem. Well, it wasn't a problem so, of course, I ignored it..... Flash forward again to 2011. One Wednesday night I happened to notice that I had some discomfort under my ribs. After awhile, it felt like I had a football shoved under my rib cage. I had to sit up perfectly straight to take the pressure off. I assumed it was something I ate. I would feel better in the morning. By Friday, I was in a fair bit of pain and actually called the doctor ( I NEVER voluntarily call the doctor) only to be told that there weren't any appointments until Monday. When I got off the phone, I actually cried. Saturday and Sunday I was lying on the couch with a fever, wrapped in a blanket and shivering. By Monday, at the doctor's appointment, I must have looked pretty bad because he barely touched me before saying a sonogram was in order. Tuesday morning at 7:00 I was having a sonogram and by 9:00 he was looking for a surgeon! The sono showed acute choleosistitis. I was told I had two choices, I could have surgery or I could die. Not really a choice actually. I had my gallbladder removed and spent the next 5 days in the hospital. My gallbladder was 6 times the normal size and the stone that was causing the problem was about an inch in diameter. (They give you the stones if you ask the surgeon to keep them! I didn't ask. He just thought it was an impressive one and I would want to have it. :laugh: Fortunately, he just kept the impressive one. The others were disposed. ) When I was a kid, I thought gallbladder issues were just something middle aged women discussed. It didn't have any real significance. You just had it taken out like tonsils or old lady hysterecomies. Since I made it as far as middle age with all my organs intact, I just decided to go out the same way. I had no idea gallbladder issues could be deadly. A gallbladder 'attack' is noting like a 'gallbladder infection' in terms of mortality. But, one can certainly lead to the other. Don't mess around with gallbladder issues. I had pain for years, finally had confirmation that I had gallstones, and still ignored it. It almost cost me my life. If stones are an issue and causing you pain, take care of it now. And you can have an infection without having stones. That was the situation with dh. He was sooo sick. My MIL had pain....they did the ultrasound and the tech was like um, call your doctor first thing in the morning. She blew it off because she said she wasn't having surgery....her doctor called her the next morning and said drive to the hospital now. He said he had never seen a gb so full of stones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 No story. I just wanted to nominate this thread for Most Geriatric Thread Title Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 No story. I just wanted to nominate this thread for Most Geriatric Thread Title Ever. Thank you, thank you. I'd take a bow but I'd rather not aggravate the old gal. Guess I better think of something fun and fresh to talk about and thus redeem myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Yeah, you don't have to have stones to have gallbladder disease. That's actually difficult to diagnose. My dad had disease and was in the hospital for days ( they thought it could be his heart). They weren't even 100% sure it was his gallbladder before they took it out. But once they got it out they saw it had gangrene. Ick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Symptoms- I woke up feeling like someone shoved a telephone pole through my chest. Surgery was easy. I did all the normal stuff the nest day. The day after that I took the kids clothes shopping. The worst part was that anesthia evidently makes me throw up. A lot. I hope you feel better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 I had symptoms for years before I was finally diagnosed. They had even done an ultrasound on my gallbladder but, since there were no stones, they didn't think that was the problem. Also, most of my pain was in my back, which was pretty unusual for gallbladder pain, so that threw them off. Finally, one day dh and I went out for Chinese food and I guess it was greasy enough that it did the trick. I was in such pain and I was throwing up. I was finally sent for a Hida scan the next day, which left me feeling like someone had stuffed a football into my back. I was in so much more pain, I could not wait to have surgery. They took it out the next morning and the surgeon said it was in really horrible shape. My expectation of recovery was that I would pretty much be back up and active within a day or two because I had heard others said they went shopping the next day and things like that. So I was really disappointed in how I was doing when I went for my followup with the surgeon a week after the surgery. He assured me that I was doing better than most people one week out from surgery and my expectations were off. It took me about 2 weeks to really feel back to normal. I have had no issues since the surgery. Also, I was in so much pain when I went in for surgery that it was a huge relief when I woke up from surgery in less pain than when I went in. The pain with recovery did not compare at all with the pain before surgery. Good luck to you. I hope you are able to get this resolved quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 I was 26, and I thought I was having a heart attack. Nope! Gall stones/sludge. Long story short. I had gained a lot of weight with my pregnancy and then lost it very rapidly. This can trigger gallbladder issues. I had mine surgically removed. And for the the last 13 years I've struggled with "Dumping Syndrome." I recently started taking digestive enzymes to help off set the bile and fat problems. It has changed my life!!!!! I get to drink coffee again. Freckles, would you mind sharing what you take, and how, and when, and so on? I'm having a lot of trouble with the "dumping," to the point where I'm afraid to leave the house some days :( It always amazes me to read threads like this, because everyone's experiences are so different! I never knew I had stones until I had a CT scan for kidney stones. My GB was so full of tiny stones it was three or four times its normal size! I was so afraid of surgery I waited another year to have it out, and even then, I never had an attack or any kind of pain. I realized at some point that I could feel it sort of pinching me, and I was right, that's what it was, but it was very mild. The surgery itself was easy, though I did need something for nausea afterward, and that made me sleepy for the next two days. I was surprised at how much pain I was in that day, and the next day too, but it was bearable (though watching the Big Bang Theory is not advisable :lol:). After that each day got progressively better, and I was pretty much back to normal by day 6 or so. I HAVE had stomach issues though, and I can't figure out what to do about them. Fat doesn't seem to bother me--it seems to be the size of the meal/how long it's been since I last ate. But even then not always; I can have just a bit of something and that will trigger stomach issues. Even overnight seems too long for me to go without eating, so I'm trying out different solutions. I haven't gotten to the digestive enzymes yet though--maybe they'll be a miracle cure! I'm glad to hear that not everyone is so restricted after their removal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzz Posted May 26, 2021 Share Posted May 26, 2021 New to this conversation. Had my gall bladder removed about 2 years. I had been having severe stomach pain for months prior and the HIDA scan results said my Gall Bladder was working at about 12%. Hoping to get relief I had it removed. Since having it removed I have had stomach and back pain fairly regularly. Pretty discouraging. Wondering if any of you have had back pains associated with post surgery. My lower and mid back is very sensitive. I do stretches, walking, exercises and it seems more related to digestion than muscular skeletal. CT scan normal last year, blood work normal. Gastro Dr's say I have IBS, what's that mean, what's the root cause is my question. Been a tough journey looking for suggestions. Having an EGD done next week. Thanks for reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Zombie thread alert! Welcome to the forum, Buzz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acadie Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 8 hours ago, Seasider too said: Blast from the past!!! FWiW, I never had my gall bladder removed. Had a CT scan a few weeks ago to check something else and still no stones. I did discover gut issues related to food intolerances, and my gi issues are pretty calm as long as I eat accordingly. Thanks for the update, and I'm glad you figured things out! Before I realized this was a zombie thread I was concerned about you 🤗 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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