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Hey, I'm having my gall bladder removed next wednesday. And really stressing out because i don't know what to expect. I don't have pre-op untill Monday.
any of you had your Gall Bladder out by Keyhole surgery? Can you tell me what to expect, Like going into the operation? what the pain is going to be like afterwards? How long it took you to recover? What are the do's and don'ts after surgery...
Any help would be greatly appreciated and hopefully settle some of myt nerves!
have to go to OB appt right now but will come back later an fill you in if others haven't - biggest of all don't panic (responded to your other thread) its pretty straightforward- please!!!!!!
BBL
i've had this done, and found it to be pretty easy to be honest. pain afterwards was reasonably minimal - felt pretty much the same crampy feeling as i'd had beforehand when the gallbladder was playing up! i had to stay in overnight for monitoring, but that was related to the fact that i have tachycardia and they wanted to make sure that had settled down post-op - but i was off pain killers within 24 hours and back to normal life within a couple of days...
it's not something to let yourself stress about - good luck!
I also had this done about 18 months ago. I was very scared as i hadn't had an operation before. It wasnt as bad as i thought it would be, i was just happy to have it out - i had alot of pain because of the gallstones, so i was so glad that the cramping was gone. When they took it out they found it was infected, so they put me on strong anti-biotics. I felt really queasy after the op - which for me was worse than the pain (i HATE feeling sick). Good thing was that i was able to catch up on my reading in the hospital and finish the harry potter book i was working on :D
I think i stayed in for 4 days (but I had it done in Germany, Oz might not be the same).
The scars are still sensitive and i hate anyone touching them. That's the only thing that bothers me now. But i suppose it's different for everyone.
Very best of luck. Don't stress! :hug:
Thanks from the sounds of it i'm worrying over nothing.
The hospital is keeping me in over night i've already been told that one. They'll do the operation on the wednesday and i can go home Thursday.
What about when they put you to sleep what do you feel? Can you feel them putting the tubey thing down your throat? is that out before you wake up?
Does a catheter (sp?) get put in? what does that feel like?
What about the drain in the stomach? What does that feel like?
So for those who recovered well and return to normal actiites within a couple of days does that include lifting a 1yo? driving?
In my little pamplet it did say that i can't drive for 7-10days. and not to lift anything over 3kg for 2weeks.
Sorry for all the questions!
I had my gallbladder removed 10 years ago after 6 months of weekly attacks.
My op was for 7am... when I got to the hospital, I was given a gown, and paper underwear (sexy:)) and not long after, I was given tablets which had a sedative effect. I then had the catheter inserted.
In the theatre they put white stuff into my catheter and I went to sleep. All I can remember is waking up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck (I don't take anesthetic very well).. my throat was a little tender and I could feel my tummy was bloated (this is apparently from the air they put into you?) I went back to sleep, woke up again in my room where they gave me my stones to keep in a jar, and they washed me down a little (I had been sick). Later, I was told to get up and walk to the toilet with a nurse, and that was a little painful but I managed it... I had to get up and walk around every day. The drain in my stomach was a nothing really... I remember being really really paranoid about them taking it out, I cried and told them they weren't allowed to because it would hurt... it didn't hurt a bit!!! lol
I was in hospital for 3 days... and when I got home, I had a 5 month old and a 4 year old to look after... I didn't pick either of them up for about a week after I got home, and then it was only my 5 month old. I didn't drive for a few weeks either. After a week I was fine though, It was a relief to not have the attacks anymore too!!!
You'll be fine Cass... wishing you all the best :hug:
I had mine taken out nearly 12months ago and I have still not recovered from it.. I was in hospital for a week and I couldn't do anything for 2 weeks after I got extremely sick after it also though my stone was the biggest the dr had ever seen and my gallbladder was 4times the normal size so I may have had worse due to it being soo bad ... Also be prepared to sleep alot because you will definately need it...
Please don't think I am trying to scare you but I was told it takes a good 18 months to fully recover
I had my gallbladder out in 2006. I also stayed in hospital for a couple of days.
I was also sick shortly after the operation.
The hardest part was getting up after the operation and going to the toilet.
However I was so glad to get rid of the thing I didn't care!
Never do I want to have the vomiting and diarrhoea attacks that I had before that operation - they used to scare me so much!
I still can't believe it took 3 years for a doctor to listen to me and correctly diagnose the problem.
My gallbladder was absolutely riddled with stones.
It took me about a week to fully recover.
So what I'm saying - the small pain of the operation is nothing in comparison to the pain with a stone riddled gallbladder.
Miss K - Na you didnt scare me :) I need to be prepared for the good and the bad!
I tooo won't miss the GB at all After landing me in hospital a few times in the worst pain i have ever experianced i dont think this operation could be worst then an attack!
I've already got a pro and con list...
Pro -
No more attacks.
No feeling sick.
No doing the washing for a week or two (we'll see how long i can stretch that out for hehe)
Have to rest!
Con -
Have to have an operation
Won't be able to pick my daughter up
Cant drive for a week...
The pro's have won hehe!!!
Good luck hun!!! :) And its good you are going into it with a positive mind :D
I completely agree with this.:
It took me around 18 months to be totally recovered, but a little over a week to be back to doing regular things.
The thing you need to remember is that your body does still produce stones, and both myself and my sister have found there are certain things we eat that can give us reeeeeeeally bad pains... they are usually greasy foods like take away fish & chips, pepperoni pizza... but it doesn't happen all the time.
You'll be fine... you will feel so much better than you did whilst having the gallstones... for me, it was a relief to not be walking on egg shells wondering when I would end up in the hospital again... my attacks were set off by my diet and by stress... not fun with a newborn baby!
All the best Cass :hug:
Thanks girls! you have been great set my mind at ease!
I went to my pre-op yesterday!
The nurse sat down and explained everything to me. I have to wash in some yukkky smelly idone soap tonight and tomorrow morning before going up to hospital. then the doctor sat down and explained what he will be doing. I've already got things in my medicine chart hehe! He givin me panadol, ted socks and hebrin (blood thinners)...
The whole time we were talking he kept on saying oh your young for gallstones, very young indeed, then kept asking if i drink like i was an alcohol and im like nooo i not a fan off dcrinking only every now and then and its usually only one! and then he looks at me like he doesnt believe me!
I go into hosp at 7am tomorrow morning. and all goes to plan i should get out thursday morninig...
Will let you all know how it goes, i must be off and take these kids to school!
Cass who are you seeing hun? I see your in Brisbane so am I Dr Ray Lanchishire is who did mine ....
He asked me same questions as you and told me I was too young for them lol!!! I never drink either so weird hehe!!
All the best for tomorrow morning and sleep on your tummy tonight and enjoy it as you won't be for a while hehe!!!
Hahahaha!! I was told I was young for them too (I was 21)... my diet was critisised, I was told that I must "live" on take away, when in actual fact I cooked every night and take away food was once-in-a-blue-moon luxury. A few Dr's in the emergency ward (who had to plead with my surgeon to remove my gallbladder!) explained to me that evidence has shown that hormonal things can lead to gallbladder problems - eg, The pill, diets and pregnancy.
When I had my first attack, it was 4 weeks after giving birth to Madeleine... I had been on the pill since I was 16, and continuously dieting. My sister had the same thing happen to her straight after having her first son... she was also 21... and an Aunt of mine had it happen to her at 21. I guess that 21 is the number within my family... but I know of LOADS of people who have had them at 21 also.
Anyway, wishing you loads and loads of success for tomorrow Cass :hug:
Hey, I'm seeing umm i forget lol, hes got a lomg name!! Someone at the Qu2!
Which is funny the last time i was at the Qu2 was when i was born hehe!
Aww bugger! I love sleeping on my tummy :) And gotta do the deed tonight might be a while before i feel up to it again hehehehehehe...
Well the surgeon seemed very judgemental, about diet, an drinking, and then he asked my weight (50kg) an did another big sighhhh very weird surgeon! . But the Ed doctors and my doctor explained that they are properly acting up because of all the pregnancy hormones and now being on the pill, and my grandmother and mom also have GB problems.
21 is a good number hehe.
The surgeon also said yesterday that being on the pill u have a slightly higher risk of developing clots. and has advice me not to take it. But also said i can... dunno what to do about that one!
Where u Miss K?
That's very unprofessional the way that the docs are "judging" you and your diet. Their job is to treat you in a non-judgemental way. I was 21 when i had mine removed too, but there was no comment about my diet, or anything i myself had done to cause the problem. They just told me that It was most likely hormonal due to my pregnancy and because of my family history. I myself know that a poor diet when i was younger definately would have contributed to the problem aswell.
The doctors here were very professional and extremely helpful and friendly. I suppose German doctors are different.
Once again, good luck.
I haven't had the op yet, but I had a great exp so far with my specialist at my private hosp. He was not judgemental but answered my questions and explained the procedure to me in detail.
I guess it depends on the dr and the hosp.
Good luck with the operation Cass!
I am in southeast brisbane QEII is just up the road hehe!!! Like I said all the best and relax missy :)
Hi Cass,
Good luck for the Op. As the others have already said, it is a pretty straight forward op. You will get 4 little nicks (cuts about 1cm long) - one just under the bra line about the middle of the distance between your BB's; another in your belly button, one almost directly in line with you belly button (the side will depend on the side the surgeon prefers to stand but is usually on your right side) and one a little higher up than that.
Pain afterwards - it depends on your pain tolerance really. It can be expected that you might have some discomfort in your left shoulder as a result of the gas they use to inflate your belly so they can see what they're doing. You might also get some pain around the incision sites. I had intense pain at the incision site lateral to the belly button because I had a drain tube in which was just awful!!!!!!!!!! It is not the norm to have a drain tube in.
The hospital stay is usually only overnight and, depending on your pain tolerance etc, you could anticipate some mild discomfort for a day or two. I was able to pick up DD (who was 8 weeks so not all that heavy) within 24hrs of being discharged.
In relation to all the hooha you've received about diet, weight etc - ignore it. It is a well known fact that gall stones are very very common after pregnancy and child birth. So common that I am surprised your medical team didn't actually tell you this when diagnosed with gall stones!!!! When I got mine, they put it down to my recent pregnancy and birth of DD.
Anyways, best of luck with the op and recovery!!!!
MG
Hey Ladies! I'm finally out of Hospital.
I went into have my operation on wednesday, the last time i saw was 8.30 then i went into operating theatre. The operation took one hour. Then i went to recovery it took them a while to wake me, and when they did i was in alot of pain i can remember a lady telling me to stop crying as there is other patients. Lol. I was in recovery for three hours then i went up to the ward.
Wednesday afternoon i was in ALOT of pain which required alot of strong medication to settle it back down, they were talking about sending me to ICU to give me stronger medication and setting me up a PVA but they didn't end up having too they gave some very strong needle in the leg and i was finally asleep at 8.30...
Thursday i woke up very groggy and still in wuite a bit of pain, but they discharged me at 10.00...
Thursday afternoon i was in heaps of pain again and wasn't handling it very well so i went to my GP who was very unhappy that the hospital kicked me out, and without anything stronger then panadol to take. So they Gave me a shot of morephine and some Endone tablets to take home.
By friday morning i was still in pain and throwing up bile, so hubby called the Ambulance, they took me to logan hosp who said it wasnt there problem they did however do some scans and give em loats of morephine for 6 hours untill transferring by ambulance over to Qu2.
once at qu2 i was in there emergency bed for 8 hours, i was Nill by mouth Since i got to logan hospital that morning. They did an ultrasound and found some free fluid and just kept the morephine up to control the pain.
By 8 they transferred me back to the ward, were i was finally enough drugged up to get to sleep. i was feeling better sat moreing, they sent me for a cat scan to make sure everything was in place.
Xray came back with alot of poo (i havent moved my bowels in 4days)
Ultrasounds found free fluid
Cat scan found gas pockets of air
So they have put all the pain down to gas pockets (wind) and not moving bowels. They have sent me home again, with loads of pills to take and some laxatives~
I'll catch u all later, I ahve to go lay down pain is killin!
Aww Cass hunny that is awful! I hope you are ok and doing better today! I looked pregnant when I came out of surgery and you wait till the gas starts OMG haha you just can't control it lol!
Just BIG :hug: and just put your feet up and rest as much as you can!!
xx
:hug: So sorry that you have had such a rough trot! Can't believe that the hospital sent you home so quickly!
One tip for the gas (My doctor told me to do this - but only if you can handle doing it! Any pain stop immediately!)
From a standing position, keep your back straight and crouch down into a fetal position. Hold the pose for at least 20 - 30 seconds.
Or, if on a bed - lie straight, then bring your knees up into your chest. Hold for 30 secs. Then roll over and do it on the other side.
You should pass wind or go to the toilet within 10 minutes (but not always).
BTW - they tried to blame diet for me too - however I had just had two IUIs and had a reasonably high level of oestrogen - I think that was more the final straw than anything I had eaten!
Miss K - thanks. Yea i still look pregnant! lol! The gas is pretty bad hey! I still feel awful today, and having to rely on the meds to keep me out of too much pain, but im getting there.
Gargy, Thanks - yea my mum was pist when they sent me home so early! Only hours before they were sending me to ICU. But it was the cranky nurse that did it! She properly didnt want patients!
Thanks for the tip - but omg that hurt lol!
And way tmi - But i finally moved my bowels! It took 6days. Hurt like hell in the loo, but felt a little relief when it was out!
Better go. Thanks for your support ladies and listening to me compliain!
You poor chook! Hope the pain is easing Cass. Constipation will certainly give that kind of pain. Keep up the laxatives for a few days until you feel better and then try not to let yourself go more than 3 days without a poo (so after day 3, take something). Hope you're feeling much better.
MG
Thanks MG.
I'm feeling loads better today. The pain has settled down heaps! It really hurt last night while i was trying to go to sleep for some reason. but i woke up fine. I can move around heaps better now. and getting back into doing things.
I got out of my uni exam. My teacher deffered it for a couple of weeks for me!