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Dealing with symptoms after Gallbladder surgery
Digestive Health | Last Active: Apr 9 8:48pm | Replies (264)Comment receiving replies
Hi everybody, my name is Jamie and I’ve been diagnosed with gallstones, but this wasn’t my first guess. In December, I caught a bad stomach flu and while 3 other of my family members caught it too, I was the only one who had nausea afterwards. Along with this, I had burping. Some reflux, but mainly after I would eat and lay down so I blame it on that.
I went to the doctors a month later in January and she said it was possibility GERD. This wasn’t my normal doctor, since she was out of town. But anyways, I started getting better slowly by taking a Tums every morning as I woke up.
Fast forward to late February, I was eating meals happily and not worrying about a thing. The only thing that caught my attention was after having a big meal of Domino’s, I had major pain and bloating. Thought I was gonna be sick but turns I just had to BM. Nothing happened until ‘that time of the month’ and I was back to not eating again, dealing with nausea and burping.
Finally went back to the doctor’s, got put on Omeprazole 20mg(?) capsules and went on my way home. Slowly built back up to eating without having to take meds. Then March comes around and on the 18th, I have the worst abdominal pain that I can only describe as labor pain. Started at 2 p.m., went to the E.R. finally at 12 a.m. when the heating pad clearly wasn’t working for me and it went away until I went to do a urine test. Immediately pain through my left shoulder, middle of my chest/abdomen, and nausea full force. Thought I was gonna be sick (and I hate to throw up, I do everything to avoid it.) but I wasn’t. We did a blood test after I calmed down, went to ultrasound and came back around 1:30ish. Fell asleep, they woke me up at 3:30 a.m. and turns out I have gallstones at 16! Prior to this hospital visit, I had another ultrasound at another clinic and the results came back as fine. So?? I’m a bit confused but anyways.
They gave me zofran to take as needed for my nausea but since that attack, I’ve had none. I’ve stuck to a low-fat diet, eating before 6 p.m., and not laying down after I eat. I’ve managed to be healthy this way but we’ve decided on surgery (I have consultation this upcoming Friday) and while I want to prevent another attack, I’m scared to death. I’ve read online that gallbladder surgery and gastroparesis are connected often. My mother had gallstones and the same surgery I’m getting and she’s perfectly fine but I know everyone is different.
So my question here is, what were your gallbladder disease signs? Did the gallbladder surgery help you? Has anyone found themselves with gastroparesis or other illnesses? Is there pros and cons to taking it out?
Please help. My anxiety and depression are having more bad days because I’m scared of this chronic illness happening to me. I just want to get better and feel ‘normal’. Is this selfish of me?
My current symptoms are: bloating, burping, brain fog, general feeling of unwellness, some days loss of appetite, burning gurgly stomach, constipation, orange-colored stools, maybe indigestion??? I’m not sure, I don’t feel full after eating and when I feel that, I normally burp and I feel fine. Nausea comes and goes. Get little bits of pain in my GB area. Wake up in the middle of the night randomly.
The only health issues I have are asthma and low vitamin D. I am also (hopefully) getting a lipoma out at the same time of the GB surgery.
I’ve never had prior stomach issues to this. I caught the stomach flu about three times in my life. But I did have bad eating habits. I’ve been through a lot of emotional trauma in my life as well and stress is not good on me either.
Replies to "Hi everybody, my name is Jamie and I’ve been diagnosed with gallstones, but this wasn’t my..."
Hey @Jamie. I had my gall bladder removed when it was thought to be the culprit in my pancreatitis attacks. That did not resolve my problem, but since it really serves no important purpose, I guess I am just as well without it. In my wife's family, nearly every female has had theirs removed and they went through a fair amount of suffering beforehand because it is often difficult to tel it is causing problems and my M-I-L nearly had hers rupture before the Dr. finally agreed to remove it. So, I would say it is a good thing to get rid of. Another issue with gall stones is that they block your bile duct and prevent your pancreas from draining and that is very bad news. Good luck and Godspeed with the surgery!
Gary
You need to get it out, I had gallbladder attacks for years and kept putting it off and I finely went and did it and I feel better!
Connect
@jamie1004, I want to welcome you to Connect. And I want to emphasize that you are not being selfish because you want to feel better and 'normal' again! Here is what Mayo Clinic has to say about gallstones. I thought that you might find it helpful in answering some of your questions. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gallstones/symptoms-causes/syc-20354214
My husband had his gallbladder removed by laparoscopic surgery and he recovered with no lingering effects. His symptoms came on quickly while we were on a shopping/lunch 'date'. In a matter of hours, he was doubled over in severe abdominal pain. The ER determined that he also had pancreatitis which is (my nonmedical understanding) inflammation/infection caused by a gallstone that had been lodged or difficulty passing. To prevent future episodes, they decided to remove the gallbladder, but had to wait until the infection was gone before they could remove the gallbladder. He never had any episode beforehand. We do not regret that he had the surgery.
I understand your fear of going thru a surgical procedure. My suggestion is to take a list of your fears and concerns to the doctor and to the surgeon who will do the procedure.
Rosemary