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Gallbladder removal: Suffering in pain, please help
Hi I’m a 44yr old white female who had my gallbladder removed January 20,2023 laparoscopic. I had a Strawberry gallbladder with 2 comet tails. I woke up in recovery in severe pain. My husband said he could hear me screaming coming down the hall back to my post op room. I was discharged that same day. Due to being heavily sedated I don’t remember anything but I said I screamed and cried in pain all night. He took me to the emergency room on January 21,2023. They administered heavy narcotics, and done a CT with contrast. They said CT didn’t show anything but I was screaming in pain with Dilaudid via Iv and Percocet via mouth. They admitted me and was never able to get my pain under control. I was unable to have a bowel movement even with an enema. I was discharged home taking 3 stool softeners a day. I still can’t have a bowel movement, I’m extremely swollen and in excruciating pain from between my ribs in a circle around my belly back to my center chest. No one can tell me what’s wrong as far as why I can’t go to the bathroom and why I’m having so much pain. I regret having the surgery with all my might. Please help !!
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OMG!
Please go to Mayo in Jacksonville.
If you can't get an appointment right away,
Go to the ER as an emergency. DA!
years ago when I went to mayo in minnesota,
I met the husband of a wife, mother of 4 children from the midwest, she was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. They lived in Idaho.
When she couldn't get an appointment right away, she went to the emergency department, was seen by a pancreatic specialist. Her husband was so grateful. I think they even had their children with them.
I will keep praying.
Good Luck.
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2 ReactionsThis whole situation is absolutely horrific. I'm so sorry you're going through all this.
The only thing worse than the pain itself is being told that nothing is wrong. Yes! something's wrong!
Best wishes that find relief soon,
Cookie
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1 ReactionMs. Hines
I am sorry you are unwell, I suggest you make an appointment with a Gastroenterologist for long term follow up, in the interim go to the emergency room, the pain and lack of a bowel movement are reasons enough to seek treatment. Go back to the surgeon as well, they someone should do a HIDA scan, upper GI and possibly a barium enema as well as blood work to check your liver function, electrolytes and a CBC work. Stick to your feelings and tell them you are unwell, and cannot/will not leave until you know what is wrong and how to treat it/feel better. I had my Gallbladder removed in December 2022 and had a rocky go of it as well with 2 Ed visits, a GI visit, a PCP visit and back to the surgeon. Took about 8 weeks for me to start to eat I lost a good amount of weight, and have some normal bowel movements and feel better.
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1 ReactionYour situation does sound emergent. I’d definitely be seen by someone - even a different GI practice(?)
For future reference has anyone (doctor, dietician) mentioned taking ox bile to help digest fats? I had my gallbladder removed 10 years ago and now have to watch how much fat I eat in a meal. I add a supplement when I eat recommended by my dietician called Cholacol. You can find it on Amazon. I’d check with your doc first but it has made a lot of difference. I guess my liver is not distributing the bile at the right times (which had been the job of our GB’s) so I also have frequent bile reflux which I take an RX for called Colesevelam. Hope this helps.
I think you could possibly have stones stuck in your bile ducts. This can happen even though they removed your gallbladder. I've had them x2. Once 4 days in hospital septic. Doctor had to do ERCP to pull them out in hospital.. At first my liver enzymes were normal finally spiking when I went septic. Please post how you are doing now.
@hines6852
I don’t know where you live but your local doctors seem unable to get a grip on your still acute illness. The PA should be ashamed- not even examining you.
If you can go to the ER of a major university medical center or the Mayo ER please do so as soon as possible!
Our hospital is so awful I’m ashamed to even say the name. I went to my chiropractor and he got me going. I have to see him once a week. My GI tract was basically paralyzed. I’m a lot better after my chiropractic treatment! I’ve been seeing him since I was 14yrs old
I am a lot better. I went this past week and seen my chiropractor that I’ve been seeing since I was 14yrs old. Basically my GI tract was paralyzed from all the very heavy narcotics they were giving me through my iv before my anesthesia wore off. They was giving me Dilaudid in my Iv and Vicodin by mouth the minute I woke up in recovery and that continued for 5 days
I’ve been on protonix for several years. I’m a lot better after seeing my chiropractor! Basically my GI tract was still sleeping/paralyzed
I went back to my surgeon after I was released from a 4 day hospital stay and the PA informed me nothing was wrong with me. I am doing so much better since I seen my chiropractor that I’ve been seeing since I was 14yrs old. Basically my GI tract was sleeping/ paralyzed from the very heavy narcotics they were giving me around the clock for 5 days straight