I'm getting my gallbladder out - any advice?

[cubsgirl]

Hi friends. After fighting with horrible pain for a year (which my PCP kept insisting was heartburn) she finally relented and did and ultrasound yesterday and I am chockful of gallbladder stones. Now my PCP is in a hurry to get me into a surgeon and get it out. I have a surgeon's appointment on the 21st. I've been chronically nauseous and lost about 10 lbs since January 2nd (believe me - I need to lose about 50 more).

Anyway, any advice for before and after surgery? I know I need a low-fat, low-grease diet until surgery but I am wondering about recovery time and how much time I should ask for off of work at my little part-time job?

Thanks.

 

[Hound dog]

Off work time will depend on your job. If it's physical, you'll want 6 wks. If you've got a desk job, 2-3 wks will be enough unless you have issues.

This is major surgery and you need to follow doctor's orders. You'll have about a 3 inch incision. Mine didn't even twinge after but I'd just gone through some other major surgeries that were hades on earth so I have no clue if that's why this one didn't phase me or not. Seriously, did not even so much as take a pain pill. lol Still prepare for pain, if it's there stay on top of it as it is much worse if you don't.

Get up and move.......as in walk, sit in a chair.....walk. Rest is good too but moving around will help you get better faster with fewer complications. Have the nurse show you how to use the pillow to help with coughing and to show you deep breathing. (I have to put this because evidently these days patient teaching is in the frigging toilet)

Do not lift anything more than 5 lbs for 6 wks. This is a must that most people don't take seriously enough.......and a few have had the unpleasantness of having a somewhat healed incision coming open again.

Don't do much other than walking around the house sitting in a chair the first week. After that build up to light house work and so on.

This surgery isn't so bad. Mine was probably better than most compared to what I'd just gone through, but Nichole didn't seem to think it was too bad either and it was her first surgery. You'll feel so much better once it's out of there.

((hugs))

 

[PatriotsGirl]

I work a desk job and had to take a week off. It was hard getting up from the couch and move around, but definitely got better after a week. It really depends on what you do for work...

Funny - I went to my doctor about mine because I kept feeling the pain in my back between my shoulder pains. doctor kept blowing it off as a side effect of working a desk job. I knew there was no way that was the cause of my waking up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain that would make me cry like a baby. I Googled my symptoms, figured out it was my gallbladder and made them do an ultrasound. My gallbladder was really close to bursting by the time they found it.

 

[buddy]

I had it done too....was able to do laperoscopic (sp?) So just tiny incisions. Mine was infected so I was pretty sick but the surgery was ok...pain the first day was yuck but they controlled it. I went home after a day. My mom spent one day in too. I was to go home the same day but couldn't.
It was well worth never having that horrible pain again.

 

[cubsgirl]

My job is as a cashier at a retail shop. I'm on my feet the whole shift so I will plan accordingly and take some extra time off. I'm not too nervous about the surgery but I've had several surgeries already. I was so relieved that my PCP did the ultrasound. I was prepared to go to the ER if she didn't do something. Her nurse was mad because the nurse told me it was my gallbladder last March but she couldn't get doctor to do an ultrasound either. PG- scary to think that your gallbladder might have burst - husband mentioned last night he was worried about this but I told him I'm sure they wouldn't let me wait if that was about to happen.

 

[PatriotsGirl]

I had lap, too and was able to go home the same day. But I do remember that I had a really hard time coming out of anesthesia and had to be put into a regular room until they felt that I could go home. That was the worst time I ever had coming out of it - all of my other surgeries I was out of it in a snap...

Yes VERY much worth having it out of there!!!

 

[Jody]

I had lap too, I was in the hospital for 4 days with pain and bad indigestion. Had surgery on Tuesday out of the hospital on Thursday and back to work Friday night. I had a mostly sit down job, and it was not too bad after I went home. I definately wasn't a text book case. Usually there isn't an admittance to the hospital. I felt extremely better though not having those gallbladder attacks.

 

[Tiapet]

Ugh! I had it done back in 87 and they didn't have lap back then so big scar. Biggest thing, walk, walk, walk. At the time I had it done I went in for an acute attack to ER so they did the testing with the barium. Only they forgot to do anything about the barium afterwards so it's like liquid concrete in your system and then add in surgery where they fill your belly with air. Talk about serious gas pains! Painful to walk to begin with at first but not walking didn't allow movement of the gas to get out and those pains felt like a heart attack.

I was so limited on eating pre acute attack by then. I think I lived on moo shoo chicken a boyfriend at the time lovingly bought. Other then that I couldn't touch much of anything it was so bad.

I hope things go really smooth and easy for you and you get lap done.

 

[Mattsmom277]

I had mine out the same time as I had gastric bypass. I also had it done lap. Obviously since it wasn't the only procedure I had done my experience would be different than what you will have. Yet just so you know I was so dang glad that bad boy was OUT. I had gotten so accustomed to the effects of wonky gallbladder that I didn't know how awful it made me feel until it was gone. I spent two nights in hospital but only because I had early evening surgery instead of a morning surgery so they didn't count the first night at all. The getting up to walk for gas is a definite must, as already mentioned. You are going to feel so much better having yours out. No lifting until doctor clears you.

 

[TerryJ2]

I've known several people who've had it done. One was out for a cpl wks, one was only down for three days. Everyone is different.
Best of luck.
The good news is, you will be out of pain once the stitches heal, and you won't be dealing with-the nausea.
You will want to stick to nonfatty foods ... forever ... but everyone "cheats" and you'll find out what you can tolerate.
Best of luck! Glad you have a solution.