Soo after managing this with diet and such for a quarter century I am now faced with the need to have my gallbladder jerked. Due to age and other conditions it ma not be able to be done laparoscopically. Also at my age any surgery carries with it a higher risk. It appears that at this point the risks of not doling it are greeter than those with the surgery. My diet has already become low fat suckery and that would continue for a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Some never regain normal digestion. I would rather that the surgery be done by an M.D. and not at a hospital run by some whacked out religious cultists but it is what it is. They have the best reputations in the area. Have any of you had this surgery? How did you come out?
Gamecock Fanatics
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Gallbladder surgery
- Thread starter TheYancey
- Start date
Both my wife and I have had it...laparoscopically...and it was no big deal. I say 'no big deal' comparatively speaking. I had hernia surgery last year and it was a MFer!! I was completely caught off guard by how much pain was in store for about a week after that. I can't even remember being in any pain after the Gallbladder surgery...but again...ours were done laparoscopically.
I also haven't noticed any change one way or the other from a digestion standpoint since.
I also haven't noticed any change one way or the other from a digestion standpoint since.
Last edited by a moderator:
I had mine removed in 1994 at the age of 40. No symptoms until the severe pain hit and I had almost immediate emergency surgery. I had mine taken out by Dr (Major) Ruhr at Moncrief Army Hospital, Ft Jackson laprascopically. When I woke up from the surgery I was starving, it had been over 30 some hours since I had eaten.
A nurse was checking my vitals and asked if I wanted something to eat, I of course said yes. After about 30 minutes my tray arrives and I lift the cover and there sits a big ole square of lasagna dripping with cheese and tomato sauce with a piece of garlic bread. Now don't get me wrong, I love me some lasagna but my first thought was am I actually supposed/allowed to eat this?
So I called the nurses station and expressed my concern, she checked with the Doctor and confirmed that it was OK for me to eat it so I did. That was 27 years ago and I have not had a single problem eating anything I wanted since then.
I haven't had mine removed, but my wife had hers removed 12 years or so ago. She didn't have any issues with the actual surgery. She did have some digestion issues for about 6 months after the surgery. It basically worked itself out though as I think it was just her body adjusting to not having a gb.
My wife had hers out laproscopically, and would have gone home that night if she hadn't still been nauseous from the anesthesia. She went home the next day, and was fine pretty quickly.
My mom had hers out the old fashioned way, and not trying to be a Debbie Downer, it kicked her butt. If you have to have it done the old way, you will be down for a few months. I don't understand why it takes so long to recover from that way, but I have heard that from many people who had it done that way. The main thing is to take it easy and let your body heal if you don't have the other option. Hopefully, they can do it laproscopically. Wishing you well, Yancey!
My mom had hers out the old fashioned way, and not trying to be a Debbie Downer, it kicked her butt. If you have to have it done the old way, you will be down for a few months. I don't understand why it takes so long to recover from that way, but I have heard that from many people who had it done that way. The main thing is to take it easy and let your body heal if you don't have the other option. Hopefully, they can do it laproscopically. Wishing you well, Yancey!
FurmanCock
Grand Poohbah
Yancey, advocate for the laparoscopy if it is all medically feasible. I had mine removed about 9 years ago by that process, and it was a pretty easy process. Early morning procedure and I was home by noon. Your digestive system will thank you, and adapt pretty quickly afterwards. Keep us posted, and best wishes regardless of the procedure.
Last edited by a moderator:
My wife had it done a while back. I wanted to sue her previous doctor for medical malpractice, because it was known that she had gall stones that were causing her all sorts of problems. The medical advice? "Just learn to live with it." Well she did live with it until she nearly died from pancreatitis. The gall stones that came out when they removed her gall bladder were about the size of a small pecan.
Fortunately we received some donations that helped with the medical expenses, because we had no insurance at the time and no lawyer in the area would take the case.
Fortunately we received some donations that helped with the medical expenses, because we had no insurance at the time and no lawyer in the area would take the case.
best of luck Yancey
Both my dad and grandfather had theirs removed. While they found nothing wrong with my grandfather, the found my dad's was cancerous. That was in November of 2002. He went through chemo and radiation OK, and that knocked the cancer back. But as it almost always does, the cancer came back with a vengeance in early 2004. Dad lasted until September before he passed on. Had he not had a gall stone attack, the cancer would have nailed him sometime in 2003, as gall bladder cancer is so rare, they never test for it. The fact we got to have him around for 20 months after the cancer was detected was a miracle in of itself.
A number of my other relatives have had theirs removed with no issues.
A number of my other relatives have had theirs removed with no issues.
I spent the last two days of summer vacation at USC in 1980 at Moncrief after a violent allergic reaction sent me to the ER. After several heavy duty shots or cortisone, I was well enough to go home the day before classes commenced. I had missed drop add, so I had to do that on the first day of class. I was pretty slow to recover, as I'd been shot full of steroids.
Sooo, tomorrow I have a visit with my primary and then a trip to Orlando for labs and COVID testing. Pick up a rollator sometime during the week. Have schedule of when to stop taking certain meds and supplements. They are letting me continue with taking aspirin to avoid clots. Dan Blocker, Bonanza's Hoss Cartwright, died from clots after gallbladder surgery at age 42. The operation was a success but the patient died. Next Tuesday check into a hotel near cult hospital. 6:00 AM Wednesday I arrive at hospital. Surgery set for 8:30. The not an M.D. surgeon prefers laparoscopic jobs. If it is an uncomplicated gallbladder removal that is the way we will go. I would be sent home around noon. However the decades I had hepatitis C greatly increases my chances for liver scarring and cancer. He will look around and biopsy whatever is needed. If they have to do an open surgery I would be admitted for a couple of days. Of course their is a risk that I could be like Ol' Man Mose and kick the buck-buck-bucket.
I obviously lived through the surgery. The chiro-surgeon and the cultist hospital did a good job. Checked in at 6:30, surgery at 8:30, and sent home by noon. Done laparoscopically so I have 3 small holes and 1 large gash. Pathology not back yet but surgeon said that my gallbladder looked like what you would expect one to be if it should have been taken out a quarter century ago. Liver looked like what he expected one to be after a few decades of hepatitis C but he saw no masses that needed to be biopsied. The party of freedom that controls Florida government doesn't want people to feel TOO good so they made it illegal to give anyone more than 3 days of pain meds. He gave me the max which was 24 tablets of oxycodone with acetaminophen. The oxycodone and fentanyl that they gave me at the hospital kept me comfortable for most of the day yesterday so I did not have to take but half doses. Today is hell though. Back to the full dosage. I dodged having to go to the ER to be catheterized last night by 45 minutes due to urinary retention. However with about 45 minutes to spare in my time limit I was able to begin to pee a bit. Thanks be to Cthulhu! Walking is supposed to help so I got a rollator to get from one side of the house to another without falling and screwing more stuff up. Maybe tomorrow I can take it for a spin outside.
All in all it looks like you peeps will have to put up with me for a bit longer.
All in all it looks like you peeps will have to put up with me for a bit longer.
Glad you made it through! hope the recovery goes well.
Glad everything went well with the surgery! Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Welp, this could have come out better. Path report came back. Gallbladder was cancerous. Referral to oncologist and scans being set up. 6-24 month life expectancy. Surgeon was surprised. He saw no visible indications of any cancer
Oh Gosh Yancey. Wish you the best.
Good luck Yancy...you can beat this!