Escaped surgery for 15 years - just

I had my gall bladder out just over 6 weeks ago.  I am in my mid 70's and had had problems with stones and infection for the last 4 years.  I count myself lucky that I am almost back to full health . No I don't think that the idea of getting back to work in 3 weeks even if I was much younger would have been a goer but I do think if I was you I would bite the bullet and go for the operation. It is serious to have pancreatitis etc and that can cause lasting damage. Best of luck,

maggie 

 

Take care of the problem. I waited to long and developed bile duct cancer and was given 6 months to live. Don't make the same mistake I made. It is now been 10 years since my diagnoses and I am the luckiest person on this planet. Don't be stupid and wait like I did.  You live once and if the gallbadder backs up that is what cuases cancer and pancreatitis .  It is your live and good luck to you.

Hi 

you sound like you suffer a real anxiety of operations .

would therapy help?

might be an idea ..

its terrible to have anxiety dictating your decisions in life ..

but I totally understand anxiety isn't something some people can conquer..

just sad you have suffered 15 years of attacks when you could of had a straight forward operation with no side affects..

remember the majority don't have side effects ..

your anxiety has convinced you you will always be the minority ..

but your anxiety has placed you in a real minority of people who will suffer the agonising pain of gallstones for 15 years to avoid a very minor risk of a side affect in removal that if successful would leave you pain free..

try the therapy ...just in case you need an operation to save your life in the future ..

Hi Angela, you know you are your own worst enemy to your health. Not all ops are a negative. I am 65 years and so glad that t's out. Do notmake your life a misery, life is too short. Understand your not wanting it, but as said by Sal you do not want to end up with cancer. Your body is building up more and more gallstones so hate to think how you will end up.

Just hope you see sense and have it done.

Hi I have had gallstones that were undiagnosed for years and last year they were, I had the operation in November, I have IBS as well and it is into the 4th month after operation, I have had pains after operation and lots of trapped wind, it is getting better now, I don't eat fatty food and never have done apart from I like a bit of cake and chocolate, the risks are far worse by leaving the gallbladder in if it has stones, and allot of people have actually died from ruptured gallbladders and pancreatis, I was told at Chesterfield Royal Hospital where I had it done that they do hundreds of them and are good at it, I trusted the surgeons, I had to,  and after the operation they told me there were no complications, it is when it is left too long and things get worse that there could be problems.   I am a nervous person, I hate and am frightened of hospitals and ops and it is the first one I have ever had, my health is not that good in other ways as I said I have IBS and fibromyalgia, but the other consequences would be far worse, the surgeons and doctors told me that I would be risking my life with a flush and they don't do them, if a stone gets stuck in the bile duck, then the proceedure to get this our is very dangerous.  If the surgeons are good at there job then you have to trust them, you don't have a choice, if its left the choice could be fatal in itself.

Angela, if you have already had pancreatitis twice because of that, this in and of itself is all the reason you need to have your gallbladder removed.  I understand your reticence.  I've had gallbladder issues for about 7 years.  When it first started my doctor recommended I have it out. I spoke with a surgeon but because I don't have stones, he was somewhat reluctant to take it out.  Kind of left it up to me.  I've fortunately never had my blood work/enzymes off and no stones seen on ultrasound.  Mine is more of a sluggish gallbladder (hade HIDA scan and it's functioning sub optimally).  If you have documented stones, have altered blood test (liver and pancreatic enzymes) and have already had episodes of pancreatitis because of this, it would be absolutely in your best interest to have your gallbladder removed.  You're very lucky you did not have a negative outcome from the pancreatitis as that can be quite serious.  That's all it would have taken for me to make the decision.

You're thinking about the possible negative consequences or after effects of the surgery and weighing those against life-threatening consequences if you persist in resisting the surgery.  Pancreatitis is nothing to play around with.  If you need anxiety medication to get your through this period and get through the surgery, do whatever you have to do, but you really should not delay. 

Hi, thank you for all your replies and for taking the time and trouble :-) 

- not sure if this reply is posted in the right place! 

I do think I'm a lost cause re surgery. I know in my heart I couldn't go through with it. For many reasons. It's a heady mix of stuff;  fear, fear of death, pain, loss of privacy, dignity and control. The thought of being 'meddled with' internally repulses me. I just couldn't do it. :-(. The quite substantial risk of the horrible after effects, I also know I couldn't cope or deal with. I'm so squeamish I really couldn't cope. I've only had three attacks in 15 years - and the last one in January... I know what I did to bring it on. But they were very serious attacks.

I'm young 54 :-) extremely active, I can eat and drink pretty much what I like, relatively fit and healthy  and without pain - but I've learnt the hard way that ice cream and peanuts sets me off - I won't be eating them again - ever!!!!! 

I have a needle phobia and fear of medical procedures... It's not looking good... But the thought of being married to a toilet and being in pain - AND having to go to the docs on a regular basis with the side effects - I'd rather be dead. I avoid the doctor like the plague - so it's all my idea of a living nightmare. I think I've made the decision to have quality rather than quantity of life. 

In my 'other life' I'm quite normal - I had a fear of horses after seeing two people kicked very badly and seeing someone fall off years ago - so I started horse riding lessons!!!!  A year on I'm still wary - but I go every week and I can now ride a horse.

We have lots of rescue animals, the thought of being a semi invalid after the operation and not being able to look after them. I would rather be dead I think. 

Saying all of the above, if it was a broken arm or surgery on a leg I would have had it done by now. But this operation carries so many risks - and the chances of horrid side effects are so high. I couldn't cope with any of it. Pathetic I know, but I can't help it.

As for therapy, the problems are many and varied and run deep (a lot were heightened by the horrific stay in hospital four years ago). Plus I don't think I'd take to therapy very easily. 

Thank you for trying to help and your comments - but this surgery IS risky - and there's no way I could be in and out of hospital with complications - or at the docs all the time. I'd want out. 

Angela, I do respect your concerns. Some of the very same ones have kept me from having mine out and I've had many more attacks than you, but not to the severity of what you've had. That being said, the likelihood of you having another attack at some point is high. I didn't want to believe or hear that either, but it's true. Especially with a history of previous attacks and documented stones.

Despite watching my "trigger" foods, I still slip now and then and sometimes that's all it takes. I still agree with others that your fear is out of proportion and that talking to someone about this would only be a plus. If you develop pancreatitis again and require an emergency cholecystectomy, it would better for you to be accepting of that necessity than to fear experiencing every possible side effect or complication. (Of which the majority of people have none).

 I'm not sure where you're getting all your intel, but for the hundreds of thousands worldwide (especially in the U.S.) who have cholecystectomies, the vast majority are doing fine.  There is no way this many people would be having this surgery if all they saw/witnessed from friends and family members who had it was horror stories.  I personally know 3 women who've had it done and all are much better for it. One had time-limited diarrhea during the post-surgical adjustment, but that went away. One had her first-ever gallbladder attack at age 50, that turned into pancreatitis and her doctor told her she was lucky she lived. They had to retrieve the stone blocking her pancreatic duct and it is a delicate procedure far more fraught with issues than a basic cholecystectomy.  

Best of luck to you, and I truly and sincerely hope you don't have to have this as an emergency surgery when electively, it would be far safer and less traumatic.  Godspeed. 

The only thing I want to say to you Angela is that it is OK to be scared. Accept that that is OK. It's what you do with that fear that is so important.

Accepting it is the first step to dealing with it.

Love and peace

Sarah

Believe me, I'm no expert.  When I found out I had GB issues it was only recently (mid-Jan.) but I started researching at once and discovered that the surgery wasn't always easy for people.  When I spoke to the docs they were dismissive about side effects:  "Oh, you'll be fine."  Even some of the best hospital websites here in the US say things like "small percentage of people have side effects".  But as you pointed out, nowhere did I find what that "small percentage" was.  I think that studies haven't been done to see what patients are at greater risk for long-term side effects and I think that unless it has happened to you, no one understands how life-altering these "side effects" can be.  Still, having a diseased organ in your body is not a healthy way to live and can cause further problems down the line.  And remember, there are lots of folks who do have an easy time of it--you may be one of them, and I hope very much that you are!!