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Gallbladder op in 5 days .. Nervous

Posted , 11 users are following.

renee15737
renee15737

Hi all

After putting it off for ages I just can't take it anymore and have finally decided to have my gallbladder removed. I'm actually writing this lying on my knees doubled over a pillow after another attack. They are so frequent now it's ridiculous.

I'm having keyhole provided all goes to plan but am concerned about how long recovery will take as I have an 11 month old, 23 month old and 9 year old. As well as worrying about the op I'm concerned about how they'll be. Got my husband and sister to help me out but you know sometimes kids just want their mum. I know I can't lift for 2 weeks but how strict is that? And could it be longer then that? Will it hurt lifting my younger two a month or two months after?

Anyone with toddlers had the op? What was it like?

Thanks

Renee

1 like, 36 replies

36 Replies

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  • Finadindin
    Finadindin renee15737

    Posted

    Glad all went well, I am 2 weeks after mine and I am doing very well, no real problems unless I over do it, then I get an ache in my side. Pain went very quickly and I have had no real toilet issues, so hope you are as lucky as me.  But be warned when you get  to this stage as you feel well. It's very difficult to resist the temptation to do to much , take care x
  • hope4cure
    hope4cure renee15737

    Posted

    Hi Renee,

     You are so brave to have made the decision to do the surgery. Saves a lot of hassles and pain down the line. I know you are so glad it's over. Now you can look foreword to no more gallstone attacks. Thank Goodness.

     I had mine out and was just so relieved to not have to suffer thru any more stone attacks again.

     

  • renee15737
    renee15737

    Posted

    Nearly at the end of my first week. Have found it hard not to overdo it as feel so normal but sure do pay for it when I do.

    Bowel movements have increased but not necessarily a bad thing as I was always constipated so at least I get to go normally now.

    Only thing I'm not sure of is when I can permanently remove the dressing and what foods I should be eating?

    • tommyboy77
      tommyboy77 renee15737

      Posted

      Good to hear you are recovering well.

      I had the same issue before my surgery of being constipated. I was actually constipated for about 3 or 4 days after my surgery.

      My surgeon opted to use glue to close the incisions and didn't put any dressings on it. Said that it would heal quicker not being covered.

      Food wise, I took it easy for the first few weeks and tried things slowly and made sure I was close to the bathroom. Made that mistake once of eating something greasy and driving home from work. Didn't end very well.

  • Ginagirl
    Ginagirl renee15737

    Posted

    Constipation is normal after an anaesthetic it takes the gut sometime to get working again...take some mint cordial along with Lactulose syrup 5 -10mls. Magnesium Tricilicate 5-10 mls is good if really cannot go..drink warm water..

    Dressings should be left in place as long as possible to avoid any bacteria creeping in.. especially if there are any leaks or oozes keep it dry.. avoid showers for at least one week..unless the wound dressing is waterproof. laprosopic wounds are tiny so a week for those normally. the less you play with them the better.

  • renee15737
    renee15737

    Posted

    I'm 10 days post op now but started getting a dull ache where my gallbladder use to be and sometimes it goes through to my back. Is this normal? Still taking painkillers just paracetamol maybe twice a day

    Thanks

    Renée

    • sarah87162
      sarah87162 renee15737

      Posted

      Quite normal. Remember you have had an operation. This will settle down.

      Take care

      Sarah xxx

    • tommyboy77
      tommyboy77 renee15737

      Posted

      It's been 2 months for me and I still get that ache from time to time.
    • jayne2806
      jayne2806 renee15737

      Posted

      Are you taking codeine?? That could be the problem, I was fine with them before op but not now. They brought on pains like I had pre op,,, luckily I was warned about this through a friend of a friend who did the same, changed pain killers and happy bunny so fingers crossed for me too, I've just had mine changed, my own doc also said not to take the anti inflammatory tablets they gave me either... Who the hell do you listen to!!! 
    • renee15737
      renee15737 jayne2806

      Posted

      I was but I've stopped as didn't think I needed them anymore. Just paracetamol if/when I need it
  • renee15737
    renee15737

    Posted

    Oh good. I thought I'd overdone it and pulled something
    • jayne2806
      jayne2806 renee15737

      Posted

      Thought I had avoided the trapped wind in the shoulder,any suggestions please, graviscon etc not touching it, plus My stomach griped like mad last night but did move around a bit more yesterday guess I just need to learn to be patient!!! 
    • tommyboy77
      tommyboy77 jayne2806

      Posted

      Moving around helps. A lot. I walked around the house to help get it moving and when I slept, I slept propped up on pillow. It seemed to help relieve the pressure, but it just had to work its way out.
    • jayne2806
      jayne2806 tommyboy77

      Posted

      Thanks tommyboyy, the shoulder pain moved with massage from my partner... Been up and about today and the pain around my belly button is immense now, they changed me to acupan as the codeine didn't work but it's not touching the sides 😒 ......
    • renee15737
      renee15737 jayne2806

      Posted

      Remember the gas isn't in your stomach or intestines like normal wind so gaviscon won't get rid of it. Like Tommy I just walked around and massage helped too but it does just have to work its way out.

      Glad you got something else besides codeine. Are you taking the maximum dose?

    • jayne2806
      jayne2806 renee15737

      Posted

      They prescribed 1 3x per day, I read that two 3x per day is normal and can be up to 3, pain was so bad last night (guess from moving around a bit more) that I took two but still didn't touch it... Will ring them later to see if I can up for nights as they are the worst,,, thanks for the advice the forums are a godsend 😊
    • renee15737
      renee15737 jayne2806

      Posted

      How awful. Definitely ask if you can up it to what you need. Is it stronger then codeine or just an alternative to? If it's just an alternative then it might not work any better. Maybe don't move around so much. I'll admit I was mostly in bed the first 4 days. I'd get up a bit walk around etc but the moment I felt iffy I was back to bed. I couldn't risk a delay in recovery
    • jayne2806
      jayne2806 renee15737

      Posted

      Mmmm sound sensible!! I'm going to take two on the dot with paracetamol in between to keep on top of it today and yes rest as soon as I need to, it's feeling a little easier today so fingers crossed... Hate feeling crap and maybe a little impatient!!😊
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