Life after gallbladder surgery
Posted , 23 users are following.
I had my gallbladder taken out in October last year, as an emergency op. I had given birth two months prior that. I was going through a lot of stress as you all can imagine. Being a mum to a newborn for the 1st time and having to deal with also GB attacks at same time. For the people who had those, we know how horrendous the pain of a GB inflamed can be. There's no words to describe it, hours and hours of excruciating pain and the debilitating state that your body becomes after those attacks.
I thought I wouldn't ever ever had to worry about anything after mine was taken out. But how wrong was I. I think I've had almost all post cholecystectomy side effects that you might get. Diarrhea weeks and weeks on end ( that was the only think that has settled completly) but I suffered for a while thinking that would never ever stop, nausea and gastritis, spasms of my gullet and chest, burning in my chest/ stomach and throat, bile reflux, acidic taste in my mouth, sensation of a lump in my throat and spasms in my back. 6 months since surgery and I still get some of these and more I now also have pain in my stomach after I eat ( bad indigestion and nausea) my question is - Have I ever going to be normal ? or I am just going to have more problems due to the fact I don't have a storage facility for my bile no more and is going in the stomach causing havoc in my digestive system. Please I need to stop worrying but it's impossible when you're feeling all of this symptoms still. I know that there wasn't a choice taking this organ out, for me it was giving me a chance to live but I have to say with much much less happiness. It's my baby daughter that gives me the strength to carry on.. Really. Thank you for reading. 😐
2 likes, 40 replies
marc71899 Leni75
Posted
Get the book The Gall Bladder Survival Guide by J. Bernal. It's short and has TONS of tips for normalizing life with a faulty or missing gall bladder. Bile supplements, increasing certain days in your diet,
Deequail Leni75
Posted
I had mine removed in Dec 2nd 04 and I still have the same problems as stated above. In the evening is the worst for me very sick on my stomach every morning I take 1 capsule of nexium and it really has helped me but I don't care what I eat better be an bathroom close by.even milk tear me up
jim91722 Leni75
Posted
Has anyone seen light at the end of this tunnel one year post surgery i have anxeity doc says with physical symptoms sometimes when I turn my head i feel like the room is spinning lightheaded off balance tingly all over electric zaps all over also bad irritation all over vision and clogged head feeling all I wanna do is sleep don't want to see anyone I'm over this feeling it's been too long what can I do please i need answers has anyone had this and how long till u got better and what did u do to get better I'm willing to try anything as doc are no help.
Babydoll222 Leni75
Posted
I was wondering if u felt better at this point? I posted my story and I'm hoping ppl see it and have some advice, I'm curious about u beings u had ur gallbladder removed and are having issues.. Mine is more feeling so sick and having firey body aches after I eat that I can't function but maybe 1-2 days every week or two.. Plz check out my story and if you've made any changes in ur own self, let me know.. I hope the best for u hunny!!
alicia16069 Leni75
Posted
I also had multiple gallblader attacks 2weeks post partum it was very difficult since it hert so bad I couldn't even carry my son and often times it would happen while I was all alone with my newborn when he was 7 weeks I had emergency gallbladder removal along with pancreatitis my recovery was painful as I decided to not take medication because I was breastfeeding I could never get propper rest still had to bend and carry baby, after 2 weeks the bloating went down and I was eager to be back to normal it's been 2 months now and any time I eat greasy food I get bloating and diarrhea it's definitely not fun but hang in there your not alone
victoria61730 Leni75
Posted
I was 18 when I had my first gallbladder attack. I tried every over the counter drug, hot baths, and heating pads to ease the pain. It hurt so bad breathing was painful. Luckily I wasn't alone when I had my attack and had someone drive me and my 1 yo son to the emergency room and check me in as I vomited uncontrollably. I passed out when he was talking to the triage. With my infant in his car seat beside me I heard gasps from every person in the waiting room and woke me up. The elderly lady beside me said she'd watch my son of anything happened. My friend took over after he was done talking to triage. The doctor finally gets me in the back and put me on a morphine drip with some zofran. I got sent home same day with no answers. Every month I had 1 attack in the period of a year. When I turned 19 I was working two jobs and going to college. I was working when I had my worst attack. I text a coworker where I was and call 911. I passed out again I was told I was faking and if I didn't show proof I went to the doctor I was fired. Well I went to the hospital and got a ekg they rushed me to get a cat scan and into emergency surgery. They said I had almost died. I had gallstones and pancreatitis. They removed my gallbladder. I was unconscious until I woke up from surgery. I had no knowledge of what was happening since the cat scan. I was discharged 4 days later. I was ready to see my little boy. I went into work the next day and watching their jaws drop put the biggest smile on my face. While I was sliding my feet on the ground because it was god awful pain just to lift them. After they gave me some days off to recover I went to class where I got kicked out of school. I was on my last month of school on my way to clinicals. I was a risk and they were worried of liability to me and the patients I'd have to lift.
It's been 6 years now. I get random sharp pains in my stomach feeling like I've been stabbed. I get so bloated I want to just vomit to get the pressure off my stomach. I sometimes lay down on my back and feel the fluids I've taken in just coming back up. (In a not vomiting way). If I have to use the bathroom I CAN'T wait or I'll be in excruciating pain. I've tried the vegan diet just makes me feel sicker. Just using the bathroom has changed and has never kinda went back to normal. Im constantly feeling like crap. I feel bad for my husband for having to do a little more sometimes to pick up my slack. He's a Marine working long hours and comes home to help me with cooking and taking care of our two kids on my bad days. I would love to feel normal again. He forced me to quit my job because I was working in a factory on my feet for 10 hours a day and him coming home to me passed out on the floor. I have no energy, working out makes me feel nauseated all day long, I can't even enjoy going down a water slide with my kids cause my stomach feels like it's doing flips. It's taken the best things of life away from me.
Carla712 Leni75
Posted
Sounds as if I wrote this article. Similar. I have now become homebound. I will soon need to have another surgery on my 2 hernias and with the problems that we both share, its almost impossible to keep doctor appointments as well as family functions and so on. I'm home while others are out enjoying like. I really feel for you. I watch my granddaughter 5 days a week. We no longer can visit her favorite place to go (the park) anymore. How I wish I never would have had this done. My doctor did give me something for diarrea, it's called Prevalite, it's disgusting but it may help you. Ask about it and how it works. Hope you will get better. Carla712