OMG op date!!!!

All the best for Tuesday. Give yourself time to recover. Might I suggest that you organise yourself clothing that is loose around the waist. If like me one of the entry wounds is situated on the waist line then it can get very uncomfortable. Trousers that you can unzip are handy if there is no one around that is worried about you doing that. I don't know if you are male or female but bras can be uncomfortable too so its all about making yourself as comfy as possible.

After the op just have small meals and introduce food gradually. Not everyone can eat just what they want after the gallbladder comes out.

I wish you well and a much better quality of life after the op and recovery stage. Will be thinking of you. Good luck.

I am so pleased for you and more than a little envious. My GS have decided to have a dance in sympathetic celebration I think!

Take it easy and do as you are told! if they say don't lift stuff then don't!!!

Lelly xx

Hi Tracker

What a coincidence had my op date through today as well :D June 13th like you cannot wait but now its actually being done starting to panic as well :shock: That is a Saturday so at least I haven't got to worry about getting kids to school ect. and at least now can start planning holdiday (everything seems to be on hold at the moment) :lol:

great news traker and benji that you both have your op dates!! all the best for that.

let us know how you get on.

vix

Try and keep up the good diet when its all over with

Tracker,Good Luck with your operation. I had mine on April 21st,and apart from the wound in my navel weeping and having to have a paper stitch put in,everything has gone fine. Gemini gave some good advice there about clothing. I mostly sat around in my nightdress and dressing gown,as I couldnt wear anything tight round my waist,and wearing tights was a no no.I wore a loose fitting dress when I got fed up with the dressing gown,and it was fine. I got the all clear from my follow up visit to the consultant,so everything is Ok My wound has healed,stomach and abdomen are more or less back down to normal,and I ate fish and chips last week when we had a couple of days away at the seaside.That was a first,as for months I haven't eaten any \"normal\" food.

So,Good luck to anyone waiting on this operation. A few days of discomfort is nothing compared to all the pain of gallstones.

Plain Jane

Fish and chips!!!! can't remember what they taste like :lol:

Benji

good luck tracker for your pre op tomorrow.

vix

Hi All Had my checkup yesterday (4 weeks after op)and all well. I have had 2 bad atttacks of chest pain several hours after a meal but consultant not sure why this is (I also have hiatus hernia and Barrett's).

I would like to say to all about to have their gallbladder removed that recovery will be different for all depending on age, fitness, previous ops, other conditions and how ill you are due to gallstones attacks etc. before op.

The Conusltant said the histology showed that I had chronic cholecystitis and apart from the stones they gave me in a bottle they also found stones embedded in the lining of the gallbladder. Internet info will say keyhole is easy back to work in a couple of days. Reality may not be so and therefore do not feel guilty if it doesn't happen that way. Your wounds will heal quickly but inside will take longer.

He said to be that I was still in recovery and that it can take up to 3 months before the benefit of the op is fully noticed. The bowel, bladder etc have to start working in a different way and get back to normal. Not everyone will be able to eat just what they want. One of his patients wants a cheese sandwich but can't manage it yet!

So it will take time and everyone will be different. good luck and take it slowly.

gemini - as you said - healing takes time - we all heal at different rates and if you have had lap surgery the skin heal quickly but surface wounds are only superficial compared to what has gone on underneath.. you need to give your body time to heal - understand how and why it reacts to food and activity and realise when it is telling you to slow things down.

you have had an organ removed and it takes time for everything to settle down - let yourself recover at your own rate and find out what you can tolerate one step at a time .. all the best for your continued recovery.

vix

Hi Maggie,

Glad you got the all clear same as me. I agree with the healing process. I thought at first there was something wrong with me as all the literature etc I had read said back to work in 2 weeks.Even if I had had a job,I don't think I could have gone back after 2 weeks. As you say,everything inside has to heal as well,and compensate for the gallbladder not being there any more.I am still putting a small dressing over my navel.just to stop tights ,trousers etc rubbing against it. It took a while to heal,and a while for me to feel I could attempt to eat something like the fish and chips I had on holiday,and I was waiting on the aftermath,but fortunately there was none. Right enough,I didnt have the one in batter. I got the one cooked in breadcrumbs so maybe that helped So Benji,maybe you could try that.

Tracker,hope all goes well for you .

Let us know how you are.

Jean

Hi all

Went for my pre-op yesterday, all is well and i'm all set for next tuesday, although i'm getting more nervous by the minute!

The bloods they took were FBC, LFT and IEU's, i know what the first two are but can anyone enlighten me on the last one????

Must admit i went in thinking within 2 weeks i'd be back to normal, however the nurse made it clear to me that it could be more like 4 weeks and in some people it takes even longer. She said no heavy lifting or housework for a month, which is my worse nightmare as i'm a control freak and now will have to let hubby take over! :shock:

Can't believe surgery is now just 5 days away, a day thought would never arrive, this will probably be my last post till after the op.

Take care all :D

Thanks Vixen for your kind words and nice to read yours Jean. I have to say that I am now in the 5th week and I do feel a lot better. I managed a salmon meal last night and some cake so there's progress. I fully recommend Heinz classic vegetable soup for those recovering. I am still getting a tenderness in the gallbladder area but now know that is normal.I am also making sure that I put some makeup on each day otherwise it's easy to lapse into a 'not getting better' mode.

A friend of mine was given a 6 week sick note after her op so I do now believe that for many the benefits will be seen after 4 -12 weeks not the 2 days back to work advice given on some sites.

Good luck tracker and benji.