Posted , 6 users are following.
Having operation in couple of months, feel apprehensive, I know it’s the best thing to do but want to hear some positive stories. All experiences welcome but might skim read negative scary stories!!
0 likes, 11 replies
erica38322 min12878
Posted
dilari62 min12878
Posted
I just want to say that any surgery is difficult to go through and reading so much on it really can throw you off a bit .
So I had my gallbladder removed end of may 2018. Working at only 10% I was very sick very swollen from nov 2017 until surgery. That’s how long it took to figure out! I will say it does take awhile to get back in the regular everyday things. For me a bit over 2 months to start feeling better. I read a lot on others having a horrible time but that is not my case . I ate fairly well and excercised regularly b4 so the only thing for me was smaller portions at 1st and I don’t eat fried or fast food so no problem there . Careful with veggies at 1st . I am back to myself now and I just pay attention to what I eat and not over indulged. Don’t let the stories scare you
It will be painful and hard to get around for awhile but hang in there ..it does get better.
Good luck
min12878 dilari62
Posted
I’ve had a poorly gallbladder for five years the consultant I saw in 2013 looked really sceptical when I said then ‘no thanks no surgery for me I’ll just manage gallbladder by changing diet’ I did for five years. Ready to have it out now!! Same consultant is taking it out in December, he seemed nicer this time I didn’t want to rebel against him!
Yes my gallbladder isn’t working now, had a cup of tea today with milk it disturbed my abdomen, one small tiny amount of milk. Usually have skimmed this might have been full fat. But my gallbladder is really not working.
At moment eating 6 small meals. Have in last 5 years eaten very low fat diet. Same I don’t eat fried food or greasy take away. I love to home cook and make most things without fat, it’s been very easy to adapt. I feel better and food tastes better.
Sorry for rambling, I’m preparing for operation psychologically and physically. Hard not to read others stories and think S**T.
I am relatively healthy and intend to proceed in this way, cross fingers and hope for best. X
kim27235 min12878
Posted
I've posted my success story here a few days ago. I'm 2 weeks post op and went back to work today. I found the surgery and recovery pretty easy.
min12878 kim27235
Posted
Thanks for reply xx
Guest min12878
Posted
Hi Min12878, as someone who does not like Hospitals and am waiting to be treated with removal when I can get these fools to wake up, I to am very apprehensive about Surgery because if these clowns cant work out the truth with whats in front of them, then what are the muppets who operates on you going to be like, it does not install confidence any way. IF I had confidence with Dr's I would rather work with them to keeping my GB in but as I have had to work out my issues all by myself and can hardly eat a thing without having an attack I want this damn thing out. I do not think anyone in their right mind wants to suffer which then projects into desperation and anger. I have been like this for years and have NEVER had a proper diagnosis until the Ultrasound recently, upon which it was clearly explained to me whats wrong, yet the person who reads the ultrasound report has given their verdict which is crazy, so now you may see why I am so angry and have little faith and because of this jerk whoever it maybe has condemned me to another years suffering. Do I have faith in the NHS, NO I don't, Do I want an Operation knowing the risks, NO I don't but only because of my treatment so far has tainted any faith I had, I am doing this in desperation. I fully sympathize with you and your worry but the question really is, even if you suffer afterwards with the stories you see on here, do you want to be as bad with it in or suffer slightly without it? So whether you have faith or confidence in the system has actually no bearing on what you suffer with. So all I would say to you is this, you CANNOT go by my experience because not everyone is like the fools I'm dealing with, in FACT I have had good treatment in other departments of Hospital, it just seems in other departments and definitely Dr's surgeries the attitude seems to be if they cant give you a pill, its all in your head and go away because they "Just don't know"!! It seems gone are the days when Dr's really care, where as now they are pushed to the limit by Government figures and demands put upon them.
As for you Skimming negative stories, there is still information in those stories because they may be doing something wrong so that is the whole point, it MAYBE the surgery was not as good as the positive, who knows? The only thing is they are alive and not in as much pain as before? The whole point of this site is to share our experiences, even if we make mistakes ourselves after the OP, IF you do as your told by the Dr's afterwards then you should have no issues but if your going to ignore their advice and go back into your daily routine as if you have not had surgery then your going to have issues. Just because this surgery should be key hole and easy peasy does not mean you can behave accordingly afterwards, you have got to remember you have just had an organ removed and your body is going to need time to adjust let alone the incision to heal???? But everyone is different and some, healthier than others etc etc so read what you like and just prepare yourself good or bad.
Good luck though
min12878 Guest
Posted
Thanks Julian for your frankness, you made me smile! I will rest after op and take the scary stories with perspective, I agree there are lessons within them. I will continue with the diet I have now, which is über healthy and slowly slowly introduce fats. Fats that people eat daily without thinking about it. I do have much respect for the NHS I feel very strong about how we can have medical care for free when we need cradle to grave. So many people in the world don’t have an NHS, they suffer if they don’t have enough money or worse die.
I am afraid of hospitals though and despite meeting my consultant I still feel scared. Not sure if this makes sense. I just have to get over it, get my gallbladder out, move forward and smile at finally being able to eat simple cheese sandwich!!
Thanks for replying x
Guest min12878
Posted
Hi Min12878 Oh but for a Cheese sandwich or Pizza, does any Dr know what its like having to give up dairy as a food group? Cheese was and milk was my main diet until this happened to me and when you look at what processed foods have milk products in them, then take Fat into the equation and what are you left with, yup Bugs Bunny food. I can tell you Min you have no idea how I wish I was you!
Trust me i understand your scared part but walking around doing shopping is torture all on its own, no cakes, no pastries, no Bacon, the funny thing is I can eat Ham. I can also eat Crisps. However the thing is I am a terrible picky eater in the first place.
Let me tell you this about my suffering with Gall Bladder, my main problem in the past has been Winter or Christmas time, you know when we tend to go mad with sweets and fine foods and maybe Wine. Then an attack comes and you know what follows but there have been times when at 2 and 3 in the morning I have been on the Loo thinking I am going to die. One such time I was vomiting so hard I thought I had broken ribs, another time I had projectile vomiting. Does anyone in their right mind want this sickness? I hear you on the NHS I have had some good treatment and in fact I do have a caring Dr but on this particular illness there has been little help, or it seems little awareness and the Consultant at the Hospital was adamant this was due to my back, MY BACK!!!! I am so tired of all this it has affected my attitude, I suffer with depression anyway so this is crippled me big time.
I do accept that if I eat in a certain way I do lesson the chance of attack but it is no fun if you go out to eat your scared because you just don't know whats in the food your eating and thus I get the sensation of "Ticking Time Bomb" who in their right mind wants that in their life? I suppose in time you do eventually adjust to eating a specific way like Vegetarians do but coming back to your apprehension, I am with you most the way to having surgery, but you got to say to yourself even if you can get by with leaving the GB in, if its causing you issues it will only get worse, even by eating a controlled diet, it at some point is going to have to come out, so it makes sense to do it as young as you can so you have a better chance of healing, my mum was in her 70's when her's was done and she HATES anything like this with a vengeance but even she was amazed how easy it was but she does have to take a anti acid now and yes she till cant eat certain foods BUT at least she is not having attacks and vomiting and loo issues. Trust me I am so with you in thought, if I could hold your hand I would. Take care and be well
Ipsydaisy min12878
Posted
You need to expect a bit of bumps in the road. I had severe gall bladder attacks so I had no choice but to remove it.
Thankfully, I no longer experience pain to the degree of the attacks.
However, the first few days after surgery you need to expect that you will have gas, and feeling bloated from the air they pump into your stomach during surgery.
You also need to expect that the sutures will hurt. Laughing and coughing is difficult.
This all get's better after the first week.
Do not eat heavy foods or high calorie foods right away. Others might tell you to go for it but it's wrong.
You might be able to eat it, but it can end up rebounding and causing you gastritis down the road and you don't want that.
Stick to a low fat diet, and smaller meals for at least 2 months post op.
Your liver needs to heal and your stomach and liver needs to work together to figure out how to distribute bile once again correctly.
It takes time.
In the meantime, you can have gas pains, heartburn, nausea. But if you stick to the low fat and small meals, the symptoms will be a lot less and you will heal better.
Try not to worry, it's something thousands recover from, it just takes a bit of time.
min12878 Ipsydaisy
Posted
Thanks daisy.
I’ve had a number of bad bad attacks the last one at the beginning of this year, ended up in A&E on morphine. Last episode was over a month ago at work the worst place for it to happen. Definitely not a bad one but couldn’t breath properly and in pain, I though this can’t happen after eating half a ginger biscuit!!! After this it had to come out. I have been reluctant and stubborn and good with my diet which is why I lasted this long but it really has to come out now.
I’ll carry on having small meals. Low fat and slowly introduce foods when I’ve had it done.
It has been really helpful listening to you and others who replied. Thanks so much. I’ve read you all and taken on board everything you’ve said. Xxx
EveryDayGirl min12878
Posted
Please see my recent post 'Story of a 29 year old, 2 weeks post operation!'. All round positive experience!
Hope this will help!
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