Waiting for gall bladder surgery just feel generally lousy is this normal?

I know how your feeling i been waiting to have gb out for 6 minths and got to wait another 6 months 2 have surgery. I feel really ill all the time its unbearable i have 4 toung kids to look after which is a struggle, been to docs cause i got depression cause of the gb and i have nearly lost 4 stone. All i can do is go back and 4 the docs ao the can write letter 2 surgeon to have op quicker. Can i ask what painkillers do u take x

Hi Linda,

Textbooks do not mention this general malaise which many gallbladder patients seem to experience, based on my own symptoms and what ppl say on these forums.

Have you a date for surgery? Mine has been bumped forward several times.

I sought a second opinion as I wondered if it was entirely my known gallstones causing my somewhat  untypical symptoms. more chronic 24/7 unwell than acute shorter attacks and nearly all foods causing problems for months.

I wonder too if we are already living without a functional Gb by this stage. I have been trying to get fitter within the limits of feeling so awful as I have not even felt well enough at times to endure surgery and the prospect of horrible after effects some report. But it is not a great way to live lif we do not take the chance of surgery, is it?

I do think the medical field should take our continued suffering more seriously as so many are waiting and struggling, it affects your work and all of life. Hope you soon get sorted and hope we both get back to better health, take care.

Hi Linda

I felt lousy too before my surgery the constant nausea was quite debilitating. I was also I'll for around 15 months prior to surgery but it took approx 10 months of that time to actually definititively find out it was actually my gallbladder. I started feeling unwell last Feb following a bout of pneumonia and pleurisy and for some months they thought my illness was down to an ulcer following the meds I'd been on. I didn't have the telltale pain in my right side I was just very nauseous, struggling to eat much, lack of appetite and very upset bowel issues.

In October I had what I now know was an acute biliary attack with the intense pain in the right side under my ribs at which point my gp started thinks gallbladder. I had a scan which unfortunately didn't show any stones so was referred to gastro but he explained without evidence of stones there was no point seeing a surgeon as they wouldn't act without evidence of gallstones. I saw the gastro consultant in Jan who referred me for a scan with a radiologist who specialises in this type of scan. Initially he also found nothing but then he asked me to roll over on the bed throughout 360 degrees really quickly ( I thought he was mad) and then he rescanned and could see the stones moving around as I'd shaken them up. I was then referred to a surgeon as an urgent case and saw the surgeon in April and he wanted to operate immediately. We only waited until jun as I'm a teacher and I had year 11's to get through their GCSEs.

I really hope you get your date soon as I understand fully how miserable and debilitating it is whilst you're suffering.

Why do they have you waiting so long?