Gallbladder

I had mine taken out yesterday, laparoscopically. It wasn't too bad, but those muscle spasms I could do without.

Anyone else had their's taken out?

I feel for you. I had mine removed about 6-7 years ago.:sick2:

bhds said:

I feel for you. I had mine removed about 6-7 years ago.:sick2:

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What were your symptoms? I was having minor discomfort and cramps. Though now I'm having major discomfort and cramps. :ironic:

Nitro said:

What were your symptoms? I was having minor discomfort and cramps. Though now I'm having major discomfort and cramps. :ironic:

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MAJOR cramps/pain under my right rib cage. Usually woke me in the early morning hours. Initially recovery for me was pretty quick. First 24 hours was pretty painful though. I was doing yard work 3 days after surgery.
Hopefully your ordeal will end with recovery from surgery and you wont have any side effects from losing your gall bladder.

bhds said:

...snip...Hopefully your ordeal will end with recovery from surgery and you wont have any side effects from losing your gall bladder.

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Side effects - like what happens when I eat eggs? (Better stay near a bathroom for a few hours)

Had mine removed 11 years ago.... or should I say, carved out. The 45 minute surgery turned into a 4 hour surgery and kept me in the hospital for 4 days. And yes, it was laproscopic. Turned out that my gall bladder had embedded itself in my liver. Recovery? About a month before I could stand up straight. About two years before I could do a sit-up and not feel the pull on the scar tissue of the muscles. How long after surgery before I could once again eat friend zuchini with ranch dressing? 2 days!

Sasha said:

Had mine removed 11 years ago.... or should I say, carved out. The 45 minute surgery turned into a 4 hour surgery and kept me in the hospital for 4 days. And yes, it was laproscopic. Turned out that my gall bladder had embedded itself in my liver. Recovery? About a month before I could stand up straight. About two years before I could do a sit-up and not feel the pull on the scar tissue of the muscles. How long after surgery before I could once again eat friend zuchini with ranch dressing? 2 days!

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Sorry to hear about your experience. I was a little worried before going under that they would have to open me up and do it the "Old Fashion" way. The first thing I asked them when I came to, was it Laparoscopic?

I haven't had problems with food yet (knock on wood), but I've been slowly easing it on. I was a big bacon, eggs, butter kind of guy. So far butter doesn't bother me. I load it on my veggies. I'll try eggs next, over easy. But I think I'll wait on the bacon. I don't want to push it.

Most people I talk to who had their's out, ate low fat in the beginning, but eventually went back to their normal diets. So I'm not too worried.

Nothing wrong with butter, better for you than margarine. My Dad had his removed at 81 years young, no problems so far. Stay away from swine not good for you, gall bladder or not.

I had mine out in '89, NOT laproscopic back then, they gutted me like a fish. In hospital 7 days, off work 6 weeks, and never any problems since then. I still have the gallstones in a jar on my desk... Good times, good times...
--Bob

:green:

Threepio said:

I had mine out in '89, NOT laproscopic back then, they gutted me like a fish. In hospital 7 days, off work 6 weeks, and never any problems since then. I still have the gallstones in a jar on my desk... Good times, good times...
--Bob

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Hey Nitro, I just saw this thread - I'm glad your op went OK, and I hope you will be feeling 100% again soon.

I still have the gallstones in a jar on my desk... Good times, good times...

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:laughing: .... I still have mine too... in my jewelry box....

Nitro I hope you have speedy and complete recovery.
I aint' gonna tell you guys what used parts I'm keeping.....

Thanks for the replies.

I didn't get to keep any spare parts. The stones I had were more like sand (slush). They sent my Gallbladder to a lab, because inside they found a polyp on an ultrasound I had prior. Hopefully it's nothing bad. I should know by Monday.

That "Old Fashion" way sounds pretty bad. I'm glad I had an option. If I couldn't have it done Laparoscopiclly, I would have waited, probably until I could no longer walk from pain, and everyone stopped waiting on me hand and foot.

Nitro said:

The stones I had were more like sand (slush).

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I have a couple that are little grains of sand but the one really nice one is literally the size and shape of a robin's egg... no lie! I was pretty shocked by that!

.... I would have waited, probably until I could no longer walk from pain, and everyone stopped waiting on me hand and foot.

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Unfortunately, that's what I did. My father-in-law had throat cancer and had to have all his surgery and then someone had to take care of him (that would be me) and then he died and someone had to settle the estate because my husband was in the police academy (so again, I got tagged "it") and so it was a good year and a half before I was literally forced by the pain to go in for surgery.... thus... the need to carve the gallbladder out of the liver.

And the moral of this story? Don't be stupid and wait to see if it will heal or go away on it's own... it won't.

Sasha said:

I have a couple that are little grains of sand but the one really nice one is literally the size and shape of a robin's egg... no lie! I was pretty shocked by that!

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A friend of mine said he had one the size of a golfball. I didn't believe him until he showed it to me.

And the moral of this story? Don't be stupid and wait to see if it will heal or go away on it's own... it won't.

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That's for sure! I tend to put off things I don't like doing (having surgery, paying taxes, etc). But after hearing the doctor tell me if I wait too long, he may have no choice but to do it the "Old Fashion" way. That was enough to motivate me.

Glad to hear you're ok, Nitro. BTW, what does the gall bladder do? Other than collect stones?

PhotonWrangler said:

Glad to hear you're ok, Nitro. BTW, what does the gall bladder do? Other than collect stones?

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Thanks Photon. The Gallbladder stores extra Bile made by the Liver. Bile helps digest fat.

Nitro said:

Thanks Photon. The Gallbladder stores extra Bile made by the Liver. Bile helps digest fat.

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Thanks, Nitro. So I guess the liver can make enough bile in real time to be able to manage without the offline storage facility for reserves.

PhotonWrangler said:

Thanks, Nitro. So I guess the liver can make enough bile in real time to be able to manage without the offline storage facility for reserves.

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I'm hoping so.