Gall stones!! Ever Have them??

[troubletb]

I haven't been on much, as I have been diagnosed with Gall Stones, a gall bladder infection, and maybe the gall bladder isn't working right either!! Gosh the pain is very strong at times to very mild (right now mild ) I don't know why but the doctors are sending me for more tests (I hope soon) What I want to know is Have you had them? Did you have the gall bladder removed or did they just take care of the stones and leave the Gall bladder, and if that is the case, did the stones ever come back??

[reneernc]

Yes, I had problems and how horrible it can make you feel. I had mine removed. Now its actually a very simple procedure that can usually be done laparoscopically. I had the old fashioned kind with a very large incision but it wasn't bad compared to the pain I had been in.
Good luck, hope you are feeling better soon.

[margaritaville]

I had mine removed about 10 years ago. Believe me I don't miss it. I have 3 tiny scars on my belly-very difficult to see-one is inside my belly button. Two days later I flew to Florida and by the end of the week I was up to walking a mile. I wish you well.

[scrappysmom]

I had gall stones they took my gall blader out in 1991 and my daughter had hers removed about 4 months ago .in 1991 they left me with a big scar but my daughters scar is so little you cant even tell she had it removed

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

I had a dear friend who was pregnant at the tim ewith her fourth baby get sick and have to have her gall bladder out. I twas from a diet she had ben on before she got pregnant. She wa sin such pain and i had to take her to emergency in the middle of the night while her H watched the other three kids.I felt so bad for her because I could tell how much pain she was in. She was glad to have it gone.

I hope you get some relief soon.

[Breeze]

I had my gall bladder removed in 2000, I also got the type of surgery that just leaves the tiny scars. In a day I was up and moving around, not painfull at all. I found out I had them when I was pregnant while getting an ultrasound, I never had any pain or attacks so I had no idea I had them.

The doctor removed them about 3 months after I had my baby, he said that my gallstone was the size of a golf ball.

My doctor said you have to remove the gallbladder if you are getting stones it is not working right and if the stones are removed, they most likely will return.

Good luck and hope you feel better.

[alpayton]

While you're pregnant, your gall bladder basically stops secreting bile to digest the fat that you're eating so that your body can store the fat that you eat for your baby, rather than digesting it. Or so that's the way I understand it. Once you have the baby, the gall bladder is supposed to start secreting bile once you eat a fatty meal. My gall bladder never did start secreting bile again. Whenever I would eat something fatty/greasy after having my son, my gall bladder would attempt to secrete the bile and stones inside the hepatic duct would block that secretion and cause excruciating pain. It would start in the front, just under the rib cage and radiate around towards my back...almost like a kidney pain (if you've ever had one of THOSE!). Nothing you can do will ease the pain of a gall stone attack. There is no position you can get into that will make it feel better, the only thing you can do, is tough it out until the fatty content has passed on thru and your body no longer feels the need to secrete that bile to digest that fat. Let me tell you....IT HURTS! I had my gall bladder removed when my son was just 7 weeks old via laproscopic surgery. I have one scar that is about an inch and a half long on the upper portion of my belly. I have a couple of puncture marks (look like chicken pox scars) where the probes went in and I have another slit where they pulled the gall bladder out thru my belly button. (You can hardly see that one, unless I knew it was there, I wouldn't know myself.)

I NEVER have a problem with those type pains anymore. Only problem I have now is if I eat too much of a greasy meal or too much green leafy stuff (lettuce for instance). I will not get graffic...but you can figure out what happens. If bile is stored up in the gall bladder and released when you eat a fatty meal and you no longer have a reserve supply for those times. Then you eat a really fatty meal, what do you think would happen to all that undigested fat? EWWW!

[Sherry Lynn]

My mom is in her early 70s and in very good health. She had hers removed last spring and barely skipped a beat!! They did the laproscopic kind that only left 3 small scars. They did early one morning and the next evening was out to dinner with friends!

She had to take it easy for a while so no lifting or anything strenuous, but it really didn't slow her down much at all. I was impresssed!

I'm sure you'll be fine. Feel better soon!

[Connie]

My sister was diagnosed with gall stones about a half year ago or so. She did not want to have surgery, but was told it was necessary, so she was going to put it off until after their trip. I started doing searches on gall stones and found a site that had a gall bladder flush....I sent it on to my sister and she didn't dare do it without talking to someone, so she went to her chiropractor to ask him about it. He told her the same thing happened to him...he went to the hospital with what he thought was a heart attack and gall stones were found. He was sceduled to have surgery Monday. Saturday he did the flush and went in Monday for surgery and there were no more stones! He highly recommended it to my sis. She did it and has not had surgery and feels great! No more painful attacks and no surgery! It is really icky...you have to drink some olive oil and that's the worst part of it...also epsom salts. If interested, let me know and I'll send you the info!

[shecass]

Originally Posted by troubletb

I haven't been on much, as I have been diagnosed with Gall Stones, a gall bladder infection, and maybe the gall bladder isn't working right either!! Gosh the pain is very strong at times to very mild (right now mild ) I don't know why but the doctors are sending me for more tests (I hope soon) What I want to know is Have you had them? Did you have the gall bladder removed or did they just take care of the stones and leave the Gall bladder, and if that is the case, did the stones ever come back??

I had my gall bladder removed about a 1 1/2 years ago. They found mine when they did a scan for kidney stones. So, I had both at the same time. I'm not sure if they will just remove the stones or not. But, I was told that the gall bladder is one organ that can grow back. So far so good for me. Good luck and keep us posted on what they do.

[red98vett]

Oh wow...I've never had them but

OW !

I hope you feel better SOON !

[teri88]

I suffered for two years with the pain because I didn't want surgery. Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I gave in. What a dope, I should have done it two years before! The surgery was done with a laproscope, so no cutting. I had the surgery on a Thursday and that following Monday I was eating sausage and peppers at a picnic! It is incredibly painful, you have my sympathies.

[troubletb]

Well, it looks like at least two more weeks of this crappy pain, as the doctor ordered a hida scan for me and the earliest they can get me in for it is Feb 13th, What the heck am I suppose to do until then!! I go to work faithfully everyday and pray like the dickens that I don't have one of the serve attacks, So far I have been lucky at work!!! But two more weeks of this!! I'm kinda down and cranky right now becasue I don't want to go through this for two more weeks!! ANd of course, I'm wondering what is she thinking?? SHe said before the CT scan that if they found stones she would just take out the gall bladder, so why isn't she doing that??

[magnolia]

Man, I sure hate to hear you have to wait 2 more weeks I had my gallbladder removed back in 2002, put up with the pain for 4 years before having it removed (my attacks were only about 3 a year so I didn't think it was that bad). What prompted the surgery was I had an attack hit on a Sunday and it did not stop for 2 days, pain would come and go but the kicker was when the nausea hit. I told the doctor to take it out! I had mine done laproscopically as well but....I had an infection set in at one of the incision sites. What it all came down to was I was allergic to the internal sutures they used (I had never had surgery before until this!). But the doctor didn't realize this until 6 weeks after the surgery - he couldn't understand why the infection wasn't clearing after being on antibiotics. He had to keep opening the site and packing it so it would heal. I don't tell you this to scare you by no means - just to let you know there are risks with any surgery and even the simplest ones can cause problems. Everyone who replied to you on here who have had theirs removed are the great, wonderful cases and represent how the surgery is supposed to go - mine, the exception. I learned the hard way that if I have any future surgeries, they better close with stainless steel cause they can't use the nylon. But - no one knew that would happen to me.

You will be in my thoughts and prayers and I will check for updates from you. Just know that after the surgery, you will feel MUCH better Once I recovered, I felt so much better, it was worth all I went through. Take care and keep us posted.

[alpayton]

Originally Posted by troubletb

Well, it looks like at least two more weeks of this crappy pain, as the doctor ordered a hida scan for me and the earliest they can get me in for it is Feb 13th, What the heck am I suppose to do until then!! I go to work faithfully everyday and pray like the dickens that I don't have one of the serve attacks, So far I have been lucky at work!!! But two more weeks of this!! I'm kinda down and cranky right now becasue I don't want to go through this for two more weeks!! ANd of course, I'm wondering what is she thinking?? SHe said before the CT scan that if they found stones she would just take out the gall bladder, so why isn't she doing that??

Only thing I can tell you is stay away from fatty, greasy things. Eat the most bland diet you can between now and then as to not get that thing stirred up again. If you can keep the gall bladder from secreting bile to digest anything, then maybe just maybe you won't experience any of those horrible attacks. BLAND - no spice! NO cow cheese, no pork, no hydrogenated oils, and NO NO NO fried foods. No walnuts or cashews, and if it's VERY bad no seeds or nuts of any kind. Eggs, mayonnaise, salad dressings, dairy and pastries are greasy and fatty foods to stay away from too.

Fish, poultry and lean meat would be good suggestions for what to eat! Steamed veggies, no seasonings. Fresh fruit, low in sugar (tropical fruits are out - bananas, mangos, etc). Whole grains are good (brown rice, whole wheat flour, etc).