Gallbladder issues

[Kate101]

Hello,

Have any of you developed gallbladder issues? I had to go to ER last week and its the gallbladder. I am 3/4 weeks post treatment and negative! My Internist says to wait if I can but referred me to the surgeon. The surgeon is ready to go. I HAVE to get back to work$$$. I am not so worried about the virus coming back, I am worried about the future digestion issues and weight gain.
I am and have been severely constipated/bloated prior and especially during treatment. Also,I have had nausea for several weeks.
I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Kate101

P.S. No chance I am pregnant. lol

[CureSeeker]

I cant answer your questions.  But, having lost my gallbladder at 27, I was able to put off surgery for a year. I didnt have massive stones, but what was referred to as sludge - a whole lot of tiny stones.

 HepC leeches calcium and can create stones in your gall bladder and kidneys.  Maybe even your liver, if you can develop them there too.

Fat causes the gall bladder problems.  Start a fat free diet.  Im not saying sugar free or sodium free - although sugar metabolizes into fat, and sodium causes bloating.

If you ever thought about being vegetarian, now is a good time to try.

Eliiminate dairy first - all dairy.  I used to drink milk or eat ice cream to feel better before I knew what was wrong, and would eventually, sometimes hours later, be in pain and throwing the milk up.  In reality, I was making the problem worse.

I used Mylanta liquid to control the flare ups.  Always had the bottle right on my desk and/or with me.  You never know when something will cause a flare up.  I think I read somewhere that Mylanta has been taken off the market - but although nasty, the pain relief is quicker with liquid than with tablets.

Elliminate foods high in cholesterol, like eggs.

Tofu (soybean curd) is a fat free source of protein that is vegetable based.  It doesnt taste like much of anything, but will take on the flavors of whatever you cook it with.

Steam vegetables rather than fry them.

If you stay a meat eater, choose lean cuts - like pork tenderloin, and remove the skin and fat from any chicken or fish.  Bake or steam rather than fry.

I eventually got the point where eating plain tea and plain toast caused a flare up, but I did postpone surgery for a year - watching my husband and dog eat ice cream while I couldnt, lol.

I hope some of this helps. 

P.S.  To delay surgery can be risky. If the stones block the common bile duct, you can find yourself having emergency surgery instead.  Just because I was successful in delaying it, doesnt mean you will be.

If your doctors feel you have a shot at delaying it, thats one thing.  I can tell you how I avoided it, but I cant tell you that it will definately work for you. 

[Lynn K]

Had my gall bladder out on Friday in 2008 back to work on Monday. Had laproscopic surgery. I have gained some weight since then but I believe it is more my diet and non exercise that has done that.

Much better than the gall bladder attacks I was having

Good Luck

[CureSeeker]

Yep, that's the risk - aside from turning green, like my father in law did when he got to the point that his GB burst.  We thought he was going to die.

When I postponed surgery, I was getting cut either way. When you are 25 and faced with a 7 to 8 scar across your side, you tend to want to put something like that off.  Wouldnt go well with my bikini, lol.

Now, you can avoid getting cut.  A small hole in the belly button and another a few inches away make much less noticible scars.

Emergency surgery would probably make cutting necessary, when it could have been avoided - but, if someone's job is on the line...

I work with someone who had the laproscopic procedure a few years ago, and their doctor signed them off for 6 weeks (standard for the old cutting surgery), but, they only have 1 kidney and are borderline diabetic, so maybe healing properly was a concern - Im not sure. *wishes they made a 'shrugs' smiley*

My husband brought me icecream to eat when I was back in room. 

[atomic dog]

GB and Type II diabetes are common among those with liver disease. I was told that I couldn't have my GB removed because Hep C increased the risk of internal bleeding. Now undetected HEP C but still have that funky GB.

[Lynn K]

I had my gall bladder removed when I had been diagnosed with cirrhosis F4 a year prior. I already had low platelet counts by then as well but better to have it done while I was stile relatively healthy than have it done as an emergency and with a liver possibly in decompensation at a later date.

Really was no mention of my bleeding issues from cirrhosis. I suppose they can always give you a transfusion if you are having an issue post surgery