Gallstones - Bothell,WA

I'm in the same boat as you right now. I feel I will probably have to have it removed eventually but for now I am taking a supplement I got at the health food store called Gallstonex and Flax oil caplets. Those seem to help a lot and I only get the occasional flare up if I eat really badly. Good luck!

Hi, D.. Gallstones are awful and I feel for you. I had my gall bladder removed about 8 years ago and I would really caution you about doing so. The surgery itself was no big deal -- easy in, easy out and I felt better in a couple of days. But traditional dr's will tell you that the gall bladder doesn't have an important function, when in fact it does. The gall bladder releases bile into your system (I don't know the exact info here) in VERY EXACT AMOUNTS. In the absence of your gall bladder, they bypass it and bile is just released in a steady amount all of the time. I don't think it affects a lot of people negatively, but some people suffer from lifelong stomach issues as a result of not having a gall bladder. I would just encourage you to do the research yourself, perhaps visit a naturopath for another opinion, and recognized that taking your gall bladder out is a decision that shouldn't be made lightly. Had I been more informed 8 years ago, I'm not sure what decision I would have made. I was in a great deal of pain related to my gall bladder, so I may have opted for the surgery anyway. I just wish I would have had some balanced information about the long-term effects of having your gall bladder removed. I continue to have stomach issues, especially related to fatty foods, extra calories in the evenings, and somewhat urgent trips to the bathroom and I attribute all of them to having my gall bladder removed.

Good luck. I think it's a very difficult decision to make. And I wish you the best of luck in making it.

I had my gallbladder out about 2 yrs ago. My youngest was 5 months old and i was nursing. I had gotten so bad that the flare up had lasted for 4 days and I had not been able to really eat or drink during that time. I had no idea it was my gallbladder. I went to a dr at t clinic because we were out of town and he thought I had a flu bug. Long story, anyway i went to the emergency room when we got home and the admitted me at 11 pm. I had my surgery at 4am and was sent home by 4 pm. I think because my sympoms were so bad is why i had to stay. But I think it is usually an in/out thing without an overnight. they make 3 small incessions one being in your belly button. the scaring is minimal, and recovery not so bad. Lifting for about a week or so is a no no and you have to be on a bland diet. If I eat to much greasy food it goes right through me and i have heard this is with most. You will be tired and sore for a few days, but nothing bad. If you can have someone come over to help with your son it would be good. Just to even take him out and run him around to burn off his energy since you will not feel much like it. Good Luck.

Hi D.,
My husband had his gall bladder out 10 years ago and if I knew then what I know now he wouldn't have done it so quickly. There are cleanses for the gall bladder that help with the removal of gall stones. If you are interested, please let me know and I can get you the info from a friend who does it. Once your GB is gone you can't get it back and it makes it harder for your body to digest fats and often causes diahrea if you aren't careful with your diet. You can contact me at ____@____.com luck!
D. B

Hi
I had gallstones they were not diagnosed. I ended up in the er in terrible pain it was decided to remove my gall bladder. there are new surgeries today and one of the ones was the orthoscopic way which might have just been over night but when they got in they fould that mine had ruptured and had to do the invasive surgery. the orthoscopic way i would have been out of work 1 week and 1/2 days 1 week and back t work full time in 2 weeks the invasive surgery that i had was out of work 4 weeks and part time 2 weeks. i got bored with nothing to do. my children were out of the house. i did have to be careful with lifting. consider haveing it out now it could be less painful if they can do it orthoscopically anothey thing might be to talk to the person doing the surgery and see how long the recovery time would be it often depends on the person.

I had my gall bladder taken out 3 days before Christmas in 2005. It was done lapriscopically and had 4 incisions (3 across abdomen, 1 in belly button). I have a picture of it before they drained the bile out, and one after. My procedure was outpatient, however I almost didn't get to go home. I became really nauseated, even with anti-nausea meds, and got sick. I was out of work for about 2 weeks. I really took my abs for granted. I couldn't get up or sit down without help. So going to the bathroom was a treat. I slept in our La-Z-Boy for about 2 weeks. Good luck!

I highly recommend that you look into doing a cleanse before surgery. I have many friends who have done cleanses and, while it requires more thought than just going in and having the symptom removed, it actually helps the root of the problem instead of just removing the symptoms and keeps your body intact.

A cleanse might not be the best thing for YOU, but I think it's always worthwhile to look into the least invasive option first and only go for surgery if a less invasive option does not work.

Here's a good article about a cleanse and people who it worked for (and one person for whom it did not work) if you're interested:

http://www.relfe.com/gall_stone_cleanse.html

Best wishes with whatever you have to do!
~B.

My surgery was done lapiscopically(spelling?). This just means that they made 5 small incisions, and the doctor took pictures! Anyway, it was outpatient and it was the best thing I could have done. I just couldn't take those attacks anymore! The recovery wasn't too bad either, at least not that I remember. All I remember is the relief from those attacks. Good luck with your decision.

Hi D.,

First I have not had the surgery, but helped take care of my sister-in-law when she had it. It was a couple week recovery and the first week is the hardest. She did not have kids, but putting myself in her position I could not have imagined doing it with kids. Now it is something that needs to be done, so my advice is to get with all your friends and family and set up a schedule for child care, meals and housecleaning. You are not going to be ablel to do these things for a bit. There are housecleaning services you could utilize, maybe someone could chip in expense wise to help out. Pre-plan meals by getting whoever you can to prepare a meal that can be frozen.
It sounds like you have a great husband, get him to utilize his friends also.
This is a huge thing in your life and preplanning and lots of help will get you through it so much easier. Oh and get a second opinion if you have any concerns about whether it really should be done.

If I remember correctly my sister in law was in the hospital for 2 days after the surgery. DO NOT GO HOME ANY SOONER THAN YOU HAVE TO, you stay in that hospital as long as you can becasue that is going to be your most stress free recovery time.
Now there are posts that say they were in and out and that could happen to, but everyone is different. Everyone said I would be in and out for a tubal and it was pretty painless, huh, not so!!!!! EVERYONE is different when it comes to surgery and recovery.
Gather your friends and family, put a plan together and have everything organized before your surgery and your recovery will be so much easier on you.
Good luck to you!

I had my gall bladder removed almost six years ago. It was a very easy surgery. Mine was done as an outpatient procedure. I was a little sore for about two days and then pretty much back to normal. The only thing now is I have to be careful about eating very fattening or greasy foods (such as fastfood, which we should all be eating in limited amounts anyways)because it can literally go right through you. It is not painful in any way, just inconvenient.:) I know some research says that you "don't need your gall bladder" and some say that you do need it. My attacks were so extremely painful, that it was not an option for me. Also, with extreme gall stone cases (such as mine) it can cause your gall bladder to erupt and I know people who have died from this. So while it may be a pain in the future after having it removed, it could also save your life. I am glad I had mine removed. I rarely have problems because of it.

Good Luck!

I had my gallbladder removed last January. My surgery and recovery actually went really well and I didn't have a lot of pain or problems afterwards. I had a preemie up at Doernbecher at the same time and a 9-1/2 month old at home (and had a c-section about 3 weeks before) Even though I wasn't supposed to be lifting my oldest or carrying her, I did, but very carefully. I had mine laparoscopically, so I think that helped recovery. I also stayed an extra day in the hospital because we all knew I wouldn't get any rest once I got home. It also helped to have my mom to help out for a week afterwards.

Hello D.,
I had gallstone surgery in 1997. I'm not sure if you've had the pain associated with passing the stones, but if you have, this surgery will change your life! To me, passing the stones was worse than childbirth. I had laproscopic surgery, and though I was really sore in the abdominal area for a few days, in a week I felt I could resume most activity. You'll need help lifting heavy objects for awhile and you'll have to support your 3 year old to understand how mommy's tummy needs to get better. Best of luck to you. This surgery is considered "major" but I found recovery to be super speedy.

I just had mine removed in August, it was a breeze. Outpatient surgery, I checked in at 11 and was home by 6, and my surgery was "difficult" according to my surgeon. I was off work for 2 weeks, but back on my feet within 2 days. I have a 2 yo and a 5yo, they both did great. Very careful with mommies "Owies" and very curious about what happened to me. My 5 yo was very helpful. The hardest part was not being able to lift my 2 yo for a month. I had a deep incision and was directed not to lift over 20 pounds. Needless to say, I wasn't completely compliant, but tried hard and didn't hurt myself. If they are recommending removal, I would take the advice. With today's technology, most surguries are done laproscopically, however, if you wait too long, the gallbladder can become too enlarged and inflamed and cause "old-fashion" surgery which can take weeks to recover from. Feel free to message me if you have more questions, or you can read some of my other posts about the same thing. Good luck!!

I had my gall bladder removed last August (2007) a month after moving to the Seattle area, and a year after having the horrible pain from the attacks (which of course I didn't know were attacks until they removed the gall bladder!) My son was only 1.5 at the time, and my husband took care of him while I was in the hospital. I went in on a Wed (not a scheduled surgery) and the removal was on Thursday, I went home of Friday...They came to the hospital and hing out during the day so I could see them/they could see me..that was no problem for the hopsital or for me. My recovery was absolutely fine. In fact, I was out on Friday night with friends because I felt fine (and I didn't even take the painkillers that were prescribed). Saturday was a little rough, mostly by the end of the day though, same with Sunday. By Monday, I was able to do everything that I needed to do...the doctor told me that I could take or not take the pain killers, depending on what I felt I needed...I used an ice pack a lot, but otherwise, my experience was not that bad...worth not having the attacks anymore!

Hi D.~

I had my gall bladder removed about 3 years ago and depending on how they do it depends on your recovery time. My surgery was done Laparoscopically on a Thursday and I was back to work on Tuesday morning with light duty and was back to my full activity by the end of that week. Hope this helps and good luck with your surgery.

H.

My husband had his gall bladder out when our oldest was about 8 months old, and was back to working two days later. It really wasn't that bad, as far as surgeries go...

I will tell you that if you have been told that you should have it out, it's a good idea to go ahead and do it. Both my hubby and his mom were told that they needed to have it out, then put it off and ended up having it done unexpectedly when the next attack came. It's not a huge surgery or anything, but with kids it's always nicer if you can plan ahead.

Don't worry about your daughter, she'll do fine. She's old enough to empathize that you're in pain, and sell it to her ahead of time as, "This means that Mommy will have several days to cuddle in bed with you and watch cartoons/read/play games". Keep in mind that while you're recovering, you'll actually have more time with her than you normally do, if your busy life is like the rest of us :) I had a shoulder reconstruction surgery when my older one was 4 1/2 and younger one was 18 months (both total mama's boys), and I couldn't believe how well they did. Even the young one was super careful around me and so affectionate and loving and as "helpful" as he could possibly be (sometimes a little too helpful, LOL). Your daughter is old enough to actually help you out a little, though... The biggest thing will probably be her worrying about you, so just make sure to talk with her about it ahead of time and explain things like, you'll be really sleepy after the surgery, you won't be able to lift her, etc.

Good luck!

I had the surgery several years ago. I was told there is an alternate method to get rid of the gallstones by use of ultrasound, that basically shatters them into tiny particles so they can pass, I think there are meds that can help to get rid of them too, by desolving them. But in my case, they recommended surgery to remove the gallbladder entirely, to prevent any future gallstones, and the risk of any stones getting stuck in the bile duct which could become a medical emergency. In my case, thankfully, I was able to have the "laparascopic" version of the surgery. They made four very small incisions and using probes including a small camera, were able to remove the gallbladder through the navel. In my case I was in bed for one night in the hospital, then went home to recover. I felt pretty tired, but able to get up and move around gradually on the second day post surgery, but each day was easier and I'd say I was pretty mobile within a week, and pretty much back to normal within about two weeks. Of course you have to take it easy, and shouldn't be lifting anything or anyone heavy for a while. But, the old way was an open surgery where they used to make a large incision, which required a much longer recuperation. Check with your doctor with any questions or concerns. Some people recover faster than others. The bad thing is the pain that gallstones can cause is pretty unbearable, as you probably know. After surgery, you might still need to watch your consumption of fatty foods. You may have noticed you might have increased pain from gallstone attacks following a fatty meal. Good luck to you!!

Actually recovery wasn't all that bad. You are just sore and you will need a little help in the beginning. I had mine taken out this last January. Just be very very careful and don't over do it. DON'T lift anything that you are not suppose to. I just found out that I have a hernia and I am actually going in to talk to the surgeon today about what and when we will do repair surgery. Just tell your daughter you have an "owie", mommy's hurt. Be careful with mommy - I would imagine she would understand at 3 1/2. I know that we want to just bounce back and keep going....our families and work wants us too. Just remember you are actually going in for a Major surgery and that you need to allow your body to take care of itself and heal. It's very important...I cannot stress how important it is.

I'm glad you are taking care of it. You will have four little scars. My biggest one is the one on the top about inch, but it is fading and the others are blending in with my stretch marks....lol. Take care of yourself.

Hi D.! I had my gallbladder removed a little over 2 year ago now. The surgery is an outpatient procedure, usually scheduled for early morning, and my recovery was a total of 2 weeks; however, I felt much better before then. I had a very mommy dependant 1 1/2 year old at that time, but if your husband can take the first couple of days off work to be home with you, it will be easier. You will be very sore for the first few days, it will fee like you have done a million crunches. My surgery was done microscopically, so I have three (about) 1-inch scars.

Good luck, and it does help if someone is with you for at least the day after surgery. :)

I had my gallbladder removed 3 months after my daughter was born. Besides having to take it easy for a while, it went really well. I revocered pretty quiclky. My only problem was that the largest of the incisions (the one in the belly button) was tender and I had to wear loose pants so it didn't rub against it. I have felt so much better and it was well worth the surgery. I wish you luck.

I took had trouble and when they offered the surgery I really jumped at it as I was in pain all the time. The surgery was so easy and quick. They did it scope wise and it was an out patient thing. I came home the very same day and really picked up my life where I left off the very next day. I took it easy the next day but then went back to work. I have children also and this kind of surgery was really nothing big is you can do it with the scope.

No worries gf, surgery is not that bad these days with that. Good luck

Hello,
I am a mother of three and I had my gall bladder removed 6months after my 3rd child was born. My recovery was wonderful. I had a tubal ligation at the same time. My surgery was laproscopic so my incisions were barely noticable. I was a little tender for a few dys but other than a little swelling I was fine. I slept a lot after the surgergy because of the anesthesia. I only took pain medication for two days. I was back to work in a week with no problems. It was recomended to take two weeks off but I was totally fine. I had a good experience, I hope you do to. Stay positive,healthy and active and all will be good.

I have had trouble with gallstones in the past but opted not to have the surgery. There are other ways to prevent them such as changing your diet. One main reason for getting them is due to eating too many animal fats. If you do a little research on the internet, you will be surprised the amount of information you can find on how to prevent them without going for surgery. There are side effects to having the surgery, long-term, also. Do your research before going under the knife.

B. B

I had my gall bladder removed around 7 years ago. It may be a little painfull and hard to move around for a couple days afterwards, but in the long run the pain of after the surgery and the problems that you are having with the stones are mininal. I had some complications at my surgery, (something that you will not have to worry about) but I had to saty in the hospital for 2 days after my removal, and I was still up and back to work 4 days later. Yours will more than likely be uneventfull and you will be able to go home that same day, relax for a couple days with the help of some great pain pills, and just remember to not have the little one jump on you for a couple weeks. You will be just fine, But you need to make sure that your hubby knows that you are going to need help.

I say, Don't worry! :) I had to have mine out when my son (with horrible reflux) was only 2 months old. They should do the laporoscopic (sp?) method which will end up with 2 or 3 very small incisions.....I didn't even have stitches! I had them tie my tubes while they were in there anyway and I ended up with 5 incisions, all less than an inch long.
Other than feeling kind of run down - but, hello I had a 2 mo old that was a puke factory! - I felt quite well! I only used the pain meds once or twice. I know everybody is different, but the process has come a long way since the 8 & 10 inch incisions our moms have from it. My procedure was even an out-patient one. Good luck, you will feel so much better when you are done! My 8 y/o never even knew, he thought I was just sick :)

hello, I had my gall bladder out as an outpatient surgery. It was at the beginning of the week (mon or tues I don't remember) and went to my company X-mas party that Friday.

I had my gallbladder removed when my child was 3.5 months old. I had about 7 stones removed on a monday and then tuesday they removed the bladder. I won't lie to you, it hurt! But I was up and moving around and good to go within 1 week. It took a little while to recover completely but with help from family and friends, you'll do fine!!!! If you have any other ?'s, please don't hesitate to ask me!

D....
You will be fine! I had mine out 3yrs ago...4 months after I had my second son. I was in a bit of pain but was back to normal in 3 dys. The first night or two were the worst for me because I am a side sleeper and it hurt to sleep on my side. Other than that it was fine. The post op was WAY better than having an attack....now that was some serious pain. I suggest stocking up on a couple movies that you and your daughter might like to see and having a movie marathon the first full day home...stock up on the soft food you are supposed to eat for the first 24hrs and get all comfy cozy and just have a mellow day. Your daughter will probably enjoy taking care of you and if you show her your "owies" she will be very gentle and not want to bounce around alot, my 2 yr old son was very sweet and loved taking care of Mommy till I felt better. He also REALLY loved staying in his Jammies and eating and watching movies in my bed!!! It was a special day for the both of us.

Dont put it off to long...they wanted me to have mine out 2 days before X-mas and I said no and ended up having a massive attack in January and being very scared...it hurt so bad.

Best wishes
K.