Gallstones!!!

[PDsgt]

Hey fellow forum members. I was awaken early Wednesday morning with tremendous pain. Thought I was having a mild heart attack!! Decided to go to our local Emergency Room. Who confirmed that I was not having a heart attack and after about 3 hours told me that it was acid reflux or heartburn or something. Thanks for stopping in they said and suck it up fatboy, stop being a pussy, was basically their response.

OK. After another 5 hours of tremendous pain, I call my dr. to which I am told, see how you feel in the morning and if it's no better we'll do an ultra-sound. Needless to say, An ultra-sound completed and BINGO!! I am packed full of Gallstones. Dr. tells me, surgery is your recourse. So hear is my question to you.

Has anyone ever had this surgery before, and what should I expect if you have. Some say it's very simple procedure, but they haven't had it done to them. Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

[ionbeam]

Paging Scab, hello Scab????

 

[twodogs]

My cousin just had his removed. It was easy for me.

But, it was outpatient laparoscopic surgery. He took it easy for a few days afterwards. Good as new.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholecystectomy

Good lusck.

Bill

 

[jwilly]

Scab has passed so many stones that he now uses them to fill pot holes in his driveway!

Although I think in his case their Kidney stones?

JW

 

[Ignacio]

Stepmother had been having problems for years and lcoal doctor of our medium-sized city was convinced it was heart issues. She's up, she's down, she's miserable a lot.

We're away from town one 4th of July having a nice dinner and wine and stepmother has some attack and Dad hauls her off to the nearest rural hospital. Doc diagnoses gall stones in about 12 minutes and operates that day. She did have a complication because they couldn't get some dye to show up on the other end of a tube and hauled her to Seattle for a follow-up, but it ended up being fine.

A month later step-mom says that she should had that thing taken out years ago....and doesn't go back to the original doctor.

 

[FJRPierre]

I had gall bladder removal following attacks done years ago when laparoscopic surgery was just starting. They cut three little holes in your stomach, stick some tubes in, suck them out. Take 2 aspirin and see you on the morning. Imagine that 20 years later the procedure is even more efficient/trivial.

 

[juniorfjr]

Like pierre had it done 20 years ago, first laproscopic in our town. 4 small holes and back to work within a week. When I would have an accute attack, I thought I was dying. Three times to the ER and they musta thought I was jonesing for drugs. Fourth time, knew the lead nurse personally and finally did an ultrasound and bingo, trying to pass gall stones. major pain though. All good now and I think I'dd rather have gallstones than kidney stones, Scab is one tough dood.

 

[boogahboogah]

Mine was removed 10 years ago (43 then) via that laparoscopic thingymabob, three slits, not one big slice like they used to do. Demerol for 2 days, get up & walk around as much as you can stand. I was back at my desk job in 5 days. No long term effects as far as I can tell. Good luck !

 

[SecuLaw]

Had mine done many years ago before laparoscopic surgery so I have the old battle scar across the stomach. The current technique is four small slits in the stomach. Air is pumped in to inflate the abdominal cavity to allow the surgeon to have a better view. The gall bladder is cut and removed and the common bile duct is routed directly into the stomach.

When I had attacks it would literally knock me to the ground. There was a woman in the room next to mine in the hospital who told me that gall stones were more painful then child birth.

 

[CAJW]

Mine was removed 10 years ago (43 then) via that laparoscopic thingymabob, three slits, not one big slice like they used to do. Demerol for 2 days, get up & walk around as much as you can stand. I was back at my desk job in 5 days. No long term effects as far as I can tell. Good luck !

Yeah, what he said. Demerol is my drug of choice, Morphine didn't touch the pain at all. Was back on the pedal bike after about a week, (bad plan!) I barely made it home from a 10 mile test ride. Waited one more week, took it easy and things were fine. The surgeon who worked on me said, we'll go in and if we can identify the correct duct, we'll use the lap scope and suck it out, otherwise we'll have to "open you up". When I asked how will I know if they had any problems, he said, when you wake up look at your chest, if it has a zipper in it then things didn't go well! Suffice to say, that doesn't happen very often, but increases your hospital stay to about two weeks. Good luck, my stone was 3cm (nope, they wouldn't let me take it with me),they keep em', something about being toxic. Musta been around me after some of Momma's chili!

 

[Scab]

Paging Scab, hello Scab????

Sorry, my specialty is kidney stones. Passed three more Wednesday. I'm up to 110.

 

[juniorfjr]

When I had attacks it would literally knock me to the ground. There was a woman in the room next to mine in the hospital who told me that gall stones were more painful then child birth.

What he said ,, Word.

 

[FJR_pig]

If it's a simple cut and suck, that's good. If they have to make a no kiddin' slice of 4-5", you're in for a hell of a recovery. I had back surgery 7 weeks ago and they went in through the abdomen, courtesy of an 8" incision. Back surgery was a tremendous success and recovery has gone well. Conversely, the abdominal recovery has been very tough at times. PM me if you find out they decide to go big on your incision. I'll fill you in more. Oh, and good luck.

 

[RadioHowie]

Paging Scab, hello Scab????

Sorry, my specialty is kidney stones. Passed three more Wednesday. I'm up to 110.

[SIZE=36pt]DOOD[/SIZE], I hope the p-huck you're jokin'!

I went through a "pass" about 3 years ago...between the first and second half of a takedown colostomy, and I thought I was gonna fukin' DIE! I've broken bones, fractured my skull in a get-off 22 years ago, torn my right ACL and MCL FOUR FREAKING TIMES, been burned badly enough to be hospitalized for 13 weeks, had a 24 inch colon tear that damn near killed me, and worst of all...been married 3 times!

But that damn kidney stone was the single worst pain I've ever felt.....PERIOD! No question.

If you REALLY passed three stones Wednesday, you're the toughest mo-fo on the goddamn planet.

"We're not worthy!......We're not worthy!.....We're not worthy!"

 

[TruWrecks]

Ouch. I haven't had to deal with Gall's. I have had back surgery and passed a couple of nasty kidney stones.

 

[PDsgt]

Thanks for all yoour help out there in forum land. I appreciate all your encouragement and stuff. met with Surgeon on Monday morning. The plan is for the lap-o type if all goes well. I'll know more after my Friday morning procedure. Except for having a HOT nurse Practitioner stick her finger in my ass, I am ready to be sliced and diced. Honestly I am scared shitless!!!!

 

[donaldb]

I have not had this problem w/gallstones, however my wife had her gallbladder removed several years ago. One night out of the blue while watching TV after dinner, it was like she was shot out of a cannon. The womans head almost hit the livingroom ceiling she jumped off the couch so fast--and we have a vaulted ceiling :blink:

The first thing out of her mouth was she thought she was having a heart attack scarred me shitless. As quick as it hit her, it went away as I was calling an ambulance she said she was feeling better. This happened twice more before we went to the emergency room, the last time she was at work and that is when they diagnosed it. She went in and they did the deed and she spent the night for observation and was back home the next morning. She was back at work the following week and felt like the queen she is. :yahoo:

 

[Scab]

Paging Scab, hello Scab????

Sorry, my specialty is kidney stones. Passed three more Wednesday. I'm up to 110.

[SIZE=36pt]DOOD[/SIZE], I hope the p-huck you're jokin'!

It's amazing what you can get used to. It's just my cross to bear. Some are worse than others. Those 3 weren't bad.

 

[PDsgt]

I made it!!! Surgery was successful, now I am in pain, but getting better. Thanks for all your help.