scrichlow03
Cathlete
Hi, Has anyone on the forum had to have gall bladder removal surgery. If so I would really appreciate hearing about your experiences about the surgery and recovery and any side effects.
Shawna
Shawna
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gall bladder surgery
- Thread starter scrichlow03
- Start date
I had gall bladder surgery/removal 2 mos after having my daughter....actually it was really pretty easy (compared to delivery lol) no but really, if your having the laproscopic, you basically feel like you did a million crunches...tender, but nothing like a gall bladder attack...( i thought I knew what pain was, my son was 10 lbs 5 oz 21 3/4 long, but the gall bladder attacks were way worse)
I was pretty much up and around, of course your not supposed to strain or anything, but it really wasnt bad.
The worse thing for me was the co2...I guess they pump you stomach area up...inflate it (not your stomach per se, but the skin or something) with co2...well what they dont tell ya, is they never get it all out so some of it rises and you get one major headache...or atleast I did....I only took one pain pill and it was for the headache...
I wasnt doing cathe then, but I was back to taking care of baby and everything next day ( i wasnt supposed to carry her, but I did..shh dont tell)and back to work w/i a week...probably could have gone back sooner, but wanted to stay with baby.
hope this helps
Samantha
I was pretty much up and around, of course your not supposed to strain or anything, but it really wasnt bad.
The worse thing for me was the co2...I guess they pump you stomach area up...inflate it (not your stomach per se, but the skin or something) with co2...well what they dont tell ya, is they never get it all out so some of it rises and you get one major headache...or atleast I did....I only took one pain pill and it was for the headache...
I wasnt doing cathe then, but I was back to taking care of baby and everything next day ( i wasnt supposed to carry her, but I did..shh dont tell)and back to work w/i a week...probably could have gone back sooner, but wanted to stay with baby.
hope this helps
Samantha
scrichlow03
Cathlete
Hi Samantha,
Thanks for your comments.
I am suppose to be having the laproscopic. The Dr. said I should be up and around the next day but I should stay home for 2 weeks. (not protesting this) Like you would love the opportunity to spend two weeks with my son. Isn't it ironic I had my son 5 months ago and you are right those attachs are much worse.
Does this mean you have to stop breastfeeding? How soon did it take you to get back into execising? I am pretty new to cathe and am just loving the changes I am seeing after 3 weeks of working out with her.
Shawna
Thanks for your comments.
I am suppose to be having the laproscopic. The Dr. said I should be up and around the next day but I should stay home for 2 weeks. (not protesting this) Like you would love the opportunity to spend two weeks with my son. Isn't it ironic I had my son 5 months ago and you are right those attachs are much worse.
Does this mean you have to stop breastfeeding? How soon did it take you to get back into execising? I am pretty new to cathe and am just loving the changes I am seeing after 3 weeks of working out with her.
Shawna
I had my gallbladder removed about 2 1/2 years ago after having a nasty gallstone attack where I actually had 4 stones get stuck while they were trying to pass. I went to the ER on a late Thursday night, and the idiot resident who saw me said he thought I might be passing a stone, pumped me full of morphine, and sent me home (even though I could still feel something wasn't right after all that morphine). I ended up back in the ER, still in pain, two days later. They ALMOST sent me home again, telling me to "just make an appointment with a surgeon about possibly having your gallbladder removed", and I was actually getting dressed to leave when they stopped me and said I was being admitted. Seems the trauma surgeon on duty took a look at my bloodwork and told them "Her liver enzymes are sky high. She's not going anywhere." The stones were blocking the duct between the liver and the gallbladder, and bile was backing up into the liver. Needless to say, my liver wasn't too happy about this. They admitted me and took out the gallbladder and the 4 stuck stones the next morning.
Once I had the surgery done, the rest wasn't bad at all. I was a bit sore in the abdomen for about a week or so (I took prescription pain meds for about 2 days afterwards, then switched to Aleve) and bloated for a few days from the gas they pump into the abdomen while they operate. My biggest concern was "When can I work out again?". One doctor told me a week, another said two weeks. I went with the one week answer (of course!), but just did a light, lower impact workout for the first week or so after starting again. (NO ab work that first week back! I didn't want to tear any of the incisions.) I was back at work in a week, as well.
You'll probably be kind of tired for a few weeks after. Your body needs to figure out a new way to digest foods with the galbladder suddenly missing, and that can sap some of your energy for a while. But basically, I thought recovery was a breeze. Two weeks later, you would never have known I had surgery at all.
Good Luck!
Mephie
Once I had the surgery done, the rest wasn't bad at all. I was a bit sore in the abdomen for about a week or so (I took prescription pain meds for about 2 days afterwards, then switched to Aleve) and bloated for a few days from the gas they pump into the abdomen while they operate. My biggest concern was "When can I work out again?". One doctor told me a week, another said two weeks. I went with the one week answer (of course!), but just did a light, lower impact workout for the first week or so after starting again. (NO ab work that first week back! I didn't want to tear any of the incisions.) I was back at work in a week, as well.
You'll probably be kind of tired for a few weeks after. Your body needs to figure out a new way to digest foods with the galbladder suddenly missing, and that can sap some of your energy for a while. But basically, I thought recovery was a breeze. Two weeks later, you would never have known I had surgery at all.
Good Luck!
Mephie
scrichlow03
Cathlete
Thanks Mephie, I was wondering about the working out part as well. I am still a little nervous about the idea of having surgery. Also besides the enery loss have you experience any other side effects.
Shawna
Shawna
I wasnt working out with cathe then, but it was about two weeks...Funny the sonogram technician...thought there was a correlation between the prenatal vitiamins and gallstone issues. He sees a lot of pregnant, or post delivery women having the gallbladder removed. Interesting.
at the time I wasnt breastfeeding, a long story short, my daughter had to go in to neonatal intensive care 3 days after I deliverd because of jaundice, I pumped etc...then by about the 2 mos mark she was spitting up a lot with the breastmilk and she was kinda lazy with nursing, she liked the bottle better. so..
good luck shawna, I am sure you will do fine and bounce back quick ...especially if your doing Cathe!!!
Samantha
at the time I wasnt breastfeeding, a long story short, my daughter had to go in to neonatal intensive care 3 days after I deliverd because of jaundice, I pumped etc...then by about the 2 mos mark she was spitting up a lot with the breastmilk and she was kinda lazy with nursing, she liked the bottle better. so..
good luck shawna, I am sure you will do fine and bounce back quick ...especially if your doing Cathe!!!
Samantha
scrichlow03
Cathlete
Thanks Samantha. I was talking to a Doctor where I work and it seems that fertility has a lot to do with developing gall stones.
You can bet I will be doing Cathe after I recover.
Shawna
You can bet I will be doing Cathe after I recover.
Shawna