Gall bladder failure FTMFL :/
 

So...I've been having some fairly intense pain in my abdomen and upper right shoulder after eating lately...I HATE going to the doctor...it usually takes a motorcycle crash or something to get me in there. (Fortunately, there's only been one of those and I got off relatively easy....broken right hip socket that I fully recovered from.)

Anyway...I went to the doctor and described my symptoms as I just couldn't eat anymore...ANYTHING I ate would set it off...got a hydascan...and it came back saying that my gall bladder ejection fraction was 4%...essentially a dead, non functioning organ.

I just left the surgeons office...he's going to remove it tomorrow at 2. He said he usually recommends a two week recovery time and I was like, seriously?! Two weeks?! I was planning to have it done tomorrow and be back to work on Monday.

Have any of you had it done? If so, how long was your recovery period afterwards?

KSG

ouch - good luck.

All I can suggest is take as little pain meds as possible after. Just take them when it's absolutely necessary. Getting backed up is not a pleasant experience with this type of operation.

I had mine out last summer and was making muffins that evening after I got home from surgery. I was sore but nothing horrible. I ended up getting an infection of some sort, they never did find exactly where it was, and ended up back in the hospital, but the surgery part of the recovery was not bad at all. Take a week though.

Had mine out 5 yrs ago, laparoscopically. I was a lazy bum for 5 days (had surgery on Thursday, was back at work on Monday), had non-narcotic drugs, and no real issues. I went through chicken broth and frosted flakes for food in those first few days, and kept a small pillow handy for holding to my belly for sneezing/coughing/laughing etc for a week or 2. I didn't want any sort of pressure on my lower stomach, something like sweatpants or something with a loose waistband... and slip-on shoes will be your friends for a few days.

No worries on that front...I don't take narcotics of any sort...I survived the broken hip on over the counter tylenol...I'll do just fine without the pain meds.

Excellent...this is what I was hoping to hear. I know, I know...girls are tougher than guys...it's no accident that it's up to women to bear children. Can you imagine how de-populated the world would be if it were up to men? Drop a 10 lb bowling bowl through THERE?! Are you fucking CRAZY?! :lmao:

Even better....this is the same schedule I'll be shooting for....and the same non-narcotic approach to recovery.

Awesome..thanks everyone.

My friend had hers out a few months ago. She got out of the hospital and it was a day or 2 later she was back driving to class giving her final presentation. She said her only thing that hurt were her shoulders since there was gas trapped in there trying to make its way out? I think it was the lack of caffeine from not drinking 12 diet cokes a day that got her more than anything. :lol:

I read this as saying girl bladder failure :lol: I'll step back out now

That sucks dude, hope all goes well!

I'd be totally screwed :lol:

That gas is some serious shit! They inflate your torso "the better to see you with, my dear", and can remove most of it.... but the rest has to come out naturally LOL If you can stay more horizontal than vertical, the gas won't build up in your shoulder. You will fart, it will be loud. But you're a guy, so you'll laugh and try to do it again :lol

my dad had his out a few y but ears ago laproscopically, he went back to work 2 days after the surgery (he is a warehouse manager, fairly physical job but he took it easy). He felt like shit and layed around all day when he wasnt at work, but he was able to work. I'd say take a week off

Hell yeah....when you live with two women nothing proclaims "I'm KING of this castle!!" quite like a nice loud fart. :lmao:

Silver lining FTW

Not Gall Bladder, but I've had other Laparoscopic abdominal surgery, and yeah, that sounds right. I had some super-tylenol, but only took it the first day or two. Mainly to get me out of Balitmore- good god those roads suck!!. My head was a supernova of bright white light from bouncing through potholes. I about killed the dog the second day- sent him flying across the room with a backhand when he tried to jump on me. After that, I only took regular tylenol sparingly.

Just go slow. The first two days, it took ALL my strength and All my effort to sit down or to lie down in bed. It's not easy to do anything when your abs feel like they're going to tear open with every movement. I wish I'd thought to get a long Ace Bandage to wrap around my whole core. After the first two days, you won't be running anywhere, or lifting you're foot above 6", but you'll feel closer to human. Almost worse than anything was the fucking catheter... and I was still doped up when they yanked it. I refused to hit the button, but they had me on some anti-inflammatory.

Yup. They blow ya up like a damn balloon. I almost forgot about my shoulders, because my gut felt so violated- but they did more digging than a GB. GB's pretty simple- they slice it into little pieces and pull the pieces out one of two little holes. The shoulders do get a weird "pinched nerve" type feeling- like you've run several miles, or held them above your head for hours. It faded before the rest.

Everyone is different and everyone recovers at a different rate. YMMV.

I had mine removed back in '95. Dr. said I would probably be up and about in a couple of days. Bullshit. I was so freaking swollen and so sore I couldn't get out of bed on my own for a couple of days, much less be very mobile. It was about a week before I could actually function well enough to go back to work and probably a few weeks before I could do anything very active. The worst part was after the surgery, I had a drain tube coming out of my lower chest that fed into a bulb, for fluid collection. The doctor removed it after a few days, but it didn't come out easy - stuff was all congealed around where the hole for it was and it felt like I was getting stabbed when he had to yank it out. I was really sore for a few hours after that. I only have 3 or 4 tiny scars on my stomach since they did it via laproscopy (or whatever the Hell they call it.)

Good luck with your surgery; hopefully you will recover fast.

Damn that sucks! But lap... is the best! If not for micro-surgery, they'd cut you open navel to diaphragm.

Surgery complete...at home resting..abs are wicked sore..but easily managed so far with tylenol.

Glad to hear it went well! Speedy recovery.

Here's to a fast recovery.

Do you have gas trying to escape from your shoulders?

Nah...no pain or discomfort in my shoulders. I just got out of the shower...3 wounds...one under my sternum...one near my ribs on the right hand side and one in my belly button.

My stomach is all distended and funky looking....from the extra gas in there I guess. I'm still waiting for the loud farts...something to impress my daughter with. :lmao:

If things continue like this, I'll be back to the office on Monday with no worries.

Sorry to hear about this but glad you are out of surgery and somewhat comfortable.

Good luck on the recovery. You're a champ so I'm sure you'll pull through just fine.

Glad to hear you're doing well so far :)

Did they tell you to be careful in the shower? My stitches were the dissolving type. I don't think I was allowed to shower the first day or two, and then had to avoid soaking the stitches, and dry them thoroughly.

Did they let ya keep it :lol:

Good, evict that malfunctioning mofo :lol:

Glad to hear all went well

I've been at the office since 7....no real complaints other than soreness...it feels FANTASTIC to be rid of the gall bladder symptoms....that SUCKED.

I may take the bike out for a short spin tonight....just to cheer me up and speed along my recovery. Or at least that is how I'm going to explain it to my daughter. She's been mother henning me every step of the way, so far. :lmao: She's a sweet kid.

Glad to see you're recovering well. If you can make it through that hip fiasco you went through, you can make it through anything.

Probably not a good idea. You don't want to tear anything back open.

The decision got made for me....

a) it was pissing down rain when I got home from work
and
b) my daughter blew a fucking head gasket at the mere mention of it. :lmao:

Soon enough...it won't be long.

probably for the best dude. the last thing you want is to make things worse or end up with an infection.

After the stitches are gone, you're good to go.