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[wombat62]

Hi Ladies

Just thought I'd give you a quick update. I've had the surgery, very nervous but the hospital staff were all lovely.

Op was text book but unfortunately I was quite sick afterwards so everything I ate or drank came back up for a few hours. This lead to some dehydration and pretty low blood pressure. That meant I couldn't get up and move about. They put me on a bag of fluids overnight and it gradually the blood pressure came up. Was feeling okay but whilst having a freshen up I nearly passed out again! I just have to keep the fluids up but I seem to be weeing okay now although the thought of the other feels like it would be too painful!

Moving around is hard due to the gas in my tummy, I haven't had the shoulder pain but the gas is slowly starting to move. I can't laugh as that's quite painful! I feel like I'm about 90 shuffling around and finding it hard to move in bed or get up and down. I don't think it's coming from where the gallbladder was, I think it's just the gas as my tum is quite bloated but the doc said all was ok and once I could move around without fainting they were happy to let me go.

I have 3 incisions and just leave the dressings on until I see my GP on Monday and then follow up in 6 weeks.

There was a small report on the gallbladder, just the wall was thickened, they did a scan and no stones in the ducts, there is something else on the report but I can't work out what they mean!

So, I hope I start to improve a bit quicker as fed up with being incapacitated but think it will be easier once the gas goes. I'll try a bit more walking around the house today see if that helps.

Cheers W x

[Ju Ju]

 

Rest up! Nearly 18 months since my gall bladder and me parted company! No regrets! I found I had some residual pain for a while where it had been painful before, but it receded eventually.

[groundhog]

Glad the beast has gone wombat, hope you feel better soon xx

[Joyce]

Get well soon wombat. The gas pain is horrid, but it will subside. I consumed many a polo mint as the alternative of peppermint water had me gagging. Not had gall bladder op though, just a few gynae ops which required pumping gas into me.

[CLKD]

 

I can't understand why Anaesthetists don't give anti-sickness jabs as a patient goes into the Recovery Room  .  I told mine that if I was sick I would sue her ;-).  I wasn't.  She gave me a pill pre-med, a jab during surgery and another in Recovery.

[wombat62]

Hello!

Getting a bit better day by day and off to the docs today for a check up.

The gas is still there but moving so instead of one big tum it's concentrated in the middle now. The top hole is sore but not sure if that is the hole or from the dressing but just makes moving difficult.

I went for a little walk and an outing in the car yesterday but felt very tired after each but each day I am getting better.

Yes, being sick after a gb op isn't fun, it was bloody painful! Likewise I have this tickle in my throat which is hurts when I cough. They did give me the anti-nausea tablets in hospital which did help for a while. I also found out (thanks to internet forums) that sometimes after surgery your stomach can stop working so the fluids/food doesn't move out and then comes back up, never heard of that before but could explain it.

Anyway, everything is staying down now but unfortunately the old digestive system is sluggish. I'm trying the probiotic drink as CLKD suggested and took something overnight but hasn't worked yet. I've introduced more fibre over the last couple of days but I know my system takes a while to get working again after being starved etc I think it forgets what to do!

So now we just have to wait and see what type of post-op gb person I become! If I'm going to get dumping syndrome that would be today but knowing me I'll still be the other way! I'm just sticking to the same food I had pre-op and I'll continue with that for a month and then start trying a bit more fat and see what happens. To be honest I'm so used to eating the new diet eating some things doesn't really bother me but it will be nice to go to a restaurant and not be so scared as to what is in a dish even if the result is an upset tum, won't be as bad as a gb attack!

Thanks for your thoughts! W x

[wombat62]

Hi Sparkle

I'm drinking plenty of cups of minty tea!

Doc is pleased with healing and opted to leave the dressings on until Monday, also happy that my tum feels okay. Just got to make sure my system starts working again so she's told me what to take and how much.

She said the incisions are the same as being stabbed (!) so will be sore on healing, especially as the sorest one is the muscles used more with movement.

I just have to still take it easy, she said although they chuck you out sooner these days it still takes a week for the anaesthetic to clear.


Anyway, turns out good job I've had it done as GB had attached itself to my duodenum! That was the adhesion part I couldn't work out on the report. So they had to scrape it away before removal! She said no wonder my attacks were so bad and one doc had commented that my stomach was sore so that must have been the duodenum affected as well. Gosh, you never know what is going on inside you!

W x

[CLKD]

You haven't eaten for a few days so your bowel won't have anything other than wind to pass  .  Little and often, toast usually gets the digestive juices going  .  Ginger biscuits.  LIVE yoghurt.

Sleep when you need to, you've had Major Surgery!

 

[wombat62]

Hi Ladies

How long was it before the gas and bloating passed? I'm gradually deflating  but still crampy etc and just hoping that IBS symptoms won't return as it feels like it did all those years ago.

Had a couple of cups of ginger tea to see if that helps. Seem to be eating okay and just having small meals and eating low fat as I had been before the op. The stuff the doc recommended has worked but hoping some gentle walking will help as well.

Cheers W

[CLKD]

   'everything moved around'  - that's why we get a GA, do we don't know what's happening 

Do you have to plan ahead i.e. when thinking about getting out of bed or from a chair?

[CLKD]

Wouldn't you think, with all the technology, that a Nurse would have a reverse suction tube to do that rather than the patient having to suffer pain?

[wombat62]

Hello again!

I think they are supposed to remove the gas but whether they do or not but I guess they probably can't get it all out.

I've been and had the dressings off this morning, all good and they are pleased with the healing. She thinks the tugging on the top one is deeper due to having to have the gallbladder cut away but should be okay in time.

I had the most uncomfortable day yesterday with tummy gripes, it was just like the old days of IBS. My doc thinks it will be a build up of food whilst my system wasn't very active for a few days and once it's working again then it should settle. If not then it maybe foods that I'm eating but it's all going to be trail and error over the next few weeks anyway!

I feel better in myself today and the torso is moving a little easier, the gassy pains aren't quite so bad so far, fingers crossed it stays that way!

Cheers W x

[Ju Ju]

Sounds like you had to have a lot of follow up. Did you have to stay in hospital? I was able to have mine done in day surgery and there were no complications or any follow up.

I found my IBS symptoms are the same as before op, apart from initial constipation, for which I needed to take a gentle laxitive to get things going again.

[wombat62]

Hi

I had one night in hospital, even if my surgery had been in the morning I think they like to keep you in. Just as well I did stay in as I was so sick and low blood pressure! They weren't in any hurry to kick me out either if I didn't feel up to going home. This is amazing as it was done in a public hospital!

The hospital have arranged a 6 week check up but suggested I saw my GP to get the dressings off. I ended up seeing her twice as the dressings were due off at the weekend and I just wanted to make sure that everything was okay and then a return visit to get the dressings off.

The good follow up is partly due to the fact that we pay for doctors visits here, so you can go as much as you like if you want to pay! It was handy though as I had a bunch of questions and she was of help with knowing what and how much to take to get the system moving again. Although I had some cramps in the night, now with the help of the Movical things are moving and it has eased a bit.

I just feel a bit anxious about the next phase which has been messing my heart rate up (I have a fitness monitor band). It may also be a bit of dehydration as although I'm drinking plenty I find that if it's not regular (i.e. something every hour)  I'm getting darker wees so lots of fluids today!

[CLKD]

The NHS used to offer a 6 week check up post surgery, now I understand the patient is referred 'back to the GP' 

Little steps