I have some doctors/surgeons swirling around behind the scenes determining whether or not they would recommend that I have my gallbladder removed, oh, immediately.
I have gallstones and the concern is that while they aren't a major problem now, just some very mild low grade pain, pregnancy could exacerbate the problem to the point of emergency surgery if they get inflamed and start an infection.
And if you know me at all, you know that the magic word to get me to do anything is INFECTION. That word just sends me into a panic.
Since we want to start an ivf cycle in about 6 weeks, this decision will need to be made, immediatelyish. Like going under the knife early next week.
Please tell me your stories in the comments. Have you had it removed? What were the life implications (like diet and such) afterwards? What should I know and factor into my decision making?
Expecting a phone call from the surgeon that my GP is consulting with some time tomorrow but I'd really like some real world experience stories.
Sorry I don't have any real-world experience for you but wanted to wish you luck making a decision. Also wanted to mention a second opinion may be worth getting in a situation like this...
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Hi, Alex. I've been lurking on your blog for awhile but I thought I'd share this info with you. I had my gallbladder removed almost 13 years ago, when I was 16. It was a laparascopic procedure and I got to go home the same day. Recovery was pretty quick. I had surgery on Wednesday and was back at work on Saturday. I was really sore for a couple days and it took a couple weeks before the four small incision sites were totally healed but overall it wasn't bad.
ReplyDeleteLife since really hasn't changed that much. Sometimes if I eat a REALLY greasy/fatty meal I'll get an upset stomach, but sometimes it's fine. Honestly, I would just get it done and over with if I were you - one less thing to worry about. However, that only applies if they will do it laparascopically. If they totally open you up, I've heard it's a much more difficult and painful recovery, so that might be something to consider. If you have any other specific questions, feel free to email me @ cecil15_iowa@hotmail.com. Good luck! ~Heather
If you might get an infection, I would do it now. My neighbor had hers removed because it was making her very ill. She recovered very quickly, and said that she wished she had done it sooner. She was 99 at the time, she lived to be 102 :)
ReplyDeleteWhatever happens, I hope your recovery is a speedy one.
Alex, I found you from our babycenter group. I had my gallbladder removed in April of 2010. It was definitely worth it. It was a relatively simple procedure. If it's a scheduled procedure, you can usually go home later that day. Mine was an emergency surgery as I had come to the ER in excruciating pain twice in a 3 day span. I stayed overnight. It took about a week before I was ready to really get up and move around. Mostly my abdomen was incredibly sore. After 3 days I was able to do small tasks like washing a few dishes. I had 4 small incisions - one right over my belly button and 3 more on my right side. Some doctors can now remove it just through your belly button. I had the runs for about 2 weeks afterward. Other than that, my diet hasn't changed a whole lot. Like Heather, my stomach will rebel if I eat a really high fat meal or if I have real mayonnaise. Other than that, I'm just free of pain. I would highly recommend having it done now as it's way more risky to have an emergency procedure done during pregnancy. When I was pregnant after my gall bladder was removed, I did have some issues with heartburn but it was nothing compared to gall bladder pain! Good luck!!!
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