Do You Still Have Your Gall Bladder?

[rroswelltx 1]

so maybe you all can help me. I had my band surgery 9 months ago, in the last few weeks I have been expierencing sharp pains on the right side under my ribs, and feeling of bloating there, not such bad pain that will bring you too your knees, but very uncomfortable. Then it will go away for a few days and come back. I have talked to the dr. and they said i probably need an ultrasound to determine if its the gallbladder, but I dont want to because I am Sooo close to goal and if I have to be unfilled and have surgery I'm afraid it will set me back. So anyone that has expierenced it before after banding, is that what it felt like and how did it slow your progress. Thanks guys.

[LoriPA 4]

I have just about all my parts--including my gall bladder--and they are healthy. The only thing I had removed is my appendix, and that was only as a precaution because it was on the wrong side of my body.:help:

[Syrah 0]

Mine came out in high school after I'd lost a bunch of weight really fast. Lots of family members have had theirs out. I had mine done so long ago that it was before the era of laparoscopic surgery. I have a giant scar to show for it. Now THAT was a rough recovery, even for an 18 YO!

[kyethra 0]

Mine was taken out six weeks after my lap band was put in. I'm feeling so much better already! The ultrasound was normal, but my surgeon said that it was totally full of tiny little stones. Either the ultra sound wasn't high enough resolution, the tech messed up, or the stones weren't high enough density. Fortunately, the HIDA scan did show that my gall bladder wasn't working right. I was pretty darn sick and getting sicker by the day too. From the onset of symptoms to removal it was less than one month-- and I wasn't sure I would make it that long some days.

[METALBAND 0]

Mine is coming out on Monday......2 weeks before my lapband surgery. I've never had a problem with it but my doc said its got to go!

[rubylyn 0]

Had mine out years ago

[Who'sThere 331]

I haven't been banded yet, but I lost my gallbladder 4 years ago after losing 100 pounds in 71/2 months on a commercial weightloss program. (Of course I've gained all of that back.) Here's my story. I started passing out because my blood pressure and heart rate dropped too rapidly. At 5'3' and 270lbs, my BP usually runs in the 90something/50-60 range, so you can only imagine how this rapid weightloss did a number on me. Well, along with this, I started having very severe pain under my left breast. The doctor originally diagnosed me as having pericarditis. Well, the meds for that did nothing for me. I had had typical gallbladder symptoms before losing the weight, but the ultrasound showed nothing. I had another ultrasound and some blood work. The ultrasound showed some very small stones, but the Dr. said these weren't significant enough to cause my severe pain. However, he scheduled me for an appt. with a surgeon just to be sure. I never threw up with the pain, and I never had diarhea (sp?). I didn't have even one typical symptom. However, when the blood tests came back, they showed that it "could" be GB problems. Again, I was told to just keep my scheduled appt. Finally, a week after an ambulance ride to the hospital for severe pain and a heart dropping from the 30's, I had another episode of SEVERE pain. The surgeon at another ER (yes, I should've gone for a second opinion earlier but I was waiting on my appt.) said, "It doesn't sound at all like gallbladder, but if I take it out and it isn't, it won't really hurt you. If I leave it and it is gallbladder, it could really hurt you." A couple of hours later and ever since, I have been without my GB. Unfortunately, I have that "dumping" also. As a teacher, the class after lunch is really always a gamble. I live with immodium in my desk, and I always pick a student early in the year and tell him or her where to go to get an adult if I run out of the room. :thumbup: I suppose I am happy that I won't have to worry about losing it after I'm banded. I try to look on the bright side.

[StLouisGal 1]

Fair, fat, fertile, forty and female... those are the 5 "F's" that we refer to in the medical profession when it comes to gallbladder disease. Mine departed from my body 4 years ago.

Same thing I was told when I had mine out about 12 years ago. It was about 2 years after the hysterectomy (another factor some Drs. believe) :thumbup:

[Harkingluv 0]

Mine is healthy, but I think my hubby is having gallbladder sympathy pains!!!! Poor guy!!! He has been having stabbing pains since last week. I think I see a surgery in his future!

[jfc193 718]

Still have mine.

[aubrie 6]

Just had mine out three weeks ago. There is no history of gallbladder problems in my family. None. I didn't really even know what a gallbladder did. I thought that surgery was for really old people with poor eating habits.... I had no idea.... I had very sudden, horrific pain under my lright ribs in the middle of the night. Went to the doctor thinking I had a virus or a bad tummy ache. It got really bad. My lap band surgeon had the sono done and I had stones. No warning. No previous problems. I am 9 months out from lap band surgery. I had the gallbladder removed that same night. I went 18 hours in severe pain, so the doctor took it. At least with childbirth you have a break in between contractions!!! Not this... It was awful. Even my second child only took 6 hours. I had complications though. Some of the stones dislodged and were also in my bile ducts. I continued to have pain, I turned yellow and jaundiced and all that crap was backin up into my pancreas and liver. thus... pancreatitis. I was SICK. I had to have a second surgery two days later to get the stones out of my ducts. The second surgery did me in. My blood pressure (which was almost normal after my lap band loss of weight) shot up to 255/150!!! I almost had a stroke. Very bizarre. That was three weeks ago. They have double my blood pressure meds back to where they were pre-band, and my pressure is STILL high, so something is wierd. It was 164 / 101 this morning. So I'm not happy. I was told I would most likely get diareah after having this surgery, but I was always so constipated after lab band, I now have "normal" elimination. It's wonderful!!! I just wish I knew why my blood pressure was still messed up....

[StLouisGal 1]

I'm so sorry you have had these problems. Gall bladder surgery is awful but complicated gall badder surger is even worse. One of my stones got loose and they had to fish it out with an ERCP and that caused me to go into pancreatitis. Ouch!

Your blood pressure is probably still suffering from the stress and trauma your body has gone through. Two surgeries in a short time is hard on you. Having your bile ducts clogged with stones is hard on you. Having your liver and pancreas unhappy is hard on you. Your poor body has been through the ringer. Give yourself a little time. Do what your doctors tell you to do. It's good you have lost some weight. Think what bad complications you might have had if you were heavier.

Good luck to you!

[Daisalana 33]

I didn't know this was a genetic thing, but I had heard it can go with rapid weight loss. My dad had his gallbladder out when he was about 39.. I have had no symptoms of problems with mine though.

[Great2BThin 5]

I had mine out 2 mos after lap band surgery. Not sure about the genetic component as not a single person in my family, even extended has lost theirs. I'm blazing a new trail. :cursing:

[tapshoes 2]

Aubrie - your experience was certainly horrific! Hope things settle to normal.

My gallbladder (along with a long list of other body organs) was removed years ago. No history of gallbladder issues in my family either. I'm just 'lucky', I guess! :smile2: