3 Years Post op, but now i have Gallstones! Help!

DAA · March 26, 2009

Hi Eyeryone! I had my lap band in Feb 2006. I have done very well. lost 85 pounds. Feel great and look great! I found out 2 years ago I had gallstones. 2 trips to the er after a holiday meal. Last month I got sick all of a sudden, could not eat, bloating, burning in stomach, burping, fullness, constant loose stools with mucus (sorry for the details) It was horrible. Well I had an upper GI, it was all normal, my band is perfect and showed great restriction. It did show "Minor Gastritis". I had an ultrasound, all organs normal, no masses, but did show "Multiple Large Gallstones" Blood work was all good but I did test positive for H Pylori and was treated for 2 weeks on antibiotics. I feel much better after the treatment but I still have the loose stools. Seems like my food is running right through me. there is also yellow mucus. My Band doc seems I need to have my gallbladder out. I have beem eating very low fat for a month and have lost 15 pounds. Has anyone had any gallbladder problems? Im going to do the "Wait and See" approach but Im not sure if i should wait too long. I have not had an attack in 2 years but the stones are present. My doc said the surgery is done by LAP and its not a big deal. Any insights you can share with me? also Congrads you all you new Bandsters. It was the best decision I made to help me with my obesity. Thanks again!

Amy Elizabeth · March 27, 2009

I don't have the band yet but I will say once you start hurting with the gall bladder it only gets worse. And it hurts and hurts. I had mine out and it was the best decision I've made to date!!! It was an easy surgery for me. . .I was back up and moving and ready for work the NEXT day. Good luck!!!!

DAA · March 27, 2009

ya its seems like it the right thing to do and get it out now while i have no attacks. its amazing we do something to help our health and then we get gallstones!!!!

CapitolChick · March 28, 2009

Oh hon, I can TOTALLY speak this this.

HAVE YOUR GALLBLADDER OUT.

It doesn't get better and if I had know that I would feel sooo freaking awesome after getting mine out, I would have demanded it out years ago.

The shitty part is I had very similair symptoms to yours and my doctor was like: "Shug, well we can wait and see..blah blah"

But I was in this weird state of yuckiness and the pain that would come and go. No I wasn't buckled over every night - I had 2 'episodes' where I should have went to the ER (but pain made me all wacked out and I wasn’t thinking straight..stupid..huh) anyway, the rest of the time..I just felt like crap... tired and bloated with that GB pain you get....and for loosing so much wt. I was expecting to feel a whole hell of lot better at this point...So after pushing my doctor.. I wanted it out. Turns out after the pathologist examined my GB it has over 30 stones in it and was totally caked with cholesterol (which is not something that would have just 'gone away’ on its own) and would you believe non of this stuff showed up on the ultrasound -- the docs just said they saw: "sludge" in my GB

I thought my GB surgery would be like my LB surgery ---but it was so much easier. First I am over 60lbs lighter, I move more now so I am in better shape, the surgery is removing something that is poisoning you not attaching a plastic thing to your body, and finally things were just easier b/c there wasn't a total unknown about getting surgery.

Push your doctor for more information. You shouldn't have to suffer.