So, the pain from my gallbladder continues to get very gradually worse. It's still not awful, especially as long as I keep my fat intake very low. I've had to dump the avocados, coconut oil, nuts, bacon, even fatty cuts of beef and pork, in order to keep the pain to a mild level - even beef chuck roast raised my pain to moderate. :(
I had a long, serious talk with the surgeon. He is fortunately an older, experienced surgeon, and he took my concerns pretty seriously. He says there is a small chance removing my gallbladder might make me worse; there's about the same chance it might completely make me better. More than likely, it will remove the localized pain, but leave me with the same MC problems I've already had. If I don't have the surgery, it's likely the pain will continue to get worse, and I might possibly end up with an emergency situation.
So we are going to go ahead with the surgery. The date is September 4. It will be laparoscopic unless there are complications, and they are saying 5-10 days before I can go back to work (what I read as "life more-or-less as usual," since I only work part-time and have kids at home still).
Advice and thoughts/prayers are welcome!
Deanna
Surgery Scheduled
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
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Deanna in CO
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Hi Deanna,
The laparoscopic procedure is definitely the best way to go if you're going to have surgery. I hope the procedure goes smoothly and your recovery is fast and easy.
You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Tex
The laparoscopic procedure is definitely the best way to go if you're going to have surgery. I hope the procedure goes smoothly and your recovery is fast and easy.
You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Gallbladder surgery
Hi Deanna,
I was diagnosed with colitis summer of 2011, had Enterolab testing and successfully removed gluten, dairy, soy, and egg from my diet. With one month of 9 mg. of Enterocort in the beginning and diet changes I improved substantially. Then right after Thanksgiving, I got worse again, and pain was bad again, but also somewhat different being up under my ribcage. I was freaking out, ordered MRT and drove myself nuts postulating what was going on. I was put into hospital and my gallbladder was tested and it was only ejecting 3% of bile( very poor). I had my gallbladder out and even though it wasn't as easy to recover from for me as what some others will tell you. I probably feel the best now than I ever have. My GI thinks that some of the pain I was having during my colitis flare up was most likely a mixture of it and my gall bladder in the beginning, and that by getting the gallbladder out, that was the final answer. I have not had any negative problems from having it removed other than trying to figure out why mine went bad. I now work a 40+ work week, run 5 miles 3 times a week and tolerate eating all meats, avacadoes, oils. Other than removing foods because of colitis I have not had to add any additional ones from not having a gallbladder. Good luck in your decision.
I was diagnosed with colitis summer of 2011, had Enterolab testing and successfully removed gluten, dairy, soy, and egg from my diet. With one month of 9 mg. of Enterocort in the beginning and diet changes I improved substantially. Then right after Thanksgiving, I got worse again, and pain was bad again, but also somewhat different being up under my ribcage. I was freaking out, ordered MRT and drove myself nuts postulating what was going on. I was put into hospital and my gallbladder was tested and it was only ejecting 3% of bile( very poor). I had my gallbladder out and even though it wasn't as easy to recover from for me as what some others will tell you. I probably feel the best now than I ever have. My GI thinks that some of the pain I was having during my colitis flare up was most likely a mixture of it and my gall bladder in the beginning, and that by getting the gallbladder out, that was the final answer. I have not had any negative problems from having it removed other than trying to figure out why mine went bad. I now work a 40+ work week, run 5 miles 3 times a week and tolerate eating all meats, avacadoes, oils. Other than removing foods because of colitis I have not had to add any additional ones from not having a gallbladder. Good luck in your decision.
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Gabes-Apg
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Deanna
good wishes from the other side of the globe,
IMO if there are issues elsewhere in our body, this does affect our MC, so i hope this is the case for you and the removal of the gallbladder will allow the MC to settle down.
Be nice to your body in the weeks before and after the surgery, low inflammation easy to digest meals.
and suggest having Vit D3 supplement and zinc supplement as this will definately help the body through the procedure
take care
Gabes
good wishes from the other side of the globe,
IMO if there are issues elsewhere in our body, this does affect our MC, so i hope this is the case for you and the removal of the gallbladder will allow the MC to settle down.
Be nice to your body in the weeks before and after the surgery, low inflammation easy to digest meals.
and suggest having Vit D3 supplement and zinc supplement as this will definately help the body through the procedure
take care
Gabes
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
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fatbuster205
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Sheila
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Good luck Deanna. It is best to have the surgery once you are as symptomatic as you seem to be. I had mine out in 2002, before MC, laparoscopic and it took care of the pain. The only consequence has been increased belching.
Best of luck
Sheila W
Best of luck
Sheila W
To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.
A person who never made a mistake never tried something new. Einstein
A person who never made a mistake never tried something new. Einstein
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Deanna in CO
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Thanks all for the encouragement. I really appreciate it!
Leah, the pain is up around and under my ribcage on my right side, right where I'd identify my liver. It rotates around my right side and into my back, above where I'd think my right kidney would be. I had thought the pain directly below my breastbone was due to my small hiatal hernia; now I think that pain is probably also associated with my gallbladder. When I eat greasy foods, I also often have increased belching and gas, and mild nausea (in addition to significantly increased pain). From everything I've heard and read, they don't usually worry about gallbladder sludge when they find it incidentally (while looking at something else), but in my case because I am having pain with no other identifiable cause, they are fairly confident that's what causing it.
I have a question though for Tex, Polly, and/or other old-timers. I am going to need something for pain after the surgery. In the past I would have taken ibuprofen round-the-clock, and tried to avoid Percocet or other narcotic painkillers, because I hate them. But now I'm realizing that taking ibuprofen that way may well have been what caused my problem, and that it will probably make things much worse if I do that. So what do I do? I doubt Tylenol will be adequate, and it does its own dirty work on both kidneys and digestive system. I am super-sensitive to narcotic-type drugs (I only need 1/2 tsp of Benadryl to knock me out all night and leave me a zombie in the morning). Any thoughts?
Deanna
Leah, the pain is up around and under my ribcage on my right side, right where I'd identify my liver. It rotates around my right side and into my back, above where I'd think my right kidney would be. I had thought the pain directly below my breastbone was due to my small hiatal hernia; now I think that pain is probably also associated with my gallbladder. When I eat greasy foods, I also often have increased belching and gas, and mild nausea (in addition to significantly increased pain). From everything I've heard and read, they don't usually worry about gallbladder sludge when they find it incidentally (while looking at something else), but in my case because I am having pain with no other identifiable cause, they are fairly confident that's what causing it.
I have a question though for Tex, Polly, and/or other old-timers. I am going to need something for pain after the surgery. In the past I would have taken ibuprofen round-the-clock, and tried to avoid Percocet or other narcotic painkillers, because I hate them. But now I'm realizing that taking ibuprofen that way may well have been what caused my problem, and that it will probably make things much worse if I do that. So what do I do? I doubt Tylenol will be adequate, and it does its own dirty work on both kidneys and digestive system. I am super-sensitive to narcotic-type drugs (I only need 1/2 tsp of Benadryl to knock me out all night and leave me a zombie in the morning). Any thoughts?
Deanna
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Deanna in CO
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