Serious complications with my gallbladder removal.. Somethin

After attempting to control gall bladder attacks with diet, acupuncture and homeopathics, I finally caved (severe attacks 3 x a week...) and had it removed.  Thankfully, they were able to do it laproscopically. I felt wonderful the day after (all things considered)--and was improving until about a week out. I was in such pain I could not  move. The surgeon's nurse was a royal id**t and all she kept telling me was it was the gas they used during surgery. I could not get her to understand that it was a week out and it was NOT the gas! She wanted me to drive 1 hr. to be seen, typical wait time 2-3 hrs., 1 hr. home. At that point, making it to the local er wasn't even a plesant thought. I just took everything I had, curled up with heating pad, cried and prayed to pass out! Fast forward to Monday and I see the PA--turns out--there is a nerve that can get irritated when they move things to get to the gall bladder-THAT was the reason for the severe pain. Higher pain meds-nerve settled down. Also ended up with Pepcid to put the fire out that was burning.  Then he proceeded to RIP the bandage off one of the incisions. I almost decked him! I did scream and the nurse came running! He apologized but then thought he was going to rip off the other three! I put a stop to that pronto! Fast forward 5 months post surgery and I am having stomach upset and nausea...and I never know if something is going to cause upset/mad dash to bathroom or not.  With my other symptoms, I am  wondering if a clamp has let go? One PA I saw and trust is telling me ulcer...I am under a good bit of stress--but Nexium not helping...  I hate doctors-they "practice" as my late husband said and most don't listen!!!  They told me this (gall bladder surgery) would solve all my problems-yeah, right!

Your NOT alone!  I had gallbladder surgery Oct of 2010 and as of today I am still having problems.  For me it feels like having a stomach bug every day for the rest of my life.  I can't tell you how miserable I am.  Within a year I have lost 50 lbs.  Can't eat anything without it hurting me.  I recently went in for another ultrasound due to the pain and nausea. I haven't heard back from my doctor yet.  I have pretty much given up hope.  I am only 38 yrs old, single mom of 3 and I want this miserable life over with.  My kids are what is keeping me going.  They give me the inspiration to keep going.  I have read so much research as well as spoken to individuals who have had gallbladder surgery.  ALL tell me its a never ending thing.  Doctors don't even know what to do to help patients.  

Helloo, my 13 yr old had her surgery december 27th and is sooo miserable i don't know to do anymore. They tell us the same darn thing and it's a bunch of bull. My daughter knows the difference between gas and constipation, she eats and she goes straight to the restroom and let's everything out. I am so fed up with the docors telling me she's lactose intolerance and to watch wat she eats. Even when she does that it doesn't help. Something is terrible wrong and I want answers!!!

I had the same problem and yes it was from the bile leak. I spent 12 days in hospital with a chest tube (right lung had collapsed) and two JP drains. Go to ER immediately!!

OMG!!! Hope you find a doc that's not full of sh.t and get some real help!
Stay strong!!!

It takes some people a longer time to recuperate from surgery or any procedures, but you should go back to see your doctor. Anxiety can cause you to feel worse. Please try to relax and go see your doctor. If you are afraid, tell him or her that. Give him or her every detail. If you are not comfortable with your doctor, go see another one. God bless you!!

I feel your pain. In early Novemeber I started not feeling great. Run down, tired, no appetite. It quickly turned into uncontrollable chills and fevers that reached as high as 104 degrees. the fevers lasted 32 days straight!! I basically felt like I was walking around with the endless flu. I went to numerous doctors and had more bllodwork than any human should have to take on. Only result of the bat was inflamation within the body but they couldn't tell me from what. Several weeks passed and I had a full liver panel done. Come to find out my levels were off. After an MRI, cat scan and ERCP it was discovered that I had a stricture in my bile duct. Had surgery in April, spent a week in the hospital and am still recovering. The doctor had said that the lymph nodes surrounding the bile duct were so grossly enlarged that were pushing on the bile duct causing a stricture. So the inflamation they had found in my bloodwork must have been just that. No fevers or chills post surgery!

All your symptoms lead to gall bladder disease. You should have stayed after the surgery at the hospital so that they can give you supportive pain medicines. Usually a tube is placed after surgery to prevent the complication of gallbladder removal. Your story didn't mention putting any tube with a draining bottle attached to it? This is probably the reason why you're feeling so much pain.

If you've lost trust with your doctor, go to another doctor. Not all doctors will want you to have that so much pain.

Go get checked!! Nothing to full around with.!

I had a very bad experience! After my gallbladder was removed about 5 days later I woke in extreme pain! I vomited and had a fever.. Went to ER and they just sent me home w/ various meds... The next morning after no sleep no relief and just getting worse I called the surgeon who did my procedure, I was admitted immediately to the hospital. 3 hospitals later they drained 1500 ml of bile from my abdomen cavity... Washed my abdomen out and put a drain tube in... 2 stents including one in my pancreas.. I returned home a week later... 5 days after I was hospitalized again... Beginning stages if pancreatitis!!:/ removed stents and put a larger one in main bile duct...it hurts always!! I now have the drainage tube out, and am in pain always! Can't work am very unhappy! This was over a month ago.. I just want to feel normal again!! Basically don't go to ER without consulting your surgeon! I don't know what would've happened if I had not!!! Good luck

Hi. I am 19 years old. I am scheduled to get my gallbladder out next month.

I started having pain in Feb. of this year. I went to my family doctor and he said I had a bad cold. He told me to take it easy and gave me and antibiotic - my second one because the first was not working. After a week I was not getting any better, so I went back to the doctor. This time he gave me prednisone (steroid tablets) and said it was just muscle pain, from coughing hard. Just to play it safe, he sent me to get STAT blood work and a stomach ultrasound. Both came back negative for anything wrong.

A few days later I woke up early in the morning with excruciating pain. My mom took me to the ER. There, they gave me a GI cocktail and morphine for the pain. They did more blood work, a urine sample and preformed a cat-scan, and let me tell you that this was horrible because of the stuff they made me drink. The cat-scan and blood work showed nothing again. They attributed the pain to gastritis resulting from a double antibiotic and the prednisone. They gave me meds and sent me home, where I got better.

For over 6 months I went without pain. Then, one day after starting my freshman year of college, the pain started again. I waited for a few days, thinking it would go away. After so long, I called my mom and asked her what I should do (since I am 2 hours away from home). She told me to go to the nurse. I went and she said that it was probably a virus - one was going around. I believed her and thought I would soon be better.

Two days later, I was in even more pain. It was in my upper stomach area. I ended up going to an Urgent Care clinic. They took some blood and a urine sample. Both came back negative, and they gave me a prescription for a stomach re-laxer. I started taking these, hopeful to soon feel better.

Another two days went by and I was still getting worse and I ended up going to the ER. They did more bloodwork and another urine sample. They also gave me a GI cocktail. Tests came back negative and they gave me a prescription for Vicodin and changed my acid-reflux meds (thinking they weren't working - but they actually were). I finally started feeling better.

Over my breaks from college, I have seen my family doctor and a gastroenterologist. I was still having stomach pains off and on, though not as intense. I had more tests done. First, I had an upper endoscopy. This showed nothing. I just recently had a HIDA-scan done and this showed that my gallbladder ejection fraction was at 22% (normal is above 35%).

The doctor has now said that I should get my gallbladder out. I am nervous about the surgery but will be relieved when all my pain goes away. I have to see the surgeon before I get my surgery, and that is scheduled for Dec. 19.

I will post back after I see the surgeon and keep posted about what is happening.

Yes it is gas from when they blow gas into your body to do the surgery. I still have pain and feel like my fod sitting in my throat and was told that was gas and reflux and it a week later after my surgery. IDK how long it will take to go away but I know your pain and discomfort. Good luck

Hello Everyone! I chanced upon this site looking for treatments for gallbladder wall thickening. Three months ago, my bloodwork came back abnormal - slightly raised liver enzymes. The doc ordered ultrasound to see if liver is fine (follow-up bloodwork was ok). What they found out instead is that I have a 4mm cyst in the gallbladder. Went to a surgeon who advised surgery. I did thorough research on gallbladder cysts, others disappear in time, while some do increase in size and had to be removed (1 cm is considered cancerous). Since I have another surgery supposedly done next week but which I cancelled - looking for alternative treatments, I agreed with the surgeon to go through gallbladder surgery. Three days ago, I had a follow-up ultrasound: the gallbladder cyst is stable but they found a thickening of the gallbladder wall. I can tolerate the pain but the nausea is another story, also I feel bloated most of the time. Since the other major surgery is cancelled, I also cancelled the gallbladder surgery (they were scheduled one after another), but will be seeing the surgeon in a week. With the wall thickening problem, surgery might be inevitable. I will call our family doctor if she can order a gallbladder function test before I see the surgeon. I want to have thorough info before seeing him. If gallbladder function is below 35%, I might go through surgery all the same. And I am an advocate for alternative meds and going back to the basics on healing before going through any surgical procedure. Reading all your posts make me really scared. Like everyone else, we go through surgery to find healing, not to suffer from more problems. God bless you.

You are ignorant.

Went in for gallbladder removal and they found it glued to liver,so they cut it off. Second day of revovery now!! Eating ok, 1 bowel movement. The Minneapolis VA Hospital Surgical Team was Super!!