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Gallbladder problems?



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Has anyone had a gallbladder issue. I don’t know what’s going on with me but I am calling my doctor on Monday. After I eat I burp a lot and I sometimes not always get not pain but a burning pain like I️ I am starving in my stomach and it goes to my back. It feels like I have to crack my back all the time. Has anyone had their gallbladder removed? Do you have to def get surgery or can it be treated at first then do surgery if it doesn’t help. I’m getting freaked out[emoji33]

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Gallbladder issues seem pretty common after WLS. Whether you need surgery or not is going to depend on how bad the problem is, assuming that's what it is. I had mine removed a few years ago, and it was a piece of cake. Outpatient surgery, really easy recovery. Some people have a more difficult go of it, but I think for the most part it's not bad. If the pain radiating to your back gets really bad I'd call your surgeon's answering service over the weekend.

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Had my WLS Nov 2016

Been having problems for months. Mine basically just started with bad mid-upper abdominal pain. It has progressively gotten worse with a lot of different pains/issues. Ultrasound in the ER detected an almost normal looking gallbladder with only a couple of polyps or perhaps very small stones.

Gastro doctor had me go for the HIDA scan yesterday, gastro thinks it's a gallbladder issue. Won't know results for a week.

Agree with what KCRN said. Good idea to call your doc.

Edited by mylighthouse

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My surgeon, after a bunch of tests related to WLS, recommended I have my gallbladder taken out, so I did so on Aug. 17. Sleeve surgery was then Dec. 12. Both were not difficult.


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Had my gallbladder out 15 years ago. I had a dull ache that went through to my back...and I started losing weight because everything made me feel nauseated. After a while the only thing I was eating was cottage cheese...cause it didn't make me feel miserable.

I, too, didn't want to have mine out. I asked the doc "what's the worst that can happen?". He said...well, you could completely obstruct your bile duct, get jaudice, get an infection or pancreatitis...which can be...ya know...fatal. Plus, you're miserable, and it will likely get worse.

And I was like....Crap. Ok, we can take it out.

Went in for outpatient surgery at 7am....was home on the couch eating a Subway sandwich at 1pm. Not everyone recovers this quick, but it was a super easy surgery for me. And within a few days I could eat normal things again. Done laprascopically as an outpatient....wasn't bad at all.

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I need to have my Gallbladder out. I had my VSG 12/30/16. In June I started having abdominal pain that was actually center and radiated to the right. My surgeon suspected Gallbladder as the pain can radiate. I had an ultrasound that showed normal results, no stones but he wanted to be sure so I went for a HIDA scan. My ejection fraction was 85% so above the normal range. My surgeon says they consider normal below 60% so I would need it out. However, as I don't have stones and my pain is intermittent I could wait on it. I will be having it out after the first of the year as my time resets at work and I used so much for my VSG I had to wait.

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Had to go to ER last night. Consensus from 3 doctors (gastro, ER doc and surgeon on duty last night) was that the gallbladder needs to go. However, they didn't want to do emergent surgery last night. Got an 11:00 appt this morning with my regular surgeon. Gallbladder might come out today, or if not, I'm expecting very soon this week.

Can't wait to get it out. Can't get anything down ((aside from Premier Protein shakes and water) without a problem/severe pain.

Best wishes to others with GB issues....it is definitely no fun.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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