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Gall stones...anyone?



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So glad to hear you're feeling better and the surgery went well. You will start feeling so much better. After mine, I felt like I came alive again having to wait 18 months for my surgery really took a toll. And HOORAY for the nausea meds!

So, did the Dr say your band was ok?

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I just found out I had gallstones too. I've been suffering for almost a year now. The pain was in the front of my stomach and I also suffered back spasms on the back side of my stomach in my back...too wierd. Going to a surgeon on Monday March 10th. I can't imagine living in another country with socialized medicine and having to wait that long for care! I can't believe the US is even thinking of doing that! Ugh! Scary!

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Halo - I know! When I read that in the earlier post, my heart dropped. I have elderly parents who really need some sort of health care reform, but they couldn't wait a year, either, if something happened.

I guess every plan has a plus and minus side. I am glad I have had the operation, and as quickly as it happened was a bonus!

***Quick note: The meds given to me for the operation really stopped me up badly! Take some milk of magnesia, colace, or whatever - sorry if that's too much yuck but I wouldn't wish that or the stones on anyone!

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It wasn't very much fun waiting. I know insurance is very expensive, but I'd rather pay for it, and get help when I need it. Hope your appointment goes well. Keep me posted!

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I've had an intense pain in the middle of my stomach just below my sternum. It has happened three times. Last Friday I had a sonogram looking for gallstones and the pain started again when they were poking and proding doing the sonogram. I had skipped Breakfast to have a fasting blood test that morning too. I figured it was that empty stomach pain I get some times. Later, even after I ate some yogurt, I had terrible pain and nausea. Broke into a cold sweat and got the dry heaves. The Dr. sent me to ER. They over reacted and gave me pain killers and anti nausea drugs. I had a reaction to one or both and went into shock and blacked out. Woke up with 6 people working on me, two IV's and an EKG in progress. It took them awhile to get my blood presure back to normal. I did find out that I have a couple of little stones in my gall bladder but not a large amount. We cannot figure out what happened to me. I don't know if the pain was caused by my empty stomach or by gall lader stones. Any one else have this happen? :embaressed_smile:

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Here is my 10 cents worth. Last Monday I was in the ER with belching/burping, chest pains and nausea. My worry was that I had a blood clot in my lung or something since I have one at this time located in a superficial vein in my leg. All of my pain was in the left chest area and radiated into my back left shoulder blade and mid-back area. Needless to say I was worried. I had an EKG, cat-scan and ultrasound/sonogram done on my legs and stomach. No clots to worry about other than the one I have. The results were that I had "some gall stones" I am awaiting a call back from my PC physician as to just how bad it looks, he was gone the last half of the week. ;0( My pain lasted for 4 days and I was sent home with pain killers. The doc said since I was already eating relatively low fat foods and a smart diet that it could have something to do with some gall issues pre-banding that I didn't know about. I have also heard that as you lose weight it can be taxing on the liver and gallbladder removing all of the wastes in the body. As I have been reading and researching this past week I am finding that it appears that band patients do experience some issues with the gallbladder. My doctor also explained that the nerves are all interconnected in the abdomen area and that I could be having some "phantom pains" from my band. I thought it odd since it has been a year almost but as I am reading I guess that it is something that occurs. So, I too, am interested in finding out more about this gall issue and banding if any others care to share their stories it might help us out.

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you might enjoy this link...Gallstones

It's not the band the causes gallstones. But rapid weight loss can cause them. I know of someone about 20 years ago, who lost about 80 pounds, who had to have gallbladder surgery. The good news now is the surgery is pretty easy, and if you are living in the States you can have it quickly.

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Had my attack Tuesday night, had my surgery yesterday. It seems like 2-3 times before the actual attack I did have some pain a few months ago, likely do to the stones themselves, but I didn't know what it was so I didn't do anything about it. The attack was different because I was in so much pain. They saw the stones in an ultra sound. They also had an ultra sound from back in 2006, which showed no stones. My Dr. told my husband that my gall bladder was enlarged, infected, and full of stones. I was lucky to get it out when I did.

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So glad you were able to get it taken care of quickly. Guess you saw my dilema...I was living in England at the time, and had to wait a year and half for surgery.

The surgery is a lot like lapband surgery isn´t it? Take care!

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Had my first ever gallbladder attack last weekend I am also 3 months out from Banding. It took them about 3 dys to get my pancrease calmed down enough to preform the GB removal. I feel great and I am home now. My LB surgeon did the GB surgery also. My appatite has not returned yet but I am able to get my 4 oz down.

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Hi had my attach a week ago - excruciating pain - Doctor was worried it could be acute pancreatitis, turned out a stone was blocking my bile duct. Luckily it passed - but was in Hospital for a couple of days. My Doctor has suggested to wait for 10 days (for the GB to settle down) and then go in for a gallbladder removal surgery. A little tense. :-(

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I'm sorry for your discomfort. I'm sure you will be feeling much better once this is behind you.

I was surprised Dec. 17 this past, when I went to the ER with horrid pain. It was my Gall Bladder and stones had blocked the duct and backed up, infection. They removed it the next day after pumping me with antibiotics and I did just fine.

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All set for my Gall Bladder removal surgery - checking into the hospital tonight! Surgery early tomorrow morning! Fingers crossed!!! :lol:

Edited by sahney

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Praying for you!

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