I am on day 6 from having mine removed due to biliary dyskinesia. The surgeon said it was inflammed and had lots of scar tissue on it.
I am still really weak and get shakey if I'm up too long, and although the pain is better, it is still very much painful.
My original gallbladder pain/area seems better, but I have a lot of "new" pain all over my abdomen, especially around the 4 incisions. My back hurts, too. I don't think it is from the O2 because my stomach was very squishy and soft right after the surgery...doc said he got most of it out.
I have heard so many people say they felt fine after a few days, so this has me worried something is wrong. My mom went back to work after 5 days and thinks I shouldn't be feeling like this by now.
Last night, I had an episode of some sort. I got super hot and sweat started popping out of my forehead and I felt like I was going to faint.
Should I be concerned? Is this normal?
I did have to stay overnight in the hospital because I didn't handle the anesthesia and Dilaudid very well at all. I was super drugged and not able to get up and use the bathroom.
Just wish for once that something would've gone my way and been easy.
Posted by chastain (Member # 34236) on :
My gallbladder was removed from complications from Lyme. I had no stones but it was down to 4 percent functioning, the lowest my surgeon had ever seen.
I had pain diffusely spread throughout my abdomen for 2 days after surgery. Then it went away entirely. I think that you should call your surgeon to be honest. The surgeon can make sure you didn't develop any post op complications. I am not trying to scare you, but in my experience and in the experience of 2 of my friends who lost their gallbladders (though not from Lyme) post op pain at that level days after is not common.
Contact your surgeon. Better safe than sorry. I wish you good health. Jess.
Posted by momintexas (Member # 23391) on :
I was in the hospital for 6 days with mine. Did you have stones? Could a stone possibly been missed?
It could just be that you are having a harder time due to the anesthesia but I agree that you should probably call your Dr just to be sure.
Do you have a follow up appt from your surgery?
Posted by Hambone (Member # 29535) on :
I had two ultrasounds prior, and no stones. My HIDA was 5%.
The surgeon used dye to check my bile ducts after he took out my g-bladder and everything was fine.
I *think* it might be a combination of not using the painkillers when I got home and my abdominal muscles have tensed up, all the drugs...and dehydration. I've noticed I'm not pee'ing as much. Trying to drink more.
I'll call him tomorrow if I still feel this lousy. I feel bad he had to work on the 4th of July because of me, I don't want to bug him on the weekend, too. I just hate bugging people.
Thanks y'all.
I have a follow up appt. scheduled for the 20th.
Posted by momintexas (Member # 23391) on :
Don't feel bad about calling them if you start to feel worse - that's what they are there for. Better to be safe than sorry.
Take care of yourself. I hope you feel better soon.
Posted by faithful777 (Member # 22872) on :
My gallbladder was full of stones (although I didn't know that before they took it out). I had a second procedure the next day to take the stones out of the biliary duct.
I got past the pain fairly quickly, but it knocked the wind out of me. I pretty much stayed in bed almost a month. I just couldn't get up and do anything.
Perhaps the anesthesia is still affecting you. I went to my naturepath and had a vitamin bag plus a glutathione push to get me out of bed. It did the trick for me.
When in doubt, I would speak to your doctor to make sure you are really okay.
Posted by randibear (Member # 11290) on :
I was off work for about six weeks. Tremendous pain and vomiting. Lost 35'pounds. Wish I had never had it out cause I only had sludge. Don't think the surgeon knew What he was doing either. Took months to finally recover and i still have problems today
Posted by Maryland Mom (Member # 2043) on :
Was this laparoscopic, or the old fashioned large incision? That would alter the expected recovery time.
The "new" pain around your incisions has me thinking you should call your doctor--you should be rechecked to see if you've developed an infection post-surgery.
Most post surgical infections begin 3-5 days after surgery. Are you running a fever?
This does not sound like a typical recovery from what you tell us--call your doctor!!
Posted by Razzle (Member # 30398) on :
I had severe pain around my incisions for 2 weeks after my laproscopic gallbladder removal surgery. And yes, I felt shaky and weak for those 2 weeks as well.
I had a previously scheduled appointment for which I had to go on an airplane. That was horrendous to do with the surgical scars still hurting so badly.
But luckily the appointment was with a well known Neurologist, and he gave me a nerve block (spinal injection) and that cleared up the pain.
So is this pain you are feeling new or worse than when you first got home from the surgery?
If yes to either or both questions, then you do need to contact the surgeon and make sure they understand that this is a worsening and/or new pain at the surgery incision sites.
Posted by Rumigirl (Member # 15091) on :
I had pain for 1 1/2-2 weeks after having my GB out. It took a long time to get rid of the gas they use to inflate you with, and that was the worst of the pain.
Plus, the incisions, and where they mucked about inside hurt a lot! I think people's pain or lack of it is very individual. 6 days afterwards is still within the range of normal, I believe.
But still, it wouldn't hurt to contact your surgeon, and maybe go in for a post-op visit.
People's reaction or lack thereof in terms of digestion is also all over the map. I have had digestive trouble ever since (surgery 3rd week in January), although it's a lot better than it was.
Feel better! Surgery is surgery; it's no walk in the park, even if this is supposed to be not such a bad surgery.
Posted by smiles132002 (Member # 7949) on :
I had mine taken out 1 month into IV rocephin. They didn't check before we put the central line in but guess I had them for over a year. I had 3 stones almost the size of my gallblatter-not sure how I functioned for so long.
I spent 2 days in the hospital. I would have stayed there a week if my insurance would have paid for it. It took me 2 weeks to be mobile and about 3 months before I was like really back to normal. I was also very sick and doing IV rocephin and oral meds throughout the recovery which I think made it take longer.
I asked for perocet and spent much of the two weeks passout on that stuff. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but the soreness and re-introduction to food was tough-now I can eat whatever I want.
Call your doc if you are concerned. Good luck!
Posted by Maryland Mom (Member # 2043) on :
Generalized abdominal pain for 1-2 weeks after this surgery is normal, and incisional pain is normal. INCREASED pain at the incision sites several days after surgery is not normal, nor is developing redness, swelling, increased tenderness, or drainage.
If you start running a fever of 101 or greater 3-5 days after surgery--CALL.
Any other symptoms that may be in a gray area about whether you should be concerned, call the doctor's office to discuss your new or changing symptoms. Many doctors have a triage nurse that you can speak to by phone to help you sort out whether you've got any problems that need to be addressed by the doctor.
Everybody reacts to this surgery a little differently. Some may be sicker than others going in, have more infection that they are dealing with, other co-existing illnesses, different pain tolerances...many variables to consider. If in doubt--call.
I told my own hair-raising tale of my own GB surgery here years ago, don't see the need to repeat it now. Was very sick, had weird complications. Suffice it to say, we are different.
Once I got out of the hospital, my biggest frustration was not being able to play my clarinet effectively! I was a member of our church's praise team, showed up for practice three days after being released, but could not get my diaphragm to function properly!! I think it took two more weeks for that to resolve.
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Just wish for once that something would've gone my way and been easy.