Gallstones

adymarie

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Has anyone had them? I was diagnosised with 1 almost 3 years ago while preggers with Kevin - it was the size of a golfball. They didn't want to do anything with it then due to the pregnancy and the fact it wasn't overly bothering me (except affter certain meals - usually buffet dinners). But for the past week or so, I have been experience pain. I have had a history of getting kidney stones many times and I always pass them, but you can't pass a gall stone the size of a golf ball.

What is your experience with gall stones?
 

strange_wings

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Several years ago, when I was 16, I started having pain. Generally a few hours after I ate, worse at night, severe pain in the mornings.
After a few months of that, then several weeks of intense pain that left me completely bedridden (I could not uncurl from a fetal position) my father finally took me to the doctor.
The doctor ordered a lower GI done, stones or polyps showed up on the ultra sound. It was actually rather funny when the person found them, she went and got two other people because she wasn't sure what she was seeing. Here I was 17 at the time, 110lbs and never been overweight.


I was put on antibiotics because the doctor thought that a piece of stone might have tried to pass but became stuck, thus causing an infection. I probably should have had surgery.. my father refused.


So I'm at the same place you are. I have to watch everything I eat. No fast food, no fried greasy foods, absolutely nothing that could set it off if I can help it.

If I ever have another acute attack, it's coming out.

Since you have a large stone, golf ball size?!!
you will need surgery. It's a matter of time until you get an infection if that's not what is causing your pain right now. See a doctor soon and get something done about it, you do not want it rupturing or the infection to spread.
 
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adymarie

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

Several years ago, when I was 16, I started having pain. Generally a few hours after I ate, worse at night, severe pain in the mornings.
After a few months of that, then several weeks of intense pain that left me completely bedridden (I could not uncurl from a fetal position) my father finally took me to the doctor.
The doctor ordered a lower GI done, stones or polyps showed up on the ultra sound. It was actually rather funny when the person found them, she went and got two other people because she wasn't sure what she was seeing. Here I was 17 at the time, 110lbs and never been overweight.


I was put on antibiotics because the doctor thought that a piece of stone might have tried to pass but became stuck, thus causing an infection. I probably should have had surgery.. my father refused.


So I'm at the same place you are. I have to watch everything I eat. No fast food, no fried greasy foods, absolutely nothing that could set it off if I can help it.

If I ever have another acute attack, it's coming out.

Since you have a large stone, golf ball size?!!
you will need surgery. It's a matter of time until you get an infection if that's not what is causing your pain right now. See a doctor soon and get something done about it, you do not want it rupturing or the infection to spread.
Joy - looks like I'm going to have to make an appointment with the doctor about this. Maybe I'll get time to go next week. I have to take Derek in for his shots anyway....
 

catsallover

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I had gallstones at 16, too, and had my gallbladder out (I wasn't overweight either, and have eaten a low fat diet all my life- literally- but my Cystic Fibrosis makes me more predisposed to get them).

They will probably be able to do the laproscopic surgery to take it out (unless you have other GI issues, which I did) so you shouldn't be down for too long. I agree- better to go ahead and get it taken out while you are feeling okay, because an infection is absolutely awful! And will require a longer stay in the hospital while the infection gets cleared up...

So sorry you have this- it is one of the worse pains I think I have ever had- including labor!
 
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adymarie

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Originally Posted by catsallover

I had gallstones at 16, too, and had my gallbladder out (I wasn't overweight either, and have eaten a low fat diet all my life- literally- but my Cystic Fibrosis makes me more predisposed to get them).

They will probably be able to do the laproscopic surgery to take it out (unless you have other GI issues, which I did) so you shouldn't be down for too long. I agree- better to go ahead and get it taken out while you are feeling okay, because an infection is absolutely awful! And will require a longer stay in the hospital while the infection gets cleared up...

So sorry you have this- it is one of the worse pains I think I have ever had- including labor!
So far it isn't as bad as kidney stones - I get those at least once a year - dr called me a stone thrower. I'll call tomorrow to make an appointment.
 

starryeyedtiger

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My niece Terra had to have her gallbladder removed after she had her first baby, Kaitlynn. She was in severe pain through the end of her pregnany (they thought it was just back pain) and then after Kaitlynn was born it got soo bad we took her back to the ER- they immdiately took it out. She hasn't had any problems ever since. They did the surgery with a laser i believe and it was just a few tiny dot type incisions on her tummy- you can't even tell she had the surgery done today!!! If ya'll are in that much pain- it might be a good idea to consider having your gall bladder out at your doctors recommendation. Terra hasn't had any problems since she's had her out!
 

gemlady

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I had them and they would pass (sick as a dog when they did) but I had to have surgery when one - only one - got lodged in my bile duct. I turned a lovely bilious shade of yellow Mom tells me. And this was during my final week of my final semester at college! Missed finals and graduation ceremony though I was allowed to take the finals when I was up to it.

Sis followed suit several years later. She was at work and called Dad to take her home (hubby at work). He said no and drove her straight to the hospital.

If you know you have one that large you should seriously consider having it removed.
 

gemlady

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Oh, and mine was removed just before they announced the laparoscopic method.
 

kittiesx2

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I had my gallbladder removed almost 3 years ago.
When I was pregnant with my youngest son I thought that I was having really bad heartburn and ate a lot of tums...which did nothing for it.
After Aiden was born the pain actually became worse..to the point that I was waking up in the middle of the night sobbing. I hardly ate anything because more than a few bites made the pain unbearable. I lost 20 lbs in 2 weeks ( all of my pregnancy weight!)
I finally went to the dr. when he was about 3 weeks old. They did an ultrasound to diagnose the stones (several small and 1 golfball sized) and a few days later I went in for outpatient surgery.
The surgery wasn't as bad as I thought that it would be. I was only in the hospital for 3-4 hours and everything was done endiscopically (sp?) and so I only have two small scars. One is in my belly button and the other is about 3 inches above my belly button.
I had to take it easy for a couple of days but the pain from my gallbladder was gone immediately after surgery.
I would suggest eating only low and fat-free foods and small snack size meals until you go to the doctor. It really helped me
 

catsallover

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Yeah, the old way, um, sucks, basically, doesn't it? They told me I was going to have laproscopic surgery (relatively new when I had mine out), and would be in almost no pain when I woke up, and then when they took a peek, they decided that I had too many adhesions from previous surgeries for the laproscopic, and what the heck, lets clean out the old adhesions, too...so I woke up with a foot long insicion and thought I was gonna die!
And since then, I've had abdominal, laproscopic surgery with no problems (and they cleaned out a few more adhesions that way, too...Ah, the good old days...NOT!

Laser surgery, huh? That sounds lovely (believe it or not! LOL
).
 

kittiesx2

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Originally Posted by catsallover

Yeah, the old way, um, sucks, basically, doesn't it? They told me I was going to have laproscopic surgery (relatively new when I had mine out), and would be in almost no pain when I woke up, and then when they took a peek, they decided that I had too many adhesions from previous surgeries for the laproscopic, and what the heck, lets clean out the old adhesions, too...so I woke up with a foot long insicion and thought I was gonna die!
And since then, I've had abdominal, laproscopic surgery with no problems (and they cleaned out a few more adhesions that way, too...Ah, the good old days...NOT!

Laser surgery, huh? That sounds lovely (believe it or not! LOL
).
Oops...I meant Laproscopic
 

denice

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I had mine taken out the old way about a year before they started doing the laproscopic surgery in this area. A friend of mine's daughter had it done the easy way and it is a lot easier. The only problem she had was pain in her shoulders afterward. The doctor told her the gas they use to fill the abdomin to do the surgery rises before it is absorbed by the body and ends up in the shoulders. It only lasted a day or two.
 
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