After four and a half hours in the emergency room last night, the doctor on duty said I'm going to lose mine in the next six months or so, if I'm lucky. Beats having a heart attack; which is what I suspected at about 2:30am.

How big a change in diet does a guy have to make? I'm partial to BBQ, alcohol, fried foods, pizza, red meat, etc. Not too interested in having to give all that up.

One nurse told me that I would just have to be extra careful for about a year until my liver understood that it was going to have to carry the load since my gall bladder will be AWOL.

Plus the Doc said I already have a "fatty" liver. I'm not sure that was a compliment.

Mine was taken out several years ago. I have not noticed any change in food tolerance. Maybe some greasy foods.

Had mine out several years. First couple years you never knew what would send you running to the toilet, to include even water. 7 Up didn't cause the reaction.

I don't know anything about it, but I'd talk to an internist about how to keep it, if possible.

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
After four and a half hours in the emergency room last night, the doctor on duty said I'm going to lose mine in the next six months or so, if I'm lucky. Beats having a heart attack; which is what I suspected at about 2:30am.

How big a change in diet does a guy have to make? I'm partial to BBQ, alcohol, fried foods, pizza, red meat, etc. Not too interested in having to give all that up.

One nurse told me that I would just have to be extra careful for about a year until my liver understood that it was going to have to carry the load since my gall bladder will be AWOL.

Plus the Doc said I already have a "fatty" liver. I'm not sure that was a compliment.

One question: Did you consume a large portion of BBQ yesterday? A good dose of fatty brisket sets mine to hurting bad, mine will have to come out sooner than later, probably. Seriously, I've had similar problems for about five years, if I take it easy on the BBQ brisket and pizza, I rarely have a problem. As for the fatty liver, Dr said losing weight would help, I lost only about 10 pounds and a follow up xray revealed most of the liver fat gone (I'm no Dr but I don't think having fat on your liver is real good for you). As with most things, your experience may vary but when that SOB flares up it will damn sure get your attention.

Went to a follow-up session with my doctor today. He says there is no upside to delaying surgery. He gave me a referral to a surgeon. I meet with him in a week. Surgery probably in August.

thirdbite got my attention with the phrase "near fatal". I'm eating like it's 1999 to paraphrase Prince.

Good luck, bud.

People can be really sick with a bad gallbladder. Sometimes they fill up with 'sludge.' Sometimes you have stones that get trapped either in the gallbladder or in the common bile duct. That can often cause pancreatitis.

If it is a non-emergency procedure they hopefully will be ale to use a scope instead of opening you up.

I have heard of people who had their gallbladder removed but still had a stone in the common bile duct blocking it. They usually check that during surgery.

A fatty liver is not a good thing either.

As far as diet changes go. I suspect moderation is the key.

I hope it goes well and you are back to your 'normal' life soon.

Tom

Have you ever tried a few gallbladder flushes?

be sure and ask the Dr about what future bowel movements will be like.

Be precise and pointed about that issue.

Had a bad attack on a Friday morning-Doctor sent me to the hospital and had my gall bladder removed that evening by laprosopic surgery. Went home the next day, and four weeks later I was on Kodiak, chasing brown bear, and felt great. My surgeon, said he had done over 5,000 gall bladder operations and told me no dietary restrictions, eat what you want. That was three years ago and I haven"t had any problems.

Board-certified in general surgery and plastic surgery....and my wife is a general surgeon. For all intents and purposes you don't really have to change anything about your diet after a cholecystectomy. Throw it in the garbage can and don't look back. Remember, it's a bile reservoir and essentially nothing more.

Now if you worship all those things you mentioned to excess, your gall bag may be the least of your worries. Enjoy all of them but in moderation.

I go by the Tim McGraw song, "Live Like You Were Dying". My wife says I binge at everything; hunting, partying, golfing, eating, working, sleeping, etc. That has been my life for about 45 years. Change might kill me?

This past weekend was fairly typical. Sixteen of us were at The Latin Pig in Plano http://www.thelatinpig.com/ celebrating a despedida for a couple moving away. I believe I ate everything my gall bladder hated whenever my wife wasn't watching. Knocked-down enough wine to become handsome and totally captivating.

Closed the Pig down at 10:00pm. Called it a night at midnight. Got up at 4:00am and drove to Muenster to play golf. Came back and put my feet up. Got up Sunday at 5:30am to play golf. Came back and helped entertain the grand-daughter for a few hours. Grabbed dinner to-go at Noodle Wave. Crashed about 11:00pm. Got up late Monday. Spent the afternoon on Lake Lewisville. Pilates and climbing on hail damaged roofs today. Golf tomorrow.

I haven't told my gall bladder yet that we're breaking-up.

I know Steve 460 is probably lying to me, but I like what he had to say. I'm following his lead.

I plan to donate all my internal and external organs to Norton. Sounds like he and his wife are the only ones smart enough to know what to do with them.

If I gave them to Gato he would probably just smoke them in his backyard and try to sell them for $8.00 / lb.

quote:

I plan to donate all my internal and external organs to Norton. Sounds like he and his wife are the only ones smart enough to know what to do with them.

If I gave them to Gato he would probably just smoke them in his backyard and try to sell them for $8.00 / lb.

Coyote bait.

Damn! That's cold.

Not for the coyote.

Supposed to have had my gall bladder removed this morning. Got a call from the surgeon last night saying the robotics equipment had a technical glitch. That didn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I decided not to go to Plan-B. Switching facilities and rescheduling for next week. Things happen for a reason I guess.

I know someone who had the TV screen burn out in the middle of the operation. So it was back to the old way !
Best luck to all and get a reasonable diet.

quote:

Originally posted by Kensco:
Supposed to have had my gall bladder removed this morning. Got a call from the surgeon last night saying the robotics equipment had a technical glitch. That didn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I decided not to go to Plan-B. Switching facilities and rescheduling for next week. Things happen for a reason I guess.

Best of luck. May He guide the surgeon and all those associated with your surgery and recovery.

I had mine out a couple of years ago. I was the first in my city to have it done with the Davinci Robot. One incision in my belly button. Went home that same afternoon. Returned to the office next day and never thought about it again. No problems of any kind and eat/drink what I want.

jmm01

You're my hero. I want to be just like you; particularly the "eat/drink what I want" part.

Done. Not like I expected, but done anyway.

Supposed to be a robotic, one hole surgery, until the day before the procedure when the machine crapped-out.

Change of machines, change of hospitals. Four days later start the procedure with the robot and they found my gall bladder too enflamed, and too much scar tissue from a ruptured appendix I had removed six years ago. Drill three more holes and perform a standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy. I'm on solid food now. Can't complain.

They tell me I should be good as new in two weeks. That would come in handy since I have a big party in three weeks.