Yet another procedure!!

[momander]

I had a double cabg on 18th January this year and now have to have my gallbladder removed!! This hasnt come as a surprise!! I've known about it for a while. I've to follow a special diet for 2 weeks before the op. Everything weighed and measured!! Doing it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm wondering why no carrots 🤔 no root veg? No salmon? Does anyone know? Also I would really like to find a good diet/ recipe book for going forward after surgery. I'm trying not to listen to horror stories about people who say it was the worst thing they ever had done!! Since my bypass I have developed a bit of health anxiety so I'm trying hard to focus on positive things! I've spoken to people who have had the operation and they have all said it was absolutely fine so I'm focusing on that. Any tips on eating after the op?? I've been told to maybe expect some tummy troubles and diarrhoea for a few days? Any help would be really appreciated

[marypw]

I had mine out two years ago, with keyhole surgery. Very easy op - you might feel a bit tired for a couple of weeks and you have about 4 tiny scars which heal up quickly. Nothing compared to a CABG! (My husband had one)

I’d just recommend very low fat before the op (as per my surgeon) and fairly low fat afterwards. I get the occasional twinge in that area now and have to go easy on cheese and olive oil.

[Palpman]

I had my gallbladder removed 2 years ago after being in agony with gallstones.

After the procedure I was unable to wee for 24 hours and had to have a catheter inserted. Apparently this is common with elderly patients undergoing abdominal surgeries.

The procedure was painless and I declined the pain tablets.

I was not advised on any special diets and carried on as normal without any issues.

[Blearyeyed]

I had my gall bladder removed about ten years ago.I wasn't told not to eat carrots or root veg , in fact I was told to try and eat a mainly plant based low fat diet with more dietary fibre before the operation.

The only suggestion I would have for carrots is that they may want you to eat less vitamin A prior to surgery , although they suggest vitamin A from foods for its antioxidant qualities afterwards. That would also suggest keeping off eggs and offal prior to surgery.

If I hadn't eaten boiled and mashed potatoes without fats before surgery I wouldn't have had that many options left.

I was told to avoid most dairy ( low fat live probiotics natural yoghurt was ok ) and eggs , this I believe had a lot to do with how much gas they can cause.

I don't know why they would say salmon specifically, I did need to avoid all oily fish and salmon is one , and any type of fat on meat , because it did inflame my symptoms but I was encouraged to try and get protein from other fish and lean chicken if I could manage to.

You definitely should avoid any fish tinned in oil because of the added fat content.

I needed to avoid beans and pulses , again for fat content and the gas they cause , but by the time I got to having my operation my system was generally inflamed so things that may not effect others with stable symptoms did effect me. I do eat them in small portions now as they are a good source of healthy fats and fibre.

The main advice , and it's a pattern of eating I have stuck to since surgery was to eat five smaller portion meals a day instead of three big ones. Only eat when hungry and as soon as you feel satisfied stop , don't feel like you must clear your plate. Drink the recommended amount of water each day and drink water while eating to reduce the effect of stomach acid and bloating.

And of course , prior to surgery, keep off fatty foods of all types . Cut fat or skin off meat and fish , Don't eat processed foods. Reduce sugar and avoid artificial sweeteners as you want to get kidney and liver healthy prior to surgery. Boil , steam or cook without oil. Try and eat nutrient rich foods like fruit and vegetables. Continue the very basic diet for a month us my advice after the surgery to prevent flaring up pain then reintroduce foods with healthy fats , red meat , dairy and eggs very slowly.

Not a horror story but just a fact. It is very painful in general for some time after the surgery as they do need to push and prod a lot of stuff about to remove it and reattach the biliary tube. It can be controlled with pain killers though and care while you move , plus plenty of rest. You will be likely to get diarrhea rather than constipation as the body gets used to a constant small flow of bile instead of having that controlled by the gall bladder. Avoid any heavy lifting , vacuuming or abdominal exercises for at least a month afterwards it will just flare the pain up.

A way to reduce how bad you feel and improve the speed of your recovery is to do some gentle abdominal muscle exercises , walking and other gentle physical activity for at least a few weeks beforehand, the firmer muscle helps in the healing process, Keep well hydrated and moisturise you skin , especially in the abdominal area with a nutrient rich lotion as this helps improve your skin which again improves healing. Take vitamin and mineral supplements after food to improve your general body health and give it lots of nutrients to use in your recovery. Finally , do the Kegel exercises to improve bowel and bladder muscles and nerve control, available as a PDF for men or women on the NHS Direct website . Why? Because a combination of the after effects of surgery , nerve relaxants for pain loosening the lower muscles , and the change on bile levels can mean you have diarrhea. Firming up those muscles and getting better control of them can stop little accidents and make it easier to get to the loo and go easily once you are there.

Finally , you can get good ideas for recipes from the Diabetes UK website , just check the fat content on them first, Basically , if you follow a Mediterranean style nutrient rich Diet for Life , reducing fat quantity and eating good day instead of bad , eating home cooked instead of processed foods , avoiding artificial sweeteners and additives, increase soluble fibre and limit saturated fats to small occasional treats it can work well without feeling tortuous. Oh , I also drink various flavours of green and black unsweetened tea , and either eat a sharp green apple or drink a glass of unsweetened sharp apple juice a day as it seems to help improve liver function and has reduced the times I get biliary pain ( which can happen if the reason you needed the surgery is because you have other pancreatic issues but doesn't happen if you needed the gall bladder out for basic gall stone issues).

If you want anymore advice feel free to message me on the chat , I'm happy to help, Bee

[momander in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thank you so much for your reply. It sounds as if this procedure was a bit of a horror story for you along with all.your other healthh conditions. I'm so sorry you ate suffering with all these conditions. I am following the instructions of my consultant and nutse practitioner and am adopting a positive outlook to the operstion itself and the recovery. I have never been in pain or discomfort with my gallstones. They were detected when I had an ultrasound. Just bad luck for me. If I can go through a bypass then I can go through this. Thank you again for your lengthy reply. I'm sorry this was your experience. I hope its not mine. I've been assured it won't be.

[Blearyeyed in reply to momander]

If you aren't in pain and suffering symptoms then I'm sure things will go much more smoothly for you.Hope I didn't make it sound like a horror story , that wasn't my intention at all, as I said above with the pain killers for any post surgical pain and rest and care it's not so bad . To be frank , in my case , the pain afterwards was only half as bad as the pain from the inflamed gall bladder so oddly it felt like a relief to me. I was back on my feet and back home in 36 hours , I'd have been happy to go home sooner if I hadn't had to wait for prescriptions and the drain to be removed.

I would be happy that they spotted the gall stones and gave decided on the elective surgery straight away. I had , had an ultrasound 2 years before my symptoms got really bad but they chose to leave it despite the fact that I already had pain. If you can get it removed before problems start , I'd say the quicker the better.

And the diet you can eat afterwards is as enjoyable and varied , really much like they diet we should all be having generally to stay healthily, just with smaller portions .

Good luck with it and my wishes for a speedy recovery , Bee

[momander in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thank you for your good wishes 😀 I think.im just anxious about having another invasive procedure after having a double cabg!! I've been assured its OK and safe so I need to hold on to that!! I hope you ate not I too much discomfort with all your health conditions. Take care.🫂

[Blearyeyed in reply to momander]

Despite the obstacles , I enjoy my simple pleasures and take what I can from life. I'm always looking for the silver linings each day , no matter how thin they might be, keeping relaxed and positive does seem to help me, thanks so much for thinking off me , take care , Bee

[momander in reply to Blearyeyed]

It is no.proplem.to think of you. Its a pleasure. Kindness costs nothing and the rewards are plentiful!! Xx

[Blearyeyed in reply to momander]

Hear, Hear, x💖🌈💕

[momander in reply to Blearyeyed]

💞💞🙏

[Qualipop in reply to Blearyeyed]

Do you have a link for those Epley exercises? I tried searching but it had nothing for Epley.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Qualipop]

Many apologies and thanks for pointing it out , I've changed it above , my tablet autocorrected the name (that will teach me to write about two exercises after each other ) the name is Kegel exercises , not Epley. Goodness know why tablets do that , the Epley is to do with Vertigo!I am useless at adding links but this definitely works I've just checked.

If you put :

Bladder and Bowel Community Pelvic Floor exercises

into Google the link that you are sent to from the NHS website pops up at the top of the list.

Tap on it , the PDF printouts for male or female specific exercises are there to download at the bottom of the article , the article also gives useful tips on doing the exercises themselves. You can actually do them just lying on the bed or in a chair . If you don't get there drop me another reply and I will try and sort it out with a link.

[Qualipop in reply to Blearyeyed]

It's easily done. Auto correct can be a nuisance. That's a real shame now I know the proper name. I have nerve damage and must not do kegel exercises. I thought I'd finally found something that could help with the effects of 20 years of opiates. Thank you anyway.

[Blearyeyed in reply to Qualipop]

Have they given you other exercise options that you can do?If you know , and don't mind saying the name of the type of nerve damage you have I'd be happy to do a bit of research and speak to my physio and private message you if I find anything out.

[Qualipop in reply to Blearyeyed]

No problem; I have bouts of pudendal neuralgia which is totally unbearable and extremely difficult to get rid of. It's caused by spinal nerve damage which irritates the muscles around the nerve and traps it. The nerve has 3 branches; two of mine are affected. Even sitting on a hard chair can set it off. I must not do anything that could tighten up those muscles. It to ok me a very long time to ease the last bout. Believe me it's not something you ever want to experience.

[Rosie1066]

I had my Gallbladder removed in 2009 and never had any problems post op. It was only when I went for the pre op assessment for the Gallbladder that they found out how bad my Aortic Stenosis was and sent me off to get the heart sorted first. The open heart surgery had to come first and I got it very quickly and finally had the Gallbladder removed the after waiting a year until I was over the OHS.

[jeanjeannie50]

I had my gallbladder removed by micro surgery last year and I was so grateful to be rid of the awful pain of stones. I felt fine right afterwards and had no pain or problems whatsoever. My daughter came to look after me, but went home after a day as I was so well and buzzing around.

I have always had healthy meals, but unfortunately do still have lapses of eating things like biscuits, chocolate and doughnuts. I'm better not having any goodies around as I want to eat them all. I so admire those people who can keep things like that in the cupboard for ages. I think I'm a sugar-aholic, but I do my best not to buy those things. I buy nuts and fruit instead.

A nursing friend once told me something about carrots. I think it was that they could be mistaken for blood when having a stool test.

Jean

[Jazz100]

Can I ask why you are having your gallbladder removed if you have no pain. I have some sludge and a bit of inflammation but no one has suggested surgery.

My sister has had hers removed after extreme pain. She has dumping syndrome…a variation of IBS but it’s manageable.

Just curious as to why if it’s not bothering you why get it out.

[momander in reply to Jazz100]

A very good question!! Firstly I didnt ask for it to be taken out!! re your " if its not bothering you why get it out" comment. The consultant surgeon recommended it be removed as I could have a nasty flare up if the stones decided to grow or move!! I also have stones in my bile duct even though I have a healthy 100% functioning liver!! They are quite bamboozled about that as apparently its very rare!? It all started last year when I had my 2nd heart attack and I was given another stent. The hospital changed one of my anti platelet meds and I started getting upset stomach and very uncomfortable indigestion/ acid reflux symptoms. Both my GP and I thought it was the change of tablet!? She sent me for an ultrasound and it identified gallstones. By the time I saw a consultant, I had had a 3rd heart attack and both stents had collapsed along with 2 arteries. I then had a double cabg. Although I have had no discomfort since January to speak of apart from the odd twinge, it was felt that it would be a good idea to remove the gallbladder and zap the stones in the bile duct. I was given the opportunity not to have the operation but I dont want to end up being blue lighted to hospital for an emergency operation. I do hope that answers your question and allays your curiosity.

[Kelling]

You gotta be alive to complain