Waiting for gallbladder surgery

[Butterfly516]

Hi all

I'm new to this forum . I saw my consultant Nov 3rd 2017 . He told me I needed urgent gallbladder removal . I have been hospitalised 4 times because of my severe attacks . It is now oct2018 and still no sign . I have rung the consultants Secretary and waiting list dept . They were both very rude . I've nearly lost my job because of being to ill most weeks . In England you can ask to be referred to another hospital for an operation . But I live in wales and it looks like I do not have that option . I also saw my consultant 3 months ago and he looked exhausted and uninterested in my case . So I have no faith in him or the whole system really . I am seriously considering going into thousands of pounds debt to pay private . I cannot take this pain much longer .

[Mary-intussuception]

This is appalling. Have you written to the Welsh Government or phoned your Assembly Member.

An older friend of mine had the op. But I think she took a cancellation. She actually took ill on holiday but came home rather than go into hospital there. She was hospitalised once then discharged and put on waiting list. But as I said took a cancellation.

Have you ever been admitted with Cholesytisis? Aren't you supposed to be treated as an emergency ?

[Hidden]

Unfortunately with Gallbladders they will leave you as long as possible. I had mine removed 4 years ago. It took me seeing my gp at least once a week as pain relief no longer worked for me for him to write to my consultant.

I personally wouldn’t recommend having gallbladder removal as it’s left me with more problems than I started with. If I had know having the ducts widened was a option or even a possibility i would’ve asked for that. This allows the stones to pass through your body rather than building up in the gallbladder causing the attacks. Do welsh hospitals not have a pals service?

[katieoxo60]

I had major surgery for gallbladder removal over thirty years ago , I was in and operated on within 8 weeks, nowadays it is classed as minor surgery as it can be done by laproscopic proceedure on a day surgery, which is less invasive. I have no after effects but it took a year to recover and I have a scar around 6 inches across the centre of my stomach , not able to wear a bikini :). If you are in persistant pain return to your Gp who may be able to speed up the operation, so you don't end up as an emergency. When in flare up pain they cannot operate as it signifies inflammation, if you are overweight they often keep you waiting and if you are a smoker or have other illness that might make operation more risky. Take care and best wishes for a speedy result.

[Sallyderek]

I often find consultant can be rude but rarely their secretary's. As long as you didn't phone and be demanding then they should not have been rude. I suffered for many years with my gallbladder with that agonising pain and I think on my last episode I passed them. My daughter also suffered and had her gall bladder removed removing 24 small stones and had no long term problems after. I did speak to a lady that had had it done but she still had pain and was told to go on a very low fat diet and now she has no more pain☺️

[allofatremor in reply to Sallyderek]

When you have your next attack phone 111 and they will decide that you need attention immediately and send an ambulance, leaving it unattended can be serious and cause other problems.

I opted for no surgery, and changed my diet and lifestyle another option, but if you say you have been to,d you need urgent surgery it’s about time you were sorted out.

Good luck xxx

[Nick2U]

It’s not exactly fun but if you look up “liver cleanse” or “gallbladder cleanse” on the internet you should be able to find a recipe for taking care of it yourself. There are several out there but More than a decade ago I tried the one that starts with a clear liquid diet for a day, then at a certain point you drink a epsom salt mixture (horrid taste) which will cause your intestines to loosen up and spend a great deal of time on the toilet. Once everything is nearly gone from your intestinal tract you drink a mixture of olive oil and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. It actually tastes great compared With the epsom salt mixture. Next think you do is lay down and you may feel the stones coming out of your gallbladder—which at this point is opened up due to the olive oil and grapefruit mixture. Eventually you will go to the toilet again and see a bunch of little (and not so little) greenish stones left behind. You have to plan to do nothing else for a couple of days because you will literally be spending most of your time on the toilet, and the procedure takes a lot out of you so you won’t be able to do anything else even if you weren’t on the toilet. It worked amazingly well for me and I never worry about having to have my gallbladder removed. Even if the symptoms were to return (which they haven’t) all I would do is repeat the process again. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[Butterfly516]

Thank you guys for all your replys . Unfortunately some of my stones have moved although some remain in gallbladder .some have travelled through the ducts . Although consultant was very vague and to be honest looked in a worse state than me . I have changed my diet to no fat or low fat . I am under weight if anything . I have lost two stone .I am now down to 8 stone . I have no other health issue except pain most days . I have thought and research a detox flush but don't think that would help but will do more research before I make a decision . With winter setting in I don't think I stand much of chance until 2019 for my operation . There is pals in wales thinking about contacting them but they probably bogged down with complaints . My job is quite physically demanded so find it difficult some days . I had my pre op 3months ago so that has relapsed. I think my next step is to see my gp and see what she can do . I have only phoned the waiting list team once and the consultants Secretary once . But the response I got was quiet abrupt .