GALL BLADDER SURGERY

HI EVERYONE,

    i'm a 17 yr old female & i'll b getting my gall bladder removed soon due 2 alot of gall stones! i'm on the heavy side & was wondering if i would lose any weight from this surgery! i'll probably b getting it done the old way b/c of my size! : o (

[SallyA]

Hi Jean,

weight loss could only realistically be expected if there are complications - and you don't want that.  Also after the surgery you may need to pay more attention to your diet as removal of gall bladder may affect your digestion, particularly of fatty foods.

Weight loss is a matter of lifestyle management.  It would be recommended to try to lose some weight before the surgery as this will greatly reduce your recovery time and the risk of complications.  I know a lot of people who have had success on weight watchers 1-2-3 plan, which seems to be one of the most 'realistic' weight loss/lifestyle programmes around.  Perhaps you could have a look - it is available on line or in meetings.

You are very young to be having gall-bladder removal.  Have you looked at other management options - second opinion?  There are lots of people on this site who could share experiences with you - do some on-line research as well.

Take Care

[GABI]

I HAD MY GALL BLADDER REMOVED THREE WEEKS AGO AND LOST A COUPLE OF POUNDS DUE TO NOT HAVING MUCH OF AN APPETITE AFTER SURGERY. YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK VERY CLOSELY AT YOUR DIET AFTER THE OP, AS I DID AND I'M ABOUT AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR MY SIZE.
THE OP WILL ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE A MUCH HEALTHIER, LOW FAT DIET WHICH CAN ONLY HELP YOU WITH YOUR WEIGHT LOSS. GOOD LUCK WITH THE SURGERY

[jean_d]

actually, iv'e been on a diet since feb. & i try 2 get only 30% fat a day! i've lost probably between 25-30 lbs, so far! all the sudden, in april, i started getting really bad attacks, so i got an ultrasound, which showed alot of gall stones, so my dr. set a date 2 talk w/ the surgeon & he thinks there's something wrong w/my liver, so i had 2 get a cat scan! that showed that i have alot of fat tissue in my liver, so i gotta get more bloodwork 2 see if my enzymes r going down! if they r, then i think i'll b goin back 2 the surgeon 2 set a date 4 surgery!ughh!!! THANX 4 answering my ?!!!
i don't ever eat really, really fatty foods anymore, so i guess i'll just lose the rest of this weight the way i am now: low,fat diet & exercise! THANX AGAIN!!!  
                                Jean_d

[GABI]

hey,well done. It sounds like your doing great with the weight loss anyway. I'm only 29 so also quite young to have gall bladder surgery, although unfortunately it hasn't solved my problem. Let me know more about your liver results though. My sister has just had her gall bladder taken out and has also got a problem with her liver so would be interested to hear whats happening with you.
Keep up the good work
gabi

[jean_d]

i'll b going 2 the dr. on the 24th 2 find out the results from the bloodwork, so i'll let u know what's happening! ok, GABI?
                                     jean_d

[HJDJ]

jean_d & gabi

I recently found out that I have N.A.S.H. which is a liver disease caused by a fatty build up in the liver.  I had to have an upper GI, ultrasound, and a biopsy for them to diagnose me with this.

I've also had my gall bladder removed as well.  (all of this within the last couple of years)  I am young for all of this to happen as well.  I'm a 26 year old female.  Please keep me posted as to your test results, etc.  I'm curious to know what they tell you.

Since all of this has happened my bowel movements have been abnormal as well.  I'm not too sure if it's because of the gall bladder not being there or the liver disease.

[annamariea]

Hello to all, I was very interested in reading your letters, I too have recently had my gallbladder takne out, yet I find it that no matter what I eat, I am having pains and feel like I am about to get sick?...Are any of you having the same problems?...I am to also go back in and have my liver funciton tested by some type of blood work?....I am really upset that by having this gallbladder taken out that it does not seem to be the true problem here...I will keep looking to hear from all of you, and hopefully we can all help one another....God Bless, Annamarie

[nichols1040]

Hey everyone I was 19 when I had my gall bladder removed. Before the surgery I lost about 16lbs. It was about a pund a day which dropped me down to 104lbs, this was the first hint, the second was gall bladder attacks.A year after the surgery I gained back about 6lbs.  After the surgery I did really good for about 3 months then I started getting sick and nausea and having to run to the bathroom whenever I ate. If this is a problem with others this is why, When you have your gall bladder removed the liver takes over and produces bile to digest fat.  But it does not know how to regulate the release of bile just like the gall bladder, so there for bile is dumped into the stomach in large amounts causing nausea, stomach cramps and diarreha. Stress can intensify this problem dramatically. Don't worry there is help out there to help these symptoms. I went to a Doctor and told him my problem, He prescribed me Hyoscyamine .125mg, it took about a week for it to kick in and I was able to eat normally once again. I really recommend this drug it has no side effects and works wonders.
                          Brianna

[heraldgirl]

When I was 10 I had liver cancer.  I had part of my liver removed and also my gall bladder.  I am 21 now.  Recently I was told that having your gall bladder removed helps in weight control since you are not able to digest fat as well.  Is this true?

[igrant]

I had gall baldder surgery two months ago and have had a lot of problems since. I have either bouts of diarrhea and nausea or constipation. NOthing in between. I'm still on a low fat diet and have trouble digesting food. I  have had two bladder infections and two yeast infections, probably because of all the antibiotics I had. Has anyone found any drugs that help deal with these kind of problems.

Thanks.