How big is an average gallbladder?

[cyko9]

Hi, I am a 29yo female. I was dianosed with 2 large stones 1/11/07 after having gall attacks.

I won't type out a long story right now because I am ill and crying, I know, sad.

I found a lump at the beginning of this year near my belly button which was very tender, saw 3 doctors, including the surgeon that will eventually be taking it out, only to be told it was my bowel.
I knoew it wasn't as it was still there when my bowel was dead empty after drinking the fluid prior to a colonoscopy.

Finally got an ultrasound last week, it is my gallbladder, all 30cm of it and it is now 5 cm from my pubic bone.
Went to emergency only to be told that if I turn yellow to come back :(

I am not yellow, but I have been having hot flushes,feeling ill, finding it hard to breathe at times, feel like I have a babies foot under my rib.

My questions are: Can an enlarged gallbladder effect the lung(as in space) ?

                            How big is a "normal" gallbladder?

                            My gallbladder is 30cm long and 4cm wide, is it full of bile?
                            And what are my chances of not having a massive cut if it bursts?
                            Is this abnormally big? It has grown to this size since an ultrasound in december.

                            I have a stone stuck in the neck, is this dangerous?

Any answers to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated as I'm not getting any from the health proffesionals.

Kind regards, Barb .

[Neo50]

I was planning on doing one of those "quack flushes" but I am herbally oriented and I was pursuing that angle first while researching the best way to do the lemon juice olive oil epson salt thing. I am reluctant to drink Epson salts or that much olive oil at once.  I just past a stone the other night on the herbal and supplement method without help of the "quack flush" method.  I got a little sicker before I got better. . . more stones to go.  I need to refine my technique.  More raw fruit and vegetables especially and then just refine and continue what I am doing now.  It will take longer this way, but it probably would've anyway.  I am not sure about the "quack" flush anymore.  I am sure it scares out a few stones now and then, but is it the best method? Is it worth it?  Thanks for the quackwatch link.  It helps to get a more scientific report from the doubters.

[Neo50]

gallstones are made of differnt kinds of material depending. . .if yours are pure cholesterol they may well float.  Did your liver flutter at night when you were passing them?  That is what I have experience and heard described by others as well.

[Neo50]

I just passed a stone the other night experimenting with herbs, malic acid lecthicin, organic lemon rind, orange oil (tiny amt.) and coffee.  I felt my liver flutter at night and past a small clay colored stool with a stone sticking in the side of it.  I was 't sure it was a stone until I heard that your liver flutters (i thought i was having palpitations, except it felt good) when you pass a stone.  Then I got sicker and gassier and more constipated.  This why these things need to be done with a fruit fast and/or juice fast. Now that I've had a bowel movement I feel much better. Onward!  Lots of info online and on youtube. Watch and read lots--you never know what little detail will help you. Andreas Moritz wrote The Amazing liver and gallbladder Flush--a good place to start.

[Neo50]

I just passed a stone the other night experimenting with herbs, malic acid lecthicin, organic lemon rind, orange oil (tiny amt.) and coffee.  I felt my liver flutter at night and past a small clay colored stool with a stone sticking in the side of it.  I was 't sure it was a stone until I heard that your liver flutters (i thought i was having palpitations, except it felt good) when you pass a stone.  Then I got sicker and gassier and more constipated.  This is why these things need to be done with a fruit fast and/or juice fast. Now that I've had a bowel movement I feel much better. Onward!  Lots of info online and on youtube. Watch and read lots--you never know what little detail will help you. Andreas Moritz wrote The Amazing liver and gallbladder Flush--a good place to start.  Its a for real thing!

[cyko9]

I am so happy you are feeling better.
I understand you on the pain, I'd rather have a baby then go through that again.

I had my appointment last wk but i had to cancel as was to ill to drive(bloody flu) so have one in a wk.

My tummy pain is fine now, still have bathroom issues but I don't think it is G bladder related.

[boron]

Your post is a nice encouragment for furter writing...

[puddleduck]

BARB AND BORON!  

Well, surgery was Monday 06.23.08 and I cannot even believe they call that an "outpatient" procedure.  I did stay overnight since they couldn't get my blood pressure under control nor could they get my pain even remotely tolerable.  

Today is the first day I left my house and it was a little challenging but I did it.  Most of the time I was in the hospital hyperventilating from the pain.  Silly me, thought I had a high threshold for pain.  The nurses did tell me that moving would make it heal faster and I suppose I must say that they were probably right since I am feeling even better tonight than I was this morning.  

I want to thank you all for your advice!  I haven't had any bathroom issues - then again, I've only eaten jello since Monday.  But if that changes I'll be going in for more testing.  I am curious about what happened with your results, are you feeling any better yet Barb?  

And again, thank you to you Boron because I was FREAKING out and your link made sense and put my mind at ease.  

[Mikie007]

I had cervical neck surgery 3 months ago. After surgery, there was no desire or feeling to poop. The MRI at fist showed full colon and intestines, then after about 30 days, nothing was still working and then we went to the hydrocolonics clinic and had everything cleaned out. Since then, nothing has happened, 100 days with no BM. I have to go to the Hydrocolonics clinic every 3 days now to get cleaned.  They tried everything form Reglan to you name it. THe doc who did the surgery will not talk or answer any questions, we found out that I had stopped breathing several times after the ventilator was removed in the OR. Then when I was finally breathing again after the crash cart came in 3 times, the doc ordered the recovery room anesthesiologist to give me 10 mg of Valium and 160 mg of Oxycontin.  No one knows what's wrong and I have been passed to 7 doctors now. All everyone seems to care about if I am suing the doctor who did the surgery.  Is there anyone who knows what this is??? I was 100% fine prior to surgery.

I was also given Reglan during surgery, and I had no problem for that medication.  

[cyko9]

I'm sorry you are having these problems :(

I do find I can eat more freely, but fatty foods tend to make me have gall attacks, even though I have no gall bladder,lol.

Have you had a colonoscopy? I will be getting my results back soon, I had inflammation and they took a biopsy, they believed my gall bladder had nothing to do with my toilet problem.

As for the yellow things you are passing, I have no idea, I would be seeing my gp if I was you.

Keep us updated.

[boron]

Oh my, this is the right link:
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/flushes.html

[puddleduck]

Thanks for your information - I tried to use the link but it comes back as invalid.  I did notice that the link says "images/google" and "oral+thrush" - can you repost the link?  Please and thank you!  

[boron]

Gallstones should sink, according to this source:
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=oral+thrush&gbv=2

These yellow balls mystery appeared here in the forum few times lately, in your case it's probably fat.

[puddleduck]

This is going to be long Barb and I apologize for that so far you're the first person that has experienced what my life has been like since October of 2007.  

At first it wasn't that bad, I thought it was just that I was getting older (36) and that my stomach was more sensitive than before.  But as it stands today - there is very little I can eat without going to the bathroom immediately after.  

The only tests that have been done so far is an ultrasound and an upper GI.  The upper GI came back normal but they could not identify my gallbladder in the ultrasound, it was a "dark, shadowy mass" which apparently indicates that it is "filled" with stones.  I have an appointment to have my gallbladder out on 06.23.08, however, just yesterday I believe that I have started passing stones.  They are a little bigger than a kernal of corn, they are bright yellow and they float.  By the way I have not eaten anything that resembles these things either.  So far I have seen 3 since yesterday.  Should I be contacting the surgeon to see if my surgery can be moved up?  That was the next available surgery appointment...  

So, I guess what I'm wondering from you Barb is that now that it's been a couple weeks since the removal - are you still having the same symptoms?  Can you eat freely now?  

Any information you could give me would be very helpful and I hope you are feeling better!!!

[cyko9]

You poor bugger :(
I'm not sure how he expects you to get healthier when that is the cause of your problems?

My surgery...hmmm. Painful.

[Shay64]

Going throught the exact same thing except I have over 16 big stones. I now have liver disease which they say is because of the gallbladder, digestive issues... run to the washroom after I eat and I eat zero fat and meat now, nausea ect..extreme extreme fatigue. The "head surgeon" is making me wait until early august cause they have to do an open surgery not a laprascopy and he wants me to be healthier. I have been suffering for 2 years with major pain. Any thoughts. How was your surgery?

[Thypatient]

I just read through this thread.  I had a tumor on the inside wall that made me feel like my gallbladder was going to burst and that it was pushing up.

Surgery was such a relief.  I hope you have that same experience.

Take care.  Good Luck.

[cyko9]

That's why I had it done, can't even finish a meal without running off to the loo, have been like that for the last 8 months.

I will have a look at that link, thanks.

Off to have surgery tomorrow for gallbladder, fingers crossed.

[boron]

Only idea:
They will check tissue samples under microscope, and result may sound like: Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis,(common word for both is inflammatory bowel disease -IBD), ischemic colitis or so. They will write it on the document or not, so when you get results, ask what exact type of inflammation it was. You haven't mentioned any diarrhea or other symptoms regarding this inflammation.

IBD:
http://www.allhealthsite.com/28/chronic-constant-diarrhea/#IBD

[cyko9]

Ha ha.
I had my colonoscopy yesterday. They found my bowel was inflammed and took a biopsy. Any idea's on that?

[boron]

You see, they've read this thread.

[cyko9]

Hospital called today. having colonoscopy on tuesday and gallbladder out on Friday.

[boron]

Have a phone call, push a little, push a lot...

[cyko9]

I went to a different hospital where they gave me morphine straight away, which I believe caused the gall attack that followed, so they gave me more, I slept for an hour while waiting for bloods to come back, the albumin was 48 and anion gap was 13, other then that it was normal, so they sent me home after stating they would send a letter to the hospital I am waiting on and telling them to do it a.s.a.p.

I give up!

[cyko9]

He was the head of emergency that day and told me he would have my date booked the next day, haven't heard from them.

I am going up this morning after I drop the kids at school.

If I don't post for a bit you will know they have operated, feel free to hold your breath as I feel I will be sent home again.

I will be trying a different hospital today if that is what happens.

Kind regards, Barb.