My wife is having Gallbladder surgery tomorrow. I'm scared.

I had mine out a couple years ago, mine was severely infected because I waited until it was so bad that I was on the floor almost crying like a baby.
The doctor took extra time to get it out laparoscopic instead of cutting me open.
Your wife is going to make it through just fine you have to be strong for her.

a reply to: MrRCflying

My husband had a horrible gall bladder attack while out of town on business several years ago. He opted to have his gall bladder removed once we got him back home, and he was feeling better again. He said "No way I'm risking that experience again!"

The surgery was routine and uncomplicated. We went home the same day, and the area was tender of course but recovery was pretty fast in my opinion.

I KNOW what you feel about your wife being rolled into that operating room out of your reach, out of your hands, out of your control. I don't know what your beliefs are, but in the name of all that is Holy, focus your thoughts and energy on good outcomes whilst she is in there. When fear creeps in, overpower it with faith in the best outcome. Focus with all the strength of your being. (In reality, this is mostly for your benefit, because this surgery is so routine, that it is almost considered a minor thing, and your wife will be out of surgery and in recovery before you know it!)

My thoughts & prayers are with you and MrsRCflying. Be sure to return to this thread and keep us updated!

Holy crap! I just had 4 Apache gunships fly right over my house at like 300ft. They were loaded to the hilt! Anything going on out there today we have not heard about?

Not to get off topic, just strange!

originally posted by: MrRCflying
So my wife has had 3 gallbladder attacks since October. An ultrasound showed "multiple" stones, which was interpreted by the surgeon to "like 20". When she has an attack, it is extremely bad.

I know she needs the surgery. No choice at this point. No, I am not big into the homeopathic thing, and it is far beyond that now anyway. Maybe if it was a mild case she might try something else, but it is too far gone at this point.

I have done all the research, and the chances of death for her is 0.0 - 0.1%, and serious complications are like 0.3%. So the chances are very good, she will come through just fine.

Still, it is a scary thing. I can't help but worry. I can't loose her, I don't know what I would do without her.

Anyone here have their gallbladder out, or know someone? How did it turn out?

Kinda normal, no real worries.

Let us all know TOMORROW at this time!

Fear is normal...it'll be ok!

EMT

originally posted by: MrRCflying
So my wife has had 3 gallbladder attacks since October. An ultrasound showed "multiple" stones, which was interpreted by the surgeon to "like 20". When she has an attack, it is extremely bad.

I know she needs the surgery. No choice at this point. No, I am not big into the homeopathic thing, and it is far beyond that now anyway. Maybe if it was a mild case she might try something else, but it is too far gone at this point.

I have done all the research, and the chances of death for her is 0.0 - 0.1%, and serious complications are like 0.3%. So the chances are very good, she will come through just fine.

Still, it is a scary thing. I can't help but worry. I can't loose her, I don't know what I would do without her.

Anyone here have their gallbladder out, or know someone? How did it turn out?

Kinda normal, no real worries.

Let us all know TOMORROW at this time!

Fear is normal...it'll be ok!

EMT

a reply to: DBCowboy

Most docs, anesthesiologists will sit with you and your wife beforehand. Don't EVER be afraid to ask questions or voice your concerns.

I second this quote from DBCowboy! The more you know, the less the unknown will haunt you! My dear friend from high school is a nurse anesthetist (monitors levels of oxygen, etc while patient is under) and I questioned her at length about being put under, because I have always had a fear of it. All the stats they monitor, and the countless procedures they have to keep the patient stable are tried and true. That anesthesiologist is there JUST for that purpose while the surgeon does his thing. That's why they pay him the big bucks.

But seriously, share your concerns with him/her or just look him in the eye and say, "Keep her safe." It will make you feel better about passing the baton to him.

a reply to: new_here

Thank you! I will indeed talk with them in the morning (I hope). It is good to hear that your friend has said it is is tried and true.

I spent a rather depressing three months early on in my career doing scrub work in theatre and most of it (actually felt all of it really) was laparoscopic Cholestectomies. Honestly the operation is so routine complications in those three months were pretty much zero. Most interesting it ever got was having to go to a open choloestectomy but even at that actual complications were still zero just meant a bigger scar. I would go into work and see a full list of "Lap-collies" and honestly would gone just because of how very dull it was, basically watching some guy playing with little tubes in some poor sods tummy. Who occasionally would ask me to pass him a slightly different tube. We used to actually joke about how we thought nobody in our town actually had a gallbladder because we done that many of them.

I say this not just to look back on my early days with dismay and boredom but to emphasise to you OP just how run-of-the-mill every day these procedures are. A lap-colly is to a general surgeon what changing a spark plug is to a mechanic, its just so normal. Now I do appreciate that for a patient its not its a big deal its the kind of thing you look back on and recall to people "that time I got that op...." but in the OR its so normal its boring. If your wife is otherwise healthy then its even more boring.

Even since then I have worked in surgical high dependancy units and other critical care settings and I honestly cannot recall any times I have seen anyone admired due to a lap-colly. I am sure there is bound to be that one thats had a wound infection but with laparoscopic procedures thats pretty rare in my experience.

Basically OP as someone who has been involved a little in these operations let me tell you that they are so safe and routine that they are boring.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

Thank you OSOTC! I may not agree with you on other topics, but I appreciate your insight and knowledge on this.

I know the surgeon has been doing it for 28+ years, so I would think he knows his stuff.

OK, something is definitely going on. 4 more Apache helicopters just flew over. They were heading south west.

Heading for the southern border? I might want to make another thread on this.

a reply to: MrRCflying

Def warrants its own thread, theres people on here that will likely have some educated speculation as to whats going on

Seriously, nothing to worry about.

I had my gallbladder out endoscopically and literally could have returned to work the next day.
It was seriously one of the easiest surgeries I have ever gone through.
For me it was a result of gallstones which had triggered 3-4 times over a 14th month period.
Every single risk, as minimal as they were, was worth taking vs the pain of dealing with a full blown gallstone attack.

Had mine out a couple of years ago with keyhole surgery. Late afternoon OP so had to stay in overnight. Apart from that everything OK.

She just got the news that she will be first one in the morning. They want us there by 6:45AM. So with any luck we will be home for lunch!

a reply to: MrRCflying

Your wife is going to be just fine. I had mine out. It was day surgery. As I awoke from the surgery I was in some discomfort which was exactly like a gallbladder attack. They gave me two T3's and the pain left and that was it. No more pain after and recovery was a cinch.

Your wife is going to feel amazing.

And definitely ask ANY questions of the aneasthetologist. He/she will help explain things and it will be reassuring. Their job is really quite a fascinating and vital part of the whole team.

I will say a prayer for you all as well.

My wife had her gallbladder removed years ago and she did well with the surgery. She did somewhat alter her diet after, she had to. Now if she would have done the dietary change before the surgery, she would not have had to have had the surgery. The gallbladder kind of buffers things, she used to overdo many foods before the surgery and after, if she ate like that it messes up her digestion and pooping so she was forced to change to what she should have been doing in the first place.

It is impossible to tell a woman she should not overeat something she likes without getting her pissed at you. They will not admit they screwed up and will accept the surgery even though they were warned about their diet beforehand. I had warned my wife about overeating certain foods before she had the surgery, and at that time I had not even studied this stuff so much, I knew how these foods had made me feel messed up when overindulged many years ago. But of course, she believed they would not bother her, she was superior to me. I still have my gallbladder and also I learned to moderate foods that controled the kidney stones long ago too, without even knowing exactly how it worked I just avoided combinations that caused it and ate companion chemistry with high oxylate foods.

The surgery is usually pretty safe these days, but there is always a risk to any surgery and any anesthetic. The risk factors of surgery are independent of the anesthetic risk most times too, so the risk is a little higher, maybe one percent total of bad complications

52 year old male,doctor was kind of concerned about my weight 265lbs. Got mine out after 3 attacks. Evidently Im a shallow breather and they were concerned about my oxygen levels, gave me the little thing to practice taking deep breaths LOL. i stay away from big meals and foods hard to digest, greasy stuff etc. Occasionally if I bend the wrong way it makes the underlying scar tissue scream otherwise no issues.

I love this thread from the OP to the responses.
OP, I hope all goes well - some of the responses have hopefully set yours and your wifes mind at rest a little, though I know it will still be nerve wracking.

originally posted by: UKTruth
I love this thread from the OP to the responses.
OP, I hope all goes well - some of the responses have hopefully set yours and your wifes mind at rest a little, though I know it will still be nerve wracking.

It has put my mind at ease some. My wife is handling it better than I am. LOL I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which does not help much. From the responses, it sounds like it will all be OK.

I will keep you all updated tomorrow as to how she makes out.

originally posted by: MrRCflying

originally posted by: UKTruth
I love this thread from the OP to the responses.
OP, I hope all goes well - some of the responses have hopefully set yours and your wifes mind at rest a little, though I know it will still be nerve wracking.

I will keep you all updated tomorrow as to how she makes out.

Please do.