We leave in 9 days and Im extremely ill. Prayers appreciated.

[luvthemouse71]

Gallbladders can also get gangrenous- I've scrubbed and circulated a few gallbladder surgeries like that. Not pretty abd that can be very dangerous too.

Surgery can be scary. But, if it is necessary, you have to put on your big girl panties and get through it. A ruptured gallbladder can kill you - think of your kids and spouse.

 

[AllieBoo]

Praying for a speedy recovery for you!

 

[ols386]

I am very sorry you feel so terrible! Stomach issues are the worst. And very hard to explain to people who have never had issues!

I was wondering if your dr. ever mentioned pancreatitis? It is the inflamtion of the pancreas that causes horrible pain. Please ask your dr. about it.

Good Luck! I will keep you in my prayers.

Op, has your dr. ran any tests to see if it might be a problem with your pancrease, as suggested in this post?

My sisters both had their gallbladders removed because of stones and extreme pain. My older sister continued to have pain after the surgery, eventually they found that she had stones in the ducts of her liver. She had to have another surgery to have them removed, the pain is now gone. If you don't have stones in your gallbladder have them do a sonogram of your liver to be on the safe side! That could be where the pain is coming from.

Good luck and hope you feel better soon!!

Op, what about ultrasound on your liver?

Based on what you have said, right now I would go to the ER. Who knows what may be going on that is NEW from the last time you were looked at?

Extreme pain and no eating/sleeping for days is your body telling you to get help - it also makes it extremely hard to think rationally - lack of sleep and pain does a real number on a persons emotions and clear thinking ability.

Please at least get checked out - ASAP. You can then decide what you do or don't want to do.

I think this is good advice.

Good luck to you, op. Personally, I think you need to seek medical attention very quickly. What you have described in this entire thread is very scary.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

There is no way that I would go on this trip unless I was feeling better. Since you don't want to do anything about it I would suggest cancelling the trip.

 

[juliebug1997]

I hope you get better quickly.

A little over a year ago, I had some extreme pain on my left side. They were worried about the gall bladder and gall stones. It turned out I had pancreatitis. Supposedly the pain is worse with pancreatitis than child birth. We don't have children so I don't know about that personally but I was in so much pain. Try drinking lots of water and starting yourself on a clear liquid diet. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[DaisyMaisie]

"A little over a year ago, I had some extreme pain on my left side. They were worried about the gall bladder and gall stones. It turned out I had pancreatitis. Supposedly the pain is worse with pancreatitis than child birth. We don't have children so I don't know about that personally but I was in so much pain. Try drinking lots of water and starting yourself on a clear liquid diet."

Noooooooo. Please don't self-diagnose yourself. If you havne't seen a doctor since this restarted. Go to the emergency room. My husband had pancreatitis, and it took about 5 minutes to get back definitive blood results. He was hospitalized for days after that. Pancreatitis can literally cause your organs to burn themselves up. Liquid diet is part of the treatment but he required IV meds as well. He is perfectly fine now.

Seriously, as severe as your condition sounds you might get a much more clear diagnosis, one trip to the emergency room could not hurt.

 

[packofprincesses]

I had my gallbladder removed in January of 2010. I had been dealing with the same pain you are describing since I was a teenager (probably close to 20 years.) I went to the ER several times and nothing was ever found. They did ultrasounds to check for gallstones and I never had any. I finally had a HIDA scan done and my gallbladder was functioning at 14%. I WISH I would have had the surgery YEARS ago. My surgeon said my gallbladder was enlarged and filled with gunk!!!! Please PM me if you have any questions!

I'm leaving in 10 days and my son is recovering from Chickenpox......ay yi yi!

 

[jamimb]

Yes my pancreas and liver were checked and both were okay. 8 months ago the pain was almost as severe and neither the gastro DR or surgeon said it was life threatening for me to not have the surgery. The surgeon especially seemed skeptical as to whether it was even needed because I had not stones and my ejection fraction was not too much lower than it needed to be. In no way did either Dr tell me it was super important to have it removed in fact the surgeon said that people can deal with gallbladder issues sometimes without surgery. Im am having a hard time commiting to a surgery that may or may not be beneficial when the doctors do not think my situation is life threatening.

I do not think Im being irresponsible. If anything Im being smart by weighing my options and trying to avoid surgery if at all possible. When this all surfaced almost a year ago I quit my job to reduce stress, I started an exercise program, and started taking some new supplements. I truly believe for whatever reason God gave me peace about that decision and it kept me healthy for nearly a year.


I am not totally against the surgery. I am calling my Dr tomorrow to set up an appointment so we can revisit this issue at which point I will pray about it again and go from there.

Thanks for all the support. I will probably end up canceling my trip tomorrow and rescheduling it for late July. We will have to stay 5 days instead of 8 and miss out on some other things but it will be fine. Your prayers have been appreciated.

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

I've shared my story before, so I apologize to those of you who've seen it. I hope to encourage the OP.

In September 2009, I had what I learned was a gallbladder attack on a Sunday night. We had eaten at a church potluck that evening, so I thought that something just hadn't settled well with me. The pain and bloating felt like intense gas pains. By Monday evening I felt better and continued with my week. I had a second attack on the Friday of that same week. I went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor diagnosed me with a hiatial hernia. I was in pain all weekend, and from what I read online, my symptoms did not match a hernia. On Sunday, I talked with a friend who is a nurse. He said it sounded like classical gallbladder. He made a call for me Monday morning and helped me get an ultrasound that day and see the surgeon on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, September 29th, I learned that I had very large gall stones. The position of one was such that if it moved into the bile duct, I could be facing a life threatening situation. I could not postpone the surgery. I was scheduled for surgery on Wed., September 30th. Wow. I was in shock. My family was scheduled to leave for Disney on Thursday, October 1st!! I shared this with my surgeon. He was so supportive and said that if I wanted to try to go, he would support that as long as the surgery went well. I came home and made phone calls begging Delta to let me change my flight to just a couple of days later. No go. I had already packed earlier, so we were ready to go if I could.

My surgery start time was delayed because the surgery before me had complications. My surgery was a little complicated because the gallbladder was so full of stones, the surgeon got into my liver slightly getting it out. I got home about 6pm and went to bed. I slept well and woke up feeling better than I had in awhile! The pain I'd been experiencing was gone! And the surgical area was tender, but ok. WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!

We flew, which was good. I don't think I could've made the 10-1/2 hour drive! The first afternoon I rested and then walked from the BC to Norway to eat dinner. The next day, I stayed in the hotel room and rested while DH took the kids to the MK. By Saturday, two days post op, I spent the day in AK. It was a different kind of trip to WDW for us, because I moved more slowly. I couldn't ride roller coasters or rough, bumpy rides. We spent more time at the pool instead of going to the water parks. But it was still a great vacation!

I say all of this to say that your vacation may not have to be postponed if you have surgery. Take care of yourself, for sure. I didn't push beyond what I could handle. I spent time resting in the shade at the park while DH & the kids rode. It actually made for a more relaxing trip for us all!

Hang in there! Praying for you!

 

[jamimb]

I've shared my story before, so I apologize to those of you who've seen it. I hope to encourage the OP.

In September 2009, I had what I learned was a gallbladder attack on a Sunday night. We had eaten at a church potluck that evening, so I thought that something just hadn't settled well with me. The pain and bloating felt like intense gas pains. By Monday evening I felt better and continued with my week. I had a second attack on the Friday of that same week. I went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor diagnosed me with a hiatial hernia. I was in pain all weekend, and from what I read online, my symptoms did not match a hernia. On Sunday, I talked with a friend who is a nurse. He said it sounded like classical gallbladder. He made a call for me Monday morning and helped me get an ultrasound that day and see the surgeon on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, September 29th, I learned that I had very large gall stones. The position of one was such that if it moved into the bile duct, I could be facing a life threatening situation. I could not postpone the surgery. I was scheduled for surgery on Wed., September 30th. Wow. I was in shock. My family was scheduled to leave for Disney on Thursday, October 1st!! I shared this with my surgeon. He was so supportive and said that if I wanted to try to go, he would support that as long as the surgery went well. I came home and made phone calls begging Delta to let me change my flight to just a couple of days later. No go. I had already packed earlier, so we were ready to go if I could.

My surgery start time was delayed because the surgery before me had complications. My surgery was a little complicated because the gallbladder was so full of stones, the surgeon got into my liver slightly getting it out. I got home about 6pm and went to bed. I slept well and woke up feeling better than I had in awhile! The pain I'd been experiencing was gone! And the surgical area was tender, but ok. WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!

We flew, which was good. I don't think I could've made the 10-1/2 hour drive! The first afternoon I rested and then walked from the BC to Norway to eat dinner. The next day, I stayed in the hotel room and rested while DH took the kids to the MK. By Saturday, two days post op, I spent the day in AK. It was a different kind of trip to WDW for us, because I moved more slowly. I couldn't ride roller coasters or rough, bumpy rides. We spent more time at the pool instead of going to the water parks. But it was still a great vacation!

I say all of this to say that your vacation may not have to be postponed if you have surgery. Take care of yourself, for sure. I didn't push beyond what I could handle. I spent time resting in the shade at the park while DH & the kids rode. It actually made for a more relaxing trip for us all!

Hang in there! Praying for you!

Wow what a story! Were you able to eat?

 

[disney11fan]

Best of luck to you. i will pray you get better. I'm hoping its something minor like the flu and you will recover within a couple of days. God bless you.

 

[PanandCindy'smom]

I am sorry you are going through this and that it is interfering with your trip plans. I hope you come to a workable solution for yourself and your family.

I was "sick" from the time my daughter was about 9 months old. Sick in that I felt sick all the time no matter what I ate, monthly trips to the ER for acute attacks of vomiting for hours on end and pain like I had never felt before, little energy to keep up with my almost 1 year old and 2 year old son. I would cry daily because I felt like I was failing them as a mom. The doctor I was seeing was telling me it was all in my head. I switched doctors but between the two, I had an endoscopy, blood tests out the wazoo, colonoscopy, hidascan, some other test where I had to eat radioactive eggs, an exploratory surgery with my Gyn as some tests pointed towards cysts...all these tests were essentially saying nothing was wrong with me. I cried and begged my doctor to please fix me because I was at the end of my rope and down to 92 pounds. He consulted with a surgeon and they went back and forth and finally the surgeon agreed to see me. The surgeon told me the same thing that you heard...50/50 shot, nothing really showing that was the cause but he left it up to me. Just before my dd turned 2, I went through with it because at that point, I was desperate to be the mom I wanted to be for my kids. I figured I couldn't possibly feel any worse so why not? After the surgery, the surgeon told me that my gb looked "angry" and red, was inflamed and I had a greater than 90* kink in my bile duct. He said he had only seen that once before. Why this wasn't found in any of my tests, I have no idea. I was on my son's preschool field trip 4 days later. I had residual medical problems (none of the ones you have mentioned), but it made a big dent in my attempts to get better. The other issues were figured out and I now have them managed and have been symptom/attack free for almost 3 years now.

It is a great feeling and I have made 2 trips to Disney since then and we are going back in September for #3. I would have been terrified to travel when I was feeling my sickest pre-gb removal. (Having 2 under 3 would have been a contributing factor to that as well! )

You do not have an easy decision to make, but I can relate to your situation. I pray that you, your family and your doctors can come up with the best course of action and that you feel better!!

 

[Sugar Jones]

Update on us on what the Dr. says today if you see him.

 

[jamimb]

Little update. I am going to call Dr today but I doubt they will see me till next week. I am actually feeling better today. yesterday I started taking Mastic Gum because I read it was good for reflux and ulcers and anything where your stomach burns and with just two doses I feel better. Even though I am not fully convinced my gall bladder is to blame for all this the hida scan has proven that the gallbladder is not functioning properly so I will probably consent to surgery. If I continue to feel better I will then have to decide whether to go on my vaca next week or postpone and that's a tough call.

I truly appreciate everyone's stories, advice and prayers!

 

[TLinden16]

I hope everything works out OK.

This thread would be a better fit on the theme parks community board, so I'm going to move this there now.

 

[duffy]

Even if you can't go on the trip, your DH and kids still could.

I agree.

Why not just stay home and let them go without you?

 

[BadgerGirl84]

To the OP: I am sorry to hear that you are feeling so crummy....ESPECIALLY right before your special Disney vacation. My beliefs towards gallbladder surgery are similar to yours...I'm a little leery of the procedure and I'd lean towards finding a more natural solution first.

As you may know, your diet and nutrition play a HUGE part in your gallbladder acting up. There is a chemical imbalance in your body causing the bile and cholesterol not to be soluble and therefore they clump into particles (stones). To add to whatever supplements and other natural treatments you are trying, I would highly recommend trying a "paleo" diet. This means avoiding any food that is a gut irritant--dairy, soy, legumes (beans), and most importantly, GRAINS (gluten). You would be eating lean meats, eggs, lots of veggies and fruits, and healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, etc.). You can do a google search of "paleo gallblader" to see more references on why I think eating this way would help your health. Often times people with gallbladder issues have switched to this diet and have found relief only within a few days. I know this type of diet seems "wacky" to some, but I believe it's a very powerful health tool and I would be remiss not to mention it to you as an option, especially since you are thinking about not getting the surgery.

Best of luck in your recovery! I hope it is speedy!

 

[robinb]

Even if you can't go on the trip, your DH and kids still could.

I agree.

Why not just stay home and let them go without you?

I agree with both of these posters. Your DH could go without you if it looks like you are not feeling up to it. You'll be out your airfare only. Do you have friends or family who could check on on you and take care of you if things get worse while they are gone?

I hope everything works out OK.

This thread would be a better fit on the theme parks community board, so I'm going to move this there now.

I didn't even know there was a Theme Parks Community board . I read the DIS though the "New Posts" link so I rarely pay attention to which board a thread is on (except I stay off the teen/college board).

 

[kinggartk]

Wow what a story! Were you able to eat?

After my Gall Baldder Surgery, I was eating Pizza the next day. It really is an easy surgery to recover from.

As far as side effects of having no Gall Bladder, I just need to be close to a bathroom about 30 minutes after a heavy meal. Otherwise, I have no problems 7 years later.

 

[disney11fan]

I hope everything works out OK.

This thread would be a better fit on the theme parks community board, so I'm going to move this there now.[/QUOte

who cares where or what board it's posted on. to the op. i hope you get better fast. Some good advice given abt statying home and taking care of yourself. nothing worse than being sick on vacation. i hope everything works out for you and your family.

again you and your family are in my prayers for a fast recovery. God bless you.