Update: Bad news

 My friends on here .. thanks for writing to let me know I'm missed.  That really does mean a lot.  Again, I'm sorry for not being around much lately.  As I wrote previously, I've been having issues with nausea and vomiting.  Dense meat does not sit well with me and makes me vomit.  I am so hungry all the time I had been eating a lot of slider food since that would stay down and not make me sick.  Unfortunately, my weight loss pretty much grind-ed to a halt for the last month too other then the 6 lbs I lost during my vomiting episodes that lasted for several days.

Tuesday I went for a barium upper GI and I got to see my sleeve on the screen as I drank that nasty chalk LOL.  It was cool seeing it go down and through my stomach into my small intestine.  I was surprised at how quickly it went right through.  That whole thing about "drink water to help fill you up" .. yeah well ... liquids go straight through and directly into the intestines .. there was no filling up on water LOL .. just so you all know :)  No wonder I'm so hungry all the time just having mostly liquids, protein shakes and yogurt.  I'm quite sure that goes right through as well and does not sit in the sleeve for very long at all.  Wow .. I miss my dense protein to keep me satisfied :(

I also had an ultrasound of my gallbladder and this is where the bad news comes in.  The surgeon called this afternoon and said that I have "sludge" in my gallbladder.  He said this is the stuff that develops into gallstones and it needs to come out.  Another surgery for me :(

I guess this is one of the side effects of rapid weight loss.  Well .. at least I know why I'm feeling so bad now.

I am confused though about how soon I should have this done.  The surgeon seemed to act like it could wait a while and was not a huge rush but it did need to come out.  I was at work when he called me (paramedic) so I went into the ER to talk about it with one of the doc's in the ER.  She told me that she had the same thing but waited a while, too long in fact and it got infected and she became septic.  She told me to not mess around and get it out ASAP before I get any worse.  I have to take 2 classes on 9/24 & 9/25 towards renewing my paramedic license or I will loose it.  I can't let that happen but I don't want to get any worse off then I am now either.

Anyone going or gone through this that can provide their experience?

 I agree with your friend!  I had to have emergency gall bladder removal in 2008 because I was on the verge of septic.  My gall bladder had started to dissolve and it was a disaster.  Do it now, so it can be done laparoscopically.  

Once you have it out you will feel much better!  Feel better soon!

Kevin, I'm sad to hear this news. I feel for you my friend. Maybe you need to take Wildcat's advice. Take good care of yourself.
(((HUGS!!!)))

 I will tell you that my husband had his out and it was done rather qucikly as I was 38.5 weeks pregnant with our first child and we really didnt have a lot of time to mess around with..

He had it done on a Friday and was back to work on a Monday...I know everyones experience is different with regards to recovery but Im sure if you are able to get it scheduled soon you will be healed up in time for your classes.

Good luck and hope you feel better soon!

Hello Bekahler
I'm from Baltimore and in the process of trying to narrow down to the right hospital and surgeon.  If you don't mind me asking, how was your process with Hopkins?  Staffing?  Communication? etc?
Did you have to do nutrition classes?  I'm a bit overwhelmed with all these choices.

Thank you

Hi Kevin -- I did notice you were MIA recently.  That's too bad about your situation ... although having the GB removed will probably make you feel soooo much better. 

I would probably be afraid to wait too long -- fear of getting sicker, plus delaying your ability to start back on foods.  I have never had mine out, but my brother did about 2 months ago.  He owns a restaurant and had it done in the AM and was back slowly managing his restaurant that night.  I'm sure everybody's surgery is different, but it did not seem to slow him down very much or very long.

As a paramedic, do you really want to have to call 911 if it gets bad???  haha  (I can say that since I'm a volly EMT) 

Good luck .... nice to have you back.

Hi Kevin

So sorry to hear about your gallbladder having to come out.  If you can have it done ASAP (like next week) and it's done laparoscopically, you should be up and about and doing most normal things in a week or two afterward.  I looked at a calendar and if you could have it done even next Friday, that's the 7th, you'd have two full weeks and a weekend to recover before you have to take your classes. 

Are these classes lectures or do you have to do lifting or hardcore moving around to show your Paramdic/EMT abilities?  If the later, maybe you could wait, but if it's all brain work, you'd probably be just fine.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you feel better real soon.  Keep us posted on what's going on.............we miss you

Ree

I recently went through this, to get the gall bladder out or to wait? that is the question lol :) i just did it as soon as i could get time off work and the surgeon could do it. I waited 2 wks or so. i was out of work for 6 days, 2 of which were weekend days but i was up and going 2 days after surgery. do it now, not stat but asap. if you paramedic testing is physical then i suggest waiting because i had diaphragm pain for about 4 weeks post op.

Kevin,

How quickly could you be off for a few days to get that thing out? From what I've heard, recovery from that particular surgery isn't usually too bad... like someone else said, I think if you did it soon, you could be recovered well in advance of your training days.

So sorry you're dealing with this! Feel better soon!

That would be nice but the Fire Dept wouldnt let me go back to work after the VSG for about 4 or 5 months because they didnt want me lifting patients after "major abdominal surgery."

Hopefully it wont be that bad this time.