14 months post vsg and gallbladder removed.

Hi everyone. I haven't been around for a while. After visiting OH daily for 4 months before my surgery, and five months post surgery, I felt it was time for me to sail on my own and take a break from OH. I lost the majority of my weight in 9 months. At that point I decided to reconsider my original goal weight from 120 lbs to 130 lbs and just go into maintenance, since I was starting to look too thin in some areas. Also figured the extra loose skin probably made up the 10 lb difference anyway. 

All was well. I had no post health issues or complications. I felt amazing, emotionally and physically. I had never been happier. However, a storm was brewing inside me that I wasn't aware off at that time. Occasionally, after eating my meals, I would get some very intense stomach pain. I wrote it off as just eating too much, too quickly, drinking too soon after eating, or something that just didn't agree with me. I would lie down and the pain would be gone within 30 mins, and all was forgotten. Since this only happened a few times, I didn't think much of it. 

Now 14 months later, (5 months into maintenance) just 2 hours into my work day, I begin to experience some serious stomach pain that just wouldn't let up. I was taken back by it, since I hadn't eaten anything yet. except a few sips of my morning coffee. I thought that maybe my stomach was telling me to eat something, so I ate my protein bar, that I had with me for my breakfast.  The pain became so intense that I began to vomit. Needless to say, an ambulance was called and off to the hospital I went. This time the pain did not go away. After an ultrasound, and many doses of morphine for the pain, and gravol to control the constant vomiting, it was determined that I indeed has several gallstones, and my gallbladder was very inflamed and was rushed into surgery that evening. This was Feb 19th. Now I have 9 laparoscopic scars on my stomach. 

Two weeks later, after several horrible days of not eating and losing another 5 lbs. Still with my recent stitches, I finally returned to work. (March 5th)  I worked 1 day. That same night I woke up at 1:30 am in excruciating pain, and began to vomit. This time the pain was even more intense and hit faster than before. My husband took me to emergency, and once again endured the same regimen. Again after many hours of torture, it was determined that a stone had left the gall bladder prior to it being removed and was now lodged in the bile duct. Unfortunately for me, I had to wait 3 days of torture before I could have a G.I. scope called an ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography) to get it removed. This meant absolutely no food or liquids for 3 whole days. Just IV fluids, along with the morphine and gravol mix.  Thank goodness I didn't feel hunger, but the acid produced from a prolonged empty stomach along with the pain was just as unbearable. If I even tried to sip some water, it would just come right back out. I was released yesterday evening. Another 3 lbs down, I am finally feeling normal again. The down side is, more stones could be lying in wait in the bile duct which could become blocked again in the future. If I am lucky, there was only the one escapee and I will be stone free going forward.

This experience opened my eyes, and brought me to OH to help enlighten everyone about the symptoms of gallstones and what causes them. An obvious cause is a high fat diet. Since most of us had a high fat diet before wls, it is often difficult to avoid some high fat foods post wls too. I personally didn'****ch my fat content. I was only concerned with the protein, carb and calorie values. I knew I was supposed to try to keep the fats low, but was confused over the difference between good fats and bad fats, so I didn't give it as much consideration. Cheese was my go to snack which I enjoyed several times a day, as was peanuts. Bacon was always enjoyed on weekends, and many others since I was in maintenance.

What is the purpose of the gallbladder? Well, bile is a substance made by the liver that is important in the digestion and absorption of fats. Bile is carried from the liver by a system of tubes known as bile ducts. One of these, the cystic duct, connects the gallbladder to the main bile duct. The gallbladder stores the bile between meals and empties back into the bile duct when food is consumed. The common bile duct then empties into a part of the small intestine called the duodenum. The common bile duct enters the duodenum through a nipple like structure called the papilla. Joining the common bile duct to pass through the papilla is the main duct from the pancreas. This pathway allows digestive juices from the pancreas to mix with the food in the intestine. Problems that affect the pancreas and bile duct system occur when there is a blockage of the bile ducts by gallstones, tumors, scarring or other conditions that cause obstruction or narrowing (stricture) of the ducts. 

Problems with the bile ducts or pancreas may first show up as jaundice or pain in the abdomen, but not always. There may also be changes in blood tests that show abnormalities of the liver or pancreas. Thankfully we can function quite well without the gallbladder since its main purpose is just for storage of bile, but the process of producing bile still continues as normal.

This is something for all of us to keep in mind, and never play down or ignore that funny cramp after eating. It just may be your gallbladder trying to get your attention.

 

 

Thank you for your story and warning.

I am so worried about this. I have never had gallbladder issues and have no idea what to watch for. I feel that it is almost guaranteed after surgery. Sorry you had to go through this!

I didn't realize it before, but it does seem to be a common thing that happens to many following wls. Apparently rapid weight loss can also be a trigger for the formation of gallstones. Many are lucky and never experience any issues, but there is a large archive of inquiries and threads of others who experienced gallbladder attacks post wls. It definitely is not something to ignore and best to learn the symptoms, so you are not surprised or confused by what you are experiencing, in the event you do run into an attack.

Did you get a script for ursodiol post op? It apparently helps somewhat in preventing the GB from going south with the rapid (more than 8lbs a month) weight loss. I am taking it for the first six months after the VSG. Hope that keeps my GB in check. As you rightly say we can live without it but its too bad that you had to go through pain and another surgery to have it removed. Best of luck in your second recovery!

No I did not unfortunately. I am not sure how effective it may be if stones were already forming prior to surgery, without your knowledge or symptoms but it may certainly help slow down the process. I have heard of people developing gallbladder issues 3-4 years post wls, not just during the losing phase. Keeping a eye on the fat values is probably the best defense long term, and avoid letting old habits creep back in once on maintenance. Thanks for the well wishes, and best of luck to all.

My surgeon would not prescribe the gallbladder medications to me. He feels the side effects in many ways can be worse than actually just having it removed. He feels it isn't worth the risks. He also said many people still have to have theirs removed. So you may end up with unwanted side effects for the medication to not even work.

Not everyone gets side effects from the urso. And the stats on keeping the GB are about 30% better so I felt it was a good option for me. My surgeon prescribes it to all his patients. it is up to us though if we take it or not. he feels it is worth the risk. But who knows, down the road I may have to have it out also, just like anyone even without WLS. I must say though I can't wait for the six months mark so that I can stop taking the urso. That will be one less pill to swallow!

I asked for it, but he wouldn't give it. So, we will see. I hate taking pills too. So in a way I'm glad he didn't. Right now I am still to scared to swallow a pill anyway. I don't take them well. I tend to need a lot of water to get pills down and right now that isn't an option.

I hate it too. I crushed all my pills for a good month after surgery. Now I am OK with them. But the calcium citrate ones are MF huge....hate them....