Diet for Gallstones???

katiepops_2

Donegal_Paul wrote:

They will normally do it as keyhole these days unless there are specific reasons not to, the main one being the size of the person being operated on im afraid.

That all depends on the Consultant that you see. I had an emergency admission earlier this year where the obnoxious excuse for a Consultant spouted a load of medical jargon at me (that he thought I wouldn't understand) and then said that he couldn't operate on me because I was too fat and that I could make the choice to either lose half of my body weight before he would consider surgery, or die from pancreatitis. No matter that in the time it could take me to lose that much weight I could have got pancreatitis anyway (I had suffered attacks for 12 years at that point).

As I have a real dislike of people who know nothing about me assuming that because I'm not a size 10 that I sit and eat lard all day (as it happens I can't stand fatty food and although I have a sweet tooth I don't eat that many sweet foods either), there was no way I was going to stay under his care (there were also issues with the appalling standards of care from the nursing staff).

Anyway, I got my GP to refer me to one of the surgeons here at the hospital where I work, and within two months I had my surgery. He said there was no problem operating on someone of my weight (I was 140 kg on the day of surgery, but I was 12 kg heavier than that when I was put on the waiting list); I had keyhole surgery and to the amazement of the nursing staff I was discharged home the next day - the SpR told me that if he hadn't actually been assisting with the operation he'd never have believed that I'd had it done because I looked so well and was up and about so quickly.

Yes, being overweight IS a risk factor for surgery, but so is smoking or having heart problems and many other things.

My advice for diet? Don't cut fat out completely, just cut it back as much as you can. You'll probably find that there are certain things that are more likely to spark an attack - for me pizza or spicy food was the main culprit - but milk and butter were fine.

Kate

summerday

Hi Elise,

I suffered from gallstones and subsequently got pancreatitis cos I was so silly for putting up with loads of attacks in My/june/july last year that got worse and worse before I eventually had to go to hospital. All I can say is I hope childbirth isn't much worse than the pain of the last one that I sufffered, when Mum took me to A&E I had to literally crawl my way into the reception area, I couldn't even stand. And the first doctor I saw diagnosed me with heartburn!!

Anyway, I was advised to follow a low fat diet, so I ate lots of bread and marmite, cereal with skimmed milk (sometimes watered down), meat that is very low in fat, and fish is ok, so do trim the fat off meat, jacket potatoes with beans. There are still quite a lot of things you can have, they just tend to be a bit plainer.

I was very lucky as my consultant wanted me to have the op in the same admission beings as I had got so bad with the pancreatitis, but he couldn't fit me in and I was still lucky to have it 2 weeks later.

When I got the gallstones I was at the ideal weight for my height, though I had lost some weight a few months before- I was previosly size 14/16.

Hopew it all goes well, feel free to pm me for any more help or info on the op and recovery.

Sarah.x

Penny-Pincher!!

Hi

I had my gall bladder removed about 18 months and is a painful op. I think the main point about your diet when you have gallstones is to have a very limited fat diet. Low fat or non fat diets are ideal. I would suggest something like Rosemary Connely.

PP
xx

Penny-Pincher!!

When I had my gallbladder removed, I weighed 23 stone 7lbs :eek: and mine was done with keyhole surgery. My surgeon told me that keyhole surgery is safer than cutting and less likely to have post op problems etc, especially with overweight/obese people. There is alot less blood loss with keyhole surgery and recovery time is much quicker.

PP
xx

bj-sailaway

I suffer with gallstones, but I know that a fatty diet brings on the pain straight away - I can't eat any shop bought pastry, take-away curry, pizza - all have me in agony within the hour! Cheese is a killer also, oh, but the good news is chocolate seems to be OK!!!

Try a couple of days cutting the really processed or high fat items out of your diet. I think the pastry etc. is made with lard, that seems to be the worst.

elisebutt65

I don't eat a lot of pastry anyway as I like to make it myself, and can't be faffed half the time - lol.

I do quite a bit of cooking from scratch - single mum/full time student - have to go the Moneysaving way - lol And have just started giving my 2 lads - 10 & 5, cookery lessons every weekend. They learn informally anyway as I get them to chop veg for me and stir things while they watch. Trouble is I've got dropscones scheduled for this weekend - groan - I was going to get them to make butter and then use the buttermilk in the scones. Ah well - they can make 11 - 5 each and just 1 for me.

Did a lo(ish) fat spag bol tonight - just a little lean mince and loads of veggies and tomatoes, skimmed off most of the oil on top as well. Seemed to go down ok with no major grumblings afterwards.

Are there any decent lo-fat spreads that you can cook with as well. Most of them are made out of so many chemicals that I daren't put them near the heat??

summerday

Donegal_Paul wrote:

saraht, im surprised you had your op within a fortnight of an attack though, thats unusual i believe, unless, you dont mean a keyhole op?

Yep I did mean keyhole op, as far as I know that's the standard procedure for removing the gallblader these days. Most perople I know in my PCT have had to wait about 6 months for it.

Sarah

Donegal_Paul

its just that after an attack of cholecystitis most surgeons usually like to wait about 6 weeks to let it all settle down again, hence making the op even easier / less painful.

Artofdookie

patchwork_cat wrote:

I haven't tried this but heard about it a while ago

http://www.naturaltherapycenter.com/articles/DETOXIFICATION/Gall-bladder%20flush/

I had stones for 12 years, it didnt matter what i ate i got attacks every few days so i did the flush in Dec 04(not this flush i didnt drink apple juice for 2 weeks it was a one day flush) using Olive oil & Grapefruit juice, flushed out 43 stones and havent had a pain since. My mum has also done it within the past 6 months and flushed 20 odds stone with no pain since

Lara

I had severe pain off and on for nearly thirty years before I was rushed into hospital four years ago and gall stones were diagnosed. It was actually the ambulance technican who told me that he was 99% positive that it was gallstones.

All the years before I had suffered I was told I was imagining it and it couldn't be gall stones because I was far too young, a teenager, to suffer from them!

My consultant told me that was rubbish, although it is rare, but he had operated on a young girl six months earlier who was only 17. I had keyhole surgery four weeks later - lucky I know. I didn't have whole stones but loads of grit which apparently is more painful than just a couple of stones. Consultant also said that being overweight doesn't play a big part in it as people say. I was advised to take codeine tablets when suffering from an attack. hese were my magic tablets that got me through the waiting period.

My sister had the same operation ten months ago - it can be hereditary. She had suffered stomach pain etc for six years + but no-one thought of gall stones until I suggested it to her. She had a scan and Bang! there was the problem. She's been fine ever since.

I found fizzy drinks a big problem and like someone else I tried the Atkins diet for one week before the ambulance pulling up with it's siren going! lol

I wish you loads of luck and hope you get the operation asap. Until an attack happens people don't realise the pain you are in.