Living with gallstones

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Hi All,

I have been diagnosed as having gallstones. I have had three
painful episodes in last one year, and about two short
episodes per year in the past two years. I was advised to
undergo surgery but I fear losing an organ. I am of good
health, mother of two, and in my early thirties with healthy
habits. I know I run the risk of getting a gallstone stuck
in the biliary duct and ending up having painful invasive
surgery. Other than this, what other complications or
diseases can gallstones cause in my body? What other organs
get affected by long-term presence of gallstones? By the
way, I get a painful episode only when all these conditions
occur simultaneously - I am extremely hungry, eat a high fat
food like pizza, and eat too fast and I am at the same time
highly stress. Many thanks. I would not be so scared of my
own health, mortality etc., if I had no children. I have two
very small children. I am so scared. Thanks for any advices
you may have for me.

Cheers, Sapn

Griffin

On 2004-06-28 23:24:00 -0400, sapnsapn@hotmail.com (s) said:

> I have been diagnosed as having gallstones. I have had
> three painful episodes in last one year, and about two
> short episodes per year in the past two years.

That's about seven too many for me. You must be a glutton
for punishment.

> I was advised to undergo surgery but I fear losing
> an organ.

Why? Have you formed some kind of personal attachment to
your gallbladder?

> I am of good health

Except, apparently, for symptomatic gallstones...

> I know I run the risk of getting a gallstone stuck in the
> biliary duct and ending up having painful invasive
> surgery.

You forgot "and maybe infection and death." Of course,
laparoscopic cholecystectomy carries this theoretical
risk as well, but few things in life are risk-free, even
doing nothing.

> Other than this, what other complications or diseases can
> gallstones cause in my body?

You caught that "death" part, right? How about countless
episodes of misery, pain, doctors visits, fear of eating,
lost time with family and friends, lost time from work,
etc.? Doesn't sound like much fun to me.

> I would not be so scared of my own health, mortality etc.,
> if I had no children. I have two very small children.

Sounds more like a reason to *have* the surgery than a
reason to *not* have the surgery, if you ask me.

Howard McCollis

"Griffin" <nospam@here.net> wrote in message
news:2004062917533175249%nospam@herenet...
> On 2004-06-28 23:24:00 -0400, sapnsapn@hotmail.com
> (s) said:
>
> > I have been diagnosed as having gallstones. I have had
> > three painful episodes in last one year, and about two
> > short episodes per year in the past two years.
>
> That's about seven too many for me. You must be a glutton
> for punishment.
>
> > I was advised to undergo surgery but I fear losing an
> > organ.
>
> Why? Have you formed some kind of personal attachment to
> your gallbladder?
>
> > I am of good health
>
> Except, apparently, for symptomatic gallstones...
>
> > I know I run the risk of getting a gallstone stuck in
> > the biliary duct and ending up having painful invasive
> > surgery.
>
> You forgot "and maybe infection and death." Of course,
> laparoscopic cholecystectomy carries this theoretical risk
> as well, but few things in life are risk-free, even doing
> nothing.
>
> > Other than this, what other complications or diseases
> > can gallstones cause in my body?
>
> You caught that "death" part, right? How about countless
> episodes of misery, pain, doctors visits, fear of eating,
> lost time with family and friends, lost time from work,
> etc.? Doesn't sound like much fun to me.
>
> > I would not be so scared of my own health, mortality
> > etc., if I had no children. I have two very small
> > children.
>
> Sounds more like a reason to *have* the surgery than a
> reason to *not* have the surgery, if you ask me.

Yes, the risk of *not* having surgery for symptomatic
gallstones is higher than the risk of laparoscopic
cholecystectomy.

HMc

Joseph

She might wish to wait until medicine can do more for her
condition than yank the whole gallbladder out and throw it
in the trash can (to be picked up by a biotech company to
make all sorts of expensive goodies).

"Howard McCollister" <nospam@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:40e20a52$0$1564$45beb828@newscene.com...
>
> "Griffin" <nospam@here.net> wrote in message
> news:2004062917533175249%nospam@herenet...
> > On 2004-06-28 23:24:00 -0400, sapnsapn@hotmail.com
> > (s) said:
> >
> > > I have been diagnosed as having gallstones. I have had
> > > three painful episodes in last one year, and about two
> > > short episodes per year in the past two years.
> >
> > That's about seven too many for me. You must be a
> > glutton for
punishment.
> >
> > > I was advised to undergo surgery but I fear losing an
> > > organ.
> >
> > Why? Have you formed some kind of personal attachment
> > to your
gallbladder?
> >
> > > I am of good health
> >
> > Except, apparently, for symptomatic gallstones...
> >
> > > I know I run the risk of getting a gallstone stuck in
> > > the biliary duct and ending up having painful invasive
> > > surgery.
> >
> > You forgot "and maybe infection and death." Of course,
> > laparoscopic cholecystectomy carries this theoretical
> > risk as well, but few things in life are risk-free, even
> > doing nothing.
> >
> > > Other than this, what other complications or diseases
> > > can gallstones cause in my body?
> >
> > You caught that "death" part, right? How about countless
> > episodes of misery, pain, doctors visits, fear of
> > eating, lost time with family and friends, lost time
> > from work, etc.? Doesn't sound like much fun to me.
> >
> > > I would not be so scared of my own health, mortality
> > > etc., if I had no children. I have two very small
> > > children.
> >
> > Sounds more like a reason to *have* the surgery than a
> > reason to *not* have the surgery, if you ask me.
>
>
> Yes, the risk of *not* having surgery for symptomatic
> gallstones is higher than the risk of laparoscopic
> cholecystectomy.
>
> HMc

Hi folks,

Thanks for opening my eyes. The reason I keep postponing the
laproscopic surgery is because I fear the stones may begin
to form in the liver or someplace else in the gut once the
gallbladder is out, won't the consequences be far more
dangerous then? Since my passing of gallstones happens only
when I am starved and eat a high fat meal and eat too fast
and I am highly stressed. I have a painful episode only when
all of the above happen simultaneously, so if I simply
control my diet and stress, can I simply go on living like
people with asymptomatic gallstones? I am so confused, but I
guess I should not wait until more damage is done. Does
anybody know of any non-surgical methods to dissolve or
expell gallstones? I do not completely believe in cleansing
flushes (by Hulda Clark etc). Thanks for the information.
God bless!

Sapn

> > > I have been diagnosed as having gallstones. I have had
> > > three painful episodes in last one year, and about two
> > > short episodes per year in the past two years.
> >
> > That's about seven too many for me. You must be a
> > glutton for punishment.
> >
> > > I was advised to undergo surgery but I fear losing an
> > > organ.
> >
> > Why? Have you formed some kind of personal attachment to
> > your gallbladder?
> >
> > > I am of good health
> >
> > Except, apparently, for symptomatic gallstones...
> >
> > > I know I run the risk of getting a gallstone stuck in
> > > the biliary duct and ending up having painful invasive
> > > surgery.
> >
> > You forgot "and maybe infection and death." Of course,
> > laparoscopic cholecystectomy carries this theoretical
> > risk as well, but few things in life are risk-free, even
> > doing nothing.
> >
> > > Other than this, what other complications or diseases
> > > can gallstones cause in my body?
> >
> > You caught that "death" part, right? How about countless
> > episodes of misery, pain, doctors visits, fear of
> > eating, lost time with family and friends, lost time
> > from work, etc.? Doesn't sound like much fun to me.
> >
> > > I would not be so scared of my own health, mortality
> > > etc., if I had no children. I have two very small
> > > children.
> >
> > Sounds more like a reason to *have* the surgery than a
> > reason to *not* have the surgery, if you ask me.
>
>
> Yes, the risk of *not* having surgery for symptomatic
> gallstones is higher than the risk of laparoscopic
> cholecystectomy.
>
> HMc

Howard McCollis

"Joseph" <js@mixmix.com> wrote in message
news:RtAEc.78815$Ax1.751947@news20.bellglobal.com...
> "Griffin" <nospam@here.net> wrote in message
> news:2004062917533175249%nospam@herenet...
> > On 2004-06-28 23:24:00 -0400, sapnsapn@hotmail.com
> > (s) said:
> >
> > > I have been diagnosed as having gallstones. I have had
> > > three painful episodes in last one year, and about two
> > > short episodes per year in the past two years.
> >
> > That's about seven too many for me. You must be a
> > glutton for
punishment.
> >
> > > I was advised to undergo surgery but I fear losing an
> > > organ.
> >
> > Why? Have you formed some kind of personal attachment
> > to your
gallbladder?
>
> Indeed, it is part of the sacred whole God crafted her as.
>
> MUST she live life without a gallbladder apparatus?
>
>

Yes, she will eventually have to have the gallbladder
removed. She gets to choose to have that done either
electively, urgently, or emergently.

HMc

Griffin

On 2004-06-30 11:46:12 -0400, sapnsapn@hotmail.com (s) said:

> I fear the stones may begin to form in the liver or
> someplace else in the gut once the gallbladder is out

No, they won't.

> if I simply control my diet and stress, can I simply go on
> living like people with asymptomatic gallstones?

If only it were that easy to control diet and stress...

> Does anybody know of any non-surgical methods to dissolve
> or expell gallstones?

None that actually do anything.