By: Nanette Zora

Nanette Zora — Sat, 29 Nov 2003 22:47:17 +0000

I have not had my gall bladder taken out… either before or after WLS…
and am glad I still have it. *Some* surgeons remove gall bladders as a
matter of course along with WLS. My surgeon, however, leaves the normal
organ alone if there is no sign of anything wrong with it, which was the
case with mine. I had no problem losing over 100 pounds on Phen-Fen and
have had no problem this time either losing 179 pounds (in a year’s time).
I am not sure what predisposes some to lose their gall bladders while losing
50 pounds over a year and others like me have no problems with their gall
bladders after a lifetime of losing huge chunks of weight.
YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)
Barbara Herrera
San Diego, CA - 41 years old
Open RNY April 5, 2001
Dr. Julie Ellner, Alvarado Hospital, San Diego, CA
04/05/01: 344# / BMI: 63/ Body Fat: 75%

04/05/02: 172# / BMI: 31.6/ Body Fat: 28%
04/14/02: 165# / BMI: 30.2
One Year Re-Birth Day: healed of ALL co-morbs, mobile beyond every
expectation, every pre-op dream surpassed a million-fold, and smaller than
any memory.

By: Elliot Nana

Elliot Nana — Sat, 29 Nov 2003 08:12:16 +0000

I would definitely check with my doctor, but I had an
emergency exploratory years ago when I was on Optifast
and it ended up being my gallbladder. On Optifast, you
are on powdered protein shakes and you go into
ketosis. At the time (1981), they didn’t know that it
caused the gallbladder to malfunction (hence why they
take them out now if you have WLS)and when I had the
problem (VERY intense mid-body pain through and
through), they did the exploratory. Anyway, I was
opened from breastbone to pubic bone, and ever since I
have these pains on the right side. My surgeon told me
that it is because they cut all the muscles and such
and they are just cramping up when I turn the “wrong”
way or whatever.

Comments on: Recurring pain

By: Nanette Zora

By: Elliot Nana