Anybody had a Gall Bladder removed while working as a driver and how long did it take you to get back to work ?
For keyhole surgery, in hospital for one day,off work for two weeks and strenuous activity is allowed after two months.
Open surgery is more invasive,in hospital for one week, recovery is six weeks.
Keyhole is a small incision with a camera and cutter on the end of the pipe.
Literally just had mine out, advised 2 weeks off minimum by consultant, but felt actually comfortable after about 2 and half weeks. Even after that long I’m not doing heavy lifting for another week or so.
A nurse mentioned some insurers won’t allow you to drive a lorry 6-8 weeks after having it done but I never followed up on that, rather take it as hearsay.
Bloody glad I had it done tho, beats having gallstone attacks on the job, few times had to pull over and puke in a layby
Had mine out a week ago today ,getting staples out Fri.keyhole surgery,4 cuts.
I was tortured with this ,get it out not worth the pain.
When I woke from surgery I knew the ■■■■■■ was gone ,had a Chinese on Sunday night with no problems at all which was no no for me for a long time.
Its actually not that painfully after surgery more uncomfortable than anything else.
Also been sleeping very well since it went.
nurglets:
Literally just had mine out, advised 2 weeks off minimum by consultant, but felt actually comfortable after about 2 and half weeks. Even after that long I’m not doing heavy lifting for another week or so.A nurse mentioned some insurers won’t allow you to drive a lorry 6-8 weeks after having it done but I never followed up on that, rather take it as hearsay.
Bloody glad I had it done tho, beats having gallstone attacks on the job, few times had to pull over and puke in a layby
Do you find a difference already?
Must say yesterday and today i have been feeling great and eating normal amounts again.not greasy foods.
My gall bladder almost killed me a few years ago. It was a case of phone the wife and get her to come to the hospital middle of the night because they thought I was a goner! Flaming thing blew up like a balloon!
I was off two weeks after the op and since then no problems. Eat what I want when I want and can’t understand why we even need a gall bladder!!
shep532:
My gall bladder almost killed me a few years ago. It was a case of phone the wife and get her to come to the hospital middle of the night because they thought I was a goner! Flaming thing blew up like a balloon!I was off two weeks after the op and since then no problems. Eat what I want when I want and can’t understand why we even need a gall bladder!!
Did you lose your appetite before you had it removed?
I lost 2 stone
Deeireland:
nurglets:
Literally just had mine out, advised 2 weeks off minimum by consultant, but felt actually comfortable after about 2 and half weeks. Even after that long I’m not doing heavy lifting for another week or so.A nurse mentioned some insurers won’t allow you to drive a lorry 6-8 weeks after having it done but I never followed up on that, rather take it as hearsay.
Bloody glad I had it done tho, beats having gallstone attacks on the job, few times had to pull over and puke in a layby
Do you find a difference already?
Must say yesterday and today i have been feeling great and eating normal amounts again.not greasy foods.
Definitely a difference straight away, when it first started happening it was now and again and only after fatty foods, by the time I was due the op it was virtually every other night sometimes back to back. After a day of soup and bread I was back on the pasties pizzas and burgers no problems. To be honest I never really changed my diet before though, just put up with the pain if it happened, I’m a stubborn ■■■■ like that.
Thanks for replies, had mine out on Mon. The 3 holes in chest are ok but the hole in the belly button is hurting like hell.
Painkillers are helping a bit, so hopefully a couple of weeks, I’ll be back to work.
Deeireland:
shep532:
My gall bladder almost killed me a few years ago. It was a case of phone the wife and get her to come to the hospital middle of the night because they thought I was a goner! Flaming thing blew up like a balloon!I was off two weeks after the op and since then no problems. Eat what I want when I want and can’t understand why we even need a gall bladder!!
Did you lose your appetite before you had it removed?
I lost 2 stone
Mine was just a sudden thing. They think I had an enlarged gall bladder from birth. At some point it got blocked up, infected and swelled to a huge size. I just woke up with back ache that become unbearable pain by lunch and I was intensive care by tea time. I spent 3 weeks drugged up to the eyeballs on morphine until they got the infection under control.
Apparently they couldn’t operate whilst it was enlarged because if it burst it’d probably kill me. Eventually it went down and they took it out through the normal keyhole route. They showed me a picture of it afterwards - the specialist reckoned the biggest one he’d ever seen and asked if they could put it in medical publications!!! (fame at last).
I always knew I was deformed!!
Not having it has made no difference.
Yeah the new belly button they give you is a bugger, gave me gyp right up til bout 14th day then just let up suddenly, just be careful not to catch it or put pressure on it like a seat belt til it’s not so angry.
neilg14:
Thanks for replies, had mine out on Mon. The 3 holes in chest are ok but the hole in the belly button is hurting like hell.
Painkillers are helping a bit, so hopefully a couple of weeks, I’ll be back to work.
Same here belly button is the most painful cut and think I’ll be back at it on mon.
I found ibrufen good for pain.
Did you think you were having a heart attack when the gallbladder went mad?
I did ,glad to get rid of it we don’t need it.
Get well soon .
Deeireland:
neilg14:
Thanks for replies, had mine out on Mon. The 3 holes in chest are ok but the hole in the belly button is hurting like hell.
Painkillers are helping a bit, so hopefully a couple of weeks, I’ll be back to work.Same here belly button is the most painful cut and think I’ll be back at it on mon.
I found ibrufen good for pain.
Did you think you were having a heart attack when the gallbladder went mad?
I did ,glad to get rid of it we don’t need it.
Get well soon .
I had the original pain in November and yes I thought it was my heart and so did the hospital until all the tests they did, eliminated that, and they found the stones on ultrasound.
I am using Tramadol as a painkiller and is fine while I stay still, just the belly hurts when I get up or sit down.
I’ve been told to keep walking at a gentle pace as well.
Thanks and good luck to you for Monday.
I had my gall bladder out through keyhole surgery, drove myself to a & e worst pain I’ve ever suffered. Was operated on in the morning, woke up in the middle of the night said to wife something not right, she said take windeze & shut the f**k up 
! I like to remind her of this every now & then. 
I was off for 12 weeks proper floored me.
Had mine out yesterday…was OK.
Today it is sodding agony . Codeine tablets are my best friend now.
Told no driving a car for 72 hrs and be careful bending over for a week or so …no heavy lifting for a month . No truck driving for two weeks , that made me laugh ( which hurt) . Licence is medically withdrawn for another 16 months anyway for the ex heart problem
3 wheeler:
Had mine out yesterday…was OK.
Today it is sodding agony . Codeine tablets are my best friend now.
Told no driving a car for 72 hrs and be careful bending over for a week or so …no heavy lifting for a month . No truck driving for two weeks , that made me laugh ( which hurt) . Licence is medically withdrawn for another 16 months anyway for the ex heart problem
The doctor told me to stay away from Codeine, said it will cause constipation and your movements need to be back to normal as soon as possible to aid recovery.
mjallby:
I had my gall bladder out through keyhole surgery, drove myself to a & e worst pain I’ve ever suffered. Was operated on in the morning, woke up in the middle of the night said to wife something not right, she said take windeze & shut the f**k up
That’s terrible, 12 weeks and I agree with the worst pain bit.
mjallby:
I had my gall bladder out through keyhole surgery, drove myself to a & e worst pain I’ve ever suffered.
My first gall bladder attack seems to also have caused a pancreatitis attack which the hospital blamed on acohol at the time because the inflammation was too bad to show the gall stones on the ultra sound and CT.That’s in another league of pain. Then the zb thing went quiet again for a while until it started kicking off again recently a few years later.Luckily they found the stones this time and got rid of the thing.Like the appendix the gall bladder is a useless piece of junk that can cause massive damage and/or easily kill even worse with all the complications it can set up regards pancreatitis.Which makes the bit of pain and relatively short recovery time of the op to remove it well worth it.
Having said that I’m still wary of drinking much if anything now. 
Knowing the link between booze and pancreatitis and not really brave enough to gamble on even the slightest chance that my gall bladder attacks and pancreatitis attack might have just been a coincidence and not linked.
Hi
neilg14:
Anybody had a Gall Bladder removed while working as a driver and how long did it take you to get back to work ?
yes maTE HAD FULL OP NOT KEY HOLE 5 WEEKS TO GET BACK MINE WAS BADLY caps lock sorry infeckted full op left me bit week my mate had key hole bar stuwerd was back in 3 week all the best
rod lomas driver
How’s all keeping.
Have to say it’s been a ■■■■■■■ miracle for me.