I agree with Altari - it's not just about being able to stand the pain. There can be some serious effects if gallstones get lodged in your bile ducts. That being said, the best person to speak to and take advice from is your doctor. People have different experiences depending on the severity of their gallbladder disease. None of us at 3FC are "experts" on the subject unless, of course, they are a gastroenterologist and I'm sure if they are they'd advise you to talk to your doctor about whether it's safe to wait.

I had mine taken out in 2001. I was 2 1/2 months post op from a c-section when they took mine out. I had it taken out on a Thursday morning and I went bowling on Sunday night. I was a little sore on Thurs. night and Fri. but felt better on Sat. and by Sunday I felt ok again. I will warn you though that after a gall bladder removal you may experience what is called "dumping syndrome". About 80% of people that have the surgery go through it. It's a sudden and immediate urge to go to the bathroom. And as someone who's been through it, when the urge hits you better be within range of a bathroom cause you won't be able to wait. If this does happen Immodium works like a charm. It was my lifesaver for about 2 weeks after the surgery, especially if I had to leave the house. As far as swelling there is minimal swelling after surgery but it's gone within 3 days so you'll be ok there. Until you decide to have the surgery you'll need to avoid pork products like the plague as they are incrediably hard for your body to digest and can bring on very bad attacks. Also avoid highly processed foods like hot dogs and high fat foods. These can also bring on attacks. Good luck and congrats on the wedding. I hope everything works out for you.

My 2 cents...I had mine out when I was 19 and it was a breeze. 6 weeks later hubby had his out and they tried laproscopically but couldn't get it and had to cut him. It's a decision they make on the table. I am not trying to scare you but if its your wedding day you could end up miserable because you are sore etc. Like someone else said eat a very bland diet and schedule when you come back. BEST OF LUCK in what ever you decide.

I had mine out at the age of 27. And I was meant to have it laprascopically. I actually wanted open surgery because of my size and I was worried about the risks of laprascopic surgery at my size (I was 262lbs then). Anyway my very posh and opinionated surgeon said "don't be silly i do it keyhole and that's all there is to it". So I wake up after surgery, and felt like i had been cut open like the Christmas turkey, and I had! He converted the op to open surgery and he let me say "I told you so" before I threw up and went back to sleep.

Because they converted I was in hospital a week, and off work for 4 weeks, then on light duties for 8 weeks.

Check with your travel insurance whether you can postpone the holiday should you have complications (assuming you took out travel insurance when you booked your honeymoon)

I had mine out in 2005 after repeated HORRIBLE attacks. I would recommend getting it out asap to avoid those attacks. I was back to work after a week to a very physical factory job....no problem. But everyone recovers at different speeds. Good luck with your wedding!

While I appreciate what Buckettgirl says, the difficulty in waiting to have it out is that you might have an emergency that requires full surgery, and not laparoscopy -- if the duct becomes blocked, your gall bladder can infect, and in this case, it may not be possible to remove it laparscopically. This happened to a friend of mine on vacation - she had a sudden, extremely painful attack that caused her to drive off the road. She was medievac'd to a hospital, and underwent emergency surgery. She has been left with a 6-inch scar on her midsection and a 3-week recovery time. She, too, had previous attacks, and was eating low-fat foods to avoid surgery. Had she taken her doctor's advice and removed it before it became an emergency, she would have been better off. SO, if you have a known gall-bladder problem, and there is the recommendation to take it out, and it can be done with a minimally invasive procedure, then go for it. Why chance it?

I wouldn't wait - the surgery itself is very straight-forward, and within a week you'll be feeling like normal. The others who've mentioned that postponing could cause other problems are correct - that's what happened to me.

I had a gallstone attack that was HORRIBLE...but once the pain subsided, everything seemed fine and I didn't worry about it. But then, over a period of a week or so, I noticed that my urine was getting almost fluorescent, and the whites of my eyes were yellowing. Almost overnight I had extreme jaundice, and went to my doctor who sent me straight to the ER. It turns out that a gallstone had blocked my bile duct, and I needed the surgery immediately as tests showed that my liver function was severely impaired as a result. The surgeon told me afterwards that there was a very good chance I could have died that weekend (went to doctor on the Friday) of liver failure had I not been seen, that's how bad it was (sounds dramatic, I know - but it really was that serious). And I wasn't in pain or anything - just yellow and knew that something wasn't right.

Now, this isn't to say that this will happen to you if you wait - just that, with gallstones, there's always a CHANCE that this could happen. If your doctor thinks it should come out, I'd get it out - if he thinks it could wait, well, that's between you and him/her to decide. But if the ball were in my court, I'd go ahead with the surgery, because provided you take it easy the first couple of days afterwards, everything should be just fine for your wedding - you'll likely still have some bruising on your abdomen, but it's not like anyone will see it.

Thanks everyone SO much, I was SO full of anxiety this weekend I could hardly stand it going over scenarios in my head over and over. Turns out, I do not have gallstones, I have polyps which are normally completely benign and only sometimes cause symptoms. They are very very small so dr. is not concerned about malignancy and a wait and see approach seems very appropriate. As for not keeping food down, the dr. thinks I have gastroparesis which is probably only marginally related to the gallbladder issue [I have other health conditions which can explain this][possibly this is why the polyps are causing me pain somehow] Just started Zelnorm to help empty my stomach and small bowel and so far, I already feel a little better. Have swallowed two potatoes and an english muffin in one evening. PROGRESS!!!! Thanks again so much everyone! At least I may be able to get down at least the appetizer on my wedding day and I will not have to cancel the honeymoon [even if I can't eat the pasta]. Still no significant weight loss from the not eating--so disappointing but maybe if things start moving it will show some weight loss. :carrot: This carrot is extremely cute even if I cannot yet eat carrots.

Oh that's good news! Well, not great news that you have polyps, but if the time comes they can be zapped by colonoscopy which is better than having a laprascopic surgery.

I was really worried for you! I've never been to Italy, and as I live my life vicariously through other people, would hate you to miss out on a gorgeous honey moon! Do we get wedding pics???

Yay! ::happy dance::

I'm another that had mine out about 12 years ago after rapid weight loss on Nutrisystem. I didn't have a choice. I had major pain and vomiting constantly. After the first tests they told me they couldn't find any gall stones and started looking at a possible ulcer. I later got a call that said, I, in fact did have A STONE that measured 17 millimeters in diameter. They couldn't see it the first time because it took up the whole gall bladder! The doctor said he had to crush it before he could even get it out, but no threat of ever "opening me up." You never know what is going on for sure.

The procedure was easy, out in one day and back to work within the week. I have never had a problem with bloating, pain or nausea, no matter what I ate. The doctor told me the liver is fine on it's own.

Don't postpone. My gallbladder trouble was not diagnosed promptly (The doc kept sending me home saying nothing was wrong) so I ended up in the hospital as an emergency. It took 3 days to get me well enough for surgery. Not a route I'd recommend. Even so, I was starting to feel human again after 2 weeks. Still sore, but back at work and moving around well.

Yippee! No gall bladder problem!!! Thanks for keeping us updated. Where are you going exactly in Italy on your honeymoon?

2.5 weeks to go
 

hi everyone, thanks for the support! Just to clarify, I have gallbladder polyps, not colon polyps---who knew there even was such a thing? But I think my dr. is good and he is following me closely and is convinced I am okay to travel. We are just working on getting my stomach empyting again. I think down the road I will have the surgery to get rid of the pain but apparently it doesnt pose a danger of blockage like gallstones do.

Anyway, we are going to Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, etc....for two and a half weels. I have never been to Italy and am getting very excited! 2.5 weeks to the wedding! thank god I am not lying on an operating table :)

So sorry to hear everyone's gallbladder horror stories. Dr.'s can be so evil. The first thing that happened to me when I went to the ER three weeks ago was the intern came in and accused me of eating my own hair! He said I had a hairball in my stomach. Turns out I had eaten spinach the night before and I wasn't digesting food very well....but when i tried to offer the explanation he was like "Oh, okay, fine, let's say aliens put it there! Can you believe that? Now I think it is funny but at the time I was beside myself

I'm so glad you don't have gallstones and I hope the polyps go away on their own.

Talk about dopey doctors. I once went to the emergency room with bad stomach cramps and the doc said I probably had a 'split spleen'. It turned out to be food poisoning! Good thing they didn't take my spleen out anyway. :rolleyes:

Have a great wedding and honeymoon!