My gallbladder burst (felt like the hand of god reaching into my solar plexus and squeezing) because I tried to live with the pain long enough for my insurance to kick in: woulda been two weeks. Meanwhile, the stones got into the duct system and shut down my liver, so when my eyes went yellow, my poop went oatmeal, and my pee went diet coke, I went to the emergency room. I lay in a fetal position on the floor while they tried to get me to admit that I was an alcoholic, because obviously it was a liver problem. Then they gave me Vicodin, and I was very very happy.
Yah, same here with most family members having had it out. Funny remark from the surgeon when I asked him if it was heredity, and he said ‘no, it’s not heredity, but it tends to run in families’.
There is a genetic component to chronic pancreatitis. There was a presentation at work a while back on the topic of “The Genetics of Chronic Pacreatitis.” I wish I could tell you more, but I missed the presentation. Which bummed me right out, since my father and I have both had pancreatitis multiple times.
Yep, that’s what happened to me, after losing over 60 pounds. Had never had any problems until a pain began which increased enough over a couple of days to send me to the hospital where they operated the next morning. The doctor later told me it was a good thing they had operated so quickly because the excised gall bladder had “a touch of gangrene” on it, not something one wants to hear.
Fortuntely, that was in arly 1997, and I’ve had zero problems since.
That weight-loss-triggering-gall-bladder-attacks connection is one that just isn’t mentioned in Weight Waterches literature. (Or in any other weight los program, I suspect.
there’s really only two way to get pancreatitis…from drinking too much for too many years and from a gall stone…there is some hereditary factors but getting it that way is very rare (at least that is what the MD told me). I had to convince them I wasn’t an alcoholic before they went looking for a stone.
there is acute (which I had) and chronic (like an alcoholic would eventually develop) pancreatitis…the latter is often fatal. having episodes of acute make chronic and cancer of the pancreatitis more likely to happen.
there are no drugs you can take other than digestive enzymes…transplants aren’t feasible. they put me on a liquid only diet. If that hadn’t been effective they’d put me in the hospital on a complete fast and be feed me through an IV…the goal would be to shut down the digestive process and let the pancreas rest and recover.
I must say, that I fear the popularity of Atkins style diets (combining a higher than normal fat intake, with possible loss of weight) will cause an increase in Gall stone related conditions.
So your gall bladder decided to multiclass as a rogue?
I have also had pancreatitus and my gallbladder removed.
A little horror story here:
8-2002, I was on vacation in a rural area and started having stomach problems. I thought I had food poisoning and figured it would run it’s course, so I put up with it. 12 hours later I was in enough pain, I was willing to let an ambulance take me to the local hospital, which was about the size of a shoebox.
That hospital tested and probed me for 36 hours and couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Finally I was taken by helicopter to a larger, and much better hospital. They figured out that I had severe, accute pancreatitus, and rushed me in for emergency surgery. I was still in severe pain, so they kept me in a coma while they figured out if the surgery worked. The surgeons didn’t give me a very good chance to live, they told my fiance and family that I would probably die, but they would do what they could. A second surgery on my pancreas was done and they waited to see what would happen.
16 hours after my second surgery, I woke up in ICU, tied to the bed, intubated and on a vent. A nurse finally noticed me swinging my legs off the bed and was shocked that I was awake. I should also mention that the last thing I remember was being at the rural hospital, telling the doctor I wanted to be transferred before he killed me!
Come to find out, the conversation I had with that doctor was 30 day ago! The second surgery had stopped the pancreatitus, but I was still in a lot of pain and the prognosis was bleak. The surgeons told me that I would be a diabetic for life, and even a small amount of alchohol could kill me. They told me that I would never be able to return to work, (I am a firefighter), and I would be plagued with problems for life. I had also lost over 100 pounds in those thirty days.
The massive weight loss caused my gallbladder to form stones and sludge, which caused more pain. A new set of doctors were brought in for the gallbladder and they yanked it, with all the cautions that have already been mentioned.
To summarize, I spent 3 months in the hospital, I lost all of my muscle structure from being bedridden for over a month and had to learn how to walk again. I spent another 4 months at home recovering. I am now back to work. I am also not a diabetic and have very little problems with fatty or spicy foods. I still don’t drink, but that is no great loss for me…I find it’s more fun to watch everyone else make a fool of themselves! 
And one other thing, I was never told about the weight problems, but I have noticed it is very hard not to gain weight now.
Lost lots of weight, GB started hurting, went to low fat and the problems lessened but still attacks. BTW - the attacks got BAD when I tried the Atkins diet - this was before I knew it was a GB problem.
After the operation life is NORMAL. No difference at all without my GB. I did put on some weight because I had to enjoy some fried foods and red meat