Joan M had Gallbladder surgery today

Hi Joan - Wishing you well and a speedy recovery from your surgery.  Also, when you feel well enough, give us an update on your CT scan.  I know you have been off your chemo for a while.  Thinking of you.

an easy recovery And good scan results. 

Pam

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

I am home recuperating from a laporoscopic procedure and attempt to remove my gallbladder.  However it was surrounded by scar tissue and the surgeon said he wasn't able to get it because it is attached to my duodenum from scarring on one side and scar tissue was wrapped around my gallbladder and bile ducts.  He tried to get it out, but stopped because he didn't want to damage the bile ducts or duodenum.  We had discused the possibility that he may have to cut me open to remove the gallbladder, but he said that it was so embedded in scar tissue that he wouldn't have been able to get it even if he had cut me open.

He was also concerned about the risk of spreading tumors because it was so near to my liver with tumors visible on the surface of liver.  This was on the side that had been treated with  Y90 radiation. 

I'm glad he stopped and spared me the possible injury to duodenum and bile ducts that could have been fatal.  

There was another procedure he had discussed with me, where they remove part of the gallbladder and seal off the cystic duct.  Apparently he wasn't able to do that either due to the cystic duct  being surrounded by scarring.  

He removed the biliary drain tube so that was a huge relief!

I had a CT scan on the 13th and it showed some growth in 4 tumors in my lungs.  They are all still quite small - 4 to  6mm.  My liver is stable with no growth of tumors.  I've been off chemo since mid August so I could have the surgery, and expected some growth.  I'll be starting back on chemo after a few weeks to allow healing from the surgery. 

I'm praying that no tumors were spread by the surgery.

Hello Joan - Sending you best wishes to heal and soon get back on your chemo treatment.  Will keep you in my prayers.  

The last week has been pretty tough.  I am lucky the doctor didn't do the open surgery.  I've had way more pain than expected from the laporoscopic procedure.  It could be from the scraping around trying to get my gall bladder out.  Also a lot of pain around the drain tube he put in.  Yesterday started out pretty good, but then had alot of pain while showering and dressing, then extreme pain by evening.  I was trying to take less pain meds but went back on the stronger dose so I could get some sleep.  

The only surgery I had prior to the cancer diagnosis was a c-section.  Since the diagnosis I've had the port placed and a few other surgical procedures such as placement of the biliary drainage tube, and the chest tube for collapsed lung after the cryoablation.  The ablations and Y90 were the easiest to heal from.   The biliary tube caused ongoing pain because it stayed in place for over two months.  The drain tube the doctor placed after the gall bladder surgery is causing alot of pain too.    Praying he removes that tomorrow at my post-op visit. 

Yes, I am very fortunate the surgeon knew to stop the procedure instead of possibly damaging my duodenum or bile ducts.  One of the biggest health risks from galbladder surgery is from damaged bile ducts.  I never even heard of damage to the duodenum before.  In my case it was from the scar tissue that apparently surrounds most of my gallbladder. Have any of you that had the Y90 or ablations been told you have scarring in that area?

The Interventional Radiologist who performed the ablations and Y90 procedures has referred me to MD Anderson in Houston to see if there are any new treatments for me that will be less toxic than the Folfiri regime that my oncologist wants to start me on.  I will let you  know what they say.  Last time I was referred there, they just reviewed my files and treatment plan and told me they would not do anything different, so I didn't need to travel there.  They may tell me the same thing this time.  

Thank you all for your continued prayers!     

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Joan - I had pelvic radiation 2005 for anal cancer.  In 2010 I had a partial blockage (extremely painful spasms that go on for hrs).  I was diagnosed with a small bowel intestinal stricture - a scarred area, which the Oncologist said was in the radiation path.  I wonder if any of my organs are fused due to scarring.  Since then, I have followed a low residue diet - I have had about 10 partial blockages.  Am very careful about not eating certain foods.  Surgery, radiation can cause scarring unfortunately. I wonder if one of the procedures you had caused this scarring.   I am so sorry that you are experiencing this type of pain, and hope things get better for you.  

I am feeling better each day.  I had a lot to be thankful for this year - and was extremely thankful that my doctor took out the tube the day before Thanksgiving.  He said that some of the scarring was caused by inflammation of gallbladder.  But yes, the radiation and the ablation plus the inflamation left a big mess in that area. 

Hopefully I won't have any more problems with my gallbladder that would require any more surgery - or tubes. 

It is so crazy to feel like I was beating the cancer and then get struck down for so long by this little organ that we can survive without. 

Tru, I can totally feel the scar tissue that developed where the tube went under my rib cage, through my abdominal muschels through my liver and into the gallbladder.  That tube was in place from September 1 to November 16.  It still hurts there and will probably continue indefinitley.  

I look forward to getting better and kicking this cancer!  I have been feeling well without the chemo, and actually reluctant to get back on it again.

Good luck to all!  

Sorry you went through all of this, but glad to hear you are doing better.  The scar tissue is a problem for me (just a bit, nothing major) from the lung surgery.  I will get pain at the scar areas from time-to-time.  Never quite sure, but I will point and say it hurts here now, and my wife will tell me I am on the scar with my finger.  I have three from that surgery that I feel from time-to-time.