Gallbladadder op abandoned- really scared

Oh you poor soul. Anyone would be terribly upset after such an ordeal.

I do hope that you hear more information soon, as often the unknown is so much worse than being informed.

When I had my gallbladder removed by keyhole surgery I was told that it is not unknown for this to be abandoned and open surgery done instead. So this obviously is not all that unusual, and it is a shame that the clinicians weren’t more forthcoming.

Good luck and do keep us updated.

💐

PS I was 78

Yes mine was abandoned as well and I went into an NHS hospital (2016), it turned out I had a non cancerous lump ( Fibroma) on my liver and the gall bladder was fused, I waited 3/4 days on a day ward waiting for a CT scan then was referred for an MRI and ended up having part of my liver removed as well as the gall bladder a few months later ,I know it's easy to say don't worry, but it isn't easy, as your mind keeps going around like a washing machine.
Hopefully you will be picked back up quickly and your scans escalated to put your mind at rest.

Oh, bless you! What a frustrating, horrible and scary thing to happen. I can understand how you feel and I just wanted to wish you all the best. (Sod this ‘luck’ lark!)
The one thing I can say is that, when I have had things happen to me that have scared me half to death while awaiting the event, invariably, the reality is not as bad as the rubbish your brain comes up with! 💐

As Crossstitch fan says the reality is not as bad as the concoction in your head or something to that effect. Good luck ..

If you were in a private hospital they can’t do anthing other than the operation booked, which is why I prefer the nhs who deal with anything unexpected on the premises.
Private hospitals always send such patients straight back to the nhs hospital for treatment. It’s something a lot of people don’t realise.
I hope it’s dealt with quickly and you get your operation. When I had mine out in an nhs hospital it was my first ever operation at 73. I was fine. You will be too.

Thank you everybody. I can cope with the prospect of mores serious surgery (just about). It’s the fear of it being cancer which terrifies me. There was just something about the way the way they were talking to me that suggested they were worried about it.
I had to have a colonoscopy this time last year due to a positive bowel screening test. It turned out ok but I just feel a bit punch drunk with it all, Ive had a phobia of cancer most of my life.

Medics are not very good at reassuring people. I was having scans for a post menopausal bleed. One of the nurses asked me if I ‘had anyone with me’. This immediately terrified me. Turns out they were just sending me to another part of the hospital and if I had someone with me they’d need to know. My first thought was ‘they are going to give me bad news and don’t want me to be alone’. Similar things have happened to me over the years. When I worked for the NHS I always explained to patients what was happening in a way that didn’t frighten them. Sometimes ( pre mobile phones) if surgery was running late patients would ask me to phone home to say they were going to be late. I always said, it’s nothing to worry about, I just have a message from so and so, rather than saying ‘ this is the medical centre’.

Sillyoldbird - you’re not the only one who has this fear. These days most cancers are treatable and sone are curable.

Just to say I’m so sorry you have this upset. I would feel exactly the same.
I had a keyhole hiatus hernia plus abdominal hernia operation last October and the surgeon warned me that he might not be able to do a keyhole procedure, but would try. This was in a NHS hospital and I imagine if it had been private, I might have had my operation delayed too.

I wish you all the very best🌺

Like any of us who have had scares we all have to wait and hope all will be well, because it almost certainly will be. You were upset and may have read more into what they said.
Let us know how it goes. Good luck 🤞

Silverlining, overthinking is my specialty. I am going over and over things in my head.
Things keep coming back to me that the surgeon said, eg that my prior ultrasound was inconsistent with what he could see when he operated. What on earth does that mean? I didn’t ask at the time as I was so shell shocked.
Then when a nurse asked how I was, I told her I was worried about what he said about the possibility of cancer. She started telling me about how curable it was these days and it could be caught in the early stages. Pretty sure she also said something about being able to take part of my liver away.
I’m just so stressed

I had two MRI scans before I had my gall bladder removed last November. I had the operation in a NHS hospital and was warned before going to theatre that I might need open surgery.
I had stones lodged in the bile duct. Fortunately they were able to remove my gallbladder, and the little stones were removed robotically. Stayed in overnight and home the next day.
I hope that all goes well with your open surgery. Try not to worry.

All done by keyhole surgery I should add.

I hope no one minds me posting on here again. Writing it down helps me rationalise my thoughts a little.

After all the doom and gloom yesterday, I’ve had chance to talk to others and think more about what was actually said to me yesterday, so I feel slightly less anxious.

One thing I found out was that GB cancer is very rare - around 1 - 2 in every 100,000 in the general population (but higher in people in my risk group). It only accounts for 1% of all cancers. A biopsy in this op is routine.

I also thought about what people around me said after the op - the anaesthetist made an off the cuff remark after the sturgeon had gone - “of course I couldn’t see exactly what the surgeon saw, but I think it’ll be ok”

Also a lovely lady in the bay opposite, who overheard the conversation said, “For what it’s worth, I heard it in a more positive light than you did. Confirming that my usual panic reaction doesn’t necessarily reflect the actual situation.

Lastly, my daughter who is a medical professional, is a friend of the ODP who was at the op. She (with my consent) told her that the gallbladder was indeed very stuck down with adhesions. This is possibly what the surgeon meant when he said things weren’t consistent with the scan.

All a bit anecdotal, but just wanted to give a more balanced explanation now that I’m marginally less hysterical.

Massive thanks again to all who replied.

I’m glad you’re feeling slightly better this morning and I hope you don’t have to wait long for the answers you need. Wishing you all the best - and I love your user name!

Thank you argymargy. The user name is appropriate- I’m affectionately known as Pigeon at home - hence the bird part. As you can probably guess, I’m also very silly sometimes.

We’ll skate over the old part (I’m 67)

Good to hear you’re less worried after a very unsettling experience. Of course no one minds you posting again. I do understand and have experienced how some medics are less than careful with the way they speak to the person in their care. Please come back at any time if it helps, if you can let us know how it all works out. Wishing you the best.

I hope it turns out alright Sillyoldbird I hope they don’t take too long with the results, it is pretty nerve wracking waiting. Whatever they say it is better to know what you are dealing with.

They were probably more worried they weren't going to get paid after all!

I really hope this gets sorted for you soon. I have had cancer twice- you're in good company lol!

I can absolutely understand why you were unnerved by this ... you had geared yourself up for one thing (bad enough in itself) and found yourself facing another. It could of course be many things they saw that made an open operation necessary (adhesions definitely one) and they needed to send you back to the NHS for this as they were booked to do keyhole.
It is human nature to jump to the worst conclusion, and it is a shame that medical communication is often inadequate.
I am awaiting the results if a thyroid biopsy and, although I have be told it is most likely benign, my mind heads for worst case scenario ... we all do it!
I hope that things will be sorted for you soon and send good wishes.

Luckygirl , about medical communication; what I can’t understand is why he couldn’t have uttered a few reassuring words. A simple, “gallbladder cancer is very rare, try not to worry” would have helped. And perhaps telling me how long the biopsy results would be.

Instead he just said that he understood the waiting is very stressful and then asked if he minded me ringing my daughter - which stressed me no end! He hasn’t rung her by the way.

I hope all goes well with your thyroid biopsy.

*minded him ringing my daughter, not me. I don’t know how to edit the post directly

Keepingquiet sorry to hear all about your cancer diagnosies. I hope everything is going well for you now?