Be very very careful, do what the doctor says, and hit the ER if you get ANY pain. If you suffer ANY symptoms at all, anything unusually, please go to the appropriate ER immediately. Here's my story . . . In fall 1999 I was diagnosed with 13 gallstones and thickening of the gallbladder wall. I had had about 5 attacks and was reduced to toast and cereal to live on or I would be in pain. I was teaching then, and wanted to wait 3 weeks until Christmas break. The suregon said I COULD, but he shook his head and tried to warn me of the risks. Stubborn young kid that I was, I didn't want to have to prepare for a sub. Oh, I made it, but just a day or two before the surgery was scheduled, I came down with a horrible fever, chills, flu-like symptoms . . . it was the gallbladder hitting the real infected stage. I was in the hospital for 3 days running Cipro through my IV constantly before they could operate. Couldn't do laproscopic at that point, opened me up like a gutted fish, the gallbladder was so infected and inflamed the surgeon said if I had waited much longer it would have killed me. I sat in the hospital in some pretty major pain for 2 days after surgery before I could go home. Took over a month to recover fully, though I went back to work 10 days later (which was horrible -- I had to sit and teach and depend on the kids being kind and behaving). I spend Christmas Eve in hospital and came home on Christmas Day that year. I still hate Christmas and have a vial with my gallstones in it as a Christmas Tree ornament (I always hang in the back). IF I had just gone and got it done when the surgeon wanted to do it, I would have had a mere day or two off and been fine. It was one of the most traumatic things I have ever experienced. Perhaps a second opinion by another surgeon could give you the possiblity of laproscopic? Hunt around, there are some surgeons that make laproscopic an art form. Make sure you understand the risks, the symptoms of gallbladder going out on you. Make sure that you just have some gallstones and NOT thickening of the walls which indicates gallbladder "disease" and a limited time before it just goes. Oh, and while I was in the hospital waiting for my surgery, a man who bought my late grandfather's home, DIED because he left his gallbladder untreated (mom didn't tell me that until after I survived my own surgery). Perhaps you can offer to take a reduction in pay so they can hire a temp? And then work part time until you recover strength? Since you asked "what would you do in the situation?" and I have been there, I would say I don't think I would wait if I were you. But that is just my opinion and I haven't seen your lab report and I don't know your job situation. Best wishes. If you must wait, watch very, very closely and don't eat ANYTHING greasy, fatty, or hard to digest.
