Cruising with gallstones

[Bashlin]

My wife and I along with our kids, sister, my mom and grandmother are set to sail this sat on the Carnival Victory. Grandmother at 73 is thinking she is having gall bladder issues.. She's had some from time to time in the past.. I know nothing about gallbladder problems.. Should I encourage her to go or should she stay home.. Otherwise she is healthy..

Thanks

 

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[YubaSutter]

You may want to run this by her primary doctor for advice.

[fergusonvt]

And make sure if she goes she has a list of foods to avoid (there are lots of them).

[mibarron]

My wife and I along with our kids, sister, my mom and grandmother are set to sail this sat on the Carnival Victory. Grandmother at 73 is thinking she is having gall bladder issues.. She's had some from time to time in the past.. I know nothing about gallbladder problems.. Should I encourage her to go or should she stay home.. Otherwise she is healthy..

Thanks

 

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She should get it checked out before going. I had to have my gallbladder taken out because there was a chance one of the stones could block a bile duct. Get the advice of a doctor. Last thing you want are complications of any kind (even minor ones) while you're on a ship.

 

Good Luck and I hope everything goes well!

[Langoustine]

I think she needs to see her doctor before she sets foot on the ship, and get the doctor's opinion. And if she goes without doing that, make sure you have medevac insurance on her (not a bad idea for everyone, really) if it becomes too serious for the ship's infirmary to handle.

[Bashlin]

She is having a sonogram in the am, we'll know more then.. But the doctor told her it was up to how she felt so I didn't know if I should encourage her to go or not.

 

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[vacruizer]

She should get it checked out before going. I had to have my gallbladder taken out because there was a chance one of the stones could block a bile duct. Get the advice of a doctor. Last thing you want are complications of any kind (even minor ones) while you're on a ship.

 

Good Luck and I hope everything goes well!

 

 

I second this - consult a doctor. Gallstones are painful but can be serious if they block a duct. I had to cancel my cruise last May the morning of sailing so that I could have my gallbladder out that week. In my case, I didn't have stones, but an inflammed and infected gallbladder. Had I gone on the cruise, I would have potentially been in a situation where I needed medical help or heaven forbid, to be airlifted off. This came on very quickly and suddenly. Especially considering her age, i'd definitely go with what the doctor says.

[MommaBear55]

She should ask her doctor. People often have asymptomatic gallstones. There are also those who have surgical emergencies with gangrenous gallbladders and every possibility in between. The provider may recommend a low fat diet which I would have problems doing on a cruise!

 

Sorry I cannot give you a definitive answer. The provider treating the grandmother would know best. Good luck and happy sailing.

[mibarron]

If my doctor said he was ok with me going and I felt up to it, I would most likely still go ahead with it. I would just make sure I had insurance on the trip that covers emergency treatment and travel. Better to be prepared than not. :)

[Bashlin]

If my doctor said he was ok with me going and I felt up to it, I would most likely still go ahead with it. I would just make sure I had insurance on the trip that covers emergency treatment and travel. Better to be prepared than not. :)

 

She has insurance, bought it on the very last day lol.. I hope she can go, we've planned this for 14 months and she lost her husband a year ago and has never been any where.. I even bought her fttf :-)

 

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[mibarron]

She has insurance, bought it on the very last day lol.. I hope she can go, we've planned this for 14 months and she lost her husband a year ago and has never been any where.. I even bought her fttf :-)

 

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I'm sorry to hear about her and your loss. Hopefully, things go well and she can cruise with you. If she does happen to go, you may want to give the ship's doctor a heads up too, just in case. :) Most ships medical facilities are pretty up to date and have ultrasound machines and such. If she is experiencing any discomfort, he'll already be aware of her medical situation and be prepared for it better.

[Bashlin]

I'm sorry to hear about her and your loss. Hopefully, things go well and she can cruise with you. If she does happen to go, you may want to give the ship's doctor a heads up too, just in case. :) Most ships medical facilities are pretty up to date and have ultrasound machines and such. If she is experiencing any discomfort, he'll already be aware of her medical situation and be prepared for it better.

 

Thanks, I'll also let her know this and maybe even let the chef know she needs a low fat diet.. Fingers crossed

 

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[BeachChik]

I had gallstones for about a year before I finally had it removed. I didnt have insurance at the time (this was many years ago). One day I had VERY BAD pain from the stones, I waited about 10 hours before I just couldn't take it anymore and finally went to the Er. They said that one of the stones was stuck in a duct and I needed to have it removed right away. The pain from them can be pretty unbearable. I would hate to be on vacation and have an episode but if she is careful about what she eats she should be ok. But if she has an episode I don't think they can do anything on the ship to help. Where on land I was able to go to the Er twice and get a shot that helped to relieve the pain.

[e150club]

Bring some pain med's just in case she needs them. Hopefully she don't need them. I bring a bunch of med's just in case.

[keystonemama]

Agree with seeing what her doc says, she sounds like she has been managing it, I worked in medical for many years and I too knew I had a problem and managed it by what I ate for 3 yrs, I refused to let myself cruise though until I could get them removed, by that time they were the size of golf balls (2) and doc said my gallbladder was 3x the size it should have been and I was lucky it had not burst on me, if that happens you go directly to surgery.

I don't mean to scare you, but a gallbladder can be very unpredictable, 20 yrs ago my mother had a niece (24) die when her gallbladder burst, she could not get to surgery quick enough.

Even after having them removed you still have some of the same symptoms because the bile that is used to being processed thru the gallbladder is now having to be processed via the liver and it will be slower, so she will want to eat smaller portions of food (several times day) or it will send her to the lavac quickly! :eek: Beside fats, alchohol, pork/roast/fried (hard to digest) and white flour all are rough on the digestion. I find that when I eat only recipes on Weight Watchers, I have no problems at all, which consist of whole wheat, chicken/fish, little fat, lean meats and veggies.

Wishing her the best,

[Trish12345]

Once the gallbladder starts giving problems, it never gets better on its own. Doctors here like to do an EGD, ct w/dye and a hida scan. My guess is because the insurance will pay for them. Meanwhile, you are living in misery. I'm hoping since your GM is 73 they will be quicker to diagnosis. I traveled with Zofran and Phenergan last year. You will find plenty of food you can eat on a ship. I ate lots of plain cheese sandwiches from the Deli the first few days.

 

Hope you get it resolved by cruise time.

[Aplmac]

And make sure if she goes she has a list of foods to avoid (there are lots of them).

I have similar problems sometimes, but between my private chef(wife) and me

we've come up with a healthier dietary regime

with a lot less fried foods, Cheddar cheese(specifically! we can't figure out why!) etc.

and it has made a big difference in the amount of abdominal-cramping attacks I get at night!

 

Encourage her to go, just stay away from the rich foods

but yes by all means talk to the Doctor first.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallstone

might help...

[need_a_holiday]

Just make sure they cannot deny you insurance on a technicality, such as it being a pre existing condition. A hospital visit in a foreign port could cost you thousands. If insurance fully covers you then I think she should go.

[Colorado Kat]

As long as her doctor says it is ok, I would still go. But maybe take along some basic medical records?

 

And when my husband had gallstones, afterwards his doc told him the basic home remedy was to drink a LOT of beer! Flushes the system. Maybe consult her doc on anything useful to do till she could get to a hospital? Lots of cranberry juice?

[TabFox]

I had mine removed about 20 yrs ago. After suffering for about 4 years with attacks and being told "ohhhhh it's just a nervous stomach...you're too young"...I was 15 when I started having attacks. Fast forward....I have a jar with 25 stones. It was horribly painful. These days they usually remove the gallbladder via laproscope and recovery is only a few days.

Regardless....do check with doctor first. Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

[Robin7]

She should ask about a HIDA scan along with the ultrasound. I had pain for over a year, and no one could diagnose it. They said it was this thing or that thing. The ultrasound of my gall bladder showed NOTHING. They finally did a HIDA scan, and it showed my gall bladder was very sick. I had surgery the next morning. My gall bladder was gangrenous and fell apart when he took it out! He said if it had been in there for two more weeks, I would have gone into sepsis and possibly died! :eek: I believe in HIDA scans!

 

As far as your grandmother, I hope she can go! How disappointing if she can't. I do hope if she does go that you can get insurance for her. I can't even imagine absorbing those costs if the gall bladder suddenly flares up.

 

Robin

[sparky9016]

Wow, funny this is posted... I have been having what I think are gallbladder "attacks" also. I am having an ultrasound next week.

 

Someone mentioned insurance and pre-existing conditions.... wouldn't a pre-existing condition be one that is diagnosed prior to the insurance purchase, not after insurance purchase but before trip? Just curious...

[holiday forever]

I went on a cruise after I found out I had gallstones was just careful what I eat , had my gallbladder removed 4 weeks after returning from cruise.

[MDSue]

I second this - consult a doctor. Gallstones are painful but can be serious if they block a duct. I had to cancel my cruise last May the morning of sailing so that I could have my gallbladder out that week. In my case, I didn't have stones, but an inflammed and infected gallbladder. Had I gone on the cruise, I would have potentially been in a situation where I needed medical help or heaven forbid, to be airlifted off. This came on very quickly and suddenly. Especially considering her age, i'd definitely go with what the doctor says.

 

I remember when this happened to you. I was following your posts about it. I felt so bad for your lost cruise!

I had gallstones many years ago, but luckily never a really severe attack. I had to wait until my son was born to have it removed. I, personally, would be very nervous about sailing if there was a possibility of a flare-up. My father-in-law got extremely ill two years ago with gallstones and he was lucky to have survived the operation. I almost had to cancel my cruise because he was in the hospital and I was afraid he would not survive.

 

To the OP: I think the doctor and your grandmother will have to decide what is best. A gallbaldder problem can range from a minor inconvienence to a severe, life-threatening condition.

[RRLLAL]

Lots of interesting stuff here. I've had abdominal pain/issues for several years. I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia and acid reflux. But the past few months the discomfort has increased to the point of ending up in the ER 3 weeks ago. Felt like a knife had been pushed into my gut.

 

Long story short, after several doctors visits and tests, they found I had gallstones and all the docs agreed the gallbladder was the root of my problems and it needed to come out.

 

But I told the surgeon about our cruise next week and he said go and have fun and it could wait until the week I got back. So that's what I'm doing. Hope it was the right decision.

 

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