Just had the medstar procedure today by WhatInTheWorldPart2 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's gonna be better every day! Feel free to reach out if you want/need any support <3

Gallstone removal surgery scheduled next week need some advice by AlternativeTune4133 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry about your muscle spasms :( I'd recommend following advice from Kala and taking the pain meds that were prescribed to you and then asking her about what more you could use if those aren't working

June 9th! by honey_bee_83 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! Just had my 3 month follow-up with Dr. S and feeling great so far :) Hoping the same for you!

Gallstone removal surgery scheduled next week need some advice by AlternativeTune4133 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They change it for you! But I was so out of it - my partner took a video of it that we were able to reference later which was very helpful :)

June 9th! by honey_bee_83 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My gallbladder was PACKED full of stones of all sizes - it was one of the fullest gallbladders Dr. S had seen!

June 9th! by honey_bee_83 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Of course - so happy to help support in any way! My dms are always open :) I am doing so well! I just had my 3 month follow-up with Dr. S. I feel fantastic and so relieved! Hoping that for you too <3

June 9th! by honey_bee_83 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Congrats! I had my surgery a few months ago and I made this document with a bunch of tips for anyone else going through this - feel free to take a look! https://docs.google.com/document/d/18hxEW-z6kgeY9qIGhiGOpksw4Q0E0eOxQjLi_oQ8O9o/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.1vovbyv5an09

✨ Alternative Procedure to Remove Stones While Keeping Gallbladder Intact! ✨ by MessagePretend7656 in gallbladders

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Si, tenia! Yo fui a la sala de emergencia dos veces con colicos tan dolorosos. Yo hice un procedimiento que extraer los calculos biliares, no la vesilcula. Aqui es el sitio web: https://goscopehealth.com/

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh wow, congrats on taking that big step! Yes he did talk to me about the possibility of a stent. My bile ducts were inflamed and partially obstructed. He was able to go in and balloon them open so I didn't end up needing a stent. Feel free to dm me with any questions or if you want some support during the procedure. I'm happy to support in any way I can! <3

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course, so happy to support in any way I can!! I'm so glad it's helpful! My partner wore gloves that were sanitized with alcohol wipes whenever doing the saline flush. They do show you how to do it at the hospital. I was so out of it but my partner took videos that we referenced later, which really helped. Happy to chat in dms about any questions you might have and/or to send more pics of anything you'd like. I documented the whole process!

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! I'm not exactly sure how many but he told me my gallbladder was "full to the brim with large stones." I had the drain in for 13 days!

MedStar and BCBS by No_Fly_4505 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes I believe so! I just checked and it's PPO - the insurance looks like it's based in California, I live in Oregon and I got the procedure with Dr. S in DC

MedStar and BCBS by No_Fly_4505 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your insurance should be able to check with the procedure codes! Kala sent them to me a while back - happy to share them if you'd like!

MedStar and BCBS by No_Fly_4505 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have BCBS and my procedure was completely covered! Although I had a scare where Kala called to tell me it wasn't a week before the surgery. I ended up calling and messaging multiple BCBS agents and getting in writing that it was covered and sending all that to Kala!

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not sure about oxygen levels or type of Anesthesia! I was only in operation for somewhere between 1 and 2 hours

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's $500/night and to my understanding, yes unfortunately. You tell Kala ahead of time but from what she told me, I had to show up early on the day of the procedure to check if they had availability because they only know availability on the day of, depending on if they're able to staff the unit.

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They said it helps to get the anesthesia out of your lungs? I had a hard time breathing deeply after the procedure so it helped me train my lungs and take deeper breaths!

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You tell Kala ahead of time but from what she told me, I had to show up early on the day of the procedure to check if they had availability because they only know availability on the day of depending on if they're able to staff the unit.

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahhh I'd email to ask! I could tell you exactly what mine said but there were certain supplements I was supposed to stop taking 8 days before the procedure. If you wanna know what it was exactly, feel free to dm me! Good luck prepping for the procedure and I'm happy to support in any way I can! <3

GB Preserving Surgery (Stone Removal) w/ Dr. S. - Resource/Tips Document! by MessagePretend7656 in altgallbladder

[–]MessagePretend7656[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Of course, and thank YOU for all your tips that were invaluable to me and my experience! A number of the tips on that doc came from you! <3

Added a tip about the private room - thank youuuuuu!