gallbladder plus anemia!!

hi all, I am almost to my two yar anniversary and have been at goal since about July. I had a hernia repair along with a TT back in December. The hernia was up under my sternum and the doc also had to shave off part of the sternum because it was poking out like a finger!! well this recovery has not been fun, my whole belly area was hard as a rock. My surgeon said it could take a while for the swelling to go down and get to my new size. Anyway. for the past few weeks I have been having a horrible pain under the ribs on my right side, I thought maybe it was just due to the swelling from the hernia repair and maybe it was just one area hurting now instead of the whole dang area. Well I had a few times where the pain was really bad... stop me in my tracks bad. so I went back to see the doc and he sent me for an Ultra sound.... Yep, you guessed it. Gall Stones! He said if the pain gets really bad to go to the ER. but right now its just an annoying pain, kind of like a stitch in my side from walking. Hi office is going to call me and let me know what he plans on doing.... Then, he looks at my recent labs. everyting was good EXCEPT my iron, he said i was very anemic and the iron levels were way to low... sorry I don't remember the actual number. But I have been on iron pills 3 times a day for over 2 months... Not sure what he wants to do there either... anyone have any of these problems? Thanks Donna 277/145

I had my gallbladder removed January 2005 and also had an appendix rupture (it had gangrene) the previous November (2004). Not fun, but such a relief to have the nasties removed. It is not uncommon for some post-ops to not absorb iron via pills and they require injections and sometimes infusions to get their iron up where it should be. For many the infusions is not a one time fix and has to be redone as labs indicate. Good luck finding a successful resolution to this. Usually they send a person with really bad iron numbers to a hematologist to pursue the infusions. Sandy

I also had these two problems. I had my gallbladder removed after my gastric bypass surgery. I don't remember how long afterwards, sorry. I developed an extremely low iron count/anemia. I took extra iron for a very long time, since it takes a year or more sometimes for the blood level to respond. I am finally "normal" and take only one iron pill a day to keep it that way. I also go to the doctor once a month for a Vit. B-12 shot because my body does not absorb B-12 from food. Losing the weight is worth the inconveniences in my opinion. How about you? Nancy

what type of iron are you taking? I had low iron until I ordered some 'heavy' duty from the pharmacist at walgreens ferrerous fumerate 324 - this is HIGH iron and broght my iron up with a month - taking one pill a day.

Hi, I had my GB out 8 months after the GBP. And before that I had anemia and was on iron 2 x's a day. But now I don't take the iron vits, just my regular mega vits post-op kind. The anemia corrected itself with the iron pills and I am not on any extra iron pills. The B12 has not been a problen but I take a B12 daily. I received it when I was instructed about my vitamins post-op. They gave me a B12 tablet to take 1x a week. I take it daily and have no need for shots. BTW, I jokingly said to my Bariactic doctor that the surgeons should just take the gall bladder out the same time as the GBP! He said it would be difficult to do at the same time??? Good Luck. You will feel so much better when that GB comes out. Kathy