People who have support tend to cope and manage oneself better when they have that extra support and hear from others who may have experienced the same as they did. I myself have had cholecystitis and had a cholecystectomy and wish I had the support from others who were experienced what I had. I think I would have been less scared going into surgery and it could of benefited me by learning from other people with the same disease. You can find local support groups in your area by searching on the internet. Here is a link to a website that helps find support groups for your diagnosis and that is in your area. patient.info/directory.
Here are some support groups online I found that answer questions you may have...
Support groups:
www.dailystrength.org
lifewithnogallbladder.com
http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Had-My-Gallbladder-Removed/23921
I would also encourage those with cholecystitis to talk to other people. It is interesting what you find out about other peoples stories and how the compare and differ from your unique story.
www.amritaclinics.com
Most of us nowadays are always on the go and don't have time to stop and research resources. These days our world is fast paced and uses a quicker way especially with technology, and what better way than to use your smart phone! Here are some free apps you can download and use for resources on the go!
- WebMD- Offers symptom checker, conditions, medicine, first aid information, local health listings (clinics), medical terms etc.
- iTriage- Offers symptoms, doctors, facilities, conditions, medications, procedures, news, and your own triage.
- Medical Dictionary- Offers definition of disease, description, symptoms and pictures.
- MyPlate Calorie Tracker- Offers tracking calories- consumed, burned and net calorie amount. And also offer workouts for only 10 minutes!
- Nutrition Lookup by SparkPeople- Offers healthy choices for every meal and information such as calories that particular food has.
- Yummly Recipes- Offers healthy recipes that are easy and includes information of the nutrition of that food.
- androinica.com
Due to patients having cholecystitis the common treatment is a cholecystectomy, the removal of the gallbladder. This most often is a day procedure and the patient would be back home in a few hours, depending on how the surgery goes and coming off anesthesia. Nursing education for the patient to promote the best care for the patient is to educate them and their family about taking deep breaths and coughing every hour to expand the lungs full to prevent atelectasis. Incisions on this type of patient are located on the abdomen and can present pretty tender. To relieve pain is to take the prescribed medication for pain relief like for example oxycodone, hydrocodone etc. and take only as prescribed. Another intervention is to use a pillow over the incision while maneuvering or coughing which may help reduce pain. Make sure the incision sites and dressings are clean, dry and intact. Notify health care professional if signs or symptoms of infection or bleeding occur. The diet to encourage this patient is a diet low in fats and high in carbohydrates and proteins, to promote healing and a diet that is not hard on the digestive tract, something soft. Avoid excessive fats in meals such as fried food etc. Have the patient follow up to make sure promotion of health and healing is adequate. Resources are posted at the bottom for a patient if they are interested in more information on this disease.
Informational Websites:
- http://www.surgery.ucsf.edu/conditions--procedures/gallstones-%28cholelithiasis%29.aspx
- http://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-cholecystitis#Overview1
- http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hepatic-and-biliary-disorders/gallbladder-and-bile-duct-disorders/acute-cholecystitis
My resources:
Hinkle, Janice L., Kerry Cheever. Hinkle & Cheever: Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing, 13th Edition. CoursePoint, 11/2013. VitalBook file.
downloads.lww.com
What should I eat? Most contributing factors that cause people with cholecystitis to have an episode is due to their diet and what they choose to put in their mouths. The gallbladder is used to store bile made from the liver which helps digest fats. Due to the inflammation of the organ, fatty foods can cause the gallbladder to become even more irritated or even continue to form gallstones. Avoid eating foods high in fat or fried foods to decrease the risk of another attack or the formation of gallstones. These foods include: red meat, nuts, eggs, dairy products, ice cream, chocolate, spicy foods,
carbonated drinks, black tea, coffee, alcohol, fried foods like fries and vegetables such as cauliflower
and cabbage The most helpful foods to eat that will most likely not irritate the gallbladder would be avocados, blackberries, vinegar,
potatoes, pasta, rice, yogurt, lean meat, low fat milk and whole grain foods.
Retrieved from:
- Copstead-Kirkhorn, Lee-Ellen, Jacquelyn Banasik. Pathophysiology, 5th Edition. W.B. Saunders Company, 2014. VitalBook file.
- http://www.diethealthclub.com
- pyyhcff.weebly.com
What are my options? Medical options for cholecystitis are dependent on the severity of symptoms the patient may be having. For acute cholecystitis, commonly broad spectrum antibiotics are administered in case of infection present; the benefit is unclear as to why it is beneficial. Another option is for a percutaneous catheter drainage or endoscopic catheter with a stent to relieve the obstruction is also another option. If the cholecystitis has progressed it can cause more complicated injuries to the body. Other options for complicated progressive cholecystitis are, Open cholecystectomy or Laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the removal of the gallbladder through one of the four small incisions either by electrosurgical or laser excision. Benefit of this procedure is minimal scarring, less postop pain and a shortened hospital stay. This is the major invention for medical treatment nowadays for cholecystitis.
www.drjongani.com
Open cholecystectomy is defined as the removal of the gallbladder through one incision (bigger). Patients may have an open surgery instead of laparoscopic due to not being able to remove gallbladder through the small incisions or if needed, more room to perform the procedure. More scarring occurs, bigger incision site, longer hospital stay etc. There are still more methods used especially seen in elderly patients who have high risks during surgery and cannot undergo surgery. Chemodissolution is the use of chemicals to dissolve gallstones, like bile acids. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) are the common agents used. Lithotripsy is used as well, defined as the breaking up of gallstones using shock waves.This allows the stones to break up and allow for the stones to be small enough to pass through the cystic duct and let the gallbladder function in a normal state.
Copstead-Kirkhorn, Lee-Ellen, Jacquelyn Banasik. Pathophysiology, 5th Edition. W.B. Saunders Company, 2014. VitalBook file.
How do we know when we have Cholecystitis? What are the signs? Are their any symptoms? The most common complaint is upper right abdominal pain, due to the complications of the intermittent biliary colic duct. It is also common for With pain, it is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sweating and gas. The occurrence of symptoms is mostly commonly seen in episodes. Episodes can occur often after a meal, due to an obstruction by a gallstone in the cystic duct, but they can occur spontaneously as well, mostly at night. The pain usually lasts 15 minutes to an hour or even longer. The trigger that most patients report that creates episodes with symptoms is food. Specific food reported to trigger episodes are fatty foods, especially. Additional symptoms that patients report having include: flatus, bloating, belching and epigastric burning.
Copstead-Kirkhorn, Lee-Ellen, Jacquelyn Banasik. Pathophysiology, 5th Edition. W.B. Saunders Company, 2014. VitalBook file.
www.psychologytoday.com
www.enkivillage.com
So what is the diagnosis? Diagnosing Cholecystitis is determined by appropriate evaluation of lab values, family history, diet history, physical examination and imaging (ultrasound). One of the most common ways to diagnose the presents of Cholecystitis is using an ultrasound of the abdomen to view whether there is a blockage or the presence of gallstones in the gallbladder. This can also show the thickening of the gallbladder wall indicating inflammation. However, on occasion, the presence of gallstones and the thickened wall of the gallbladder may not be diagnosed. Other tests used for the diagnosis of cholelithiasis and cholecystitis are: Hepatobiliary scintigraphy or cholescintigraphy by hydroxyiminodiacetic acid (HIDA). This scans and determines the functional assessment of gallbladder excretion, determining if cholecystitis is present. Another test used is a CT scan, magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRCA), and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are useful for specific cases.
Copstead-Kirkhorn, Lee-Ellen, Jacquelyn Banasik. Pathophysiology, 5th Edition. W.B. Saunders Company, 2014. VitalBook file.
www.ultrasoundcases.info
