First I need to be clear about something:
You assume full responsibility for the outcome of following any of the suggestions that follow and/or disregarding your physician's advice to have your gallbladder removed.
There is good evidence that Vitamin C
prevents gallstones by reducing cholesterol. (1) Since this a problem for you I would suggest Vitamin C to bowel tolerance using Cathcart's titration protocol. (2) It seems doubtful that Vitamin C will remove your gallstones that already exist in any reasonable amount of time (although if anyone has information to the contrary then I'm sure they'll share it). (3) There are other ways for you to treat this condition aside from surgery.
The Rapid Gallbladder/Liver Flush
The
Lancet reported on this technique in the Dec 18/25 1999 issue (4) and I have seen it recommended on many alternative health websites. The full protocol can be read here:
http://4optimallife.com/Liver-Cleanse-And-Detoxification-Procedures.html If you do a google search for "gallbladder liver flush" you will find it posted in many other places as well. Basically you drink natural apple juice for a week prior to the procedure then on the day of the flush you consume a combination of epsom salts, olive oil and grapefruit juice several times. Then you go to sleep on your right side with your right knee to your abdomen. In the morning your gallstones will be passed with your stool. I'm simplifying a lot here so read the protocol carefully. What happens is the concoction allows your bile duct to relax enough that the stones are passed into your digestive tract. There is a risk that they can get caught, however, which is why the disclaimer at the beginning of this post was necessary. From what I've read though, complications are rare and very elderly women have performed this procedure successfully.
Gradual Gallbladder Cleanse
This option is offered as a gentler approach but it also may be much less effective. It takes 21 days to complete. During the cleanse, avoid all foods high in fat, meats, dairy, eggs. Eat unrefined grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes to help clear the gallbladder. Pears, parsnips, seaweed, lemons, limes and tumeric hasten gallstone removal. Radishes are integral to the program and you must 2 radishes between each meal and either three cups of cleavers tea or five cups of chamomile tea per day. Also Flax Oil. For every 160 pounds of body weight use five teaspoons of cold-pressed flax seed oil. Pour the flax oil over your food during one meal of the day or divide into half and use on two meals. Take the flax oil six days a week for two months. (5)
If neither of the above work for you then you still have the option of
Extraporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) to try and break up the stones with sound waves so that they can passed more easily, rather than having your gallbladder removed. If your physician is unwilling to consider this non-surgical option then I suggest you get 2nd and 3rd opinions.
A South American herbal remedy that I just read about may also be worth looking into. It's called
Chanca Piedra (Break Stone) and allegedly is very effective at breaking the stones up so they just come out. High-dose
Taurine is also recommended as a bile thinner as is
Tri-Methyl Glycine (TMG) (3)
It's important to realize that even if you evacuate the stones successfully you will form new ones and be right back where you are now unless you retool your diet and get more exercise. (6)
I've only touched upon the main possibilities for treatment. Read both the references and the 'suggested reading' links that follow. You will need that information to understand your condition better and weigh the pros and cons of treatment options. Do not give up your gallbladder without first exploring all available options.
Good luck to you,
References:
1.
"Vitamin C and Alcohol Fight Gallstones", Mercola.com
2.
Cathcart, Robert "Vitamin C, Titrating to Tolerance"
3.
Diagnose-me: Condition-Gallbladder Disease
4.
Gallbladder Surgery Alternative, Mercola.com
5.
Gallbladder Flushes and Cleanses, Mercola.com
6.
Exercise Prevents Gallstone Surgery, Mercola.com
Further Recommended Reading:
http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/10/gallstone_gallbladder.htm
http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T121682.html
http://www.diagnose-me.com/treat/T36338.html
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jun/30/chiropractic_validated.htm
http://home.bluegrass.net/~jclark/liver_cleanse.htm
Low Levels of Vitamin C Linked to Gallbladder Disease
The effect of vitamin C in high doses on plasma and biliary lipid composition in patients with cholesterol gallstones: prolongation of the nucleation time.