Gallbladder removal surgery, anyone?

[stephm0188]

Surgery was easy peasy. The gas is the most uncomfortable part of it all. It was hard to find a comfortable sleeping position. I had a job that required a lot of lifting and bending so I took a week off, but if it had been a desk job I would have been okay after a day or two off.

[cuddlyevil]

If it laparoscopic, it will be easy. The first few days will suck but make sure he takes at least a week off work. He will tire easily.

[hisno1girl]

My surgery went easy. I had to carry a little pillow to press against my stomach if I coughed but I took a week off, worked part time for a week, and back to regular hours on the third week.

No problems after.

[cbwm1]

I *really* wish I'd had a recliner to sleep in those first couple nights. It was a bitch getting up from bed or the couch.

Make sure he takes it easy with food for awhile. Carbs, nothing greasy or spicy. I lived in smoothies for a few days. And make sure there's a bathroom nearby every time you eat, because it's a crapshoot (pun semi intended) as to how your body will react to food.

1.5 years later I now know I cannot eat salad or eggs. lol

ETA - I took two weeks off. I maaaaaaaybe could have gone back after a week, but my doctor told me he'd give me permission for however long I wanted. I was burned out from work and milked that extra week for all it was worth. But don't underestimate how tired he'll be for about 10 days after.

Oh yeah - the gas pains from the air they pump in SUCKED. /shudder

[Deleted]

Surgery was fine. I never even had problems with the gas pain afterward.

Recovery took about 2 weeks for me, but my gallbladder and liver were inflamed when I went into the ER and ended up in surgery. I also required a drain a week after surgery.

[sparkythelawyer]

I had mine out while 14 weeks pregnant. Easy peasy.

Ok. The day of sucked a lot, but part of that was I got a super hangover from the pain meds leaving my system. I had it done on a Wednesday, I was back at work on Monday. I was pretty wiped out until Friday.

[nursewife]

Surgery wasn't so bad, the gas is the worst part. Definitely carry a small pillow for abdominal support for coughing or changing positions for the first little bit.

[cuddlyevil]

I slept propped up by super firm pillows. It was the only way I could sleep comfortably.

Ironically, I still have my gallbladder. Turns out my anatomy is not conducive to minimally invasive surgery so we managed mine with a sphincterotomy and lithotripsy.

[cinderbella]

Super easy. Surgery was on a Monday and I could have probably been back to work Wednesday..... Definitely by Thursday. I took the whole week off, though.

[pugz]

Surgery was fine. Make sure you have a pillow for the car ride home to hold against the abdomen.

Sleep was difficult the first couple of nights, recliner would definitely be best. Couch worked for me. I also ended up with a drain for a week that made recovery more painful and frustrating but they are rare.

I think I took 2 weeks off after surgery. There were lifting restrictions for the first month that were difficult with a small child.

[Saint Monica]

It made my acid reflux disappear!

[statgirl]

My diet is the same now but smaller amounts of cheese, sugars, and bbq. All of those make me uncomfortable in large amounts. I also tend to hit a limit on food earlier where I will just start feeling nauseous. This happens randomly.

[melissa]

I second what most people have said: surgery was uneventful and quick, recliner was the only way to sleep and stay on top of the pain meds for a day or two. I took a week off work as I was pretty useless for a solid 5 days or so.

The food situation all depends on why the gallbladder is being removed. My doctor said that a gallbladder goes crazy for one of three main reasons: food, genetics, or sometimes they don't know why. I think mine was more genetic so I didn't have to change my food intake.

[cuddlyevil]

Mine is abnormally small, so they think my issues were congenital. I am being careful with fatty foods but otherwise I haven't been told to change anything.

[seabitch]

The first few weeks/months after removal it was totally hit or miss with food as I learned what make me feel ill. I have trouble with meat (beef) that is to the rare side in quantity and sometimes sugars (like if I have a pepsi and a huge chocolate chip cookie for breakfast <----not recommended). The only other bother is sometimes fried foods, but I don't eat them frequently.

As others said the surgery is not bad. I took a week off from work, worked a week from home, and then bam bumped into a 10 day vacation with my family. Nice stretch of time away from work!

[papie]

I had mine out 5 weeks postpartum. My mom came over for a week to help with the baby and after that I was fine. The worst was the gas pain, which nobody had warned me about. I had to sleep completely sitting up the first night because I just could not lay down.

[papie]

Aug 26, 2016 4:57:30 GMT -5 Saint Monica said:

It made my acid reflux disappear!

Yes! I had issues with food before surgery, all good since. I never have to watch what I eat anymore.

[fivechickens]

I had it removed laproscoptically. It was easy. My daughter had surgery the next day so I was admittedly more concerned about her than myself but I don't recall any issue. The thing I remember the most were the incisions felt like my cat scratched the shit out of my belly.

I will say that I still had phatom symptoms after if I ate really crappy food. Since I have been eating low carb I have not had any phantom symptoms. This does not happen to everyone though and I am not saying it is the low carb diet that stopped it but the fact that I hardly ever eat sweets and fried foods.

[statlerwaldorf]

I had mine out in June. The surgery was quick and easy. They sent me home pretty soon after the surgery.

It took a full 2 weeks for me not to be in pain, but I wasn't able to follow the lifting restrictions. I had a 1 year old and newborn twins to take care of during the day and no one to watch them.

I'm still having issues with food. I am on a low fat diet, but I will still have random stuff give me a stomachache.

[cbwm1]

Aug 25, 2016 22:39:38 GMT -5 luschek said:

Thanks, all. Sounds like recovery sucks but is relatively short lived.

I didn't even think about how he may have to change his diet. cbwm1 was it a drastic change from what you ate before surgery?

The gallbladder helps your body process fat. When it's not there anymore, your body has to readjust. That readjustment period takes sometime, but like I said...I've found that it's trial and error with a lot of people about what food works and what doesn't.

I haven't had to readjust my diet a ton, tbh. I'll eat salads at home, but not out and about. I pretty much hated eggs before I had my gallbladder out but I'll eat them every once in awhile. I learned my lesson a couple weeks ago when we went to ikea after brunch and I'd had eggs. LOL

[sparkythelawyer]

Aug 25, 2016 22:39:38 GMT -5 luschek said:

Thanks, all. Sounds like recovery sucks but is relatively short lived.

I didn't even think about how he may have to change his diet. cbwm1 was it a drastic change from what you ate before surgery?

I don't seem to have too many diet issues now, but sometimes? My body now decides that whatever I am eating must vacate the goddamned premises with a quickness, if you catch my drift.

[cinderbella]

I should add that I also did not have to change my eating. Mine was removed because I had mono the previous year and it attacked my liver which then messed with my gallbladder. It was full of scar tissue from being enlarged and then shrinking back down.

[trissie18]

Mine was done laproscopically as an outpatient procedure. I was out of work for two days including the day of surgery.

[junebugmom01]

Lurker here. Surgery and recovery was super easy. I have had three different surgeries and gall bladder was by far the easiest. The first couple days I did take it easy and kept an pillow to hold to my stomach. I would say I was pretty much back to normal by a week but was unable to return to work for 6 weeks due to weigh restrictions.
I have not noticed any differences with foods I eat...besides no longer having horrible attacks.