Has anyone had their gallbladder removed?

Re: Has anyone had their gallbladder removed?

• MinM

  

  December 2011

  A former cw had his out, and unless he told me, I would have never known. He didn't have a special diet and I never saw him take meds, so it doesn't appear to be a big deal in every case.

  

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• PMeg819 member

  

  December 2011

  Nothing happens after it is out. My mom had hers done lapascropically and she was sore for about 48 hours but has been fine since.

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• 6fsn member

  

  December 2011

  I had mine out.  My recovery was worse than most, but it was my thrid abdominal surgery in 10 months.  Just know that the gas they use to do the surgery can collect in your shoulder and cause pain.  Nobody told me that and I thought I was having a heart attack.
  
  I've never had an issue since. 

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• pegasuskat member

  

  December 2011

  I had mine out and went to my kids Christmas play at church the same night.  Its not bad at all, just sore for a few days.  I have a high tolerance of pain though, and no tolerance for cry baby's like my sister who treated it like major surgery.  Its not!  And mine has been 5plus years and I have never missed it, or the horrible attacks I had before it was out.

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• Queen Jane member

  

  December 2011

  My mother had gets out right after our wedding. It' was a 2 week recovery time from work but she was back to normal within a few days.

  Married! In New Orleans BIO

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• RaptorSLH member

  

  December 2011

  ***Warning: contains gross medical fact ***

  
  

  
  

  
  

  I know someone who had his this done.  His abdomen was a bit delicate for a while, no heavy lifting, that sort of thing.  The scars are all but invisible.  If he'd used something for them, he probably wouldn't have any scars at all.

  
  

  As far as living with it out, the gallbladder stores extra bile, to help your body digest big meals.  Without it, your body may have trouble fully digesting large amounts of fat.  The fat that isn't digested then affects the consistency of your bowel movemets.  You may experience soft stool, particuarly after eating fatty foods.  You can eat pretty much whatever you want, but if you find your body's tolerance has changed, you'll have to decide which foods are worth the extra time on the can.  Gross, but in the grand scheme of organ removal, NBD, and way less painful than gallstones.

  

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• KatyRoseM member

  

  December 2011

  I had mine out a little while ago.  You'll feel a little bloated, and don't eat a tun of red meat right after.  Also don't do heavy lifting.  I also went hiking in the heat and got really sick, so don't put yourself in a situation that might make you sick anyway. 

  

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• palrmt member

  

  December 2011

  I had mine out about 10 years ago.  Aside from pretty regular heartburn I don't miss it.  Nothing too serious though.  If I know I am going to be eating something spicy or acidic I just take a Zantac before hand and I'm fine.  Also the scars are all but non-existent on most people.  I tend to scar really easily and they are still really faint. 

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• mandctaft

  

  December 2011 edited December 2011

  I had mine out almost two years ago. I learned A LOT from this:
  
  -You aren't supposed to eat after midnight before your surgery. I know you will be nervous, but you have to eat the day before. Even if its only a few bites here or there. I didn't eat all day because I was nervous. I finally forced myself to eat about 11pm. I was so lightheaded the next day from no nutrients and lack of sleep that I almost passed out when they put the IV in (no previous issues with needles)
  
  -Take sweatpants or something loose to wear home. You don't want jeans resting on your incision(s).
  
  -When you get into the OP room, it will be freezing! Make sure you wear thick socks. And ask for a warm blanket. It will feel like heaven.
  
  -When you first wake up, you will be disoriented, but if you can hold off for a few minutes to get pain meds, it will be better. I was barely awake and they gave me morphine. Knocked me out for another 20 minutes.
  
  -When you cough or move, it helps to hold a folded blanket or towel tightly to your abdomen. It gives you support.
  
  -Don't eat the saltine crackers if they offer them. It is such a horrible taste after surgery.
  
  -I agree with PP about the gas in your shoulders. That is the worst part of recovery.
  
  -Don't push yourself to recover. I went to Walmart 3 hours after I got out of surgery and went shopping the next day. I wound up sleeping all of day 3 because I has pushed it too hard. Day 4 I hurt worse because I hadn't moved all day.
  
  -Don't let little dogs sleep with you. They wind up jumping on your stomach.
  
  -DO NOT let your friend drag you to a night at the bar 2 weeks after surgery. It wasn't the drinking that was the problem. It was that I was out all night and was in quite a bit of pain and since I had been drinking. I couldn't take my pain meds.
  
  -As far as a diet goes, I don't do anything different, other than I don't eat at fast food burger places often. The fries started giving me a little pain after the operation.
  
  -I didn't go back to work for 6 weeks, but I was a nurse aide and the doctor wouldn't clear me to do that because I could pull something inside.
  
  I know some of these are no brainers, but I figured I'd tell you what I learned. One last thing: if you can get someone to baby you, its really nice.

  

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• lesleyb456 member

  

  January 2012

  Hi, I know I'm late to this thread, but I just had mine out last September and wanted to offer some encouragement!  It was the first surgery I've ever had and I had NO idea what to expect as far as recovery.  I know everyone is different, but for me it was a piece of cake!  I had it done laparoscopically at a day surgery center and slept most of the two days following.  I was also able to dress myself right after surgery to go home and could do a lot of basic things with no trouble.  By day three I was off of the heavy-duty stuff and down to taking just Tylenol for pain, then nothing at all by day 4 or 5.  The pain feels similar to the soreness after a really intense ab workout.  The key is to stay on top of your pain meds!  If you are planning on napping, set an alarm to wake you every 4 hours to take your pills, even if you don't really feel like you need them at the time.  I did this for the first two days and stayed pretty comfortable.  I took two weeks off of work but I could have gone back much much sooner with no problems. (I will mention that I sit at a desk all day.  If you are doing any physical labor then absolutely take two weeks if you can.)  The hardest part was working back up to a normal diet.  Expect to be on liquids for a while then very slowly moving up to full liquids and soft foods.  Your body will let you know if you are pushing it, usually in the form of cramps that start very soon after eating something too hard to handle.  For me, the cramping didn't last long and I just took it as a sign to take a step backwards on the diet.  Stock up on sports drinks, applesauce, and broth, then work up to crackers.  It can be a VERY slow process.  You can also drive soon after your surgery as long as you are not on any heavy duty pain meds, but the seatbelt can be painful, as can twisting around to check your blind spots.
  Now that I am a few months out, I am on a totally normal diet and I don't notice any difference without my GB.  My incisions are nearly invisible and I did use a scar treatment because I figured it couldn't hurt. 
  
  Good luck!

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