Gallbladder removal experiences

[bittybabygrower]

Had mine out 2 years ago.
I have some food issues, but I've learned to eat small meals and limit fatty or really sugary things or else I need a bathroom pretty quickly! My doc also had me start a probiotic after surgery and that helps with other gut issues.

I was off work for 3 weeks because I work a busy unit, but I felt better in about a week.

You won't believe how much better you do feel, food things aside.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My sister is getting her GB out next week. I had mine out 15yrs ago. My oldest dd had her GB out at 16.

As far as "dumping" I will get that if I do not eat breakfast. If I skip it, then eat lunch, it can turn into running right through me.

I also have reflux. No puking at all though.

 

[LaurEm378]

I had mine out at age 17--20 years ago!-- and within a week I was able to eat anything I wanted again. I've never had to purposely avoid greasy foods because of it. I had the laparoscopic and the pain/weakness lasted maybe 3 days afterwards.

There have been a few times when I had way too many alcoholic drinks and it caused gallbladder pain. But food has never done that to me since I had it removed.

As I get older I seem to get a lot of gas pains/bubbles in my chest, nothing Pepto or GasX can't fix, but my doctor thinks it's because I have no gallbladder.

You might want to consider yourself allergic to morphine after the surgery; the link is not yet proven, but morphine can cause extreme pain in those without gallbladders. I found that out unexpectedly during an ER visit a few years ago. It was the worst gallbladder attack x 1000, all over my whole body.

Surgery and recovery are no fun, but it will be a huge relief to have it all behind you. Good luck!!

 

[Mizzoufan]

I can't eat lettuce now. I have a hard time digesting it.

 

[goofy4tink]

Had mine out a year ago, after a night of excruciating pain! Huge stones...three of them. They thought that the bile ducts could possibly have been impacted but happily that didn't happen.
The surgery itself was a piece of cake. Of course no one thought to mention that I wouldn't be able to wear the same jeans home that I had worn in there! So be prepared. Recovery was pretty fast.
Then, there was the food issue. They told me that I would have to be careful with anything fatty or greasy. Dairy too. Evidently, the gall bladder is what helps process that stuff. Without the gall bladder, your body doesn't really know how to deal with those foods. I stopped dairy and fried foods for a month or so. Then, there was the night I forgot and ate a bunch of French fries! Yikes. My tummy was not happy. I'm still careful about fried foods. The thing that vim finding odd is that ever since I had my surgery, I can't tolerate peanut butter or other peanut foods...including peanuts!
Just take your time putting fried foods back into your diet. Otherwise, you may want to be close to a bathroom. I never had a vomiting issue though.

 

[Kimberlyann11]

Had mine out in 2003. I had very little pain from the incisions. I can eat anything I want. At any rate - it's a lot better than the very painful two day long gall bladder attacks I used to have.

 

[Tozzie]

So it seems to be that I have to get my gallbladder removed soon. I've heard afterwards the side effects are awful and you basically can't ever enjoy a greasy meal. every now and then I enjoy a good greasy burger! Or steak and cheese, whatever. Lately I have enjoyed way too of them but I want to get my eating back on track and then have a cheat meal every now and then. I wasn't thrilled with the doctor I saw, he was pushy and a jerk and didn't seem to want to slow down and get asked questions so I am going to go for a second opinion but I know there is a problem so I know we are going to end up at the same answer in the end.

So if you don't mind sharing how was your experience with it?

I had mine removed 22 years ago I never had a big issue and the problems I had were more gas pains than anything else. It took about 6 months before I stopped getting gas pains but that was it. Good Luck

 

[Tozzie]

Had mine out a year ago, after a night of excruciating pain! Huge stones...three of them. They thought that the bile ducts could possibly have been impacted but happily that didn't happen.
The surgery itself was a piece of cake. Of course no one thought to mention that I wouldn't be able to wear the same jeans home that I had worn in there! So be prepared. Recovery was pretty fast.
Then, there was the food issue. They told me that I would have to be careful with anything fatty or greasy. Dairy too. Evidently, the gall bladder is what helps process that stuff. Without the gall bladder, your body doesn't really know how to deal with those foods. I stopped dairy and fried foods for a month or so. Then, there was the night I forgot and ate a bunch of French fries! Yikes. My tummy was not happy. I'm still careful about fried foods. The thing that vim finding odd is that ever since I had my surgery, I can't tolerate peanut butter or other peanut foods...including peanuts!
Just take your time putting fried foods back into your diet. Otherwise, you may want to be close to a bathroom. I never had a vomiting issue though.

Everyone's experiences are different, I had White Castle while I was still in the hospital without a problem. I was also only 22 when I had to have it removed and that may have helped my recovery. My sister and my dad also had to have their gallbladders removed and they are/were able to eat greasy and fried food just take slow it does take the body time to adjust.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I had mine out nearly 30 years ago. Before they did it with a little tiny cut. I have a scar nearly 8" long. Have had zero problems eating anything.

 

[DebbieB]

I had mine out last August at age 54. I was having pain on my right side. Sonogram showed no stones. Went for a Hidascan and it showed 19% function. So I was sent to a surgeon. I had laproscopy removal. I was in a lot of pain afterwards but no other problems. Sent home same day. Off work a week. I've had no problems with diet, no "dumping" or throwing up. I eat greasy foods with no problem.

 

[Holly Quinlan]

I've had mine out for about 10 years. I only had one attack but that was enough it was horrible. I don't remember much of what the Dr. said about my gallbladder but I do remember him saying it was flipped around/twisted and double the size it should be. Didn't mention how many stones but pretty sure there were several.
I would consider my pain tolerance pretty high I had a c section and only took 2 ibuprofen afterwards and that was because the Dr. pretty much insisted. Then I went grocery shopping 24 hours later and then started house work. Having my gallbladder removed I was in bed for a full week so medicated I cant remember anything but the pain. Horrible and this was the one with just 3 small incisions.
I still have issues with just about anything I eat. if we go out to a restaurant that is more than 15 min from home we cant just finish eating and leave we have to wait around for a while. But every ones experience is different

 

[Sabeking]

Timely thread....I just got back from the hospital. My dH had his removed this afternoon. The doctor said the surgery would be 1-1.5 hours long . Three and a half hours later I started to panic. Back in November he had an omental infarction during a Disney cruise. Supposedly everything was resolved. When the surgeon got in there today to remove the gallbladder he found the omental infected up around the abdomen and small intestine. He took care of all that and then eventually the gallbladder. So needless to stay he is staying at the hospital tonight. We will see how tomorrow goes.

 

[Shmily1]

I will have mine out in two days. Not looking forward to it as I'm scared of the anesthesia and of them having to do something extra once they get in there. I have so much going on soon with a college graduation and a wedding that I need this to go really good. I've never had surgery so I'm not happy about having this going on but the stones are awful some days.

 

[THEDISNEYTHREE]

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[Disneyglobegirl]

Just had mine out in Feb. So far so good. I read a lot online and many people recommend starting out very lowfat and slowly increasing the fat to see how you react however my Dr told me to go ahead and start a normal diet with no restrictions within a week of removal. I've had no issues what so ever. Have been able to eat or drink whatever I want though I do try to keep my eating fairly healthy with the 80/20 rule ...80% good and healthy and 20% what ever I want There are a few people who really do have to be very careful and just remember any time you are reading about surgery online you will run across all the bad stories and issues because most people will post issues..however the many who do not have issues don't really post because everything is fine so while it is good to be prepared and read up remember that there are many success stories out there who don't really post.

My surgery went well and recovery wasn't bad. The worst for me was the gas and bloat that lasted 2 weeks... I didn't think I would ever get back into my jeans but the ab bloat finally went down. I have 3 small scars that are healing well. I'm hoping in a few months they will barely be noticiable.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

First, the bad news:

When my gallbladder was taken out, there were complications. A bile duct between my liver and gallbladder leaked, causing me a large amount of pain before it was found. I was in and the hospital a few times, and even had a tube inserted to drain the bile until the leak closed by itself (which it did). I got my gallbladder taken out in March and by June I was back to about 90%. So, it sucked, a lot, but I got over it.

The good news:

I don't really have a problem with greasy food. I can eat a burger and fries without a problem.

The "not sure is related" news:

I do have occasional painful gas since the surgery. It's not often, maybe a few days a year, and only for a few hours. I also can no longer eat raw onions. Eating raw onions causes me severe stomach and back cramps. This started about 2 years ago, which was about 3 years after my surgery. I'm not sure that's related.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

So it seems to be that I have to get my gallbladder removed soon. I've heard afterwards the side effects are awful and you basically can't ever enjoy a greasy meal. every now and then I enjoy a good greasy burger! Or steak and cheese, whatever. Lately I have enjoyed way too of them but I want to get my eating back on track and then have a cheat meal every now and then. I wasn't thrilled with the doctor I saw, he was pushy and a jerk and didn't seem to want to slow down and get asked questions so I am going to go for a second opinion but I know there is a problem so I know we are going to end up at the same answer in the end.

Would you consider keeping your gallbladder? A good friend of mine had two very bad attacks last year. Went to doctor. Like your initial physician, she was a very ride and pushy doctor. Friend just had a bad feeling about getting an important organ (yes the gallbladder is very important) removed. Doctor totally blew her off and wanted to set a date for removal.

Friend went home, did research and immediately started taking Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar with water twice a day. Never had an attack again.

Quackery? Perhaps. But there are many people online with the same wonderful results. She swears by it and even takes it along on Girls' Weekend. I tried it. Very diluted, not bad. But, it is something I would have to get use to in order to take everyday

 

[North of Mouse]

So it seems to be that I have to get my gallbladder removed soon. I've heard afterwards the side effects are awful and you basically can't ever enjoy a greasy meal. every now and then I enjoy a good greasy burger! Or steak and cheese, whatever. Lately I have enjoyed way too of them but I want to get my eating back on track and then have a cheat meal every now and then. I wasn't thrilled with the doctor I saw, he was pushy and a jerk and didn't seem to want to slow down and get asked questions so I am going to go for a second opinion but I know there is a problem so I know we are going to end up at the same answer in the end.

So if you don't mind sharing how was your experience with it?

I had GB surgery a year ago - also heard all the 'after' stories!! I listened to my DR. and very gradually (after a couple weeks) started adding fats back to my diet - did great for a few months, then suddenly, out of the blue, started having horrible cramps right after eating, and an 'immediate' need for a bathroom. This would happen for several days with skips between.

Found that one 'no-no' for me is raw broccoli - not the only thing, but the one consistent one! Anyhow, that lasted for about 4 months, but now I don't have ANY issues at all - completely like pre surgery with diet. We never have eaten real greasy foods, but I do enjoy an occasional home cooked hamburger

So, try not to stress, seems everyone is different, some have 'no' problems, have heard that some 'always' have issues and need medication, but MOST are fine after the initial few weeks of watching their diets after surgery.

I still do not eat raw broccoli - not tempting fate!

Never had 'any' nausea or throwing up issues.

 

[Chocolate Cake]

Here's a humorous and informative blog about saving your gallbladder:

http://savegally.blogspot.com/2013/08/last-ditch-effort-to-save-mr.html

In the end, she had it removed. But she did try to keep it. Some are successful, some are not.

 

[sj&k]

I had mine removed in 2003 because of gallstones and way too many painful attacks, plus constantly feeling full and having to throw up pretty much after every meal to relieve the constant full feeling (TMI, I know.) That's how I knew I had the gallstones-I had an ultrasound to determine the source of the fullness issue. The surgery itself wasn't a problem, three small incisions and minimal pain-was back to work a little over a week later. Since then, though, I am one of those people who has to know where the restroom is everywhere that I go, especially if I'm going to be eating something. The things that have me running to the restroom are sometimes random and not what you'd expect-fried, greasy foods are fine, but salad is a nightmare so I avoid it for the most part, and anything else has the potential to cause the same reaction. I also have issues with bile reflux, which means I usually throw up bile several mornings a week as soon as I get up. I haven't been offered a solution for that by any doctor I've mentioned it to, so perhaps there isn't one. To be fair, though, I've had gastrointestinal issues pretty much my whole life so it's possible these things could have cropped up regardless of whether I'd had my gallbladder removed.