Gallbladder Surgery on Feb 6

2

Replies

  • JustinDoctrinated
    JustinDoctrinated Posts: 10
    I had mine out about six years ago and it didn't affect my weight. I've gained weight since, but only the recent couple of years and in no way is it related.

    It was done laprospically, which is definitely less invasive than a "big" surgery, but I'd still prepare to be out of commission for a couple of days even when you're out of the hospital. And I found that I needed a really firm bed/sofa to be comfortable because softer surfaces allowed my body to move too much when I was breathing.
  • inyourdreams71
    inyourdreams71 Posts: 42 Member
    I had mine removed in 2011.Before I had it taken out....My doctor told me if I did not want any more GB attacks (in pain) to cut all sugar and fat out.I did and lost alot of weight.It is somewhat painful afterwards...best thing is to get up and start walking.The doctor will tell you this....it's helps to prevent blood clots and speeds up the healing process.It's been a little over a year now.And I have gained weight...weigh more now than I ever have in my entire life.Will not say it's because I had myGB removed..not sure this past year has been very stressful.Just follow your doctors orders.It's not as bad as it sounds...I too was scared.Hope it goes well.
  • rbl1225
    rbl1225 Posts: 235 Member
    My boyfriend had his removed when he was 16. He said that it didn't bother him at all after it was gone. Every person is different. I mean he still eats fatty foods when he wants and as much as he wants- he got lucky with that. If you have a craving for a fatty food or something that isn't exactly healthy add it in slowly and see how you are. Best of luck!
  • BogQueen1
    BogQueen1 Posts: 320 Member
    I had mine out about a year ago. Not sure why, but recovery was fairly difficult, I had to go on short term disability at work, no up and at em three days later, that's for sure. Then again, I had a pretty horrible hospital experience following acute inflammation and pain. Post surgery they kept giving me straight morphine, which my body does not tolerate at all, and did nothing for my pain. It actually made it worse since about 20 minutes after the shot, I would have dry heaves for an hour. I asked them to stop giving me morphine, and eventually they did, but I was in the hospital for about 2 days after the surgery because my digestive system wasn't moving and I had no appetite.

    The no appetite meant I lost a LOT of weight right after the surgery. I gained it back later, for other reasons, but have absolutely zero long term complications, or problems with food digestion. Would I do it again? Yeah I kind of had to, my ducts were totally blocked and the thing was blowing up like a balloon.
  • RealSteelRobot
    RealSteelRobot Posts: 7
    Wow thanks for all the replies and all the good thoughts. I feel better having it removed! I love hearing all your stories! I had no idea it was that common to have the GB removed!! I feel like I can breathe now... keep the stories coming if you like :) It's nice to hear real stories from real people, MFP rocks! <3:flowerforyou: :heart:
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    i had mine out in april this year after suffering for over a yr with gallstones! no you dont gain/lose weight and it is all done normally through keyhole now and leaves a few LITTLE scars that are about 1 inch long,and are already fading well,i was in and out of hospital in one night and it REALLY was not that bad!
    I woud recomend it rather than have the pain of the g/b and stones can get pretty bad!
    good luck x
  • baksings
    baksings Posts: 11
    Interesting......It's been several years since I've had my GB removed and I still have to watch my fat intake. Too much fatty foods and I get nauseous and sometimes still have pains. I've read about others having the same problems.
    I'm glad I had mine removed, the pains were horrible and even came on when I was eating low fat.
    I would get very frustrated when dining out, I became very distrustful (almost paranoid) of no/low fat salad dressings that I ordered "on the side". Or even foods that were supposed to be grilled and they would had oils to the food for grilling. There had been several times I would experience pains or stones from supposedly "healthy" foods.
    Hope all goes great!
  • NuclearMosquito
    NuclearMosquito Posts: 39 Member
    Mine was removed in 2009 after losing 30 pounds quickly (which were regained, but not due to its removal). I find I still have to keep to a lower fat percentage in my diet or I have diarrhea. It was worse in the first few months after surgery, but it is still an issue.

    I tend to scar really easily, and the largest one from my surgery is in the middle and slightly to the right on my abdomen. It's about 2 inches long, 3/4 inch wide, and is raised and discolored. I am extremely pale and a redhead, and I've heard you scar worse if you're pale. Given the numerous stretch marks already present on my belly, this extra scar doesn't really bother me. I'm not aiming to wear a bikini. :)
  • pbl1966
    pbl1966 Posts: 207 Member
    I had my out two months ago, 11/19, and feel soooo much better. I did not have stones so it took longer to get diagnosed. Woke up the morning after surgery to no nausa for the first time in months. Initial recovery took a little longer than I would have liked but I think I had unrealistic expectations of being back running the next week. I am pretty much back to normal with the exception of not tolerating eggs well and some ab muscle soreness after a long run. Ran my first 15K this past Saturday and am planning on a 1/2 marathon next month. Feel free to message me if you have any questions that I can answer for you.
  • krstngrrtt
    krstngrrtt Posts: 69 Member
    DO IT! I had mine out after a lot of pain. I was so scared but I tell you it was one of the best things I could have done... I felt better than I even knew I felt bad. So many tummy troubles went away after I had it out...things that I had no idea had anything to do with my gb. Good luck and I hope that you feel better soon!
  • Rissyroo513
    Rissyroo513 Posts: 79 Member
    I had mine out laproscopically on December 17th and I've been doing great since then. No issues with food, more energy and after 2 weeks I felt pretty much normal. No heavy abdominal exercises for the first month but other than that I can do things I didn't do before my surgery.
  • StefPayne
    StefPayne Posts: 126 Member
    I had mine out when I was 22 years old and started feeling better immediatly. I had been sick for about a year and didn't realize how sick I had been until after I had mine out. I didn't gain or lose any weight. I can not imagine not having mine out. Good luck with what you decide and I hope all goes well for you.
  • Twilightsunflower
    Twilightsunflower Posts: 324 Member
    I had mine taken out may of last year...I had no choice it was causing issues for my other organs... My scares are small and they fade... The worse part is when I eat somethin fatty it does not agree with me...
  • Morethanwillpower12
    Morethanwillpower12 Posts: 74 Member
    My advice is..do not wait! I started getting sick right after my first son was born. Pain in my stomach that radiated up into my chest and through my back. I went to the ER several different times for it and each time they told me it was indigestion or acid reflux or something like that. Finally after going to the ER for the third time, they discovered that I had developed Pancreatitis from the gall stones I didn't know I had. My gall bladder was diseased and full of stones and that led to the Pancreatitis. So don't delay, get yours out as soon as you can so it doesn't lead to other conditions. I was hospitalized and had my gall bladder removed as soon as I was stable enough to do so and I haven't had any problems since :)
  • trcharon
    trcharon Posts: 37 Member
    I had mine taken out about two years ago. I was up and moving around about a week later. I was in pain the first 2-3 days. I needed to have the surgery because I was in so much pain but after the surgery I have problems with certain foods... Alot of healthy foods...like green leafy veggies and corn... i have to keep pepto and imodium tablets in my purse...my doctors said it's normal and my body would make the adjustment but it hasn't yet! but, I rather be cautious of the food i eat then the THAT PAIN..UGGH!
  • kcatlin9
    kcatlin9 Posts: 321 Member
    Had mine out laproscopically. 3 tiny scars. The only side effect was increased heartburn for which I took generic Prilosec. However, when I changed my diet and lost 70 pounds - i.e. eat better and less fried / fatty foods - I don't take the Prilosec anymore.

    Gallbladder is useless. Recovery is easy. Don't worry about having it out.
  • eheflick
    eheflick Posts: 17
    I had mine taken out when I was 17 (22 now) and I actually LOST a bunch of weight. I was a rare case though, anything I ate would literally go right through me and I lost 40 pounds in about 2 months. I had to start drinking ensure and be put on a careful diet because I would get sick with almost any type of food (except really bland stuff). Turns out I also have IBS which is probably most of the reason for the weight loss and getting sick. I have gained back all the weight (and much more) by now. The worst part of recovery was making myself move around, its too easy to just lay in bed and hope it stops hurting. The more you move, within your limits, the better.

    Good luck!
  • jessready
    jessready Posts: 129 Member
    I was determined not to have mine out. I avoided it and doctors for a couple years. Long story short I passed out walking on the sidewalk, and ended up in the hospital by ambulance having it out by no choice. I couldn’t even stay conscious to know what was happening. It turns out my gallbladder was leaking a toxic chemical into my body. Have it out and you will feel much better!
  • s_wilson84
    s_wilson84 Posts: 74 Member
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/472750-what-are-the-benefits-of-a-vegan-diet-on-the-gallbladder/

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/475645-vegan-diet-for-the-gallbladder/
  • mdcjmom
    mdcjmom Posts: 597 Member
    I had my gall bladder out about two years ago. I was out of work for a week and most of my pain was from the gas they use to blow you up during surgery. I can't eat things that have high acid content (like oj) or I get sick. But otherwise really not a lot of symptoms from the surgery.
  • jessgumkowski88
    jessgumkowski88 Posts: 189 Member
    I got my gallbladder out at 18 :) fresh out of high school!

    It wasn't too bad. Pain for about a week and then the rest was manageable :)

    Some people even LOSE weight after the surgery because they find eating fatty foods makes your run to the bathroom. Unfortunately that didn't happen for me :( or rather it did, but only for like a week. Then it went back to normal
  • tlacox1
    tlacox1 Posts: 373 Member
    I had mine out several years ago and I did not gain weight. As a matter of fact, I lost quite a bit of weight. I will tell you that you have to alter your eating habits after the surgery because anything greasy will be, excuse the TMI, coming right back out! It takes a while for your body to adjust to not having your gall bladder and for a while your body will not agree with greasy foods or alcohol. Of course, everyone is different so you may not have these issues but the doctor told me to expect it and it happened.

    Oh, I did have pain from the gas that they put in my stomach for the surgery. It hurt in the shoulder area when I sat up. I guess the air was trying to push out.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I had mine out several years ago and I did not gain weight. As a matter of fact, I lost quite a bit of weight. I will tell you that you have to alter your eating habits after the surgery because anything greasy will be, excuse the TMI, coming right back out! It takes a while for your body to adjust to not having your gall bladder and for a while your body will not agree with greasy foods or alcohol. Of course, everyone is different so you may not have these issues but the doctor told me to expect it and it happened.
    That doesn't happen to everyone. I was eating pizza three days after my surgery, no problem. I haven't had to change my diet at all. In fact, some things I couldn't eat for YEARS no longer bother me.
  • mpenner61
    mpenner61 Posts: 13
    I had mine removed a couple of years ago. I went in on a Friday morning, spent about an hour in surgery and about 2 hours in recovery and then got sent home. Since they wouldn't let me eat the day before surgery, I was starved and I made my wife stop on the way home so that I could get some lunch. I remember having a bit of trouble eating, because my mouth was not making much spit yet (I think from the anesthesia).

    As I recall, I took some prescription pain killers over the weekend, but then switched to over the counter stuff and went back to work on Monday.

    I still have a stomach like a billy goat and can eat anything including greasy foods.

    Of course, I am tough as nails and all of that manly stuff so YMMV. :laugh:
  • JENLHCOMER
    JENLHCOMER Posts: 20 Member
    I had mine removed this last September. It was an easy outpatient procedure done laparoscopicaly. 3 tiny scars that will fade. One is actually inside the belly button so it cant be seen anyways. Excercise went by the wayside for a couple weeks but other than that it was fine. I didn't loose much weight after but did not gain either. No big side effects. I still eat what I want. I do occasionaly have to get to the bathroom quickly though! Glad I had it out. THat pain was worse than childbirth. You should do fine. The doctors have to disclose everything so they tell you all these tiny percentages that you dont really want to know about.
  • Mina133842
    Mina133842 Posts: 1,573 Member
    I had mine out in an emergency situation back in 2010. I was having SEVERE pain- and Finally went to the Dr. about it on my lunch and they immediately sent me to the hospital as I was septic, and my gallbladder was producing gallstones, which were getting stuck in my body in a bile duct and all sorts of issues resulted. I was in the hospital for about 4 days, because they had to get the gall stones out in a separate surgery, and then remove the gallbladder. I've been fine since, the scarring is very minimal- I also had mine removed laproscopic (sp) surgery- so 3 small scars. I was advised to avoid "rich" foods or "heavy foods" - basically to eat a heart healthy type diet- but the occasional indulgence is fine. Haven't had any issues since- I remember the pain being something awful before going in- I was doubled over... not nice at all... but been great since!
  • greetme
    greetme Posts: 1
    For those of you who have their gall bladder removed, research bile salts after gall bladder removal. Gall bladder problems can result from food allergies. If you can avoid certain foods such as onions, pork, eggs etc.
  • Haddix157
    Haddix157 Posts: 35
    I had mine out when I was 17 (I know young!)
    I'm 22 now and have no more problems, the only thing I noticed is I use the washroom a lot more frequently after I eat...
    I got it done laproscopically (4 little incisions) I know what your going through though (about being scared) I have severe anxiety disorder and I got through it, so you can too! If you need me, I'm always here for you :)
  • tiffanic83
    tiffanic83 Posts: 64
    I had mine out almost ten years ago when I was 21. You will feel SO much better. I was in and out of the ER for a year before they would approve the surgery, it was horrible! Don't be scared you will be fine.
  • canadiandee
    canadiandee Posts: 196 Member
    I had mine removed 30 years ago when the procedure was a lot more invasive(have the 6" belly scar to show for it) and even at that, my life improved dramatically immediately after the surgery. Trust me, you'll be glad you had it done. I found the gallbladder attacks to be much more painful than any pain I felt post-surgery.

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