What were your experiences if you had your gall bladder removed recently?

Mine wasn’t that recent. The diagnosis was a little problematic bc they kept thinking it was a ulcer. But the surgery was fine – a few small scars bc of the laproscopy. Recovery was less than 10 days.

Some foods still bother me – movie-butter on popcorn & Japanese-style food, a few others. Friends w no GB report different foods, so your mileage may vary.

I was 36 when I had the surgery.

I had my gall bladder removed in Jan 2007. For two years prior to this, I had severe, intermittent abdominal pain whenever I ate something heavy or greasy. I had one doctor prescribe OTC milk of magnesium, for me to drink it out of the bottle whenever I had stomach pain. (He never took my aches and pains seriously, because I have bipolar. He made it very clear to me that he wouldn’t treat anything medical until I was long-term stable on psychiatric meds.) My self-care habits weren’t so good in those days. I would binge drink occasionally. I smoked ½ pack of cigs per day. Due to lower back pain (I have a herniated disc), I took an excessive amount of Advil. During Christmas week of 2006, I had severe abdominal pain almost every day, and I could hardly keep a full meal down without getting sick. So, a few days after Christmas, I went to the ER per the strong, loving request of a friend. At the ER, I was diagnosed with having gall bladder stones, and infected kidneys and liver. I was told that if I didn’t get surgery, it could be fatal.

For approximately 9 days I was in the hospital, not permitted to eat or drink for the first week so that the infection in my kidneys and liver could be resolved. So, I was on an I.V. drip of glucose and pain meds. When the infection resolved, I underwent a laproscopy. Two days later, I was discharged. Recovery was rather uncomplicated, compared to life before the surgery. I had lost a lot of weight between the month I went in the hospital and the month after the surgery. For the first few days after I was released from the hospital, I rested and took prescription pain meds. I had a light diet. For a few months afterwards, I couldn’t eat anything fried or greasy. I was supposed to have a high-fiber diet. My normal appetite resumed about two months later. Three years later, I no longer smoke and I am working developing a healthy lifestyle. Occasionally, if I eat too much dairy or meat (my two biggest weaknesses), I have abdominal pain and related issues.

on derby day a few years ago mine was really inflamed but the surgeon wanted to go to oaks day. A few years later, I had it removed, but the surgeon looked around and no gall bladder was found. I think it shriveled up and died before it was removed.

They did find scarring on my kidneys, indictative of pelvic inflammation, which they removed.
Was Still off work for a month.

I had laporoscopy a few months ago to remove my gallbladder, which had several large gallstones. It was an outpatient procedure, and there was very little scarring. I did have to watch what I ate for awhile, but as I have diabetes from Agent Orange exposure while in Vietnam, watching what I eat was nothing new. I’m very glad I had it done. : )

@jazmina88: I had it removed, but the surgeon looked around and no gall bladder was found

I don’t understand. What did the surgeon remove? Are you saying that you were born with no gall bladder? What was inflamed, then? Your kidneys? And sorry, I guess Oaks and Derby Day are holidays in the UK?

@CaptainHarley: That is reassuring. It used to be major surgery and major recuperation in the hospital. Sorry about the Agent Orange. That’s dreadful, particularly given the military’s denial of cause and effect or at least, waffling on the subject.