r/gallbladders

so i get my gallbladder removed june 3rd and im honestly not even nervous for the surgery itself, i think it will be a huge relief for me to not obsess about this organ.

however, every tiktok or comment i see on the internet is people saying they regret it, they’re miserable and they’ve never been able to eat normally again. its making me kind of nervous for post surgery. rationally, i personally know plenty of people who are completely fine and have no issues with food or eating after removal and i also know people who have negative experiences tend to be the most vocal but i can’t help but have a little anxiety about it.

should i be as nervous as i am about life post surgery? or should i probably just stay off the internet?

How long did everyone wait to try coffee again? I’m 2 days post op but I’m a coffee fiend. So just curious how long I should wait…

Ever since my gallbladder surgery ( that was year and a half ago) i panic over every stomach symptom.
I always carry buscopan with me everywhere i go and if i dont have it i always rush to the nearest pharmacy.
I had gallblader attacks for 1 year until doctors finally realized what it was. Living alone made it worse.Constant rushing to hospital because of the pain and them assuring me that im exaggerating was exhausting
Does anyone relate

Hi All, really appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this or share their experience.

I am 33F, approx 84.5 kg (down from around 94kg this time last year since metformin for off label PCOS and diet changes), 165 cm tall.

Timeline of events

Around Dec 2024, I started experiencing discomfort on the upper right hand quadrant of my abdomen, just below ribs). It wasn’t enough to stop me going about my day, but it was noticeable and never seemed to fully go away (at first I thought it was just trapped wind). The best way I can describe the feeling is it felt like someone always had their hand resting on that area.

Went to GP who referred me to scan- they measured multiple polyps with the largest measuring 9mm in size- this was around Feb 2024.

May 2025 I was referred for consultation f2f appointment with HPB surgery team at Royal free- doc said the polyps looked over measured and largest was 8mm- he said let’s monitor once a year and that it wasn’t of concern.

From late spring of 2025, that feeling has completely stopped and honestly I don’t feel any discomfort at all (whether the polyps were the cause or discomfort to begin with, who knows).

March 2026 I had my next scan and only had appointment to discuss results with HPB team today- spoke to a new doctor this time who said ir has grown to 10mm and he recommends surgery (he said they are cholesterol polyps).

He will book me in for F2F consultation to discuss options , which in short will be surgery or monitoring.

I told him me and my partner will start trying to conceive this summer, so he recommends surgery before pregnancy or I can also wait.

Concerns

Of course, I don’t want to get cancer and want to do everything in my control to stop it, which naturally seems to point to surgery.

However, I am so petrified of this- I have never had surgery under general anaesthetic in my life. The mere thought makes me feel faint and I’m so terrified of not waking up (I have OCD so unfortunately the fear part of my brain over drives logic here).

What has everyone’s experience been with surgery?
Has anyone on here opted for monitoring instead of surgery despite the size? Any words of wisdom for anyone who can relate to fears of general anaesthetic and speak to what it actually feels like?

Has anyone else found the waiting period before gallbladder surgery mentally exhausting?

I’ve been having gallbladder attacks for months, got diagnosed with gallstones, and ended up in the ER twice in the past week because the pain got so severe I could barely breathe or think straight. The doctors have been great, but the ER wait times where I am in Canada are so unpredictable. Earlier this week I was seen within 15 minutes and given pain medication, but yesterday I waited almost 12 hours.

I just got the surgery referral from my family doctor, but I was told the wait could still be weeks or even months.

What’s frustrating is that even the ER doctors seem annoyed that surgery will not be done emergently unless I develop an infection or something more dangerous. During my first visit the overnight ER doctor kept me so I could meet with general surgery the next morning, but both visits ended the same way: come back every time the attacks get severe because they’re worried it could eventually turn into an infection or sepsis.

Now I’m stuck in this limbo where I’m scared to eat because I never know what will trigger another attack. I also work a normal 9 to 5 office job, and while my boss and coworkers have been incredibly patient, it’s hard explaining that I can’t predict when I’ll suddenly need to go back to the hospital or when the surgeon’s office will finally call.
At this point it feels like I’m just waiting for either a surgery date or another attack bad enough to land me back in emergency. How did you all manage the anxiety and unpredictability while waiting for surgery? Did anyone else get scared to eat almost anything by the end?

The surgeon I consulted with recently told me he uses 2 clips to make sure there’s no bile leak. I haven’t heard of this and just wanted to see if anyone here has 🤷‍♀️

Having even 1 piece of metal in there sounds freaky 😅 but 2? I thought you only had a bile leak if you had certain types of ducts and they didn’t notice during surgery? I really don’t know and I’m curious.

TIA

I saw my family doctor on 05/11 and she referred me to a surgeon, did some liver function tests on 05/12 which came out normal, and I have my surgeon consult appointment on 05/26 next week. I know my family doctor said my area (I am outside the GTA) takes 4-6 months for my case (I elaborated on this on my previous post), but I'm wondering how long did it take for people in Ontario (or even anywhere in Canada) to get their gall bladders removed?

Just wanted to share my story in case it helps someone else.

I had my gallbladder removed on 3/6. Post-op I had a lot of pain in my upper abdomen, but kept being told it was just post-op gas pain. 9 days post-op I went to the ER because I was in horrific pain in my upper abdomen and I was throwing up.

*It felt oddly similar to a gallbladder attack.*

ER doctor said he thought it might be gastritis caused by acid reflux and he prescribed me some omeprazole. (Never in my life have I had acid reflux cause this much pain but ok.) Saw my surgeon at 3 weeks post-op and told him about this “attack” and how miserable I’ve been and he told me he thought the bulk of my issues were anxiety. 🙄

After 3 more of these horrific “attacks” I went back to my surgeon and told him I couldn’t live like this. It did not seem like acid reflux or anxiety and I refused to keep living in fear of these attacks. He finally agreed to set up an MRCP for me.

Well, what do you know… MRCP showed a stone stick in my bile duct - the cause for all my pain. NOT anxiety and NOT acid reflux. I feel so validated and I’m so thankful to finally have a diagnosis (that makes sense) and a solution (ERCP coming up)!

If you’re experiencing something similar, don’t stop advocating for yourself!! And I hope you get a solution too! 🙏🏻

Hi, this is my update from my post last night. Thanks for everyone that replied, it really managed to help me!

I got to the hospital at 8:30 and went down for surgery at 10:30. I was so scared for the anesthesia and I'll admit that I cried before I went into theatre. The anesthesiologists were super lovely though and kept reasuring me I'd be okay, and they were right!! I woke up in recovery feeling awful so managed to get anti nausea and pain meds before coming back to my room. I'm still here, my surgeon just came in to let me know everything went well, so at least I know I'm good on that side of things (I am drugged up good).

But omg guys, I knew the pain from gas would be bad but my right shoulder is absolutely killing me, everyone's different but this pain is insane. Despite this I don't regret the surgery, it had to be done, I've just got to get this shoulder pain under control.

I've also been struggling to eat and drink, I've got the worse toast known to man (how is that even possible?!) And peppermint tea, which I'm not fond of but I'll try anything to take this pain away. It comes in waves so I'm feeling alright right now, hopefully I'll be home in a couple of hours!

Sorry if this doesn't make sense, my minds still not fully here atm, happy to answer any questions anyone has regarding the surgery :)

TLDR: anesthesia wasn't as bad as I though it would be, my real enemy is the gas pain!!

ive been dealing with gallbladder pain since the beginning of march and was diagnosed with gallstones in april after having six different hours long attacks. i was put on the low fat diet and have been absolutely obsessing over my fat intake since.

im a little over a week and a bit away from my surgery (thank god) but im so mentally exhausted from obsessing over everything i even THINK about putting in my body. when i try to express that to anyone, they all think im insane because they seem to think its just “eat grilled chicken and fruit for a while and you’ll be fine”. they neglect to understand or realize the mental toll it takes on a person to be paranoid and terrified CONSTANTLY FOR MONTHS about the potential attacks and the pain that comes with it.

i track all my food on an app and find myself panicking every time my fat intake even creeps towards 20g total for the day, i just cannot wait for this obsessing to be done.

i just needed to rant to people who hopefully/potentially understand because im so fucking tired.

I have a cholecystectomy planned for mid June. I am symptomatic with lotsa stones and a couple large gallbladder polyps so I can’t delay for months.

I already have a long hike (10-12 miles a day for 9 days with elevation) planned at the end of July. Bathrooms will be limited.

This is also in a foreign country with unfamiliar food to me. I’m worried about diarrhea.

I can’t decide whether to reschedule this hike or not and would love some opinions!

First post ever, but I did want to share how my recovery is going/my POV of the whole process. PLEASE NOTE: this post is for over thinkers and those who like decent detail; I know this post is long but I at least hope to ease someone's mind, thank you!

For reference: I'm 6'1/220lbs/male/athlete/no allergies/2 gallstone attacks/Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy performed. Okay, to start off, I had my first gallstone attack in March 2026 with gallstones being confirmed via ultrasound 1.5 days later. Furthermore, the second gallstone attack happened 6 days ago. Here is my POV of the events that occurred between the attack and till present day (only 6 days lol).

2nd gallstone attack: amidst the night around 12:45am, I felt the same way as I had the night of my first gallstone attack. That being said, it was a sharp/tight pain in the middle of my chest, which creeped down into the upper section of my stomach. It crippled me to the point that not even the fetal position would provide me comfort. I ended up being driven to the hospital where I was begging the triage nurse (front desk nurse that first see's you), to please help me as I knew I was having a gallstone attack. As for the triage nurses' POV, I would assume I frightened him as it was an extremely quiet night in the ER as there was no one even in the waiting room. After about 10 minutes of pleading, begging, pacing, and throwing up, I was finally allowed into the ER. Once in one of the rooms, I was quickly sat in a bed, put on a hospital gown, and my vital were taken. No vitals were out of the normal, yet I had a 99% idea of what was happening. The doctor/resident comes in, asks what's going on, we go through the same old process of allergy questions, past medical/surgical history...blah, blah, blah (I have none besides for the 1st gallbladder attack); he agrees with me, so they order medications to sooth the pain and nausea/vomiting. Note, as I am talking to the doctor, the nurse assigned to me is putting in an IV in order for easy IV medication administration. 4 hours pass...chest x-ray was done (as I complained of chest pain - ended up coming back clear) & ultrasound was done (hinted at more gallstones passing through and sitting but unsure to confirm) and the doctor paged general surgery. General surgery from there decided not to opt for surgery (because my "wall" wasn't thick enough yet) but to try a food trial run. They gave me a water and a plain turkey sandwich. Right as I was about to take the first bite, I started to gagged, and the doctor/resident swooped right in and grabbed the sandwich and tossed it! (lol - feelings were not hurt just confused). I wasn't told anything, but another hour passes and I'm now being admitted to the observation unit (per transporter).

Admitted to Observation: as I transfer from the ER gurney to the hospital floors bed, I meet my night nurse. She states I will be having surgery and I questioned as no one has told me anything, but in the back of my mind, I wouldn't mind the surgery as this pain has been unbearable and the lingering idea of more attacks and not wanting to eat started to brew in my mind as I sat in the ER bed for 6 hours. Anyways...the residents from general surgery come in and let me know my options (which I was extremely grateful for - patient autonomy is the best!). The options were to wait it out and consult with my primary care provider to schedule a surgery date, have the surgery, or wait it out in the hospital and see how I feel. In that moment, after discussing with family, I immediately opted for surgery! For the next 14 hours I was NPO and I was put at the "disposal" of whenever the surgeon had time (I didn't really mind as I was blessed already to have the surgery happen day of). From now to pre-op surgery, it was all pretty static tbh, just awaiting my time to have surgery.

Before - Right After Surgery: Now a hour before surgery started, for some reason, I got into my head about the surgery. When the CRNA came to consult with me about using general anesthesia for the surgery. At first, I really didn't overthink it, but for what ever reason, after they had mentioned using an intubation device (small little piece that is put in ur mouth ONCE your under general anesthesia), I started to think of every single possibility of this procedure all going wrong. Don't get me wrong, the CRNA was nice and caring, but just the words itself frightened me. Anyways, once I got transferred to the pre-op room, the nerves were definitely there but I tried to put on a strong/macho-man mindset that everything would be alright and things like that. Now that I think about it, it kind of did help, as they gave me this like anti-anxiety med in order to calm those nerves down. Then from the pre-op room, I was transferred to the actual OR, where I climbed onto the operating table LOL. From there, I just remember talking and then BOOM (lights out)...that is literally it. I don't remember anything after (I hope I wouldn't...that would suck). I remember waking up and I was already in my bed back in the room I was in during the Observation period. I feel like since the "happy" meds knocked me out so fast, I just had no time to overthink and I didn't think I would wake up so calm as I did.

After Surgery: the first mistake I made was trying to boost myself up in bed. I have never been so humbled by pain in my life. I tried to sit myself up and oh my, did the pain humble me in an instant! The next mistake I made was trying to eat right away so I could go home that night. Horrible idea for me (it may be different for you, so pinch of salt with that), as I ended throwing up everything I tried to eat. A gentle reminder too, if you throw up, let me tell you, your stomach and incisions WILL NOT thank you. It will hurt, don't think it wouldn't, but luckily there's medication for that lol. As for the rest of the day, I just rested in bed. If I could go back to that day of recovery, I would remind myself to take everything super slow and not rush out of bed (it would have saved me a lot of pain in that moment). I will say, if your body allows it, please try to get up and walk. I feel like that was one of the main things that helped me still feel some sort of "strong" and sort of independent (kinda). Also note, that same night, the sleep is bad (pinch of salt here too); I opted into taking a more mild pain reliever that being tramadol, which was a heaven sent for me as Tylenol nor Advil was working at all for me. That night, I would rate my sleep a 4/10. Please don't turn the first night at least, as turning was super painful.

Next day: the next day I was finally able to eat 50% of my foods for both lunch and breakfast. I stuck to foods like a dinner roll, chicken noodle soup, and more bread. Besides that, either nothing else looked appetizing or I couldn't have as now for the next 4 weeks at least, I would be on a low fat diet. Pain was a little bit better but still sore all over my stomach. I only went pee that morning nothing else, not even if I tried my hardest (tmi sorry). I was finally discharged and yay! back at home. Although I will say, who ever is picking you up, bring my a small pillow or plushie or something as the seatbelt felt super uncomfortable especially if you would go over bumps or potholes in the road; just a FYI. I finally got home mid-day and that's where it sunk in that I really wouldn't be able to go out a lot or do much besides recover.

Recovery days after surgery: gosh...first thing I would start with is getting your low fat diet in order. I would say, take the first couple of free hours you get and map out how to optimize your diet the best for you and your recovery. Next, find positions you like and also that your incisions like, that are best for you! Next, see when you could start weaning off of medication (obviously that's a personal decisions for everyone so pinch of salt there too). Next, and this one is important, pick a hobby! As of almost a week in, I still struggle with this one (ie writing this post). As a super active person and college athlete, it is insanely hard sitting here at home watching everything else move along without you. Anyways, it helped me appreciate walks, free time, and quiet time. Besides that, my best recommendation is to take short walks at least 3 times a day, if possible. Reminder to not push yourself insanely hard, as your posture probs wouldn't be great so you're gonna end up with a super sore back! Also please DO NOT forget to be doing your incentive spirometer 10x a hour! (progressively going up and up). For me, I found doing them after a walk gets kinda hard, I still need to figure out why lol.

Final thoughts: if you stuck to the end, thank you for reading, I would assume as always, I have left out details that flew over my head that maybe someone either interested in the surgery is having or already had that my perspective opened up another perspective of questioning for you. Please feel free to comment and hopefully someone may answer with an intriguing answer. Besides that, I do pray for those either awaiting the surgery and post-surgery that you all have a wonderful day and speedy recovery to prospering health! See questions below if you have time to comment. Take care ;>

Questions for the reader: (1) when did you start driving again? (2) when did you start lifting or working out again? (3) what foods did you have as comfort food post surgery? (4) how did you combat all the free time in recovery?

I’m currently 2+ days post op and seem to be recovering very well. Pain is fairly minimal and am able to move about the house on my own. I can eat solid foods (chicken soup, pretzels, a bagel, etc.), but am being very careful about introducing fat and fiber.

I’m curious, at what point did individuals start reintroducing fat into their diet and any suggestions on what types of food to start with? I don’t want to start with pizza or a bacon cheeseburger. I’m looking for some good middle of the road foods to test things out.

The consensus seems to be that if you introduce too much fat too early, it’s just some extra time spent in the bathroom. However, is there any risk of slowing down or messing with the healing process by doing it too early?

Because my A&E worthy attack happened in my uni city and this is where I am now for my scans, this is where I 'have to' have my operation.

The doctor asked me if I'd rather have my surgery done in X hospital or Y hospital, both in my university area. I asked him if it's possible I can have the surgery in any hospital in my home city because that's where my parents are that would be able to take care of me and I can be at home etc. He said this would be difficult as I'd need to essentially do the whole process of being referred to that GP and then being referred to the hospital there etc. I just had my scan today and he said he'll call me about my decision for my surgery next week, so it's not booked in yet.

I'm worried with the state of NHS waiting times that if I go with the route of going to my home city for it, I'll be waiting a lot longer than anticipated (he said that if I say yes in my uni city, the waiting time is about 6ish weeks) and possibly miss the opportunity to have it done so soon. I'll obviously confirm this when I get the call and see about the possibilities but the most convenient one so far is to have the operation in my uni city. The problem is that I basically don't even know anyone that drives, and I don't want to faff my parents with coming here for a long period of time. Also, because I switched courses, I'm in university for longer than my friends, so all of my close friends are graduating this summer so the ones I'll have left in September, we're not close enough for me to ask them to check in on me post op. I'll also be living in student accommodation next year, so I'll have a bedroom to myself and a shared bathroom and kitchen, which is another reason why asking my parents would be an extra expense on them (for a hotel) and why I would prefer to do it at home.

So, would I be able to do it by myself? I'm thinking food prepping easy small meals for post op and stuff. Or is this a stupid idea? Is it better if I ask my mum to come for a few days, this way we can do an air mattress situation if it's needed and take an Uber back from hospital (it's a short drive)? If I do ask her to come, how long would you say you needed 'assistance' post op?

Also, as a side note, what was your bathroom situation post op? As I mentioned, I will be sharing a bathroom with strangers in my accommodation next year. It's one bathroom for 4 people, so would this be a problem? Would it be better to look into a hotel room for me for at least the first few days post surgery for a 'private' bathroom or an airbnb with a kitchen?

Thanks in advanced!

I made a post before my surgery on May 20 about being terrified of gallbladder removal. Now I’m already 2 hours post-op. The surgery went well and there were no complications. The only thing bothering me right now is the pain, of course.

The medical staff was incredibly kind and caring. They gave me something to calm me down because I was genuinely very nervous before the operation. I was also SO relieved that I didn’t have any nausea after anesthesia.

It’s still very early after surgery, but honestly… I was already leaving the recovery room with a huge smile on my face 😂 Thank you all for the support — you truly helped me keep hope that everything would go well.

I fought the doctors for months. I was begging and crying saying I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Constant burning in my chest and throat. Felt like I was breathing through a straw. Started carrying N oxygen monitor around cuz I thought I was crazy. The doctor gave me anxiety meds. Then tried putting me on Prozac. I said I’m not crazy. I cannot breathe. The pressure is just too bad. Finally she said she can check my gallbladder. I said do it. I requested every test I could think of before that. Thyroid, ultrasounds. I amassed over 10k in medical debt (and that’s before the endoscopy, ultrasound on gallbladder hida scan and gallbladder removal surgery. Ultrasound showed it packed with stones. Hida scan showed it functioning at 0 they couldn’t even find it. Got it removed yesterday and I can finally breathe again. I can drink pop again without feeling like there’s air trapped in my chest and throat. If you feel like you’re struggling to breathe with no answers check you gallbladder. Advocate for yourself. You know your body more than anyone!!

I'm about 5 hours post ERCP so I thought I'd share! Everything went pretty much fine. I have one bigger stone lodged. They put me under a sedation that they said I might be a little conscious of but after the tube went in I woke up back in my original waiting room. The procedure was only about 20 mins. It was a little hard to lie on my side because I was still in pain from the last attack but they wrap you up like a burrito and knock you out pretty fast. No sore throat or gagging for me. Only downside I have is I'm finally hungry but can only have clear liquids for 24 hours (have barely eaten in 2 days). They think I had a small chance of pancreatitis so it's just to minimize that. Can't wait for surgery on the 18th June to finally be done with this thing.

One of my paramedic friends just mentioned that I can get enzymes to help with post removal issues. I’m on omeprazole currently for my symptoms and I’m wondering if any of you have had successful stories of using otc enzymes. And which ones did you find helpful?

I’m finally getting my gallbladder removed next Thursday, I’m so happy but I’m so scared. I’ve never been in hospital before, apart from A&E or visiting people, so I don’t know what it’s like, and I’ve never had anaesthesia before and seeing death listed as a possibility has really freaked me out. The letter from the hospital says no one will be allowed on the ward with me and that’s making me panic because I’m going to be all on my own waiting to go into a surgery I’m terrified about and I’m going to have to have needles put in me and I’m terrified of them too. And then what about after surgery? Like how do I contact my partner to come and pick me up? How much pain am I going to be in? When should I eat and what should I eat? There’s just a million things going around my head and I don’t know anyone else who has had this surgery so I’m hoping someone in here can offer me some sort of reassurance??? I hate not knowing exactly what is going to happen.

I’m having pain on my left and right side right under ribs and it’s radiating to my back. Ultrasound showed I have multiple gallstones but my pcp isn’t concerned at all. Is this normal? I don’t know what else to do. Doctor says let’s get a test but then never sends for test. I’m tired of living with this pain and being dismissed from my primary