I’ve got a lengthy family history of gallbladder issues, so rightfully so, when I was getting severe pains I went to the ER. But like any problem I ever face, all scans come back normal. So apparently the years of bile filled stool, gallbladder attacks, pain, and a lengthy period of feeling sick was all in my head like normal. They did an ultrasound and apparently I was too gassy for anything to be seen but my bile duct isn’t distended, so I’m just fine. The pain never existed. Like I’m tired of always getting dismissed just bc I’m not the sickest patient that a doctor has ever laid eyes on. If nothing is wrong with me then why am I in pain? Like why are all my scans fine but I’m not fine?

Hello!

I had my first gallbladder attack in November of last year. I've had one recently that sent me back to the ER, ended up being pancreatitis from gallstones, and now am going to a consultation soon for gallbladder removal surgery. I'm 21F.

I started taking a combo birth control pill around August/September last year. I have a family history of high estrogen/irregular hormones on my mom's side, gallbladder issues from my dad's.

I follow a vegan diet and, from my logged calories, typically don't follow a high fat diet. My attacks haven't really followed a high fat consumption, but rather align with ovulation or periods starting.

Of course, I'm going to speak with a doctor about this, and I have before, but it's been hard to get an answer. Has anyone else experienced this? Gallstones from hormones rather than diet?

When I was waiting for my op I promised myself that i wouldn’t be one of these people that JUST posts the negative! As many people say, the ones that have positive experiences never post as they are busy living life.

So with that said, 6 months post op… I’ve never felt better.
- I’m glad that bitch is gone. Best choice of my life!
- I haven’t gained any weight which I know lots of people worry about
- I can eat what I want. If it’s very high fat, it’s not exactly pleasant on the way out.. think of a hangover poo… doesn’t hurt though!
- my scars are mostly gone. Just look like little bruises now.

If you’re on the fence.. I’d say go for it! Totally worth it. I don’t even think about it most days now.

Hello!

I am now 5 years post op - having had my gallbladder removed in 2021.

I will admit, during the first… maybe 1 to 2 years? I had what I can only describe as phantom pains similar to an old attack I would feel when I had my gallbladder. I had many scans, blood tests and consultations post initial surgery as I was still in pain, but was only ever told it would be “Post-cholecystectomy syndrome (PCS)”.

I decided to go back to basics in terms of eating a low fat diet, clean meats etc etc.

Now, I barely get any issues and no phantom pains I used to experience. The thing that has remained is the need of the toilet post food consumption (if you know you know) but this was an issue for me pre surgery (ibs).

Hope this puts people at ease, it does get better. I used to doom scroll myself into a chaotic frenzy about “did I make the right choice”.

Hey everybody,

Did anybody's surgeon make your incision by your belly button vertical instead of horizontal?

Every photo I have seen shows it horizontal, but by surgeon did it vertical, into my belly button, and I’m 5 weeks post surgery, and still having sensitivity, odd sensations, and pain all around my belly button. My other 3 incisions I just took the tape/covering to them off and there are no scabs, they look and feel great. My belly button incision I am just having issues with.

I appreciate any feedback!

Thanks!

Hello, I had my gallbladder removed on Thursday and all I’ve been eating is soup and broth. But I’m getting tired of it. Just wondering if there is anything else I can eat to switch it up a little?

I got my gallbladder removed 1.5 years ago. I had IBS before that and I've just overall changed up most of my diet since then. But of course I will occasionally get that horrible pain and gurgling in my lower abdomen when I eat something with too much fat... leading to me sticking near the rr for the rest of the morning. My mom also knows of this quite well as she also had hers removed about 10 years ago. I thought and thought about it and for more than a year now, I've called it "the attack of the void." Because it's what's not there that's causing this issue. Haha, it's silly I know but feel free to use this phrase too.

I guess it's helped me be fairly lighthearted about it all.

im 6 weeks post op and 3 weeks into post op my belly button incision started swelling up. fast forward, it was a pus pocket which ruptured and it was drained out superficially and i was given antibiotics and everything and i was changing my dressing everyday. its been almost 10 days since that happened and there was still pus in my dressing so i went to the doctor today. its a port site infection, the incision was cut open again for surgical drainage and its been packed and i have to get it changed everyday. ive been given more antibiotics. it doesn't hurt as much as it is mentally exhausting. i absolutely hate this and i havent stopped crying since i got back from the hospital which was over an hour ago. its gonna take another month for me to get better or more idk. clg starts in a month. i hate this. i just hate this. its so taxing. i feel so depressed. i just want my normal life back.

I had my surgery (24f) on March 31 of this year. Before that, my symptoms were a burning sensation after every meal and feeling nauseous most of the time. Before being diagnosed with gallstones, they first diagnosed me with GERD given with my symptoms and pain area until the ultrasound.

My surgery went well (doctors told me a week after I had about 30 stones) and recovered quite well. With my post-op appointment, the doctor said I can basically eat "normal" foods. I still was very cautious with dairy foods, but I pretty much kinda went back to my old diet here and there.

However, about a month and half ago, I've been experiencing severe pain after I ate like gallstones attacks. I've know it's quite normal since my body isn't used to not having an organ. But after eating, I would be bed ridden because it made me feel like I had the stomach flu (bloated, acid reflux, stool being different) and just unbearable. This would happen off and on, ill be fine eating normally and then suddenly I feel like my stomach is burning.

And this has been happening the last couple of days, the nausea and burning has been unbearable. I can barely eat with feeling full, the nausea refrains me from sleeping that my nights have me sitting up and taking Omeprazole to help with the acid reflux.

Have anyone experienced this months after post-op? If so, what are some suggestions to help? Should I consider going to my primary doctor about this?

Hi, I posted a few days ago about some issues I was having with eating post surgery but it seems to be doing better. However, a new problem has arisen. I keep having rights upper quadrant pain where my gallbladder was. They'd be infrequent, but pretty sharp. Now it feels like it is constant. Last night I had the hiccups and it felt like pain was going up to my shoulder / collarbone area and it went down to my ribs at one point. I couldn't even sleep on my right side last night. Now it just feels like there's a mix between a dullish and sharpish ache near that area where my gallbladder was, and it hurts more when I exhale deeply or when I laugh. What should I do? Is this normal? I didn't get it removed for gallstones, I had biliary dyskinesia and long-term inflammation

I've never had pain or issues with digestion in my life. I'm 42 and a woman. A few weeks ago I had pain twice in one week. The first time it lasted a few hours. The second time it lasted about 12 hours and I went to the ER where they told me I had gallstones. They referred me to a surgeon for a consult and he said it's up to me but recommends it. I haven't had any pain since and have been eating low fat, since I found out the pain was triggered by fatty foods I had eaten. I can't afford my deductible so I have to see if they will let me do a payment plan, which is one of the reasons I have been putting off scheduling the surgery. Has anyone been able to put it off for a few months after an attack and been fine? I know I should get it out. It seems like the issues with keeping it can be risky with the stones, but getting it out also seems risky because even though you can live without a gallbladder, it's there for a reason and your body will adjust but still, it feels like a big thing.

Hi gallbladder related friends. I had an unexpected removal 20 days ago and seem to be doing well overall. I have several foods I feel safe eating consistently and have tried some new things here and there. I seem to have developed a fear of adding in new foods or foods that might seem like a potential problem like fried foods. I don’t even know what I think might happen that would be so bad. To complicate things more I have a history of over eating and I’ve been doing the opposite of that basically. Which I find strange. No clear question here I guess but any thoughts would be welcomed.

Any advice please? I’m a nervous wreck. Is it as bad as people say? Any thing I should avoid after surgery? How bad is the pain? I have so many questions

I keep getting a sharp pain where my gallbladder used to be the pain can be that bad it can cause me to double over this happens at any point of time. Help I need advice

So I am officially 8 days post op and I'm having a slight issue with my belly button. It started leaking this yellow/brown/pink liquid Thursday night I thought nothing of it cause I know that's normal, but I woke up Friday morning and my dressings were completely soaked in this liquid and it was accompanied by this smell, that is around the normal belly button smell just a bit stronger, I got a shower and took all of my dressings off cleaned out my belly button and I let it air out for a few hours. Luckily I had some water proof dressings from another surgery last year so I put two on my belly button as they are a bit small, it is now Saturday and I've had to take them dressings off and put two new ones on already as they started leaking out of the dressings and soaked my pyjama trousers whilst I was asleep. I'm just wondering if this amount of leaking is normal and the amount of smell that is coming from it? It is not red, it doesn't hurt anymore that it has been from surgery, I don't have a fever and the liquid isn't thick so I'm about 95% sure it isn't infected.

I'm new. I have so many questions. Some background:

I, 35F, went to the ER June 18th after being in severe pain for 3 hours. I honestly thought I was having a heart attack or severe heartburn. Apparently, I was having a gallbladder attack. I didn't know the pain be in the mid abdomen/chest area at all. Unfortunately, I had been having attacks since December because I have been thinking it was bad heartburn spells (they even stopped hurting after taking tums). The only reason I went to the hospital was because it lasted longer and I was worried it might have been more serious, like a heart attack, since they can appear differently in women. Sure enough, they told me I had several gallstones. They tried to prep me for surgery that day, but I reminded them I'm on freaking Warfarin (why tf did they forget that???) and absolutely can't do that. They then told me I need it out asap and need to consult a surgeon after I left. They didn't really explain why, and when I asked if it was absolutely needed or not, they just dodged my questions. I recently went to my doctor and they confirmed that I need it because it's harming my liver A LOT. My enzymes are extremely bad. AST (SGOT) is 363 and ALT (SGPT) is 264, for those who might understand these. Anyway, I met with my hematologist about my thinner and what to do, so we have a plan to deal with it. Now I'm waiting for the surgeon consultation on Wednesday, to find out more answers and get the surgery date.

Questions:

What is the surgery like? I'm scared because it's my first ever surgery.

Do I have to change my diet significantly? I already have pretty awful restrictions due to suffering from ARFID and maintaining my INR levels on Warfarin.

What should I expect that possibly a doctor might "forget" to tell me after it's out? Any surprises?

Is it REALLY true that you can live your life normally afterwards? Or is that just sunshine and rainbow talk and there is actually big differences?

Bonus question:

This is VERY specific that no one here will most likely not be able to answer. Anyone here with Epilepsy/seizure disorder? How did having the surgery during or after affect you?

Thanks in advance for help. Sorry if this is too long of a post.

​Hi everyone, ​The healthcare system feels super overwhelming right now and I’m honestly so confused about how Medi-Cal works. ​I’m having issues and I need to know: does Medi-Cal cover gallbladder surgery? Also, do they cover the diagnostic tests (like ultrasounds or bloodwork) needed to figure out if that's actually the problem? ​I have so many questions and I’m just looking for some guidance or anyone who has gone through this. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I looked at the results before the doctor and it seems that my gallbladder is emptying correctly

However, I haven’t had anything to eat or drink other than water since 9 PM last night and it is 1030 this morning and I’m getting pains on my side. They’re not extreme pains. They’re just very uncomfortable pain so I don’t know if it’s gas or if it’s my gallbladder since I do have big stones.

Its really frustrating.

I'm currently 3 days post gallbladder removal, however this is a concern that I've had before surgery.

Is it normal to drop a lot of weight on a gallbladder diet? I started eating a bit less fat after I had discovered that I had gallstones. I lost about 4-5kg within a month and it's starting to freak me out a bit. I don't think I was very strict with my diet, especially since I've never had any attacks, so preventing attacks wasn't really my concern and on many occasions I still indulged in higher fat foods. I think it's a possibility that I just ate less in general, as I'm really picky and sometimes I'd rather just not eat anything, than eat something I don't feel like eating, but I still think it's kind of freaky?? I'm a pretty sedentary person and I've been struggling with weight loss for a while, so seeing that I've somehow started losing weight came as somewhat of a shock. Just. Is this normal??

TLDR: Lost 4-5kg in a month, should I be concerned

hi again! today marks day 5 post-op so i thought i'd send an uodate here and explain what i've been doing that's been working well for me (so far). if anyone has any questions dont be afraid to ask!

pain:

edit: more clearly explained where my biggest incision was!

so far my pain has been pretty low/bearable! the most pain i've felt is when im due to take a dose of my meds, and even then my pain will jump from about a 1/10 to a 3-4/10 (on the pain scale) at most. a lot of the pain and discomfort is concentrated at my biggest incision, which is located on my stomach under my left breast. still some very slight discomfort when taking deep inhales, but compared to day 1 it's been waaaayy better

there have been times where when the pain DOES come back, that nausea will follow. for that i've just been taking one dose of zofran and that has also helped immensely. have not thrown up yet or felt the genuine need to (knock on wood!)

i have also been using ice packs the hospital gave me which have been a life saver as well.

medications:

i'm on a rotation of 5mg oxycodone every 5-6 hours and 500mg motrin every other 5 hours. it has really helped not only keep the pain at bay but has made functioning as a human being just easier over all.

i also have been taking stool softeners with the suggested dose of miralax powder for adults once a day since the day after i came back from the hospital and i've had 3 different bowel movements thus far with no issues. still gassy and burpy but that's to be expected.

foods/eating:

overall i have been keeping it safe and have had no issues. the foods i've been able to ear with no problem so far are:

• chocolate pudding
• rice pudding
• applesauce
• apple juice
• lorna doone shortbread cookies
• peanut butter sandwoch crackers
• toast (plain and buttered lightly)
• mashed potatoes
• peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
• protein pasta noodles in chicken broth
• fruit smoothies (with oat milk, water, and honey)
• oikos protein shakes

i also listed them in order of when i introduced them through the week, where the lower the list the more recent they are. i plan to introduce oatmeal and grits soon as soon as this weekend, and then add more "solid" foods like rice, tuna, and cookies veggies next week.

i also have been drinking a SHIT TON of water. one part because i need to and the second is because of the stool softeners snd miralax powders. ice cold water has reaallly helped with my nausea as well.

conclusion(s):

my recovery has been going very well so far and i makes me confident for the next few weeks to come. i was actually able to go up and down the stairs successfully yesterday! it was slow, but i did it lol. my mobility over all has improved significantly too, from sitting up, laying down, getting up, and walking. which reminds me, make sure to walk!! that helps with digestion and stiffness in the body too. i mostly just pace in the same spot around my house.

i've also been journaling my progress and having that has helped me keep things in perspective. it's nice to have a record of how im actually doing and keep track of where im at vs. where i was. i also plan to take it with me when i meet with my surgeon again for a follow-up.

so far im happy to say that i don't regret it and these past few days have really showed me that my anxiety was worse then the surgery itself.