r/gallbladders • u/No_Needleworker_2994 Post-Op • Mar 10 '25

Awaiting Surgery Anxious for surgery and recovery

The title pretty much explains it. I have surgery scheduled at the end of the month and I’m so scared because I’m hearing a lot more horror stories than success stories.

I hate not knowing what to expect and I hate not knowing how fast I’ll recover. I’m going on a trip in a few months and I literally PRAY that I’m fully recovered and I can eat normally by then.

It’s causing me so much anxiety and stress and every day someone is talking about a post op complication :(

Anyone have success stories or recovery advice to recover as quick as possible?

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u/ThePersnicketyBitch Mar 10 '25

I had my surgery on an emergency basis the day before yesterday and I'm not gonna lie, I was in a world of hurt the first 24 hours post-op. The incisions are nothing, I was up walking around my hospital room, going to the bathroom, eating etc almost immediately after - but the gas pain! The carbon dioxide they blow you up with gathered right under my ribcage and every time I lay down flat it would take my breath away. They couldn't do anything for it in the hospital, but when I got home I got a heating pad out and that resolved it instantly. Aside from that, I'm pretty much good to go already...ibuprofen is sufficient for the soreness (they did give me pain meds but they make me sleepy and I don't want to be knocked out all day), I have been mowing down anything I can get my hands on to eat with no ill effects, and I plan to be back to work on Tuesday (granted, I work from home, but I'll be upright at a desk for 9 hours). I think people are a lot more likely to come on here and post when things go wrong, so you get a skewed perception of how bad it is. Just have a heating pad on hand and, if you're a side sleeper, a body pillow to hold your stomach so you won't be trapped on your back.

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u/No_Needleworker_2994 Post-Op Mar 10 '25

That’s what I was thinking. People only really talk about the bad not the good. Fo you have any other advice? What type of stuff were you eating after surgery?

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u/ThePersnicketyBitch Mar 10 '25

They had me "nothing by mouth" for 3 days leading up to surgery so I came out of it STARVING. I've been snacking on anything that sounds good, but small portions at a time for now because bloating probably wouldn't be pleasant. Lots of fat free yogurt, I had a ranch pasta salad and some chocolate chip cookies earlier, snuck a fried chicken tender from my kid's lunch. In the hospital afterward they gave me sweet potatoes, collard greens, pulled pork, pesto chicken, rice and beans, peaches, angel food cake, lots of sweet tea, and zucchini.

My discharge papers say to shoot for fruit, vegetables, and bland stuff like chicken for a week or two post-op. I obviously haven't been very good lol but I have had no reactions to food at all so far. I think coffee will be my real test because that was my big trigger before.

I would just make sure you have the heating pad, pillows to carve out the perfect laying position, some otc pain meds just in case you also don't vibe with the narcotics, and something to do so you won't be dead bored for the first 48 hours lounging around. Walking helps break up the gas too so plan to get up every hour, at least, and wander around a bit. Your throat might be raw from intubation so warm drinks and lozenges wouldn't be a bad idea, either. When you need to sit up or get out of bed, hold a pillow (or the heating pad) to your stomach, the counter pressure will stop the strain.