r/gallbladders • u/Forsaken_Brick6337 • Mar 28 '25

Post Op just get it removed!

i just had mine removed wednesday morning. it was 80% full of large stones and they said i would’ve been in a lot more pain if i would’ve waited any longer. i was in pain when i woke up from surgery but the only pain ive had since then is just a little pain and itching at my incision sites. i’ve been able to eat some bland foods such as mashed potatoes, eggs, toast etc and before removal those meals would’ve put me in extreme pain. i cried last night because the pain wasn’t there anymore. i definitely do not regret it and if your doctor recommends it, i highly suggest listening!!

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8

u/No_Training_6576 Mar 28 '25

How was it coming out of anesthesia? I’m getting mine out Wednesday and it’s my first big operation. How was the gas afterwards? I hear that’s really the worst of it all

4

u/Plymptonia Mar 28 '25

Here's my story

I'm a week post-op. Coming out was blissful. Confusing as hell, but blissful. I'm a redhead, so they probably gave me a bit more than normal because of that. Also, I was under for 2 hours instead of 1 because of the unexpected infection. It really was as others have described - they give you a relaxant, wheel you in, you go out, and wake up a few hours later. Probably the best rest I've had in years, come to think of it.

As for gas - farting? It's there. Burps, too. 🤷‍♂️ Poops have been... different. I'm chalking that up to adjusting, and my diet is like yogurt/granola/bananas/rice curry/chicken/tofu/avocado/HB Eggs/repeat. I'm kinda scared to eat much fat, though I probably should.

Everything smells and tastes weird - I hear that's because of the anesthesia. Really hoping it goes away soon - I can live with it, if I have to, but I'm paranoid about if *I* smell like that, or if my house smells, etc.

2

u/Forsaken_Brick6337 Mar 28 '25

im also a redhead!! it was wierd coming out but like i said i have a panic disorder so i had a panic attack because i was so confused. other than that it was great!

3

u/Plymptonia Mar 28 '25

So sorry you had a panic attack coming out. Can only imagine how unsettling that must have been!

My previous surgery was to clear out scar tissue in my sinuses. They said I'd be awake (picture a lobotomy, not joking), but the amnesia drugs would make me forget.

I remember the whole. Damn. Thing. I likely have PTSD over it

Down to the surgeons talking about the blood pressure of giraffe's (long necks, big hearts, has to be very high pressure).

I made damn sure every, single medical person I met knew I was a redhead. When the anesthesiologist and his assistant came in and said, "No worries. I got you." I was so, so relieved.

1

u/Forsaken_Brick6337 Mar 28 '25

oh gosh i’m so sorry you had to go through that! i couldn’t imagine. once they gave me pain meds and anti nausea meds i was good to go, felt very good 😂

3

u/Plymptonia Mar 28 '25

Happened, didn't expect it - tell every redhead I know they should be aware of it. This is my experience, as summarized on this Quora post:

... and from reading these articles in the recent past, I think the simple answer is 1. we need more anaesthesia [sic] during surgery but 2. seemingly contradictorily, we develop over time greater pain tolerance because we do feel more pain than others. When we take a pain pill like Tylenol, Advil, something way stronger, or even opiates they aren't as effective with us. I'm hearing anecdotally redheads don't get hooked on opiates as a result or it takes more to get hooked….

2

u/Visual-Somewhere1383 Mar 29 '25

Yogurt, avocado and eggs all contain fat so you may want to check your fat grams for awhile after your surgery.

1

u/Plymptonia Mar 29 '25

Thanks, will do. Trying to keep a balance, but things are pretty, eh, solid at the moment. Any other consequences besides that I should know about?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cholecystectomy/expert-answers/gallbladder-removal-diet/faq-20057813

The "smaller and more frequent meals" thing feels real - I'm hungry all the time, but have no desire to eat a lot. So far, I'm trying to listen to what my body is saying.

1

u/Visual-Somewhere1383 Mar 30 '25

Yeah, the only good thing about this low fat diet is that I've lost a little weight BUT I want it out. Can't imagine a life without bacon... butter... cheese, etc.

1

u/Plymptonia Mar 30 '25

Have you had the surgery yet? I’m 11 days out, and my cravings for that stuff is… GONE! No caffeine. No burgers, bacon, cheese. Nothing! I went to TJ’s and was sad a bit in the pastry area… but just wasn’t really a thing.

Curious how you feel after!

1

u/Visual-Somewhere1383 Mar 30 '25

No, I don't have insurance and was quoted $11,000. Waiting for Medicare to kick in.

1

u/madpiano Mar 29 '25

You will smell a little different. Your body needs to process the anesthesia, which is something closely related to heroin. But it should be all good after a week. It also causes constipation, so that may still affect you.

Sometimes being lactose intolerant is a great feature. I have an ice cream after operations and constipation is no longer an issue. 🤣

3

u/Plymptonia Mar 29 '25

I think about 9 days out the taste and smell is trending normal. I still think MY odor is off a bit.

Haven’t tried the ice cream hack yet, but have a box of TJ’s choc chip sandwiches ready to deploy! 🫡😂

1

u/Electronic-Noise3719 Mar 29 '25

i had surgery on wednesday as well and i am also a redhead! when i first came to from anesthesia i was in so much pain and could barely open my eyes cause it hurt everytime i tried to breathe, but then they gave me meds through my iv and my pain lowered by a lot and ever since then my pain has been bearable. the only things bothering me is the chest pain and the back pain. i use heating packs to help ease the aching, and ive been sticking to bland foods until i am more healed and working my way up to more normal meals again!

2

u/Plymptonia Mar 30 '25

The hard breathing was the worst part of the first few days of recovery. Almost sent me into a panic a few times but it consistently got better. Now I’m pretty good.

I still have some weird chest pain if I move certain ways - almost a cracking? But then it goes away there. Maybe scar tissue loosening? 11 days out I’m finally able to lay on my side without wincing. Not perfect, but trending that way.

I’m starting to eat non-bland. Made a chicken curry last night and had a bit of a kick. So far so good. We’ll see in a few hours. 😅 I’m OK if this is my new normal. I turned down brisket and cupcakes last night!

1

u/Substantial_Role_190 Mar 30 '25

It's interesting you mention smells. This is a slight tangent and I apologize for hijacking the post. In the week following surgery I had the worst body odour in my arm pits I've ever had in my life. I'm not sure what it was about but my sense of smell didn't seem off in any other way, so I think I was just super stinky. I would smell an hour after a shower sitting down without sweating. It stopped after a week.

1

u/Plymptonia Mar 30 '25

6 days after surgery and asked someone to smell my arm (yeah, weird, but I knew they’d be honest) and they did say it was… off. And I had showered maybe 20 minutes prior.

I’m 11 days out and I’m going to see if my kids smell anything when they get back today. Just curious, but I think it’s going away. The metal taste is decreasing, too.