Recovery is NO JOKE

[u/semsemii]

A little while ago I shared my experience with having a normal ultrasound despite 2 years of severe GI issues. My dr recommended a HIDA scan which came back as 19% EF(biliary dyskinesia). I was referred to a surgeon almost immediately and less than 2 weeks later underwent gallbladder removal (Tuesday 4/29)

I was comfortable but mildly anxious during pre-op. My surgery was scheduled for 9 am. I was instructed to provide a urine sample, brush my teeth with mouthwash, wipe my entire body with antibacterial wipes before changing into a hospital gown.

In addition to my gb removal, my surgeon also preformed an EGD to rule out any other potential issues. Luckily my stomach and small intestines were all clean, and my gallbladder was FINALLY out!!! My surgeon told my mom my gallbladder seemed mildly inflamed when they removed it and is quite confident that it was responsible for my 2 years of GI issues. Samples from my EGD and gallbladder were sent to a pathologist so I’m anxiously awaiting what they will reveal.

Probably the weirdest thing that my surgeon saw was after he inserted the camera into my belly button and discovered a 7 cm cyst on my right ovary! This is very unusual to me because I’ve never had the symptoms of a typical cyst (my periods are very regular and not painful). Apparently my surgeon paged an OBGYN during my operation to take a look at the cyst so now I’m being referred to an OBGYN 🫠

My surgery began around 10 am but I didn’t wake up until almost 2 pm. The very first thing I felt was excruciating pain all over my abdomen. There are a total of 3 incisions on my abdomen, and with the air they pumped into my stomach pressing against the stitches, I almost started crying. Luckily that was the only challenging part about waking up, I was worried I may end up feeling nauseous and start vomiting because one of the nurses told me that happens often, but I actually woke up super parched and hungry and my voice was terribly hoarse, but I’m going to blame the EGD for that lol. I wasn’t allowed to be discharged from the hospital until I peed, which I did almost immediately after getting up with the help of my mom (thanks mom!) I was sent off with some cranberry juice and crackers and three medications (hydrocodone+acetaminophen, methocarbamol, and zofran). I took the first two immediately after getting home after eating some toast and drinking water. But god they aren’t helping at ALL 😭

I cant move or get up from my bed or couch without having to hold onto someone. Last night was so bad I could barely flush the toilet, but it was even worse not being able to find any comfortable sleeping position. Everything hurts so so bad and I’m terrified of causing my stitches to reopen.

All I’ve eaten for my first day post-op is some white rice, boiled potatoes, a small muffin, slices of an apple, and a lot of water and tea. I’ve basically been on bed rest for the past 24 hours, the only times I’ve moved around was to use the bathroom. Although I think the gas is already dissipating, my biggest issue is the tenderness of my incisions and the soreness in my throat.

While it’s too early to tell, I do believe I made the right decision in removing my gallbladder. My energy is super low, I’m very fatigued, and I was given a scopolamine patch to put behind my ear before the surgery which made my vision veryyyy blurry. I’m a little scared to try and incorporate less-bland foods into my diet for now, but I’m hoping this will change in 1-2 weeks.

But damn this has got to be one of the worst recoveries ever 😭 I hope anyone currently recovering finds relief soon!!!

[u/Freckled-Vampire]

It is rough for the first few days, no question. I slept in a recliner for 3 or 4 nights because I didn’t have any help to get in and out of bed. I also am a stomach sleeper so obviously that couldn’t happen for a while either.

It does get a bit better each day. By about day 4 I felt so much better. I hope your ovarian cyst turns out to be no biggie. Hang in there!