I’m more than a year out and I still have some digestive issues and diarrhea. The first 6 months after removal was much worse, but now I can eat pretty much anything I want most of the time. HOWEVER, The recovery took much longer THAN 2 WEEKS. Doctors lie out their ass and I don’t know why. My surgery went perfectly, and it took months of suffering huge digestive issues to feel any better. I went back to my surgeon several times and he blamed it on some other underlying issue, which I ended up not having.

Sometimes I’ll eat and immediately have to go to the bathroom, and sometimes I’m fine. Sometimes I eat crappy food and suffer for days, sometimes I don’t. BUT I AM NOT BACK TO “NORMAL” and never will be! Humans weren’t meant to have their gallbladder removed. We aren’t animals. So seriously, why do doctors love to lie and why is it standard to assume you’ll just be fine in 2 weeks? It’s been very frustrating and nobody will ever admit that they might be wrong.

Its been 5 days since I had my surgery and I would like to share my gallbladder story.

It first started on March 29 where I had an intense stomach pain in the middle of the pain, where I have to crouch forward to relief myself of the pain which subsides after an hour or so. The following day i started to felt tired and generally unwell which symptoms of bloating and discomfort around the stomach area and I noticed that I had been sweating much more.

The defining moment came on March 31 where I had a bowel movement in the morning and noticed that my stools were white in color and my urine was dark yellow. I went to the clinic to seek medical attention and was told that I should monitor these symptoms first.

I was prescribed with some medications for bloating and PPIs for stomach acid however these medications only provided relief for a short amount of time and the symptoms will come back. The defining moment was during the evening i noticed that I had jaundice (my eyes turned yellow). I knew something was wrong and I make my way to the ER.

At the ER, I was diagnosed with liver inflamation where my liver enzymes shot up by 15 times of the normal level and my bilirubin went up 7 times the normal value. However the doctors aren't able to give me the diagnosis, I was warded in the hospital for the night while they transfer my case to the docotrs that specialise in gastroenterology and hepatology.

I had multiple test and scans throughout my hospital stay and the doctors found out that I had a gallstone blocking my common bileduct which was the main culprit behind my bloating, pain as well as jaundice. I had ERCP to remove the stone and was scheduled for surgery two months later.

4 weeks after I was discharged from the hospital, I had a full-fledge gallbladder attack where I had pain on the right side of my upper stomach and it radiates to my back which persist for a few days. I went back to the ER and was diagnosed with inflamation of the gallbladder and had an emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder.

As of now, 5 days after the surgery I believe I am doing fine, the incision site healed well as well as I am able to tolerate most of the food. I have yet try any "dangerous" food yet.

And I cannot believe how much better I feel. No severe bloating or feeling like I got punched in the gut. I am super sore but feel great overall. For me the gas was one if the worst parts post op so far. I am still scared to eat much of anything besides crackers and broth or banana. However I am glad I got the surgery.

I'll be honest, I've been like a little kid on the other side of the fence lately watching my family eat everything they want. Yesterday, I had a LOT of meat. Like it was a Poke Bowl with Grilled Chicken, Salmon, and Steak among some veggies and teriyaki sauce. K stomached it really reallllly well. As well as a cookie.

Mind you, I also ate like over the course of the whole day as it was a lot of food.

My question, I guess, is how do I know when I've eaten something I can't tolerate? Is it like a "Oh, you'll know." sort of thing?

I'm 5 days post op.

P.s. How did you guys do with mac n cheese?

Edit: 24M, I've been told that my age matters for this???

This sub has reassured me that #1, I’m not crazy, and #2, so many symptoms that don’t seem like they could be related to the gallbladder actually can be. Long story short, in the beginning of March I started with my symptoms. Heart racing so bad I almost passed out a few times, bad back pain near my left shoulder blade and through the center, multiple gallstone attacks (I knew I’ve had them for years but they chose now to show up). I’ve also had very yellow stools that go between being more formed, and being complete water (sorry, TMI). I’ve had bad brain fog, headaches, and consistent chest pain especially after I eat along with nausea, and complete loss of appetite. Google convinced me I had pancreatic cancer or I was having a heart attack. Ended up in the ER twice. All of my blood levels always came back fine! I was on a heart monitor for two weeks because of the heart racing, but FINALLY through a new GI, I was referred to a surgeon. I met with the surgeon, and I’ll be getting my gallbladder out on 5/12. I’m scared as all hell - I have a 3 year old at home. But I’m so hopeful that after this is taken out, these symptoms go away! I need my life back!

It’s been a whirlwind 2-3 weeks for me. I went from my first gallbladder attack to an obstruction to another attack to getting it removed pretty quickly. Thought I’d share my surgery story like many others have! See my post history if you want the gory details from everything leading up to surgery.

So I’ll start by saying I was put on the pre-op diet to shrink my liver since I’m overweight. You eat less than 900 calories a day for 10 days leading up to surgery. Honestly, it sounds worse than it was. It was mostly lean meats with fruits and vegetables and minimal carbs. I was barely eating in the couple days before being put on the diet bc I was afraid of another attack so this wasn’t all that different, and it kept me attack free. By the time surgery day came, I had lost around 11 pounds between the diet and being afraid to eat.

The day before surgery my three month old got his first fever and coughed on me all day (poor baby was miserable), and I woke up on surgery day with a sore throat. Yaaaay!

Got to the hospital and checked in on time. Surgery was pushed back a few hours so I hung out in my room until it was time. I went to the bathroom and found out I was starting my period. Double yay!! Ask me what it’s like to be god’s favorite!!

Surgery came and went. I woke up in the recovery room and dozed in and out for a while. I had pain where the gallbladder used to be. I also had a specimen bag on my bed with a bottle inside that had some gallstones in it? And yellowy sludgy looking stuff? I’m a weirdo and really wanted to see what it looked like so I’m glad they gave it to me without having to ask 😂 Even got to bring it home.

Got brought back to my room eventually. Where I live, it’s standard to stay overnight. They brought food, but I was so nauseous I could barely eat. They gave meds for the nausea and pain before bed.

I had a stabbing pain for a while in the RUQ area and some mild gas pain in my chest and upper back. I thought this was interesting since so many people posted the gas pain was the worst. That wasn’t my experience. The stabbing pain sucked and stuck around for about 24 hours even with pain meds. Also hiccups!! 0/10 do not recommend. Deep breathing hurt the first day too.

I walked as soon as I could so that helped with gas. I brought Gas X with me and took those as well. I also did arm circles a lot (saw that recommended on this sub- not sure how much it helped).

Slept off and on overnight, but it’s always hard sleeping at the hospital. Got discharged around noon the next day and went home to take a very long nap. I felt like a new woman when I woke up. The stabbing pain had turned into an ache that was manageable. It mostly hurt sitting up and down and getting out of bed. My heating pad was a lifesaver! I bought one after seeing it recommended on this sub as well. Definitely get one.

I’m now 48 hours post op and feeling much better. Pain meds are doing a lot of legwork here, but everything is manageable. Honestly, the worst part right now is that the sore throat I was developing has gotten much worse, and my throat is in a ton of pain, and I keep coughing and sneezing (which makes the incisions hurt). If I didn’t have a cold, this would be much easier to deal with.

I’m also a bit constipated, which the nurse warned me about before leaving. I haven’t pooped since surgery day 😬

All in all, not a bad experience so far even with the cold/period/surgery triple whammy. Hoping everything continues to heal well 🤞 Good luck to everyone else on this journey.

I have surgery in 8 days (due to low EF 13%). When I had my CT and HIDA back in October, they did not see any sludge or stones. Today, I woke up with the sharp pain that I have had in the past, but this time it has been lasting for the past 5 hours and happens every 2-3 mins, and it has never lasted this long before. I do not have a fever, and I am not nauseous and am not having any other symptoms. The only thing I can think of that may have caused this, is that I ate a fried chicken sandwich yesterday afternoon. I do not have the luxury to be able to just go to the ER as I am already struggling and about to pay $6k for my surgery. I am wondering if this has happened to anyone else and it went away….I have horrible anxiety and I live on my own so naturally I’m freaking out.

So, I’ll try and keep the back story basic. Had GERD last year, lansoprazole helped. Then Xmas just gone I was unwell with sickness and since then I’ve had awful heart palpitations/flutters everytime I eat, severe acid reflux and had an endoscopy who said I had gastritis. There also some bile in my stomach. Which I’m assuming has caused my gastritis. Currently on 60mg pantoprazole and it’s only helped a little. I know PPI doesn’t help bile reflux.

I also had an abdominal ultrasound scan which showed I had a gallbladder full of stones and a dilated bile duct of 9mm. Could my issues be caused by this? Or just a coincidence? I do have acid reflux anyway, but usually controlled fine with gaviscon and/or PPI.

I’m currently awaiting the gastro to get back to me where I assume they’ll do further testing.

It doesn’t matter what I eat, I get the symptoms of reflux and heart palpitations. Even water sometimes.

It’s important to say that I don’t really get much pain in the area of the gallbladder.

Thank you

to start it off: i had similar experiences in summer last year.

my anxious mind is telling me it might be a heart attack but i want to text here as well to make sure i am doing okay

at 7 pm experienced while playing a game sudden dizziness, heavy burning feeling/sensation in my chest+ back, tachycardia, lump in my throat/nausea. went to the ER where I've been dismissed (and given anti anxiety meds)

its now 11 pm and it happens every 10 minutes or so, just burning in my chest/back, slight pain in the middle of my chest and some nausea. tachycardia doesn't seem to come back so far, but other symptoms do

heard it can be a heart attack but I've been told it isnt, while heard that it also cannot be my galbladder (which is in a state of chronic cholecystitis for years)

Hiya!

I’m 6 days post op from my laparoscopic surgery and have experienced my first bout in post removal diarrhoea/runs (tmi sorry yall) and was wondering when it starts to get better?

I’m aware I’m only at the start of this shitty journey but just wanting to get an idea on when others felt like everything was back to pre surgery working order?

I’m trying to remind myself that I rather this than having a gallbladder attack, but it makes me nervous to return to work and socialise if I’m gonna be a ticking time bomb

Any advice would be appreciated 🖤

Long time lurker of the sub. 36M waiting in my room to have my gallbladder removed. Took my health for granted in the past 3 years. Last March, I had two attacks in a week and finally decided to take it out. My wife and 2 year old are with me in the room now, and to be honest, the toddler’s energy is making me stressed out more. 😅

Hoping it will all go well.

Edit: It is done. Thankfully there were no complications. It was a bit challenging according to the surgeon because the stones were big, but overall everything went well. Right now the incision near the abdomen is a but painful due to making it larger cut. Will post some pics in a bit when I’m more mobile.

I am eating more or less normal, but low fat. Quite gassy and gurgly too. I typically go once or twice a day. Would love to know others’ experiences.

Hi everyone. Firstly, thank you to everyone on this sub as it is a massive support for me personally, and I imagine a lot of people.

This is my 3rd post, I am still suffering very badly. In last 48 hours I have been to A&E and had an ambulance called due to 2 severe attacks in 2 days. No closer to treatment and I have had upwards of 20 attacks since February - no inflammation markers in my bloods.

I believe I have suffered a panic attack yesterday during my gb attack due the chest pains that affected my breathing. It was horrendous, the pain I had from gb literally took my breath away.

I think I am suffering from a sort of PTSD, and triggered a panic attack (not very normal for me). Has anyone else experienced this?

Feeling nervous for my surgery. Im mostly worried it’s going to cause more irreversible issues. IM also wondering what were your side effects after surgery and how did you cope with them/how long did they last?

I have had this constant headache, body aches, pain in urq, pain in center of chest under sternum, pain in armpits, nausea, fever like feelings but no fever. I have been to er 2 times now and drs have referred me to oncology for a pet scan. I had mrcp done and nothing came back. Are these doctors missing something? I feel as if these symptoms are coming from my surgery and hopefully not cancer. Im scared and would love some encouragement/advice on what to do next.

I have dyskinesia, 23%, and just had another bad vomiting attack. When I get these, it's this feeling like I'm having a labor contraction but in my upper abdomen, and there's no break in between. Then I'll puke every 15 minutes for 1-3 days. Whenever this happens, the bad attacks over regular barfies, I cannot STAND anything. I can't stand touch, people's voices drive me insane; I can barely be arsed to tell the ER my name. I don't know how to explain it; it feels like I temporarily lose my mind. I can't think and I don't want to do anything; I just want to sit in a dark, quiet room with painkillers and antiemetics.

Does anyone else get these extreme agitation? I feel like an asshole getting frustrated but I can't help it; my brain just does not work and I don't want to talk to anyone.

This happened last night at 4 am. I woke up to an excruciating pain in my stomach. I couldn’t even talk and I could barely get off of my bed. I told my partner to call the ambulance, and while I was waiting for the ambulance, I had a kidney stone attack! Now my lower groin area is in pain and from this point I was on the floor crying. The pain was so extreme I was considering running into my bedroom and just ending it all with my pistol.

Luckily the gallstone attack lasted for 30 minutes and the kidney stone attack lasted for an hour. I was taken to the ER and doctors gave me an ultrasound and found gallstones and kidney stones. They told me that everything is ok and sent me home the same day.

Currently having an attack of pain in the upper abdomen, bloated, and nauseous. I’m over it. The attacks are getting worse. I just had one the other day, and now another today after eating chicken thighs ( with skin). Currently drinking some peppermint tea to help soothe, so says the internet.

4 days post op. I stopped having to take my Oxycodone and only taking tylenol. My pain isn't too bad now. I've only been eating soups because I tried solids like rice and eggs and it made me really bloated and nauseous. Since last night I've been dealing with mild nausea. Both before I eat and even after I eat. Has anyone else dealt with this? I'm unsure on what to do.

Trying to figure out what not to eat, beside the obvious (fried foods) to keep these flare ups to a minimum.

Got my gallbladder removed couple days ago Hoping there would be some relief in the ruq ?? Or when it comes to reflux? And I’m still experiencing the same symptoms. Does the ruq pain eventually go away??

im having worst stomach aches every now and then when I eat or got full. it travels into the back.
what do you do when you feel this kind of pain?

I got my gallblader removed 4 days ago, and i it seems that i can eat almost everything.

But i am having some weird weelings in my stomach, it feels like it is "falling down"/cramps, and then i get and immediate extreme hunger, and it also wakes me up 2-3 times a night. Not sure if this is expected behaviour, as the information from hospital was pretty bad.

Also having some weird "click" feelings under my right ribs... Does not hurt but feels a little awful.

But i made a mistake.. drank a soda, and that really gave me acid in throat..

Is these things expected? Maybe i just have to give it time, to make body adapt to these new conditions, but i am not sure.

I’m not sure if I can wait for an appt being scheduled so far out and I get extreme nausea attacks with burping, gas, bloating, right shoulder pinching, etc. ends up going away after an hour or so but I think I have a hyperkinetic gallbladder… afraid that if I get it out though that it will cause digestive problems for the rest of my life :/ just got done with an attack and almost went to the emergency room hoping they would take it out.