I had my gallbladder removed two nights ago, and I just wanted to know how your surgery/recuperating time went. I'm still in pain and I can't really stand up all the way, but my breathing is pretty good. Did you also have trouble standing/sitting up? How long did it take for you to feel relatively normal? Do you have any scars?

Please ping me.

UPDATE: Today is after midnight on 21 October 2014 (surgery was ~3 weeks ago), and for about a week or so now I've been feeling sick often. It's mostly after I eat, but sometimes I feel it (nausea) randomly. I've heard it's normal to experience this for up to six months after surgery. Did this happen with anyone?

I've had it. It took me a good week to feel "normal". Mind, this was my first surgery ever, and I was 20 and a total baby about it lmao.

I didn't have any trouble sitting, but standing/walking and lying down were a no. I made the mistake of trying to shower like two days afterwards, and almost passed out. I think I was finally able to shower on day 5. I basically just sat on the couch and slept.

I have scars, but they're so small you can hardly tell. I'm assuming it was done laparoscopically? (spelling that was fun lmao) Mine was. 3 scars and only one is really visible. (the one on the upper stomach.)

Overall, it was pretty awful haha. I've had 2 c-sections too, and I swear the healing time was just as bad!

I'd say...2 weeks for you to be 100% though.

Wow, really? I took a shower the day after and it was okay. I just couldn't really face the water or stand up all the way. I'm doing better now, though. I have a follow-up in about two or three weeks. It was done laparoscopically, and I have four incisions. I can walk around a lot more now and stand up straight. I can sort of lay of my right side even. I'm still just as tired and I've been sleeping more often than not, though I don't take my pain pills but once or twice a day.

I'm hearing about more and more women having issues with their gall bladders after having kids. I remember my mom once told her after she had a c-section to use a pillow and place it on your abdomen while getting up or sitting down. It's worth a try. Hope you feel better soon

I never knew that. Hm. The things we learn.

I had never really thought about it until earlier this year when several women I know started saying they were having issues with their gall bladder and I suddenly remembered my mom giving that advice. My mom has had several operations on her abdomen (c-section, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, etc) and she did that for all of them.

[edit] I don't understand why women have issues with their gall bladders after pregnancy. I asked a friend who had hers removed and she didn't have an answer other than it's common.

I know it's more common for women to have issues with their gallbladders but that's about it. Plus Native Americans, and I am Native American. And obese. And have a family history of gallbladder issues.

It's common for women to have a lot of issues with certain things actually. The only medical issue I've had that is more common in men is cubital tunnel.

Anyways, thanks for the advice. I'm sorry your mom had to go through so much pain. I hope she's okay now.

Certain things are more common in women. I don't think my mom had any issues with her gall bladder though. And she's doing much better thank you. That all took a span of like 20 years. Her most recent was the oophorectomy because she had a giant cystic. Hopefully she won't need any more surgery. You're welcome. I hope you feel better soon.

I had my gallbladder removed about 3 years ago, and sometimes I still have issues. We're not entirely sure if my issues (in short, all symptoms of IBS at random) are related to my lack of gallbladder, or if I actually do have IBS. I have a long history of GI tract issues regardless, and I was very close to being diagnosed with Celiac disease, so I am not really entirely sure if I qualify to answer this post, now that I think about it...

...Hmm... Well, regardless, I still eat what I want. Mmmm pizza and fried chicken.

I hear ya. It was hard at first, eating things with little to no fat, but it became easier as time went on. Second night after surgery, I had pizza. It was the best thing ever. I just really love pizza, but now I try to eat healthier and not as much.

A specialist I saw thought I had IBS, but after taking metformin, I hardly have any issues with digestion. I have PCOS so my body was not processing food correctly you could say.

Mmmm Metformin. I was on that too for a while. Gave it up though due to continued hormone imbalance (hooray for the PCOS club) and lack of funds. But that's good it worked for you. Hopefully it'll continue to work for you! Also props to eating healthier. -says that as he eats an oven-made $1 pizza at 12 AM-

When Mom had hers removed, she had problems sitting and standing up for over two months. It's normal to feel a bit gassy afterwards, it'll dissipate. Scars are normal and they'll fade into tiny things that can be hidden more by use of cocoa butter.

I, unfortunately, know far more about this than I ever wanted. I was the secondary caregiver. XD;

My mom had her gall bladder removed a year or so ago. She still has the scar and she was in pain for quite some time, since she doesn't remember how long it lasted. And yeah, she was gassy for quite some time too. I helped her a lot during that time and she couldn't do much after the surgery, but she is better now since her gall bladder gave her tons of pain.

I wasn't gassy so much as I couldn't breathe because of the carbon dioxide. I'm glad your mom had you to help her out.

I'm actually doing a lot better now. I can't walk for too long (more than three minutes or so) without being in a bit of pain, but the pain isn't so bad now.

Hi, I see this post is a bit old now so you're probably pretty healed up by now so I won't bother with the right after surgery experience part for me lol. But I just wanted to add that the scars faded for me just fine and even match my skin tone (lol paper white, basically) so yours will probably be hardly noticeable over time too even if you have a darker complexion. The thing at least for me is not discoloration from the scars, but you can see the lines of them if I'm sitting or something. And I really don't care if they're visible anyway lol. Do you have 4 scars too? I kinda wish I had asked to see my gallbladder when I woke up from surgery, but I was too tired and loopy to think of that haha. Also if you don't mind me asking, have you had any weight loss or weight gain? I've read people get either. I lost like 35lbs after my surgery and wonder what others experiences are / were. Anyway, hope you feel completely better by now! C:

Actually I was just thinking of adding on to this post because I've run into a bit of an issue.

I do have four scars but they should heal in time. I've had a much larger, thicker scar for longer (still do actually) but that has faded in time, so I'm not too worried about that part. And overall I've lost around 15 pounds since this started in August, but I've gained some back. I'm probably gonna lose more though because of my problem, and that is nausea. I've been experiencing it pretty constantly for about a week now and I've read that it can last for months. I still have some Zofran I got when I was in the hospital for pain which helps, but only to stop me from throwing up.

I've been trying to eat more because my iron is really low and I had had my period for about four weeks straight prior to surgery. But when I do eat, I feel sick after, and sometimes I feel nauseous randomly.

Huh! Wow, that sounds awful! I don't believe I ever experienced nausea after the surgery. Maybe once in a while, but I can't say whether or not it was from that or the stomach ulcers I have. I've unfortunately been dealing with nausea lately as well from things not smelling at ALL the way they should for some reason. I just typed an entire post about it in this forum and just before I posted it I wanted to make sure parosmia was the word I was looking for and opening a new tab on my phone apparently makes sites automatically refresh when I go back to them. So needless to say I'm quite fucking pissed lol. I hope you feel better soon! I wonder what's going on in there that's making you feel that way D:

I'm not sure what it is. At least I know I'm not pregnant with all the tests they've done on me! If I have to pee in another cup...

JK there's no way I'm pregnant. But I feel you on that things not smelling like they should. I feel a bit like that, but it's more taste now.

Lol! Well I can rule out pregnancy for myself also. And huh, that sound so strange O__o This all being related to your surgery? I never had things change in taste or smell o: This is happening to me because of a cold, I believe. I've never had this happen with a cold though so it's freaking me out a lot though based on all I've read with people having this same thing with a cold. All of them said its lasted for months... even YEARS. UH. WHAT. NOPE. I will be so effing pissed if everything smells like the devils taint for all eternity.

Oh the period thing didn't come from my gallbladder, it was my birth control. I hope you feel better soon, or at least get answers :)