Hi me again
I have my op in a few weeks. I throw up every few weeks and this leaves me washed out but pain is usually ten mins I am sick then ok. I often have an ache in right side but had it for so long it doesn't bother me.
I'm really concerned that the side effects after are actually worse than what I have now. I don't follow a low fat diet altho I am careful,
I think I have read so much negative stuff that I'm wondering should I risk the awful affects. I have ibs which I manage and live in v active life.
Anybody have any positive recovery stories ?
Thanks
Hi Tigerlilly, there are many people who don't have any problems after surgery. I think that we aren't really prepared for the time it takes to recover and because of our lifestyles these days we're impatient and want to get back to normal really quickly but that doesn't happen. Remember even though its keyhole surgery it is major surgery, your body has to adapt with life without a gallbladder and it all takes time.
Even though I'm still having problems I knew this would happen by my surgeon as I didn't have gallstones but that doesn't stop me from trying to stay positive that I will return to normal. I've had part of my treatment and now I've got to go onto the next stage.
There are people on here that have got out the otherside, some alot quicker than others but thats just the healing process.
Don't worry, your surgeon wouldn't be suggesting this operation if you didn't need it.
Let me know how you get on. Take care x
Hi Tigerlilly352,
I had my gallbladder removed about 4 or 5 years ago. Like you I had got used to the pain of having it - vomiting became part of everyday life. But as soon as the stone moved the pain vanished.
After my op I came round with no pain at all - had to look down to chekc it had been done (it had!!). Abdomen was a shock. I looked like the victim of as frenzied stabbing. I had maybe 4 or 5 different incisions all banadaged up.
Went home the following day with a prescription for codeine and an instruction to take them along with paracetamol. So, home on Tuesday. By Friday I had stopped taking pain relief altogether. It was a little sore but nothing much.
Off work for 2 weeks. 2nd week I just go on with things - doc only kept me off whilst the largest incision knitted (the one above the belly button can take a little longer). Then stitches out and back to work. SInce then I have been absolutely fine. Diet is normal, no more vomiting or RH rib pain. What I found amazing was I clearly didn't realise how ill I had been. Very quickly (within a couple of weeks) I began to feel better than I had in years.
So, go for it and don't worry!
The vast majority of outcomes are positive. That's why it is done. One typically only reads about the bad outcomes on chat groups, but that's because everyone else is no longer even thinking about it. I've had a perfect result and only post here because I want to stop others from going through unnecessary pain as I did. A couple of my incisions don’t look great, but I couldn't care less. Recovery was one day for eating normally again, and 5 days for surgery pain. And who knows... the IBS might not even be there afterwards. I was told I had IBS.. now I know I didn't.