A normal gallbladder surgery story

I am posting this because prior to my surgery, I jumped online to do some research and read about other's experiences with the surgery, their symptoms pre and post surgery, and to get a little insight as to what to look forward to after surgery. I was terrified after reading about people's experiences and almost decided that surgery was not an option and I would live with my diseased gallbladder. Well, I am three days post-op, and I just want to say this - everyone is different, every BODY is different. But, I wanted to share my not so horrible experience for anyone who may be facing this surgery to help give them hope.

I was diagnosed with having gallstones/gallbladder disease in September, and had decided to have surgery as soon as possible to have the gallbladder removed. I have never really had surgery, so I was scared and confused, but knew that the way I was feeling was probably due to the fact that my gallbladder not functioning properly.

So, Friday I was in for surgery. I wasn't as scared about the actual surgery as I was about how I would feel after. And so far, my symptoms have been relatively mild. I had the laproscopic procedure, and apparently it only took an hour. I woke up with a sore back - which for me isn't unusual since I have some back problems, and my breathing was a bit labored due to the fact that I'm also asthmatic. But, within minutes, I was sipping on water and my breathing returned to normal after a few puffs off my inhaler (if you have asthma, be sure that they have your inhaler - they made me take a few puffs prior to the surgery, and then when I woke up).

I was sent home with some instructions, but nothing major in the way of lifestyle or diet change. I was HUNGRY. When I got home, I was able to nibble on a few things and have some soup and bread. I didn't experience nausea or diarrhea. My stomach didn't bother me at all. The only thing that bothered me was the pain from the gas that they pump into you to inflate your abdomen. That gas travels around after surgery, mostly to your right shoulder - which makes it uncomfortable to get get comfortable - so just a warning. It's very painful, and I imagine that most people experience this. It's three days after surgery, and it has diminished for the most part, but I can still sort of feel it. I actually felt better for the first day or so walking and moving as opposed to laying down or resting. And with my asthma, the pain caused me some shortness of breath, which is scary but it all goes back to normal once you sit upright again.

As far as bowel movements - mine have been normal. Probably more normal than they have been in years. It took a few days for them to happen, though. Most likely due to the pain killers. But, I took stool softeners and ate some high fiber cereal on day two, and by day three, things were moving....

If you have different symptoms, I wouldn't be worried, but I would suggest a complete GI workup as soon as you can. That was something I had planned to do (and still may) if my symptoms got worse after surgery. Prior to surgery, I had severe diarrhea all the time. I had to really be careful what I ate because it would not stay in for too long. I knew where every 'private' bathroom at my job was, and even had a key to a few. I always felt on edge. Now, I don't know if these symptoms will return, but I can say that I feel a lot more 'stable'. I have read where people have these symptoms after surgery, and to me - that just seems wrong.

Anyway, as I said in the beginning, I wanted to give some folks some hope.

Yep, exactly. Some people do better than others, for sure. But, I just wanted to give a little hope to those who may be trying to get some info.

So, I am now 13 days post op and still feel fine. A few minor issues with loose bm's but my surgeon said that's to be expected for about a month after surgery. All in all, I'm back to work and things seem to be going smoothly.

I was also informed that my gallbladder was chronically inflamed upon removal, and had adhesions. The scary part of that is, I had no clue it was that bad. Although my pain and discomfort pre-op was apparent, and did get bad here and there, I never would have thought I was in chronic stages. I guess I was so use to feeling bad all the time, that I thought that was normal. There's an obvious difference now!