Gallbladder issues

Keep your diet extremely low fat. Even look at the fat content on your bread.  Choose foods that are very low fat and eat just a little bit but often.  So I would make a low fat turkey wrap, eat 1/3 of it. 90 minutes later I would eat another 1/3 of it and finally the last 1/3 90 minutes after that.  Once I switched to the extreme low fat diet I didn't have an attack.  It's a whole different way of eating though. You never feel full because you are eating so little.  I had my gallbladder removed 11 days ago and I can now eat anything I please.  Took me a bit to get my appetite back but i can now eat a full wrap at one time and it doesn't have to be low fat.  I can eat pizza and ice cream again.  I even had wine this weekend.  I am back to work full days and life is good.  I got in very quickly to have mine removed as I asked to be put on a cancelation list and said I didn't need any notice, I could come that very morning and I got in very quickly thankfully.  I am still lacking stamina but it's getting better each day.   So low fat very very small portions frequently throughout the day, and get on a cancelation surgery list if you can.  I even said I was willing to go to another town if it was faster.  Some people's bodys take a few months or a year to adjust to the surgery so just be prepared you could have diarreah or acid reflux for awhile but there are medications for both of those.  I was already on acid reflux meds and I didn't have any other side affects thankfully.  Well, not yet.  It's only been 11 days.  I can tell my acid reflux is a bit worse though but there are good meds to keep it in check.  No more attacks though.  Anything is better than that!

When are you scheduled for surgery? I read many logs in this forum about having to wait for this surgery. I hope your waiting period isn't too long.

Regarding pain and illness due to gallbladder issues, I had a gallstone attack 7 years ago, 6 years ago, and again in late May 2016. The pain level on the first 2 attacks was moderate and dissipated after an hour, so I didn't get myself examined.

The last gallstone attack, however, was completely different in both pain level and symptoms. I had severe vomiting, nausea, cold sweats, and intense pain in both the left side and right side of my upper abdominal areas, just below the rib cage. The pain was so acute overnight that I checked into the ER the next morning. I was given extensive ultrasound examinations, one of which took an hour, and was diagnosed with gallstones, infected and necrotic gallbladder, and pancreatitis.

I was hospitalized for 5 days. The first 2 days, I was given a barrage of medications and opiate pain killers through the IV to stabalize my body. On the 3rd day I had endoscopic surgery to remove the gallstone lodged in the bile duct and to remove the blockage in my pancreas. On the 4th day I had laparoscopic surgery to remove my gallbladder. I was released on the 5th day.

This is my 13th week into recovery. I had no complication from surgery and am doing well except for one side effect: diarrhea. Not sure if it will be chronic or will dissipate with further recovery.

Compared to other patients who have had complications, I feel fortunate to have had 2 excellent surgeons to fix me.

Hope your surgery schedule is soon. Good luck.

I was misdiagnosed as having ulcers ...and suffered for about 15 years before I was diagnosed with gallstones and had it removed . 

I had learnt to function and control my colic attacks and constant nausea ..by eating no fat .. No dairy , no meat, I lived on the same food every day .. Boiled potatoes boiled veg with Bisto gravy granules , toast with light mayo , weetabix .. So so boring ..but it stopped attacks .. I also was prepscribed omeprazole which stops your body producing acid its for healing ulcers but also helps prevent gallbladder attacks ..

i also cut out caffeine as it causes the gallbladder to contract which causes pain ..chocolate , hot chocolate also does this ..

camomile and mint tea sooth the stomach ..

since removal I can eat anything and energy came back , constant nausea disappeared , a gnawing pain under my right rib disappeared and the ache in my neck went ..

hang in there thinking of you 

Sally 

Don't wait too long to have your gallbladder out.  I had symptoms, but ignored it for over six weeks.  Then I had terrible pain in my side, back and my right shoulder, as well as a vomiting and a high fever.  I went into Urgent Care on a Saturday, had a CT scan and an Ultrasound, and was sent immediately to the hospital where I was put on a drip for fluids, pain meds, and antibiotics. The next day I was taken into surgery where the surgeon cleaned out my biled duct.  My shoulder pain decreased dramatically, but I was still hurting because of the bad gallbladder. Evidently my surgeon found something, because on Monday morning I was taken back to surgery to have my gallbladder removed.  It was gangrenous and necrotic. It took my surgeon 3 1/2 hours to remove the gallbladder which was done miraculously as a keyhole surgery.  I was extremely lucky, as my sister had a friend of a friend who waited too long and died.  Please do not hesitate, especially if you are experiencing nausea, high fever, and pain.