pain

Hi Gillian

I do find lying on my right side quite uncomfortable at times still. I'm four months post open cholecystectomy. I have a ten inch horizontal scar across my midriff and it looks swollen, but it is scar tissue. I've had previous surgery so I know it won't go completely, but it will improve. My surgeon told me to moisturise it. Maybe the scar tissue is the 'weight' you complain of? Also I had to have a liver resection, which was done five weeks after my open cholecystectomy through the same incision so I think my scar tissue is probably quite bad.

I had problems with my appetite- it was one of the first symptoms: I just didn't want to eat, but I'm slowly getting back to normal since the surgeries. So I would have thought you should be able to eat by now.

I've lost weight: 3 stones since September 2016. This is largely due to eating a low fat diet to try and control the pain, also being nil by mouth quite a bit. I still eat mainly low fat as I find too much fat in one go makes me feel bloated, so I do eat smaller meals than I used to.

I have had an awful time with it all too.  I had my gallbladder out nearly 4 years ago and it was really badly infected and I nearly died in the surgery.  Then a year or so later I kept being ill again.  Had an operation early last year after becoming very very unwell again and no one knowing that the issue was there.  It was somesort of mass/incomplete first operation.  Now I'm left with 2 hernia's and pain in the area.  Plus I am very bloated.  I need further surgery but I need to build my strength up first after being so ill for so long.  My advice is to keep pursuing it with the medical folk.  You know in yourself whether something is right or not.  Most operations go smoothly and folk recover well.  Unfortunately, as in our situations, when they go wrong, they go horribly wrong.  I can't actually remember the last time I felt 100% well.  But I just focus on the good days and try and be as positive and as happy as I can.  Good luck