Recent gallbladder surgery removal questions?

Here's my update! Today it's been officially a week and my stomach still feels kind of bloated still but I managed to eat nonetheless . I'm really trying here!. What's good is that I had pancakes again (made with lactaid milk) and I actually used the restroom but no diarreah this time! That made me happy, I really hope my body adjust soon. Thank you for the prayers, it means a lot to me. I have also been praying for myself daily to feel better as each day passes. I just want to be able to eat like before, I need to eat more! If I keep eating like this I will continue to keep loosing weight. I currently am 5'5 and weigh 99 pounds which is why I'm worried. I know you must be scared of all the side effects but everyone tells me they are temporary and will leave soon. Even my surgeon said this the other day. I recommend just going with it because If you wait more, you might just feel more I'll and maybe get worse ??. That's how I was. My stone was so massive it honestly looked like a small golf ball or potato. What are your current symptoms if you don't mind me asking and do you have just a stone or many?

I finally had my gallbladder removed on Oct 18th. I was in so much pain when I woke up from Anastasia It felt as if I was having a gallbladder attack all over again and it would hurt to breath. But after the nurse gave me a lot of pain medication I felt better but I still had to take small breaths. Yes so I finally went for it and got the operation done! I had a bit of gas pain around my collarbone but today is Oct 20th so day2 and it has gone away although I feel like burping a lot! I have someone pat my back so that I can burp because it hurts if I don't. My Incisions are still a little sore but im mostly worried about the burping I also haven't gone to the restroom I think I might be constipated🙁 All I have ate is chicken soup, rice, water and gelatin oh some crackers and cottage cheese I actually have a really big Appetite! I get hungry really fast i didnt feel noshes at all but, I'm getting kind of worried because I haven't gone to the restroom Im going to buy some prune juice tomorrow and see how that goes But so far so good 😀I'll keep every one updated

Thank you for the reply! Your response gives me hope as maybe, I'm not like most people and need a month or two to also feel better. I will give myself time then and just be patient. In the meantime I think I'll be fine and live haha. I'm just worried about my eating and really wish I ate more but it's hard. My stomach feels so bloated and full. It looks like I'm 3-4 months pregnant and my jeans don't fit ??. I try to walk though as I heard this is the only way to rid of the gas, is this true? I'm really happy to hear your eating has improved . Can you tolerate bigger portions? I hope I get there soon! I'm honestly better off snacking as that doesn't make me feel as full. I seem to have two meals a day and then snacks throughout. I weigh 99 pounds and am 5'5 so I need to gain weight quick. My appetite isn't back yet but they've told me it will. My shoulder blade pain isn't as bad anymore, or my chest. It's just my stomach that feels tight and pressured. I also had diarreah for three days straight but today is the first day I used the rest room and it wasn't which made me happy. Is there anything you can try that can help, I heard bile salt helps load with long bouts of Diarreah? Please stay hydrated as well!

As long as you have no complications from surgery, you will make good recovery within a few weeks. As I mentioned, though your doctor may say you'll be able to function normally after a couple of weeks, I personally found that it takes around a full month to feel strong enough to feel semi normal.

As for the bloatedness that you mention, it will soon subside within a couple of weeks into recovery, and you will be able to eat a fuller meal. I read some people have a hard time digesting a full meal after a month from surgery, but in my case I could eat almost a full meal without digestive problems.

This is my 12th week since surgery, and I am now able to eat a full meal without any problem. On occasion I do get a slight cramp in the stomach, but that soon passes within 15 minutes or so.

I think we all want quick and instant cure, but in reality, the body heals slowly, so time and rest are truly your ally after surgery. As for trying to pass gas by walking, in reality I found laying on the side for a while helps to pass gas.

I'll say this in summary regarding post-op on gallbladder removal:

1. let time heal your laparoscopic incisions and surgery.

2. let time heal your body from inside out from surgery.

3. try various foods to find what's agreeable to your digestive tract, and eliminate all foods that cause indigestion or gas or diarrhea.

4. One month is what I found to be the starting point of seeing my body recovering and returning of my old self.

5. Eating a full meal like before won't be comfortable till the 3rd month onward.

6. It is from the start of the 3rd month that you should be looking forward to making a full recovery and regaining your strength and stamina. Anything before that, you're pushing too hard and demanding too much from your body from laparoscopic surgery. And yes, though incisions are small and seemingly a casual surgery, trust me, the gallbladder removal surgery takes a huge toll on your body and taxes your strength and energy. Allow time to heal your wounds, and if becoming impatient, just imagine having being stabbed by a stillato 4 times into your abdomen. I think you got the picture.

Hope this helps, good luck.

Yep haha how funny! I actually saw my surgeon yesterday and he's like oh it's been a week, you can eat whatever you want . All I was thinking in my head was uh I don't think so??. He was like Go ahead and eat anything! Honestly all I've had thus far is dry cereal, rice, soups, lentils, veggies like corn, and lettuce, potatoes etc. I had pancakes but they were made with lactaid fat free milk or water. I've been having tea, no coffee. I've had noodles, saltine crackers, bread. Basically I've had nothing fried or fat whatsoever. Oh I forgot jello, applesauce, apple juice and coconut water or water. I've had no fizzy drinks. Fruits, so far I've tried watermelon and pears! Basically things that say fat free I go for. This sounds good right?

I am definitely fine with giving myself time to recover. My Incisions don't hurt like before but I get some slight like "tugging" where my gallbladder was and in my belly button area? did this occur to you? My belly button incision hurts once in a while but I was told that one hurts the most.

Forgot to reply about bile salts supplements on my last reply. At first I also thought that that's what I needed, but after doing some research online, I've come to the conclusion that bile salts supplements will make the diarrhea worse. Here's why I think so:

1. With the gallbladder removed, your body no longer has storage container for the bile trickling out from your liver, so the bile simply trickles into the intestine constantly.

2. My understanding is that when that bile eventually pools in the lower intestine, it stimulates excretion of water from the intestinal wall.

3. And the end result is, you'll have diarrhea.

Prescription medications like Welchol and Questran basically bind the excess bile in the intestine into a sludgy resin, thus preventing a pooling of water in the lower intestine and colon, and thereby preventing diarrhea.

If you want to learn more about this topic, type in google, bile acid malabsorbtion. I suspect I have this condition now with the gallbladder removed, especially because because I deal with diarrhea on daily basis no matter what I eat.

I stick to ultra lean diet but I still end up with some levels of diarrhea every day. Having said that, I do get less D from eating certain foods and avoidng others that seem to be bad for me.

In particular, pastas are good for me, and so is grilled chicken. Rice seems to be neutral, while barley is particularly bad for me. Oatmeal has diverse effect on me, so it remains to be questionable.

The worst culprit is coffee. Omg, fergit that. It's a total disaster waiting to happen when I have coffee, so I've cut it out completely from my life.

Tofu seems ok, but milk is a no-no. And there are more... However, I think you have to test out various foods to find what works for you since nearly everyone seems to have different effects from food types after gallbladder surgery.

Good luck

Yeah, it's true, the belly button pain will last the longest. Till this day I still have a bump on it from surgery. It will heal in time. You're actually recovery quite fast. For me it took a full 3 weeks before the hyper sensitivity on my belly subsided.

After 6 weeks from surgery, try to eat meat protein as you'll need a good protein source to heal and rebuild your body form the damages of surgery. I highly recommend grilled chicken as it is low in fat but high in protein. Try to avoid ground beef or hamburgers or sausages since they're very high in fats.

Anyway, just test various foods to find what works for your digestive system. Good luck

I'd be careful about taking bile salts supplement. When the gallbladder is removed, your body no longer has a storage container for bile that constantly trickles out from the liver, so in effect your intestine becomes coated and flooded by bile salts form the liver, which when pooled in the lower intestine stimulates water secretion from the intestinal wall. And that's how gallbladder patients end up with chronic diarrhea. Or well, that's my understanding of it anyway.

So, with excess bile in the intestine, taking bile salts supplements... Hmm, what do you think? I'd say it is likely to amplify your diarrhea from already having too much bile in your guts plus now excess bile unnaturally introduced into your stomach by bile salts supplement.

Also, in a healthy body with the gallbladder intact, bile never enters the stomach, but rather it is excreted straight into the intestine from the gallbladder. So, I am cautious about taking ox bile salts that goes into the stomach for that reason, but also because I think I'm already overfilled with bile in the intestine. I could be wrong, but I tend to think I'm correct in this assessment.

For your case, if you want to try it, I don't think it will hurt but I think it may be worth finding out how it reacts in your digestive tract. Let me know how it works for you if you do try.

I started back to work yesterday- 7 days after surgery, just half days. I just stayed at my desk so that was fine. My challenges were finding clothes that were comfortable enough but still work worthy and I was exhausted when I got home. So tired I almost felt sick but that passed after relaxing for a few hours. It really did take a lot out of me. I am hoping Mondsy will be better. It's my first full day back and I am doing some fieldwork too. At least I am preparing myself for exhaustion at the end of the day. Take it slow. And prepare to do nothing when you get home. Prepare dinner on Sunday. PS, i drink 3 cups of coffee a day and it doesn't affect me. Everyone really is different so just try what you want and give it a yay or nay.

I was able to walk well enough and not hunched by day 5-6. I was on Percocet but only took them for 3 days as I heard it caused constipation. I think you might be good by Wednesday at the least? Take it easy, if you force yourself your incisions will hurt and take longer to heal . Are you able to eat well by the way; are you on a bland diet?

Really? Wow I guess everyone really is different . My main concern is my eating habit at the moment. I seriously cannot eat more than a toast of bread with jam for breakfast because my stomach feels so full and bloated. It looks like it too. I was told it's gas and leaves in a month almost? I'm only 8 days post off so still kind of fresh. I would like to eat more (considering I'm underweight) but I can't and it's so frustrating. How were your eating habits after gallbladder removal? How is it now? Sorry if tmi but I've also had diarreah maybe 3-4 days. Just once each time but still. I'm going to stick to a bland diet until maybe two months. Praying this helps me.

Judging by the varied recovery time among those with this surgery, I'd have to agree with the other guy. It does take time for the body to heal. As for eating, I too could barely eat a morsel of food for the first 2 weeks. Then gradually the gas reduced, I felt less bloated, and could manage eat maybe 4 slices of multigrain bread with 96% fat-free turkey coldcuts from around the end of the 3rd week. Only from around 6th week, did I actually have an appetite. And only after the 8th week could I eat a semi-normal portion at meal time.

My eating habit took time to build back up. I'd say within the 4th month it fully came back. I also had a great deal of complication from my surgery and still experience it so I may be a different case..

Wow I'm far from 8 weeks as I'm only 9 days post op! I've been trying to walk at least indoors because it's way too hot to be outside of right now. The weather is too much to be out . Maybe I can trying going out for a little bit to help. I noticed I can eat a tiny little more during evenings which makes me happy as Im eager to eat more. But I'll take it easy like you and everyone has told me. Thanks very much by the way for all the help! It's made me feel better and hopeful about all of this.

Four months? Such a long time! But in the end the good thing is that it came back! Really happy for you and I hope mine come backs soon! Haven't felt actual hunger since before my operation as I wasn't hungry due to the fat stone I had haha. I don't mind waiting months to heal as long as it happens and I feel like my old self again .