What has been your experience 3 weeks out after gall bladder removal?

I'm looking for people that recently had their gall bladder taken out as I keep looking online to find out what is a normal recovery time and what is the activity level to expect at this point of the recovery process.

I'm a 38 year old female that has celiac disease and lactose intolerance. Since January of this year I have been in the hospital about 5 times the first for a colitis and just getting severe pain after going out to each thinking I had accidentally eaten gluten. I am very strict with my diet and at this point I did not check my gall bladder or liver enzymes.

I had gained weight during covid and also after stopping an anti-depressant. So, I had attributed a lot of my gut issues to Cymbalta because it had been giving me severe diarrhea while taking it that used to wake me up in the middle of the night. So, I had thought some side effects of stopping it was what was happening in my gut. Then I ended up in ER again in May same type of issue this time I think it was enteritis an inflammation. My metabolism was crap no matter how much I worked out in gym or how long I walked weight wouldn't budge at this point I was having a high sugar diet and drinking lot's of coffee. I wasn't eating lots of vegetables or eating salmon. My diet was mostly ground beef, rice and beans or gluten free cereals or waffles. I have a sweet tooth so I love chocolate even though I have lactose intolerance. (This is when they first found gall bladder sludge after an ultrasound) I started a juice cleanse and started drinking vegetable juice to attempt to cleanse my gall bladder and starting losing weight finally and cut out coffee/caffeine felt better.

When I got COVID in June I had a fun side effect of elevated heart rate all the time and it's just now started to normalize. They put me on Metoprolol because I had tons of PVCs so I could barely take the side effects of the medication so I weaned myself off and only took it for less than 3 weeks. I got severe diarrhea and stomach pain from this drug so was suffering the whole time and got night sweats and nightmares and severe anxiety from that drug. Though doctors didn't believe me when I said it was from the medication. They can be dismissive like that it is listed as a side effect though more rare.

Then in July I was back in the ER for a gall bladder attack it was more painful and more sudden. My symptoms where diarrhea, fast heart rate that stayed fast, pain on right side by rib cage and pain in right shoulder. Also felt weird to breathe in too deep and felt like a tightness inside my rib cage and chest. Around this time weird sensations in chest and sternum (breastbone) not quite heart burn, not acid reflux but weird gurgling sensations similar to my covid sensations of heart issues earlier. Only found gall bladder sludge and said it's harmless that everyone has that.

Then in August after being in pain for a week straight and barely able to eat any food or barely sleep at night cause of stomach and gall bladder pain I went to the ER. I was feeling a sensation of gall stones it felt like sharp pinching pains inside my body and eating food was unpleasant. I am eating clean at this point only veggies and salmon and mostly water. I mean I was severely limiting my diet and drinking bone broth and veggie juice for breakfast.

I lost about 40 lbs in total at this point. I have been taking Vit D, Pycnogenol , Milk Thistle, Probiotics, Choline, Collagen, Multivitamin, Biotin, Bacopa and Moringa. My blood work had been terrible 5 months ago with glucose levels always slightly elevated, cholesterol was high, Vit D was low, Iron Saturation was low12%, ALT 36 Above Normal, GGT 34Above Normal High, LDL Cholesterol was 107 (ALl these numbers were from Feb after seeing a functional doctor) I did fix all my numbers after my clean diet. So I thought I could reverse the gall bladder sludge and even bought a book about a cleanse. But in August 13th they finally found 2 gall stones which explained the pain I was feeling while I was walking every morning like a burning soreness on my right side of my body under my rib cage and hurt if I breathed in too deep.

So, I had to advocate for my health the ER doctor was going to send me away originally but I told him I couldn't take the nausea, shoulder pain, ongoing ache in my right side, diarrhea, and inability to sleep. I would try to sleep with a heating pain but that didn't help enough.I couldn't take the weird pressure in my sternum. So they admitted me and I begged for a HIDA scan. Once I got admitted they said I was scheduled for surgery which was fast because they didn't do a HIDA they just said they found 2 stones so that was enough for them to remove it. Luckily there was no blockage.

First Day After Surgery: A lot of pain immediately after waking up from surgery and I kept asking for pain medication. I had to just take it. Then they gave me Percocet and it hurt my stomach so I begged for Oxycodone because I can't take more stomach pain I have celiac so I think not all medicine settles well in my tummy I have to advocate for myself. So, I did not go home that day. I ate liquids bone broth, jello, and apple juice got chills for a minute or so at night. Hurt so much to sit up needed help to go to bathroom. Walked slow extremely tired slept most of the day.

2nd day: They wanted to give me semi-liquid food so apple sauce, scrambled eggs, more bone broth, more fruit cups and coconut milk yogurt. Food settled ok (No diarrhea, had bowel movement 2nd day not 1st day) Hurt to move. Nurse told me to try to walk even if only 5 minutes. Hurt to swallow kept having cough sensations, hurt to breathe deep and sitting on the edge of bed painful and insides gurgled felt trapped air inside. Passed a lot of gas (doesn't smell) and burped that helped shoulder pain. Sleep was tough, slept elevated on back kept waking up needing pain pills.Rough night.

3rd day: I asked if I could walk so took my iv drip with me to move walked all the way up and down the hall hurt like a son of a b***h. But nurse said it will help heal me. That took all the energy out of me so rested in bed of course and took naps. Tried to get me to eat solid food like white rice, grilled chicken and green beans and grapes. I did decent with solid food just ate small portions. Drank plenty of water. Sitting on the edge of bed was tolerable but with pain meds of course. Hurt everytime I had to sit up or move. Attempted to take a shower in hospital went well.

4th day: They discharged me in the morning and seemed suprised it took me so long to heal up the procedure is supposed to make it so patients go home same day. Ha! It was brutal the car ride home and even the wheel chair in the hospital was hurting my incisions especially upper ab incision. They gave me a manual incentive spirometer (it helps you breathe deeply to help you stop coughing and to expand your lung capacity this was a life saver) You must use it several times a day.

End of first week: Still take Oxycodone as needed for pain. I got bad itching the 5th day home and it was brutal for about 3 days I was also on antibiotics at the time for bacteria in my urine supposedly so I took that and itching in my incisions settled down too. But walking was uncomfortable clothes rubbing on my incisions was so bad so I had to just hold my stomach when walking. Still sore after walking I was able to attempt about 1 mile at day 7. Previously I was doing 10 min max of walking I couldn't take more then that.

2nd week: I could go up and down stair and started driving at about day 7-8 and speed bumps hurt I just drove real slow seat belt a bit uncomfortable but I was okay just going slow speeds and drove myself to my surgeon for my follow up appointment and he said my incisions were healing nicely and that itching is normal part of recovery. I told him I had the chills at home the 5th day but no fever and he said that was ok I was taking antibiotics at that time. So, I asked why my liver enzymes were so high after surgery and he said that was also normal because my ALT was 211 and AST was 191. He said that number comes down but it can range from 1 week or longer because everyone is different in how fast they heal and what their baseline is. So I want to get my blood tested this month to see if it has gone down yet. Slept downstairs on couch because I didn't want to bother going up the stairs.

3rd week: I have worked my way up to 2 miles comfortably but still feel fatigued and Im sleeping in more in the morning. Previously I would wake up at 7am due to my body being used to the hospital when they would always wake me up. I usually was falling asleep at like 9 or even 8pm at night but now I can stay up til 10 or 11pm. I still am drained but that is because I have done laundry, do dishes, and I started packing but I am careful with bending or lifting but I do remain active. But I rest and play video games most days but I do walk each day and I do my breathing exercises. ( Have not need pain meds on week 3)

I have been eating normal meals meaning brussel sprouts, with chicken or squash with salmon and gluten free bread. I eat lots of fruits or veggies. No coffee, no soda/alcohol, limited sugar, my cheat food is gluten free cookies with coconut milk. I have tried any fatty foods. At this point I am sticking to a clean diet and allow cheat days on the weekend for gluten free cookie or bread. But I continue to lose weight but gained back my appetite and only feel weak/bad these last couple days because I'm on my period so that gave me pain in my upper abs a lot. I feel more sore in upper abs this week because I have been so active and I always get up to cook all my meals and do dishes etc. But I suggest listen to your body when it aches. I have even felt strong enough to drive do a library and read for a bit.

My follow up visit with my primary is in October. My bruising is almost faded around my incisions just a faint yellow and it's mostly the worst on my top incision right under breastbone area that's the worst and longest the heal for me. I still can't sleep on my right side. I have to be careful with certain bras like a sports bra would still aggravate that area and press down on it it's very tender. So, that's the worst part. I don't know how someone could go back to work in 2 weeks. The doctors I think say to quick for recovery and I don't think it's realistic.

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