Hi everyone,

Well, the doc called me today and said that my recent tests show my gall bladder needs to be removed. Apparently, it is "diseased" and is full of stones. I have been in significant pain from it, usually woken up in violent distress, after I've been sleeping for a while. So, I knew something wasn't right.

Has anyone had their gall bladder removed? How long did recovery take? Are there things you can no longer eat? Interesting thing I didn't know, the doc also told me that many people have their gall bladder removed during gastric bypass. Apparently, a large, quick weight loss can cause the gall bladder to act up. I haven't had weight loss surgery, but did lose 95 lbs. in 10 months.

i don't actually really know, but it doesn't seem like it should unless you're accounting for recovery time where you'll be unable to workout. but i do want to say that i hope removal goes well! a 95 lb loss is pretty incredible

I had mine removed. It didn't have stones, it just stopped working. 0% ejection fraction! I had the hardest time losing weight when it wasn't working. It took an extremely long time to get mine diagnosed b/c they kept missing it until I just went to a GI doc for other problems b/c everything had gotten so bad off. I was feeling like death-warmed-over for a good, long while. Getting that puppy out was wonderful! I had a rough night of it the first night but I recovered rapidly. Laparoscopic surgeries rule!

I did have to eat a little differently. I had to moderate large amounts of raw fruits/veggies and watch how much fat I ate at once, for the first little while as my body adjusted. It's been a few years now and I can pretty much eat anything within reason. I don't recall gaining any weight after surgery. I was off pain meds within 3 days and felt pretty good within a week, just slight soreness. It was my easiest surgery by far.

I don't think you will experience much weight gain if you're in good health and don't have any complications that would keep you down longer than usual. You might have some bloating but that should drop off when you can get up and around. You might actually find that your digestive system will work better for you and you have more energy! Best of Luck with it all!

I had mine removed, wasn't advised of any problems eating certain food so i pretty much stuck to what i was eating before. I went on a diet and exercise kick about 4 weeks later to help strengthen myself up after the surgery and lost 4 stone. I didn't have weight gain after having my gall bladder removed either.

My husband had his removed. He's not, nor does he need to, losing weight, but when he had the surgery, I asked about diet changes. The doctor basically said that it hadn't been working, so it's removal wasn't going to change much. Presumably any metabolic/digestive changes have already happened.

I had mine removed 2 weeks before my wedding, it was keyhole surgery, minimal pain, no weight gain and quick recovery time. The only thing I noticed was that I can't eat very much fat, even now two years after it was done, I feel really nauseous and bloated when I do. I was on quite an aggressive weight-loss plan (for the wedding) when it started playing up, and the Doc said that most likely contributed to it.

Mine flared up during pregnancy (another common time to have problems with it) and removing it was the only option. Now, I can't eat VERY heavy meals without discomfort/bloating. And that makes sense. The gall bladder stores bile to be released to break down fatty foods. So, the worst culprit is an omelette with a lot of cheese, ham and hashbrowns. Or, a heavy/large Thanksgiving dinner, but besides that, it's been no sweat and I felt oh so much better with it gone.

I got mine removed when my son was 10 weeks old and I was breastfeeding. I took a dose of morphine immediately after the surgery and after that only neeeded regular tylenol every four hours for 2 days and then nothing. I listened VERY CLOSELY to my doctor about the dos and don'ts of post-op care as I didn't want any complications with a newborn, but it was very easy and quick to heal when done laparoscopically. I basically felt like my normal self after 4 days.

I wasn't doing weight loss at the time, but I am now. I've lost 40 pounds in a bit over 4 months with eating lower calorie (1300-1500) and moderate exercise 6 days a week (45min to 1 hour of either walking, low impact aerobics, gardening).

It does seem rapid weight loss, especially with low fat diets! can make gall bladder problems flare up, and if you are having attacks, you will feel much better after this. Hope your surgery goes well. I expect you may find that you can maintain weight nicely with it gone, as it is easier to eat properly and exercise when you are not in pain.

Yes, i also forgot to say i feel LOADS better without it too

I had mine out about 4 years ago. I can't speak for weight loss, as I wasn't trying to lose weight, but as for recovery, it was very fast. I was off any/all pain meds by the day after surgery (I had laparoscopic surgery).

Good luck with the surgery, I honestly found it to be a total breeze.

Thank you so much to all of you for taking the time to reply. I feel much better. I meet with the surgeon on Monday. I am no longer worried thanks to your kind responses.