Gallstones are the worst! I had them back when when I was in high school; to this day, I can still vividly remember the pain (and taste the bile *shudder*). My gallbladder was removed 12 years ago, and I haven't had any problems since. I had laparoscopic surgury, too. The recovery was pretty easy and quick, but I do remember being sore and sleeping a lot the day after. Wow, they only need to make two incisions now? Cool.
Since you can't have your surgery until after Christmas, I hope your doctor talked to you about what kind of foods to avoid. Fatty foods tend to trigger problems, so if you're not already doing so, you might want to switch to a lowfat "diet".