Surely someone else on here has had theirs taken out?
How long until you were able to workout/fully function again? How did the healing & eating go? I guess I'm just nervous! I've never had any type of surgery before. I know it's pretty common and safe, but i still have the butterfiles!
... maybe ill drop an extra pound or two after they take this sucker out!! hah.
Another "not bad", particular compared to the painful events I had in the 18 months trying to put off having surgery. I had to cancel a planned business trip which would have involved flying (something about the gas put in abdomen to do the surgery laprascopically??). Because of my then size, they used metal staples to close the incisions and while scary looking, they didn't hurt, just started to itch like crazy by the time they were ready to be removed.
I had mine out 2 months ago. I had it done laprascopically, but I had to have larger incisions because of a scar from a previous surgery. It took me about 2.5-3 weeks until I was feeling 100%. I only took the perscription meds for a 3-4 days and then I was good with Extra Strength Tylenol. The air they fill you with will make you uncomfortable for a day or two, but it's not too bad. Be sure to eat only bland stuff for a while. I had surgery on thursday. The next Monday I had a grilled cheese sandwich and I felt so sick! Also, drink plenty of water. I had terrible back pains for like 3 days and it turned out to be from not drinking enough. Hope everything goes well for you!
I had mine out 4 months ago...ill be honest for the first 3 months fatty food gave me diarrhea...but now i think my body is used to it and I am better...it sorta forced a life style change on me so it was not all that back...healing I had a 2 week old baby when I got mine out and was totally able to function after the drug wore off! So its not to bad at all!
I was suppose to consult with a surgeon to have mine out & I was so scared I never did, I just started eating better and cutting out things that bothered it (pop, eating late, exces fat) and I feel way better! I may have a recurrence, but maybe its something to think about to put off the surgery now that you are eating better? remember to alway consult with your dr, and to not ignore serious symptoms. if you do have the procedure, my sister in law had hers out earlier this year (the thursday before my wedding) and was up dancing on my big day (aided by her meds..) and was feeling 100% after a week and a half.
I just found out I have to have mine taken out in January, so I'm really happy to hear this question being asked!
I've been able to avoid the attacks while eating at home (avoiding pretty much all dairy and anything else particularly fatty), but I'm definitely looking forward to having it taken care of, even though I'm nervous about the surgery.
I guess my experience is different than others! I had mine out laporoscopically in November 2004. I had lost a ton of weight (because I couldn't eat for about 6 weeks). After the surgery, it took about 3 days before I was back to feeling OK. By day 4, my stomach felt like I'd done a few too many sit-ups, but the incisions (which were glued shut, not stitched or stapled) had mostly healed and I was able to eat solids. By the end of the first week, it was like I'd never had surgery. I felt fine.
I could not eat anything with fat for a good 6 months, though. I still can't tolerate greasy foods, although foods with high fat content (macadamia nuts, butter, beef, etc) are OK. Oddly enough, I think I developed a gluten intolerance because of it. I get an extremely upset stomach if I eat too much wheat.
As a final note, if you've been having bad issues with pain and eating, don't expect to lose weight afterward. Once mine was out and I could eat without pain (literally, before I had it out, drinking water was painful), I packed on 20 pounds in 3 months. >< Just a forewarning.
I had mine taken out in 2005. It was not bad at all. Some soreness the first day or two. Forced myself to take a short slow walk the third day which helped with the bloating from the air they fill you up with. Had my surgery on a Monday, went back to work that Friday (office job sitting down all day). It took me maybe two weeks before I was 100%. Recovering from surgery was much more pleasant than the attacks I would have in the middle of the night. That was painful. I have 3 small scars that aren't very noticeable and I scar easily.
I had mine taken out in September of 2006... Laparoscopically, thank goodness. At that point in my life I could eat just about anything and not think twice. But now... Looking back I curse myself for a fool for all the junk food I was eating. Although, I did only weigh about 198 before the surgery. I was laid up for three days due to the anaesthetic they used and wasn't allowed to be alone. So I put my son somewhere that he could sleep and get to school safely and stayed at my sister's place.
I can no longer eat fast food. It just goes right through me. The higher the grease the faster I have to run to the bathroom. Chinese takeout, pizza and KFC are okay because of the lower grease content, but I try not to order any of them more than once a month as a special treat.
I've also noticed that since my surgery my stomach gets nauseated quite frequently... Whether I eat, don't eat, eat healthy, eat junk, it doesn't matter. And the only thing that works is ginger ale. I always have some on hand just in case. (It also comes in handy for other reasons.)
Just take it easy for the first week or so after the surgery, then bring yourself back up gradually. You should be fine.
It's so reassuring to know that you all had good experiences with the surgey.. I can't wait for my stomach to stop hurting all the time! :] For me pretty much any food can make my stomach go nuts depending on the day..
I will be having it done laprascopically.. afterwords ill make sure to drink plenty of water and stay away from greasy foods.. I'm really happy that most of you were feeling better after a few days, seeing as how my surgery is the week before christmas!
emilydreaming - good luck on your surgery! & thank you everyone!
Good luck! Luckily, my gall bladder has behaved in the last 3 years. I remember the first time I had a gall bladder attack, I thought I was dying. I know it is something I have to watch but mostly eating low fat has alleviated any symptoms/further attacks.
I suffered with gall bladder pain that had been misdiagnosed for years. When I finally suffered an attack that lasted for more than 24 hours, and I was getting sicker and sicker, the problem was correctly diagnosed in an emergency room.
I had the surgery nearly 12 years ago, laparoscopic as most here. I woke up in the recovery room, scowled and asked myself, "When the heck are they going to get this done??" Then I put my hand on my tummy and realized... oh, there were these tiny BANDAIDS there -- they must have already done it!! And they had.
Honestly, I had virtually no pain, no problems recovering from the surgery. It was the easiest procedure I've ever been through. I do have to be careful with fatty foods and too much wheat... it does make me ill. I don't really see that as a BAD thing, considering the amount of weight I have to lose!
I had mine out in 2004. My experience is very similar to Altari & Misfit's experiences.
The good news is that about ~ 2 weeks and I was back to normal. I had mine out in between finals and walking in my college graduation! Bad news is that it was the start of my weight gain. I packed on 10-15 lbs right away. The first few months were the worst... I couldn't go back to eating "just anything" like they said I could. I now have IBS because of it plus constant indigestion. I live off of Prilosec.
I HAD to have mine out because a gallstone got stuck in the bile duct and my gb quit working. So I know it was necessary...but in many cases, this surgery is unnecessary. If I had not had the circumstances that I had with mine, I wouldn't have had it out. It was really **** the first 3 years or so w/o mine.
Have to have my gallbladder taken out..
