So, you’re waiting to get your gallbladder removed – Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. In fact you can read about what gallbladder removal surgery entails here or you can read my own story on getting my gallbladder removed.
To avoid extremely painful gallbladder attacks or the worsening of your condition while waiting for your surgery, you can aim to have a low-fat diet. A diet low in fat will hopefully ward off any painful attacks and prevent gallstones from getting larger.
You can eat:
fruit and vegetables
white fish and white meats (no skin and cooked without the addition of fat)
Potatoes (not fried)
2% or less milk and yoghurts
Low-fat cheese such as cottage cheese, feta, etc (check for fat contents of 4% of less)
Try not to do a no-fat diet because this can cause the gallbladder to become even worse. Stick to low-fat and try not to eat large portions. Instead aim to have smaller snacks and portions throughout the day. This will help your gallbladder keep working and prevent discomfort after eating.
Want to know more about what comes next? Read Gallbladder Removal Surgery – Cholescystectomy and let me know what you think.
Gallbladder removal or a cholescystectomy is a common surgery carried out by surgeons all over the world. The gallbladder is an organ located in our upper-right abdomen, just beneath the liver. It is the place where bile is stored. Bile is a yellow/green liquid produced by the liver when it breaks down substances in the body (including our old red blood cells).
The job of bile in the body is to emulsify fats – it does this by breaking up the fats and oils we consume into smaller droplets so that our body can digest it more easily. It also helps to neutralise the acidic chyme (food + stomach acid mixture) that leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine.
The reasons for a cholescystectomy include;
gallstones
gallbladder disease/infection / cholecystitis
non-functional gallbladder/gallbladder sludge
polyps
So what is the surgery like?
Well, these days, most cases are done laparoscopically. This means that it is done using several small incisions in the abdomen (for example in the navel, right side of the abdomen and possibly an incision in the centre of the upper-abdomen. Most patients have three or four incisions, but there are cases of people having less or more. The surgery is carried out under general anaesthetic. This means that you’ll be asleep and unaware of anything going on. Most patients are intubated (with a breathing tube) for this procedure, but are not usually catheterised. The surgery usually lasts between one and two hours. Depending on your hospital, some people may go home the same day and in others, they may be asked to stay in hospital overnight.
If you have an open surgery, the surgeon will make a large incision in the upper-right abdomen and take the gallbladder out from here. This is avoided where possible since it increases the length of time needed for recovery and hospitalisation.
During a laparascopic surgery, the surgeon will inflate the abdomen with gas. This helps provide more space in side to move around and perform the procedure. Then a camera will be inserted into one of the incisions so that the surgeon can see what he is doing. After this, various tools will be inserted into incisions to cut the gallbladder free. Medical titanium surgical clips will be placed to cut off tubes that connected the liver to the gallbladder. These metal clips will remain inside your body for the rest of your life.
Of course like any surgery, it does carry risks and there are complications that can arise. However, for this surgery, complications are rare and most patients deal with it very well.
What is the recovery period like?
Well, for me, it wasn’t too difficult. But everyone heals at different speeds and has a different experience without their gallbladder. Some people are back at work within a few days, and others may take a couple of months to get back to normal.
My advice is not to rush yourself. Recovery is an important process for our body and to recover well you need to rest and relax while trying to stay healthy. Your surgeon will give you some guidelines for aftercare and recovery, so it’s important to stick to those as much as your possibly can.
General guidelines include:
No lifting/carrying for 6 weeks – During the surgery the abdominal muscles are often cut. Heavy lifting, carrying or even straining on the toilet can cause these muscles to separate and increase your risk of a hernia.
No baths – whether your surgeon has used stitches or medical glue, it isn’t advisable to take a bath too early on. The water can soften the healing tissue or the glue and can increase the risk of infection. Taking a shower might be okay, but you should ask your surgeon if they recommend covering the incisions with waterproof dressings beforehand.
Check the incision sites regularly for redness, feeling warm to the touch and weeping. Clear fluid weeping from incisions may be normal, but if the fluid is yellow and opaque and/or you have any of the above symptoms, it may be worth mentioning to your surgeon.
Stick to a post-op gallbladder diet if given one.
Take regular, gentle exercise but DON’T overdo it!
To read about my gallbladder story click here! Want to share your story? Get in touch with me so that we can tell your story, too!
My gallbladder story is quite short really and
uncomplicated in comparison to others. I’d never really experienced any
problems with my gallbladder. Although, looking back, there was a time I had a
sharp and horrendous pain in my upper-right abdomen in 2012 one day while at
work. The pain was severe and my boss called an ambulance which came right away
and injected me with a load of pain killers and muscle relaxants. I went home
and slept it off and the pain was gone within a few hours so I never even went
to a doctor about it. Maybe, that was an attack, maybe not.
Fast-forward to the beginning of February 2019. I was still being investigated after a complicated case of diverticulitis that resulted in the perforation of my bowel and a battle with sepsis. My constant lower-abdominal discomfort caused my gastroenterologist to send me for a full abdominal ultrasound. He wanted to rule out abscesses, cysts and adhesions so requested a scan of the whole abdomen.
Ultrasounds are no big deal. Totally painless and easy to do.
At the ultrasound, the doctor started snapping
pictures of my organs and measuring dimensions, then, the moment he got a clear
image of my gallbladder, he asked ‘Are you on the waiting list to get this
removed?’, ‘No’ I replied, ‘Why do you ask?’ and he told me that there were a
few small stones in there, but more importantly a polyp. I told him I had no
idea and hadn’t had any symptoms of things not working well. Anyway, at the end
of the ultrasound, he gave me all the printed photographs and a written report
detailing what he had found and told me to go back to my gastroenterologist as
soon as possible.
The gastroenterologist told me that it would need to be removed and set up a meeting with a surgeon for a few days later. He looked at my results, agreed that it needed to be removed because of the potential for the polyp because of its size to be a risk. He penciled me in for two weeks later to get it removed. In the mean time, he told me to eat a low fat diet and gave me a list of foods to avoid. (I’ll post about this soon, I promise)
Before I knew it, it was removal day. At 7:30am
I hopped onto the trolley and was taken down to surgery. I watched the staff
running around doing last-minute checks and preparation. It was fun chatting to
the hospital porter who spoke pretty good English and was so smiley. I wasn’t
particularly nervous or scared, I deal with hospital and needles etc pretty
well and I’m not someone to get themselves into a state about a surgery. I’m
sure I was mid-sentence joking with the surgeon and porter as I drifted off
into a deep sleep and the surgery
began.
In what seems like no time at all, I wake up in
a different room with an IV in the opposite arm and a drain coming out of a
hole in my upper-right abdomen. I look to my right and the porter is stood
there smiling. I smile back and say ‘I need to sit up’, He immediately props
the trolley up and hands me a little sick bowl….no, I say, I feel like I can’t
breathe. So, he calls over a nurse who measures my oxygen levels and rushes off
and comes back with a mask. I’m hooked up to oxygen and starting to catch my
breath. Five or ten minutes later, the porter takes me back to the ward where
my boyfriend was waiting to see me. He seemed worried, I asked him what the
problem was and it was only then, that he told me that the surgery was expected
to last maybe an hour and a half, but that I had been there for over four hours
due to it being a tricky surgery. I hadn’t even noticed what the time was.
I expected to be in major pain the rest of the day, but other than a horrible discomfort in my back and shoulders, I had no pain at all. I refused dinner when the nurse brought it. I wasn’t hungry at all and the noodle soup did NOT look appetizing at all. I was alone now because my boyfriend had left for work. I forgot I had the drain and as I got up out of bed and went to the bathroom, I must have moved the drain a little and it was a bit sore. After the effort of that, I went back to bed and was in a little pain. The nurse came to check on me and when I told her it was sore, she injected something into my IV and the pain subsided and I drifted off again.
I woke up the next morning feeling quite chipper. I still had some discomfort in my back and chest from the gas, but was keen to get up and about. I got up had a wash, brushed my teeth and did my hair. Then I got changed. When the nurse offered pain relief via the IV, I declined since I didn’t have any pain except for the gas pains. I got up and walked around the ward and the catering team brought me a chamomile tea which I sipped at.
My surgeon came in to speak to me and told me not to lift heavy things or to strain when going to the bathroom due to the risk of getting a hernia. I was a little worried since I had pushed a bit going to the toilet in the morning, but it was okay, the stitches had held. He removed the drain and replaced my dressings. Before telling me to take almost 3 weeks off work and discharging me from the hospital. He told me to clean my wounds and replace the dressings each day. He also advised me to take a paracetamol if I was uncomfortable, but to contact him if I had severe pain, or jaundice.
I didn’t even need the paracetamol. Recovery wasn’t too difficult, but I stuck to the post-op gallbladder diet that he gave me. (I promise I’ll write about this, too) The one thing I had a problem with, was laying down. The stitches were tight and I couldn’t lay down or get up, so for the first week, I slept sitting up on the couch. It wasn’t a problem.
Sleeping on the couch wasn’t so bad!
I used glycerine suppositories everyday to keep me going to the bathroom without effort. As the days passed, I found doing things even easier and as time passed I found myself able to tolerate more foods. The surgeon checked up on me regularly via telephone and asked me to send him pictures of the healing incisions on Viber. They were all doing great accept for my belly button which was weeping and a little sore and hot to the touch. Although, the surgical incision in my belly button did become a little infected and I had to pack it and take antibiotics, but within a week, it was much better and I could go to have the stitches removed. I had to be careful to stay near a toilet after trying a new food though because a few times in those first couple of months, I experienced dumping syndrome and had to make a bee line for the bathroom.
Post-op, life isn’t much different for me. I sometimes still get dumping syndrome, particularly if I eat something too fatty. Otherwise, I don’t have any real symptoms…just like before my op. However, it’s nice to know that the polyp was removed and won’t be causing any trouble in the future.
So, if you’re having your gallbladder removed. Don’t worry. It isn’t as bad as you might think. If you are suffering with a lot of anxiety, tell your doctor. There are things they can do to help you relax and to reassure you about the surgery. Of course, everyone’s gallbladder story is a little different. But, this is mine and from my experience, I feel it wasn’t a bad or scary experience. But, it is so important to take time out to recover.
My advice is to not push yourself or overdo it during your recovery – you may regret it. Also, don’t expect to feel back to normal immediately. The human body is amazing, but it certainly needs to be given the time to heal after surgery.
Maybe it’s just me, but after being in hospital a few times with diverticulitis and then from a gallbladder removal surgery, I like to make sure I always have a bag ready for the hospital. Usually, this bag lives under the bed, but sometimes it accompanies us in the back of the car on long journeys and trips. But, it makes me feel better knowing that everything I need is ready to grab and go should I end up in hospital. Below, I’ve included my list of things that I keep packed in my hospital bag.
My List
pyjamas/nightie
comfortable and easy to put on footwear (e.g. slippers/sliders/crocs/flip flops)
underwear
wet wipes
toothbrush/toothpaste
hairbrush and headbands/hair ties
lip balm
flannel/face wash cloth
travel soap/liquid soap/body wash
towel (not white)
pillow (not in a white pillow case)
chargers for any smartphones, tablets, e-readers
feminine hygiene/sanitary products
comfortable bra/bandeau bra
If course, if it is a planned visit, you can pack especially for your stay remembering to include any books/tablets/chargers/etc. medications.
If you don’t want to have a bag packed constantly, I’d recommend keeping a list of everything you’d like to have with you in the hospital so that if the worst happens, either you, a family member or a friend can see exactly what to pack for you – and do it relatively stress-free. You can keep the list stuck to the fridge or family notice board or even inside the bag or suitcase you would use to pack for the hospital so that it’s in there for when you need it.
What do you think of my hospital bag list? Is there anything else you always take with you? Let me know in the comments.
Sometimes when we have problems with our stomach or digestive system, we may be asked by our doctors to stick to a clear liquid diet for a couple of days.
So, what can we have while on a clear liquid diet? Well, that depends a little bit on why you’re following it. For example, if you are preparing for surgery or a colonoscopy, you may have extra restrictions in place.
Generally, though, clear liquid diets involve anything that is a clear liquid at room temperature. Examples of acceptable foods and drinks on a clear liquid diet are:
Water
chicken, beef or vegetable broth (strained to remove any pieces)
Black coffee/tea (no milks or creamers)
Herbal/green teas
clear soda drinks (e.g. Sprite/7up)
Jelly/Jello (US)
Clear fruit juices without pulp (e.g. clear apple juice)
Clear ice lollies/popsicles
drinks made from powdered sachets (e.g. Kool Aid, Bolero, etc.)
It’s a good idea to avoid any clear foods or drinks that have red or purple dyes. These can stain the inside of the bowel, making it look inflamed or can cause alarm if vomiting.
Are there any side effects of a clear liquid diet?
Well, this
diet is not intended to be followed long term since it cannot provide all of
the nutrients you need. You may notice while on a clear liquid diet that you
feel hungry, maybe a little nausea at times and you may feel weak or tired.
This is quite normal.
DISCLAIMER: If you are diabetic, please seek advice from your doctor before undertaking a clear liquid diet.
Have you been on a clear liquid diet before? How did it go? Let me know in the comments.
Tummy Trouble 