I'm actually pretty good with tgiving day. My cousin is hosting, so I'm doing some bring alongs. I can eat turkey breast and will bring cranberry sauce which is 0 fat. I'm making rutabaga without butter .... people can add their own if they wish. She's making plain acorn squash so everyone can add their own topping. And I found a recipe for fat free biscuits (using nonfat yogurt instead of wet ingredients) that I'll bring. So that should be plenty satisfying. For the rest, I'll just enjoy it vicariously.

Wishing you an easy procedure and a speedy recovery, Annie!

Good luck with surgery, Annie. Wasn't it just about a year ago that you broke your ankle or foot? I seem to remember that you weren't able to Christmas shop.

Thank you auntjen!

Thanks mayflowers, you have an excellent memory. I broke my ankle just before Tgiving and all I wanted for xmas last year was an ankle I could use! Hopefully this recovery will be a lot faster. One gal had it done on Wed and went to a picnic on Saturday, so I shouldn't be laid up for long.

Truly, the surgery is easy and the recovery is pretty smooth. Not sure if it is true or not but there's an "old wives tale" that says apples can set of a gall bladder attack. I never had issues with fats.. as I ate a normal to slightly low fat diet. I never avoided butter in small amounts but I did have issue with high fat dairy and while I didn't eat it often, fried foods were the worst (fish and chips was my one indulgence that made me seek medical attention!) I think the real key is to eat in smaller quantities... you already have the low fat covered. You'll do fine.

Best wishes for the holiday and the surgery!

Thanks, funkyart!

Everybody is different. Things go smoothly for some and not so much for others. Although dh's surgery was done laparoscopically he had to be hospitalized afterward for a couple days. He's had a few issues with recovery. I think the biggest one was not bouncing back as quickly as he had anticipated. I also agree that eating in smaller quantities is probably a good idea.

Best wishes!

A friend of mine, who was running for office, had her gallbladder removed in the middle of the campaign and was up and campaigning in a day. On the other hand, I had an infection and was hospitalized for 8 days. YMMV. Hope yours is like my friend's and not mine.

Thanks CindyMac and suero.

The surgeon's nurse told me that I was ahead of the game....she said they get a big spike in the need for gall bladder surgery post-thanksgiving...she said the large high fat meal triggers attacks in a lot of people.

God speed, Annie! Other than hurting when I got out of bed, the only thing that kept me down a few days was the lingering anesthesia in my system. I may have taken one or two pain pills, but not many because I don't remember hurting much.

I read about bile salts. A big side effect of taking them is diarrhea. :) Which happens to some people anyway who have the surgery. You might do a wait and see before you take any. Probiotics was also recommended if one doesn't want to take bile salts.

When I mentioned the Immodium AD, it's for when you get back on a regular diet. It would hit me within 30 minutes after a meal, usually at lunch, no matter what I ate. When I told the doctor he said to take the Immodium before a meal, and it stopped. I only took it if I was going out to eat.

Thanks, Oakley.

I also read something about bitters helping to stimulate the liver....using it to train the liver to put out more bile at meal times or some such thing. Clearly it's a wait and see what works for me. I don't remember either my parents having any difficulties with anything post surgery, so hopefully, I'll take after them.

One side effect of this no fat diet is I am losing weight like crazy. And I feel very energetic. Perhaps I was OD'ing on fats to my detriment and I'll come out of this experience even healthier!

Annie, how did it go today?

I had my gallbladder removed about 26 years ago. It runs in my family with the women on my mom's side. What "ignited" mine was my friend's Green Chile Stew (ground beef, hot green chile, garlic, potatoes). I was so incredibly sick and in pain! Luckily for me, I didn't develop the post-surgical bowel problems that plague so many, including Mom and a couple of my sisters. Some have this for the rest of their lives. DD is only 21 y/o, but she's already starting to watch her diet in hopes to avoid this. Still, I'm kind of expecting her to end up with a cholecystectomy someday, too.

Well, let's say that yesterday was not a day I'd want to repeat anytime soon, but all things considered, to have major surgery and be home a few hours later is like a miracle. I was in a lot of pain when I woke up from surgery and the percoset is really helping. I was sleepless most of the night which didn't help and the shoulder pain is troubling me this a.m. But I'm up and moving and on my way to healing.

Through all of this, DH has been such a peach. Sorry gals, you can't have him...he's mine! :)

Thanks so much for asking and for all your kind thoughts.

I'm so sorry, Annie! The first days post-surgery are not fun, to say the least. I'm sure that they explained to you that some of the gas they used to inflate your abdomen during your surgery (which is normal ), has moved up and is now right under your diaphragm . This, too, is normal and will be absorbed by your body soon, but until it dissapates it can cause shoulder and upper back pain. I'm hoping that you can find some relief and rest today.

Glad you are over the surgery and on the mend. Sorry you had the pain, but guess that goes with it. Everyone I know who had GB pain and trouble is very glad to have that thing gone, so I hope you will feel the same in a few days.

Annie, glad it's over. Each day will get better and better. Against my DH's wishes (MRSA fear) I stayed one night, and was on a morphine drip, so I didn't experience any pain the day after.

Lynn, after my hysterectomy I thought I'd die from gas pain, but I thought it was because I didn't have a BM. The pain was worse than the incision site. The pain finally went away when I took some Milk of Magnesia and finally relieved myself three days later. Now I wonder if it was a combo of both types of gasses? All I know is I was near tears with the gas pain.

Really glad it's over for you, Annie, and I hope you are able to rest well. DO rest and take care of yourself, and take those drugs as needed! We're all wishing you well.

Oh Annie - I completely forgot about the gas pain. When I had my surgery, someone was kind enough to tell me about that and told me to ask for a rocking chair, which I did. The movement will help you get rid of the gas, but it's important to do it as soon as possible. If you are still having the pain today, they say heat (heating pad, etc.) will help, so try that. Hope you slept better last night.

Good to hear you're home! Yes, the pain from the gas will last a few days until it's all out of your system.

Annie, so glad you are home and on the road to recovery. Having a gem for a partner helps :-).

Glad it's over and you're back home. I found that I couldn't tolerate any tight clothes around my waist (no skinny jeans for me!). Take it easy and heal quickly.

Thank you all so much for your well wishes. I really appreciate it.

I had a lot of pain again this afternoon, almost like an attack. I'm a little concerned as the doc told DH that he thought he got it all, but that there might still be a stone stuck in the duct. If so, they go down the throat and wend their way to the bile duct and remove the stone from there...sounds like so much fun! Let's hope I don't have to go there!

I hope you don't have to go there too, Annie - although if there's something there, you definitely want it out! I had my procedure done in reverse - the offending stone stuck in the duct was removed first, then my gallbladder was taken out a day or so later. I'm surprised they didn't check you to see if there was anything stuck while you were there!

ERCP or something like that. Done endoscopically. Couldn't they tell from ultra sound if there was a stone? I hope that's not it, but at least it should be a pretty easy procedure. When do you see the doc again?

The ultrasound showed that there were "innumerable small stones and sludge" so that it might not be completely apparent during the procedure. And they have to be very careful not to cut the duct.

What a difference a day makes! They told me I'd be feeling a lot better in 2 days and I am. I'm gradually adding a little fat to my diet just to see how it goes. Took a shower today. Definitely on the road to recovery.

I'm running into issues of being lightheaded and dizzy since my surgery. I originally attributed it to the percocet I was on, but I've been off drugs completely for a couple of days now and still have the issue...to the point where I have to lay down or I feel as if I will fall down. Seems to ease up at night.

Anyone else have this issue post-operatively?

TIA!

I wonder if it could just be the after-effects of anesthesia? Sometimes it just takes awhile for all traces of that stuff to exit your body. I'm so glad you're recovering well, and hope the dizziness goes away soon.

Annie, I don't think it's uncommon to have after-effects of both anesthesia and/or Percocet for more than a couple of days and up to a week. Have you checked your blood pressure? Is it low (or high)? Also, how is your nutrition going? You might try several smaller meals per day and ensure you are getting enough nutrients such as iron and keep your energy level and bp regulated too.

Thanks AJ and OP. My bp has been perfect. I have been very slowly adding fats back to the diet and so far so good. I've also been drinking a lot of water to help flush whatever out of my system. I'm almost wondering if there isn't a nerve in the area that affects the brain...the vagus nerve? that may be affected by local swelling and such.

Of course the first thing I did was check the internet only to find lots of people who have this complaint and it lasts sometimes years after initial surgery. I hope not as, before the surgery when I was doing no fat, I felt better than I had in a long long time. Go figure.

Good to know your bp is ok and that you've been drinking a lot of water. I know you watch your diet carefully, so here's hoping it is just the after-effects of the drugs.

I hope you get over this soon! This can't be fun for someone normally as active as you seem to be.

Thanks, OP.

I'm thinking about how I'm feeling and beginning to wonder if somehow this has messed with the insulin output of my pancreas and if what I'm experiencing is a blood sugar thing...it kind of feels like headache-y, dizzy, blurry vision, etc that can come with a blood sugar crash, only it's more persistent. I'll have to experiment and see if it changes if I eat sweets or not....

Definitely see if it makes a difference. I had mine out in 2000. Third day or so post op was the worst. I was told to eat foods "as tolerated". Needless to say breakfast foods about 4 or 5 days after surgery wasn't tolerated too well.

Thanks charleemo.

My blood sugar test kit I bought is years out of date, but neighbors across the street are diabetic...I suppose I can ask them to give me a quick blood sugar test just to see where I'm at....

If your glucose level is high you'll also feel sleepy and nothing will keep you awake if you're home and have a bed calling for you. lol.

I remember when I had my GB taken out it took days for the anesthesia to get out of my system. No other surgery was like that.

Definitely have your neighbor check your blood sugar. Do it two hours after a meal, or do it in the morning before you eat.

I had my GB removed July 2014. The normally 30-minute surgery took 4+ hours. I was one of the unfortunate people (10%) who have "dumping syndrome" as a result of the surgery. It took me months to work out what to eat/drink and when to eat/drink, and a whole list of foods I could no longer eat. My physician was worthless (it's all about giving you pills to them....), so I hit the internet and figured out the problem cause and cure myself.

One thing I have to avoid are sugary liquids (including 100% fruit juices) because it will cause the premature stomach "dump". Thick creamy liquids, like smoothies and malts, can cause a "dump". If I drink liquids, I have to wait at least 30-minutes before I can eat, and vise-versa. Low-carbohydrate and high-protein meals work best - especially breakfast. Small meals/snacks throughout the day also help. Gone are the days of enjoying a cup of tea or coffee after a meal because the liquid and caffeine are a problem and will bring on a dumping syndrome episode. I can sip a small amount of water with a meal, just keep it to a minimum, and sip only - no gulping liquids EVER again..... Gulping liquids will cause a "dump".

There are two types of "dumping" - the early stage (not so bad, but still painful for up to an hour), and the late stage (REALLY bad.....includes pain and vomiting where I have passed out, and you will lose a whole day being sick). The stomach dumping will cause low-blood sugar which causes the loss of consciousness while barfing.

More information about dumping syndrome:

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/dumping-syndrome-causes-foods-treatments

Oh, grainlady, I am so sorry you are suffering with that. That's horrible, but I'm glad you've managed to work out what works best for you. Frankly that would scare the daylights out of me. I've never even heard of it before. I'm sure all your knowledge of nutrition and food has been a big help to you.

I don't know when you had your surgery, exactly, (how many days ago) but don't forget that it IS major surgery. I couldn't have my GB removed laparoscopically, and it was a long recovery (6 weeks - mostly wound healing, tho) but still, it's a big adjustment for your body. It's been cut and sewn and is healing which takes a lot longer as we age. So listen to it and take it easy, lie down when you get the message. Give it a couple of weeks.

It's been cut and sewn and is healing which takes a lot longer as we
age. So listen to it and take it easy, lie down when you get the
message. Give it a couple of weeks.

Excellent advice! It was almost 3 weeks post-op before dh (62) was back to feeling normal.

The after effects of anesthesia, having your guts filled with air and poked around in, and the changes in diet and activity all combine to make you feel strange for quite a while. Give yourself a month and see how you feel.

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate the support. Had my neighbor stop by and check my blood sugar and it was normal, so it's not a blood sugar thing. Patience, esp this time of year, is certainly not my strong suit, as you can tell. But it's definitely good advice.

As I'm sitting here this a.m., I'm noticing how poorly my head feels. This is definitely something that I shouldn't be having, esp as it's not improving like the rest of my body is. I'm going to have to keep exploring and experimenting and hopefully find a solution. Esp given how excellent...truly excellent... like better than I had in years and years...I was feeling right up until surgery. I want to go back there and don't want to compromise or be dismissed. It was only last week that I was feeling so super, so it's not an aging thing or an unattainable thing. It was real, and I'm going to do my best to get it back.

This is best. Focus on healing and it will come. Stay focused on healthy foods and do anything you can to feel relaxed. Any kind of activity that gives you joy. Keep drinking pure water and walk and gently stretch if you can. Don't get discouraged. If it takes a little longer, OK. You'll get there. Stay positive.

Thanks kittymoonbeam, I seem to gradually be getting better, and I've been walking which seems to help too.

Glad to hear that you're feeling more chipper, Annie! It's great that you feel well enough to be walking too. Hope you are well on the road to recovery and feeling better than ever in no time.

My husband had his out in his early 50s, before we met, and he said it took him about six weeks to feel like his old self. He was in good health otherwise.

Sounds like you're over the hump now, so that's good news. Do you go in for a post-op check-up?

Thanks, auntjen.

mayflowers, saw the doc today and they took my stitches out, so as far as they're concerned, I'm done. If anything else is going on, I'll have to check with regular doc. Just can't lift anything heavy for a few weeks as they don't want any issues with the opening they made by the navel.

I think I'm definitely on the road to recovery, though.