So....I've had my gallbladder op.......

[LackaDAISYcal]

On Thursday. it went well, no complications, but I'm a wee bit sore, especially around the tummy button and swollen up like I'm six months pregnannt again. I understand this will go down in a few days.

I also have really bad diahorrea and not sure if this is a common side effect or not. My consultant didn't mention it, but someone said that a friend of theirs had diahorrea for a while afterwards. Possibly I overdid it having chinese the day after as I've been on a pretty restricted diet for a few weeks...maybe just too much too soon?

I'm also really struggling to feed my DS as I just can't get him in any sort of position that doesn't put prressure on my tummy and I can't lie on my side yet as it's too sore. Any tips and hints gratefully appreciated.

I had the same op about 6 months ago, and I now get diahorrea after eating the same sorts of things that would ahve set my gall bladder pain off, IYSWIM!

Pain will subside in a couple more days. Take it easy!
No advice re the breast feeding, sorry. My DCs were older.

poor you sweetie, been there. I have to say that most people are told they can go back to eating normally but loads cant stick to low fat where possible as you may get diahorra with too much fat and also tummy pains.

With BFing I used to lay DD2 on a pillow and sit up and feed her, it hurt when she kicked me. Give it a week should settle. HTH

thanks abbierhodes, i've just been googling and it says quite common.

lisad, thanks for taking the time to reply to me given what you are facing at the minute. We have been trying to feed with him sitting next to me, but he has a viral thing at the minute and he is just getting annoyed about it as he is sore too.

maybe the chinese takeaway wasn't suchh a good idea!!

I had 'the op' a couple of years ago now.

You do need to watch your diet a bit more, the diarrhea is common and I've found a lowish fat diet with the occassional treat (such as a chinese) is best.

Does sound to me like the chinese probably set you off, you need to give your gut a break for a couple of weeks while it heals and adjusts to the surgery.

All stuff the surgeons don't tell you [cross]

thanks pheebe

as an intelligent woman, you'd think I'd have realised that though .

although to be fair, the consultant said "no need for any restrictions to your diet"

ah well, low fat will only do me good in the short term as i need to lose a bit more weight

Have to say I never had any problems with eathing anything post op.

Have you tried a rugby ball hold for bfing, where the majority of your DS's body is behind you? (third one down)

Pheebe - I agree. My op was last March. Not settled down though and sadly and back in for various tests starting Monday and throughout March - May.

I wish LackaDAISYcal all the very best. Give yourself lost of recovery time. They do not tell you how much it takes out of you.

I went back to eating all the things I'd missed for previous weeks once my once out.

Pain will subside but be gentle cos it's more about healing internally even if your scars start to look better.

Can I just ask: is it OK to eat all kinds of anything you fancy post op?

I had mine removed a year ago and have since returned to eating absolutely anything I want. Recently I've been getting a lot of indigestion and am starting to think maybe I should be watching what I eat?

My dr told me there were no risks of returning to a normal diet. But my idea of normal is ANYTHING I fancy.

hI Daisy, I hope you start to feel less sore soon. x

once mine was out*

thanks abetadad...you were very helpful when i posted about my symptoms a few weeks ago . My consultant said that sometimes the gallbladder and stones can mask other conditions like coeliac, ibs, crohns or colitis. fingers crossed it's nothing serious and you get to the bottom (no pun intended!) of your symptoms soon.

we have been trying a modified rugby ball with him sitting upright, but he is getting quite long and likes to push against whatever is near his feet, be it the back of the sofa or the headboard...or me (ouch)

I never thought about over the shoulder butterfly, we'll give it a whirl, although he has some unspecified lurgy andd is very grumpy, so may not be amenable to anything too different.

Zebraa - same here. Lots of indigestion and quite intense pain similar to what I before the op.

If I stick to a very simple diet, no booze, no fat, do not eat hardly anything in the evening I am usually OK ish.

LackaDAISYcal - yes I remember your post.

Interesting your consultant said it might mask other conditions. I think that is also what my consultant thinks but I am having an ultrasound next Monday to check there is not a residual stone stuck in the tube and also I want to know if the scar where the tubes were joined back together has not actually closed the over so much that the bile is having difficulty being released into the gut for the pancreas. I feel very very tired and in pain. Hopefully you will be all just fine.

I am also having endoscopy (both via the mouth and up the backside) at the end of March. That will be fun.

I had the endoscope double whammy a few years ago when i was diagnosed with coeliac disease.....thankfully i was heavily sedated so don't remember anything about it! Sounds like they are covering all options for you. are they doing a gut biopsy to check for coeliac disease?

I had some dye injected at the same time of the op to make sure there was nothing in the bile duct itself or that it was blocked in any way....all clear there so fingers crossed things will settle down for me soon.

LackaDAISYcal - I am going to write notes from your posts before I go the hospital because I don't want to miss any of the tests. I have not heard about the dye injection or coeliac biopsy. I just think they may as well get it all done in one go rather than spaced out over the next year.

Thanks very much. I wil post back to let you know how it all goes sometime in April.

good luck

I have nothing to add to what has already been said, otehr than I have recently been told about the Rosemary Conley hip & thigh diet, apparently she had gallstones and originally devised her diet to avoid the op!

Also, I had the op 2.5 years ago when dd was about 5 months old and used a v shaped pillow to support her, and cover my sore tummy. hth and good luck with your recovery x

oh and marshmallows are fat free

All the best abetadad, hope they get to the bottom of it for you. If they ask, definitely take the sedation with the endoscopies, far less unpleasant that way.

My sisters having the same op in a few weeks, my mum had it when she was our age (mid thirties) and apparently her grandmother also suffered with it (although no op in her days ) so in our case seems to be big genetic component.

Pheebe - yes I am definitley having the full sedation not the silly throat spray thing.

It is genetic I think. My Mum has gall stones but is too frightened to have the op.

reading gallbladder symptoms I think my mum suffered as well but was never diagnosed. she put it down to residual problems from her ulcer, but as that had cleared with antibiotics i an't see why it would have caused her pain. she was always clutching at her right hand side as well!

lol flier....as are wine gums . I have two v shaped pillows which are being put to good use.

i feel a bit better now as i realised i'd forgotten to take any painkillers earlier...silly fool that i am.

Daisy- I was looking for a post from you to see if you'd been done! All the best for a speedy recovery....and successful feeding (both you and the little one!)

I've got my scan on 20th April.....(but might pay and go quicker) although the beetroot and sour green apples have become a lifesaver for the symptoms.

oooh, good luck bucharest

I'm glad the beetroot is working and hope it isn't too awful tasting!

I'm feeling much better today and the rather quick digestive transit seems to be settling down a bit as well.

I can still feel discomfort in the region of where my gallbladder was though ....the same pain that I was getting after a bad attack, but assume that is down to the internal stitching or whatever.