Gall bladder issues Options

[Inferia]

Has anyone here or know of anyone who has had problems with their gall bladder? According to the er doctor it's not squeezing properly, I'm suppose to go see a specialist, but that's not till next month. They put me on this low fat diet which really sucks, cuz I probably shouldn't be on a diet and it's a diet I can't "cheat" on since I'll have a fairly immediate repercussion the night of. Anyway, does anyone know how long this diet will last, and if I can ever go back to a "normal" diet (I miss fat ). And if they take my gall bladder out, will I be able to eat like normal again (since the gall bladder helps the stomach process fat, without it, what's processing the fat?)

[Spectatrix]

Yep, had my gallbladder removed 6 years ago. I had gallstones which were getting stuck in the common bile duct and giving me pancreatitis (severe abdominal pain, nausea, etc.) The liver is the organ that produces bile, gallbladder is just a storage vessel. Without a gallbladder, bile will be frequently secreted from the liver into your stomach, rather than being stored in the gallbladder and squeezed out at mealtimes. The only difference it'll make is that you won't fully digest high-fat meals.

The amount of fat your system can handle at one time will depend on the specifics of your own body, but if you're not eating a ton of fried food, you should be fine. I very rarely have problems with a high-fat meal and when I do it just manifests as light-colored stools, not stomach pains or nausea or anything discomforting like that. Everyone's different, but that's been my experience.

The only truly bad effect of having my gallbladder removed is the results when I've been throwing up due to food poisoning or a stomach bug. The liver keeps squirting bile into even an empty stomach and bile is about the FOULEST substance to throw up ever. Nasty bitter icky taste.

My removal was laparoscopic, so it was an outpatient procedure. I was in the hospital for most of a morning, but went home around noon or early afternoon. I mostly stayed in bed for the first couple of days afterward, but then was free to do light activity. I felt pretty much fully recovered from the surgery after a week or so. If you opt for the surgery, I'd recommend waiting for a school break (maybe Thanksgiving or winter break?) if you can, but don't stress it if you can't wait that long.

This post has been edited by Spectatrix: Sep 22 2008, 04:22 PM