LellyM

OK, before I had the surgery i wondered if anyone ever had a good experience as it seemed everything that "Dr Google" told me was bad. Then i realised many people only post when things go wrong so this is my story to hopefully give people encourgement.

I had been suffering with my gallbladder for 6 or 7 years before the surgeon said "Yes".

As I am a large lady (being delicate here - I look like a wrestler). The surgeon put me on a very restrictive diet for 2 weeks beforehand to shrink my liver. This was hell. I lived on lettuce and courgettes for 2 weeks but the plus side was I lost a stone in weight.

I was fortunate to have private health care so my experience was different to anyone in the UK who has gone NHS.

So I scheduled the surgery and on the day I arrived at about midday, was taken to my room and was (of course) nil by mouth.

The surgeon and anethsatist came to see me then I got to wear the lovely gown (which being, as I said, large, meant my backside was hanging in the fresh air.) and net knickers and pressure socks (for DVT).

I then waited a while and was asked to walk down to surgery. Sat there for a few mins then went into anaesthetic where I climbed onto the trolly. They stuck the canula into my hand then started to pump the drugs. For a few mins nothing hapened then suddenly my head span and everything went black.

I woke up seemingly seconds later with an oxygen mask on feeling as though i had been gut puched. They replaced the mask with a nose clip then started to talk to me. I wasn't really all there but the surgeon came in to tell me all had gone ok.

Eventually they wheeled me back to my room where I dozed for the rest of the afternoon (I had been in surgery for about an hour).

Then a nurse came to see me and helped me change out of the robe into my own night clothes. She then clanged the dressings on the various incisions and i went to sleep.

Next day I was sore but not too bad. Co Codamol took care of the worst of it. I was able to get out of bed and go to the loo which was good as i hate bedpans!

I then took a look at my stomach - I looked like something out of psycho as though some nutter had stabbed me repeatedly!

All in all I had 5 dressings. 1 large one on my bellybutton, 1 small one on the puncture where the inflate yr stomach and 3 medium sized ones where they had stuck the instruments. 7 stitches was all.

The day after the op I was wearing normal clothes and eating normaly so I was allowed to go home.

Signed off from work for 2 weeks and that was realistic. I felt fine after a week unless i tried anything strenuous then I just got very tired. Now i am back to normal although i cannot carry anything heavy.

Food wise, I have eaten what I wanted. If it went straight through or caused pain I wouldn't have it again. Nothing reacted though. I did not realise how bad I felt before the op.

I had been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME) and Depression a couple of years ago. Yet since having my GB removed all of the symptoms have gone and I have energy again. I am losing weight steadily as well. around 3/4 of a stone each 2 weeks.

So, if you have GB problems and are offered surgery, go for it. I do not regret 1 thing about it all - even the scars are quite small (most < 1inch, bellybutton 3 inches).

Lxx