Recovery, 1 Week In

This is going to be a fairly frank and open blog about how I'm doing after gallbladder removal, so it is going to include some gross bodily functions.  Understand if you don't want to read beyond this paragraph.  Forewarned is fair warned.

Everything seems to be going well.  No pain in the abdomen, beyond the occasional bruised feeling at the incision sites.  Mostly they itch.  I'm ready for the steri-strips to fall off, especially so I can clean them better.

I'm learning how to deal with food.  Still trying to find out exactly what I can and cannot eat.  Definitely seem to have had the bile salt experience.   I had one day of a messed up stomach all day mid-week last week.  Since then, if my stomach is going to be upset, it will be after the first meal in the morning.  From what I've read, this can be common, as the bile builds up in the stomach over night and is a bit overactive with the first meal.

It's mainly left me tired.  I feel like I'm still in a caloric deficit.  Plus I'm gassy.  I'm belching a lot more as everything is still trying to settle.

The hardest part, though, has been the 10 pound limit on picking anything up.  In particular, not being able to pick up the kids.  Avalyn kind of understands, but Jude definitely does not.  It's been working okay, but I'm ready for that limitation to pass.

My followup is next Monday.  Hopefully then I'll get the full good ahead.

Until then, thank you for all the thoughts and prayers.  They mean more than you can imagine.

Recovering

Short Post - An Update of Sorts

I'm home.  I'm resting.  And I'm sore.

I think most of what I'm experiencing now is gas pain, so while I would like to sleep, I need to move every once and a while to help relieve it.  Right behind the belly button is the worst.  Of course that would be the biggest incision.

Everything went well according to the doctors, so things should start improving tomorrow.  Will look forward to trying a little food then.

For now, juice and water.  And hopefully sleep.

Will keep y'all updated.

Thanks for everyone who sent prayers and thoughts this way.  You don't know what that means to me.

Gallstones

So, about a month ago, my right side started to hurt.  Just occasionally, it would be bothersome, but it would go away.  A wince, then relief.  Then the weekend of March 16 and 17, it started to hurt for longer periods of time.  By Monday, March 18, it hurt continuously.  Particularly after I ate.

Monday led to a stop at the clinic, followed by a visit to my GP, then to a general surgeon.  The prognosis was clear - gallstones.  Thankfully not an inflamed gallbladder, just gallstones.

And of the diagnosis that I was fearing, I'm thankful it was gallstones.  The other option was kidney stones and I really didn't want those.

So, come Monday, April 15, I'll be having my gallbladder out.  Laparoscopic, so it should be outpatient and I should be home by the mid-afternoon.

This should not have been a surprise to me.  Mom and Taylor had theirs out a while ago.  Dad just had his out April 3.  Come Monday evening, Brooke will be the only one of us that hasn't had an issue.

I'll be resting at home Monday evening and working from home at least Tuesday and potentially more depending on how the recovery goes.  Will be posting a followup blog on Monday to let everyone know how it went.  And will also probably be posting a bit on the changes to diet, etc. with the gallbladder removed.

It's been an interesting process so far.  Haven't had anything but water and juice to drink for nearly a month now.  Will be keeping that up following with a few more changes.

We'll see how the next month goes.