Gall bladder surgery - 22 days and counting

It has been three weeks since I had my gall bladder removed.  And how am I doing?  My answer is, "Why didn't I do this sooner?"  :-)  Seriously, though, it hasn't been all that bad.  The worst part was the first week.  I wasn't in pain, but I wasn't comfortable.  The second week I felt quite a bit better and this week I'm even better.

So any side effects?  Some.  The bowels can get a little loose at times.  But it hasn't been too bad.  I'm still taking it somewhat easy on the food that I eat.  I've been trying to eat lots of greens (salads and the like) and I've been venturing into some other foods.  So we'll see what happens.

This week I also started to exercise.  I got on the treadmill and went slow.  It was good.  It is amazing how much better you feel once you exercise.  And this is no different.  So life is getting back to "normal".

Surgery tomorrow

I've been suffering with a poorly functioning gall bladder for quite some time.  I got a diagnosis that it has to come out (it has a 9% ejection fraction, meaning it is barely working) back in January.  With work and everything, I'm finally able to get it taken out.  I have a few sniffles (I think the onset of a cold may be trying to derail my surgery), but the surgeon and hospital told me to still come.  They'll make the call tomorrow if I'm fit or not.

For those that want to know, I have to be at the hospital tomorrow morning at 6:30 AM.  I'm the first person getting worked on, I think.  I asked for the first time slot and it looks like I've got it.  Which is fine.  It means I have to get up early, but it also means that I will hopefully get to come home some time in the afternoon.

If by some strange and weird chance I don't make it back (gall bladder surgery is very routine and low risk), its been good knowing you.  Take care of the wife and kidlins.

I'll post something once I'm home and all is well.

Who needs a gall bladder anyway?

Remember my previous post about my annual visit to the ER/hospital?  Well, I finally figured out the underlying problem.  My gall bladder.  I had a HIDA scan done and my gall bladder only has a 9% ejection fraction, meaning, it ain't working very good and needs to come out.  Normal gall bladders have a 35 to 80% ejection fraction.  Anything above or below that range is considered abnormal with the gall bladder needing to be removed.

I've talked to several people who have had their gall bladders out and it seems like a fairly routine operation.  I've talked to at least 20 people who have had their gall bladders out.  The more I talk about it, the more I realize how common it is.  Then I hear about John Murtha passing away after his gall bladder surgery.  I'm like, "Oh great.  I'm going to be the 1 in 1,000.  I got West Nile Virus, I'll probably die from this stupid surgery."  Such an optimist, I know.  I also found out on Monday that I had a case of strep throat and I'm currently on meds to wipe that out before my surgery.  I need to call the doctor and see what they have to say about it.  I just want to make sure the strep is gone before I get operated on.

Back to the gall bladder thing.  Ever since I found out that my gall bladder is bad, I've avoided fatty foods.  I've been avoiding fatty foods for years, but every now and again I'll indulge in a greasy peperoni pizza, or a large bowl of ice cream, only to be in agony several hours later.  But now that I KNOW it is bad, I've been staying away from that stuff like the plague.  And I've discovered that I feel a whole lot better.  No more massive bloating, cramps and other common nastiness.  I miss the occasional bowl of ice cream.  I miss a piece of sausage or bacon.  But I know that I'll be paying for it if I eat it.  So I refuse to partake.

So if you have gall bladder experiences, please share.