The Impacts of Gallbladder Surgery 3 Years Later
Posted on
This blog is about the time I had to get gallbladder surgery and how it impacts me to this day. In the photo above, this is the foot of my bed. I know you can’t see me resting but I didn’t want to show my face. My cat stayed by my bedside keeping me company while I recovered. Anyway, there are upsides to having gallbladder surgery but then there are downsides. For me, half the time it was bumpy. It was not easy going through the recovery process. I spent a total of 8 weeks in recovery.
I had my gallbladder removal surgery on Monday, November 2, 2020 at UPMC Harrisburg Hospital where I was taken good care of by the nurses and staff. It was an outpatient procedure so I got to go home the same day. That made me happy because I would rather spend my recovery at home than in the hospital because really nobody wants to be in a hospital. I have memories from when I was in the hospital that still feel fresh to me. There are a lot of details but I would prefer not to go deep into them because they are graphic. I think the one thing I couldn’t handle out of this whole ordeal was not being able to do much of anything. I had to be in bed and I did not like that. Although while in recovery, I was fed some of my favorite meals and snacks. My mother made me sugar cookies with Snoopy’s face on them and some hot chocolate which made me happy. I was fed some pasta with my favorite being tortellini but it had to be dry with no sauce though. So, some of the time wasn’t that bad. After a while, I started feeling depressed because the one thing I wanted to do was decorate the outside for Christmas after Thanksgiving but couldn’t because I had limitations on what I was allowed to do. I missed being with my dog and doing my chores. I didn’t want the surgery but I needed it because my gallbladder was inflamed. It was nice having a break from doing things but after a while, you kind of miss it. I was not used to not being able to do things. I’m the kind of person who likes moving around and staying busy. While in recovery, the whole family had to pull through and take over which was not easy.
I know I had the surgery done 3 years ago but it still affects me to this day, health-wise. During recovery and even now, I live with digestive issues. I have to go to a GI doctor because I have gastroparesis and GERD as a result of the surgery. Gastroparesis is a rare stomach problem that only a small portion of the population has. Roughly 13% of people are diagnosed with it as a result of abdominal surgery. I have to be careful with what I eat because certain foods make me sick and the one thing I find challenging is having to worry about a bathroom whenever I go places. I find it to be a complete inconvenience to me and I don’t find it fair to the people I’m with to have to always help find a bathroom for me either. There are times I wish I didn’t have to get surgery because having to pick meals is a challenge, not to mention having to be near a restroom gets to be a pain.
This is the first time I am sharing this story with other people besides family and I am grateful that I get the opportunity to tell it. I have been wanting to share my experience with others for a while. Thank you and have a good day.