It has been one week since I had surgery to remove my gall bladder. I’m off to see the surgeon tomorrow (Thursday) for a follow-up, and I fully expect to be back at work on Monday.
Though I was a little miffed last week when the surgeon told me recovery time is 3 to 4 weeks. I think he made a mistake, and was thinking of the other type of gall bladder surgery that requires a major cut in the abdomen. Anyhow, I told him 3 to 4 weeks was out of the question.
The surgical wounds seem to have healed quite nicely, and there is no pain or cramps and little bloating in my abdomen. But there is a fair bit of pain in my right shoulder blade, of all places, which I can’t explain. I’m wondering if the operating team may have accidentally banged my shoulder with something while I was under anesthesia.
I also had a lot of pain in my arm where the IV was, but that has gone. There was also pain in the flesh of my right shoulder where they injected pain killer. lol. Short-term gain for long-term pain.
Regardless, the pain is slowly receding, and I only take a couple of Advils at bedtime. So, if the pain is still hanging around on Monday, it will be Advils to the rescue at work.
There is a certain amount of depression that comes during the recovery period after surgery, as so many people undoubtedly know. Of course, life goes on for the rest of the world while you are laid up, but I am startled by how some people in my life — i.e. outside of the Internet — who I’ve spoken with didn’t even ask how I was or wish me a speedy recovery, even though they knew about my surgery.
I guess everybody is just so busy and so preoccupied with their lives and careers that they forget some of the most basic manners. I’m probably guilty of that, too. But I won’t overlook that sort of thing in the future.
I know how much of an inconvenience my absence from work has caused my colleagues. We are pretty short-staffed to begin with. So, I need to get back in the proverbial saddle again.
So, unless the doctor has some very compelling reasons to keep me off work any longer, I’m going back on Monday.
How about you? If you’ve had your gall bladder removed, how long were you off work?
— Jillian
Jillian Page 
As soon as the doctor said I could.. Probably a week or I’d find a way to work at home a few hours a day. I’d go stir crazy with nothing to do.
LikeLike
I can relate to the stir-crazy part. Which is why I have been doing so much blogging here since this whole misadventure began — even though I had a sore arm and typing aggravated the soreness.
LikeLike
I’m supposed to have gallbladder surgery, but have been a bit of a chicken of late.. oh well… Yeah I have stones & have been on a ZERO % fat diet for over 2 yrs now…
It’s funny that you mention the right shoulder blade pain, cuz that was where my gallbladder attack pain mainly was.. under the right shoulder blade.. However, that’s impossible for you now, so I’m sure there’s a simple explanation for that..
Let us know what the surgeon says and I hope ALL your pain goes away SOON! And nope.. when they just do the surgery with the little holes, recovery time is quite swift they tell me..
Anyway.. continue to heal, don’t do anything strenuous for a while and listen to what the Dr says… We are all rooting for you! Hope all your tests come out FINE!
hugs Jillian…
LikeLike
Thanks, Rand. Don’t let your gall bladder flare up to the point of infection. if it gets too serious, they can’t do the simple operation. Also, have you had blood tests recently? If not, have your doctor do one for hepatitis — which can be caused by an infected gall bladder,
A friend of ours in Montreal with gall bladder problems was supposed to have surgery in September, but has gone to the emergency ward of a hospital there in hopes they will do the surgery sooner.
Thanks for the well-wishes, sis. I hope you feel better soon, too. Keep us posted . . .
LikeLike
Do it and get it done! Gall bladder problems are notorious for turning into cancer, quickly. Do it NOW! It’s a bit of a bitch maybe, but better than dying, OK? DO IT.
LikeLike
It’s been over a month. So, how’s GB situation? Getting back to normal? Has it become just a memory of a lost part of you that you could do without? Boobies ok? Cupcake Dream’in
LikeLike
Actually, it has been less than a month: my gall bladder and I parted ways on June 10.
But thank you for asking: I am recovering well, though I am still awaiting the results of follow-up blood tests. I will be allowed to start swimming again next week, and I can resume doing sit-ups and other types of stomach exercises in mid-July.
I have had a wee bit of an Australian wine — Lindeman.
Regained a bit of the weight I lost.
Not much else to report, except that I am eating low-fat food.
Cheers
LikeLike