# Gallbladderless people of the Dope! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 30, 2010, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850 "2010-10-30T03:27:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/41 "2011-01-25T04:07:50Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Slim Fast killed my mom’s g.b. I wonder how many of these diet drinks or food programs are responsible for destroying gallbladders nationwide. Dude, what? My husband does the Slim Fast shakes and bars for breakfast and lunch during the week. Should I be worried? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/42 "2011-01-25T04:19:09Z")
Anyone have the “weird taste” issue? I forgot about this when I initially answered this post. Certain foods have a strange “soapy” taste. Not horrible, but enough to put me off those foods. Apples of any sort and product, most canned tomato products, black olives and grape juice (SOB! I used to love them), and some other stuff. Anyone else have this? Just out of curiosity how long did everyone suffer from gallbladder disease or issues before they finally had to have their gallbladders out? ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/43 "2011-01-25T04:33:11Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Sorry you aren’t allowed to eat - I wonder why that is? Might be due to the mild nausea I’m experiencing. They also discovered a hernia while they were inside me and fixed it up. So I guess a got a 2 for 1 deal today. 🙂 > [@CanvasShoes](#): > > Just out of curiosity how long did everyone suffer from gallbladder disease or issues before they finally had to have their gallbladders out? I had my first attack back in August, it was very mild and I didn’t think anything of it. My first and only major attack was back in October. That’s when I went to the doctor to have it checked out. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/44 "2011-01-25T04:38:28Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > I had mine out in 2006. Went in on a Tues, home that day, back to work on Monday. You got out much more quickly than I did. I stayed in for 3 days after my surgery, and was out-of-commission for a full 5 days at home. I was in excruciating pain for the first few days afterward. I couldn’t even sit up for about 5 days. > [@Mama Zappa](#): > > Sorry you aren’t allowed to eat - I wonder why that is? They brought a full “meal” to my room pretty much as soon as they booted me upstairs - including hospital “meatloaf”. Scary shit. I had my husband bring me edible food. I also wasn’t allowed to eat. For the first two days it was only liquids. And for two weeks it was soft non-fat foods. I didn’t get my full appetite back for several weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/45 "2011-01-25T04:40:39Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > Just out of curiosity how long did everyone suffer from gallbladder disease or issues before they finally had to have their gallbladders out? Unknown, but I suspect I may have had it for several years at least. When I was diagnosed with autoimmune liver disease earlier this year, an ultrasound and MRI showed many gallstones. It was about 5 months later that I had the attack that necessitated it be taken out. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/46 "2011-01-25T05:20:58Z")
Interesting… … It sounds like a lot of folks had one or two attacks and then snip snip? I had attacks for several years before my gallbladder finally said “Nope, this is it, I’m outta here”. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/47 "2011-01-25T06:08:22Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > Just out of curiosity how long did everyone suffer from gallbladder disease or issues before they finally had to have their gallbladders out? Mine was only serious – miserable enough to miss work – for about a month. The docs considered a few other possibilities (like colon cancer!) before doing the CT scan that confirmed the cholecystitis. Or whatever the hell it’s called. My surgery was in-patient. I was in at 7 a.m. and home by 3 p.m. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/48 "2011-01-25T15:01:53Z")
> [@CanvasShoes](#): > > Interesting.. … It sounds like a lot of folks had one or two attacks and then snip snip? I had attacks for several years before my gallbladder finally said “Nope, this is it, I’m outta here”. My one and only attack was severe enough to warrant an ambulance ride to the emergency room (it settled down in the ER, so emergency surgery wasn’t called for). Once the gallstones are big enough to cause one attack, further attacks are a given, and the gallbladder’s eventual removal is pretty much a foregone conclusion. I saw no reason to see when the next episode of debilitating pain would arrive and had that puppy yanked two weeks later. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/49 "2011-01-25T23:35:00Z")
> [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > Well I just got back from the hospital where I had my gallbladder taken out. I’m a bit sore but doing ok. I’m hungry as hell, but I can only eat broth and crackers tonight. I really have to pee, but nothing is coming out, I must be too dehydrated at the moment. That, and the anesthesia really blocks things. You may want some milk of Magnesia too. And keep a little pillow against your abdomen when you’re on the pot so you don’t strain those staples too much. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/50 "2011-01-25T23:55:21Z")
> [@gladtobeblazed](#): > > Well I just got back from the hospital where I had my gallbladder taken out. I’m a bit sore but doing ok. I’m hungry as hell, but I can only eat broth and crackers tonight. I really have to pee, but nothing is coming out, I must be too dehydrated at the moment. Keep an eye on this! If you don’t pee soon, go back to the ER and get catheterized. If you don’t, the urine could back up into your blood stream and cause a _serious_ infection. > [@CanvasShoes](#): > > Just out of curiosity how long did everyone suffer from gallbladder disease or issues before they finally had to have their gallbladders out? I only had one attack, but it was a dilly! Left me unable to move, breathe, or do anything else other than vomit bile. My hubby wanted to take me to the ER, and I told him I couldn’t go to the ER because I was too sick to get dressed! After a little more time of watching me be that sick, he said “Screw it; it’s the ER; you don’t have to be dressed!” got me my robe and a pair of his socks, bundled me into the car, and off I went. > [@BaneSidhe](#): > > Dude, what? My husband does the Slim Fast shakes and bars for breakfast and lunch during the week. Should I be worried? My understanding of the situation (which I grant you could very well be flawed 😉 ) is that people go on _very_ low-fat diets, which causes their gall bladder to kind of shut down; then, when they go _off_ the diet, they tend to jump right into eating all kinds of fatty stuff again, causing their gall bladders to say ‘WTF’, and before you know it, it’s time for the ER. I understand that Jenny Craig settled a class-action lawsuit a few years back, because their ‘cuisine’ at the time totaled about 15g of fat _daily_, and then when people went off the plan, their gall bladders blew out left and right. Since then, they’ve increased the amount of fat in their food. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/51 "2011-01-25T23:59:17Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > That, and the anesthesia really blocks things. You may want some milk of Magnesia too. And keep a little pillow against your abdomen when you’re on the pot so you don’t strain those staples too much. Anesthesia shouldn’t affect the pee bits all that much! (well, some surgeries there is a side effect of difficult urination but not gallbladder). For the bowels, however - oh yeah. Anesthesia, plus Overload on fiber until you think you shouldn’t eat any more. Then eat some more. Take Fibercon or other supplements. Take Colage or other stool softener. Eat a lot of dried fruit. Round about day 3… look out. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/52 "2011-01-26T00:01:45Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Keep an eye on this! If you don’t pee soon, go back to the ER and get catheterized. If you don’t, the urine could back up into your blood stream and cause a _serious_ infection… Oh yeah. If you still haven’t peed, you had better get to the ER **now**. If you’ve managed, but are still having difficulty: running water in the bathroom really does help. And/or sit in the bathtub if permitted (that may not be, I don’t think I was allowed to tub bath that soon) in nice warm water to relax the bits. Even a warm shower might help - I can use the toilet, get into a warm shower, and the bladder yells PARTY TIME :smack:. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/53 "2011-01-26T00:05:56Z")
Heh - when Jim came out of anesthesia for his gall bladder surgery, they were very, VERY concerned on the ward about him peeing. So much so that the nurse kept bugging him in the bathroom until Jim snapped at her - “If you would just LEAVE ME ALONE, MAYBE I COULD PEE!” ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/54 "2011-01-26T01:20:16Z")
Well I managed to pee about 6 hours after I came home last night. It comes out in 2 second squirts then it cuts off. I just have to stand there for a few minutes until I’m completely relieved. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/55 "2011-01-26T01:20:19Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Anesthesia shouldn’t affect the pee bits all that much! (well, some surgeries there is a side effect of difficult urination but not gallbladder). > > For the bowels, however - oh yeah. Anesthesia, plus Overload on fiber until you think you shouldn’t eat any more. > > Then eat some more. Take Fibercon or other supplements. Take Colage or other stool softener. Eat a lot of dried fruit. > > Round about day 3… look out. Well, after my GB removal, I could not pee for about 12 hours or so while in the hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/56 "2011-01-31T13:45:20Z")
I never had any pain, but the problem was discovered after I spiked a fever due to a bad UT infection. After 5 gassy years I finally bit the bullet and went for keyhole surgery. Easy peasy, I was back home the next day. I am glad somebody mentioned the low fat diet thing, I was on one the year before they found the gallstones (which I didn’t have before). I always suspected that’s what messed my gb. BTW, the nurses wanted to make sure I did pee ASAP after I recovered from the anesthesia. I couldn’t feel my bladder was full, but I soon as I sat down to pee I did. Pooping was considerably more difficult though. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/57 "2011-02-01T01:59:08Z")
> [@BaneSidhe](#): > > Dude, what? My husband does the Slim Fast shakes and bars for breakfast and lunch during the week. Should I be worried? I think you should be on the lookout. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to get him an abdominal ultrasound if possible. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/58 "2011-08-04T19:30:09Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Heh - when Jim came out of anesthesia for his gall bladder surgery, they were very, VERY concerned on the ward about him peeing. So much so that the nurse kept bugging him in the bathroom until Jim snapped at her - “If you would just LEAVE ME ALONE, MAYBE I COULD PEE!” They (HMO?) made my neighbor’s DiL go home just a few hours after her g.b. removal yesterday just because she was able to pee. Never mind that she was in excruciating pain and had thrown up as well. At home, she could barely move and was in tears. Her hubby went to fill her prescription for low-dose Vicodin and the doctor told her to eat some soup (!) so she could take it. Please…They wouldn’t let me eat anything for quite a while post-op, nor was I in the mood for food. I think they sent her home way too soon. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/59 "2011-08-04T20:10:06Z")
Weird. Nobody asked me about being able to pee. Then again, I had to have help getting up to get to the bathroom first time so they knew I was at least trying. I do remember having a hard time peeing after my nasal surgery, many years back, but that was when they were trying to have me go on the bedpan. When they finally helped me to the toilet, no problem. vivalostwages: that sounds like they really screwed up in your neighbor’s case :(. Booting you early is all fine and dandy if you’re feeling AT ALL up to it, but not “a few hours”. I’d have MAYBE been ready to go home at 5ish PM (when I came out of surgery at noonish)… then again I bounced back fairly quickly, and I have a pathological, and well-earned, loathing of hospitals. The ride home wouldn’t have been fun though. (in hindsight, I should have gone home, the doc only wanted me to stay because of some monitoring he declared I needed, the monitoring wasn’t DONE, and they screwed up ALL my medication orders. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850/60 "2011-08-04T20:15:46Z")
I sincerely sympathize with all of you who went through such terrible suffering. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gallbladderless-people-of-the-dope/558850.md?page=4)