# So long, gallbladder, it's been real.. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476 "2011-02-24T18:31:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/41 "2011-03-03T21:21:26Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Hooray! But, um…we’ll take your word for it. You don’t need to show us, or anything. > > I’m just sayin’. 🙂 Uh, yeah. This is definitely _not_ a ‘pics or it didn’t happen’ scenario! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/42 "2011-03-03T21:22:41Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Hooray! But, um…we’ll take your word for it. You don’t need to show us, or anything. > > I’m just sayin’. 🙂 Don’t worry, I’m quite embarassed enough talking about it as it is..:eek: Athough I have considered taking pictures of my incision to show my nephews, they think it’s cool Aunt Sissy is gonna have a big scar! ---
**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:** [March 4, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/43 "2011-03-04T00:53:52Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > Don’t worry, I’m quite embarassed enough talking about it as it is..:eek: > > Athough I have considered taking pictures of my incision to show my nephews, they think it’s cool Aunt Sissy is gonna have a big scar! Gotta come up with a better story than “Aunt Sissy had an operation” though. Something involving spies and/or knife fights and “you shoulda seen the other gal”. Nosy question: Did you have any inkling before they put you under that you might wind up getting unzipped vs the laparascopic version? or was that just a nasty surprise when you woke up? What was the reason they had to go old-fashioned? ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/44 "2011-03-04T01:50:57Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Gotta come up with a better story than “Aunt Sissy had an operation” though. Something involving spies and/or knife fights and “you shoulda seen the other gal”. > > Nosy question: Did you have any inkling before they put you under that you might wind up getting unzipped vs the laparascopic version? or was that just a nasty surprise when you woke up? What was the reason they had to go old-fashioned? Yeah, except they knew I was going in for surgery.. I did tell the Nurse that’s what I was gonna tell people, though! And no, the Horror movie zipper came as a big shockeroo. they even _tried_ to do the laparascopic, I have the scars from it, too. The gallbladder itself was all shriveled up and wrapped around two very large stones, like a big old peanut, sorta. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/45 "2011-03-04T05:16:26Z")
My husband’s ( **Jimbo’s** ) dad told him that it took him a good year after his incision surgery to feel completely normal again, and I think **Jimbo** took at least that long, too. Not to discourage you or anything (it looked like he felt much better quite soon afterwards), but it is a long recovery from a large abdominal incision - don’t expect to be 100% in a few weeks. Take it easy on yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/46 "2011-03-04T10:54:14Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > Yeah, except they knew I was going in for surgery.. I did tell the Nurse that’s what I was gonna tell people, though! > > And no, the Horror movie zipper came as a big shockeroo. they even _tried_ to do the laparascopic, I have the scars from it, too. The gallbladder itself was all shriveled up and wrapped around two very large stones, like a big old peanut, sorta. But did you get to keep your bellybutton? One of my surgeries ended up with them gutting me like a fish and after they made a faux bellybutton. And it isn’t even centered! ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/47 "2011-03-04T18:43:46Z")
Yeah, my bellybutton is still there, but it has staples in it! **Cat Whisperer** , I am feeling a little better each day, but yeah, “normal” is gonna be some time from now… didn’t know you and **Jimbo** were married! how about that. ---
**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:** [March 5, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/48 "2011-03-05T02:39:18Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > \didn’t know you and **Jimbo** were married! how about that. Nine years come August. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/49 "2011-03-11T21:24:36Z")
Got my staples out yesterday, and shot about half a roll of film of the cut first… My nevvys’ll love it! ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/50 "2011-03-11T22:24:35Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > Got my staples out yesterday, and shot about half a roll of film of the cut first.. My nevvys’ll love it! Is it bad if I read that initially as you having gotten your staples out and, as a result, having shot half a roll of film out of your gut? Anatomy is hard. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/51 "2011-03-11T22:30:23Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > Yeah, my bellybutton is still there, but it has staples in it! > > **Cat Whisperer** , I am feeling a little better each day, but yeah, “normal” is gonna be some time from now.. didn’t know you and **Jimbo** were married! how about that. You will have a very tiny scar on the b.b., and the one from the laparoscope will be visible but small and hopefully soft, while the two over the liver/g.b. area will fade to nothing over a matter of months. Mine did, anyhow. Continue healing! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/52 "2011-03-12T17:01:36Z")
**vivalostwages** Mmm, I got a big scar, they had to open me up. Probably be there long term. > [@Asimovian](#): > > Is it bad if I read that initially as you having gotten your staples out and, as a result, having shot half a roll of film out of your gut? > > Anatomy is hard. Yeah, they replaced my Gallbladder with a Polaroid _LOL_ ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/53 "2011-03-12T19:35:54Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > **vivalostwages** Mmm, I got a big scar, they had to open me up. Probably be there long term. > > Yeah, they replaced my Gallbladder with a Polaroid _LOL_ Oh, you had the open?! Yikes. Guess I missed that part. I narrowly escaped that. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/54 "2011-03-12T20:45:27Z")
Yeah, they tried to do it labrascopically, but had too much difficulty. I have both scars, both from where they tried and the big huge one! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/55 "2011-03-13T01:47:35Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > Yeah, they tried to do it labrascopically, but had too much difficulty. I have both scars, both from where they tried and the big huge one! What was wrong? I worried that I would have the same situation, with my g.b. being horribly infected and inflamed. Lucky it didn’t burst. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/56 "2011-03-13T07:00:58Z")
It was all shriveled up, and was hidden in my liver, had 2 really big stones and was just hard to see, plus was inflamed. The Doc said I was a real pain in the ass _LOL_ ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/57 "2011-03-13T17:21:20Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > It was all shriveled up, and was hidden in my liver, had 2 really big stones and was just hard to see, plus was inflamed. The Doc said I was a real pain in the ass _LOL_ 😃 Mine had contracted around the stones–there were so many of them. :eek: Do you suppose we lost any weight by having them removed? ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/58 "2011-03-13T19:43:27Z")
I think I lost more weight living on yogurt and broth in the hospital :eek: ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/59 "2011-03-13T21:28:13Z")
> [@janis\_and\_c0](#): > > It was all shriveled up, and was hidden in my liver, had 2 really big stones and was just hard to see, plus was inflamed. The Doc said I was a real pain in the ass _LOL_ When I had mine out, laparscopic surgery for gall bladder wasn’t yet wide-spread, but ‘minimal incision’ _was_. However. . .my gall bladder had distended to the point that it had partially adhered to my rib cage. :eek: Therefore, it needed a _huge_ incision. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476/60 "2011-03-14T03:47:22Z")
How big? mine;s gotta be nine inches or better! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-gallbladder-its-been-real/572476.md?page=4)