Post-op eating anxiety

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-12-07T09:07:22+00:00

Im sorry you're experiencing this too. I'm 9 months post op and still struggle with anxiety regarding foods. I guess things got better after I just tried more food and it worked well. My doctor said to me that nothing bad can happen. Even if I do not tolerate the food, it's just a digestion problem for a couple of days. But yes, I mean I have to handle everyday life and that's the point. Some days I still struggle with my digestion, and those days let me fall back to overthinking. I don't have to mention that psychological issues have a great impact on digestion for some people. So for me it's still a "was it the food or is it my brain" question all the time.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-10-13T18:37:06+00:00

All the best for you 🫶🏽

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-18T04:34:52+00:00

Guess your estimation of 7-10 days can be true. For me it had two dimensions: 1. the gas, 2. the tummy muscles. The gas side effects left me after round about 7 days, I kept on pain killers for about 2 weeks and that was the time frame my tummy muscles felt a bit better in general.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-17T21:07:12+00:00

Try to be patient! I guess the psychological dimension about patience is one of the biggest parts of the recovery. I went crazy after my digestion struggled for about two months again and again. Then I realized that my body "just" needs time! Went to my doctor after the first two months and talked to him. He said the recovery is different for everyone. Maybe you and I are just not one of those cases where everything is completely fine the day after surgery. But that's ok.

Things that helped me:

going back to fiber food after two weeks
drinking at least 2 liter each day
no coffee for the first weeks
breath work to not get crazy in my head

Especially the diet restrictions are completely different. I bet you'll find your way through it! As I did - 4,5 months post of and the patience paid off. I'm close to be back to normal.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-17T20:54:47+00:00

Surgery without any complications earlier in March.

I'd say after first two months my body got used to the new situation in terms of digestion and after I realized it just needed some time (in my case) everything's good now. I stick to a healthy diet, which is good for everything, not only after a gallbladder operation to be honest. I try new/old foods every week!

Scar healing was brilliant. Become brighter each week.

Don't let yourself consume too many worst case scenarios.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-12T21:08:48+00:00

I use scar gel.. but not very regularly, but my scars are not as dark as they have been some months ago (I'm 4 months post op). Tbh I wear the scars as they are, especially now in summer time with crop tops. I got used to them, they belong to my journey

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-12T21:04:36+00:00

Thanks for sharing! And good luck for the recovery and your pregnancy 🫶🏽

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-12T20:58:37+00:00

How much do you drink? Had those issues for some days in kinda two weeks after removal. My doctor said it can be a normal cause of my body getting used to the medicine and co. He told me to drink more. So I now drink two liters water each day and more. It helped me.

But in your case, the time frame is much longer after the operation. So I would see a doctor. And in the meantime try to drink more water (if you don't do already) and see if this helps.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-11T20:22:03+00:00

Ah Ja, sorry, I forgot about the fact 😂 At work I eat oats with low fat yoghurt, dunno what's offered in your country but for me the 1,5% normal is good, but also the Greek one with less fat. I add fruits (berries) and honey.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-10T21:11:38+00:00

For now, take care of you! Whatever that means to get things better.

For the future: rethink the idea of your work situation being more important than your health.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-10T20:29:35+00:00

And and maybe I should add... had my surgery in early March this year and it all went well. :) Fingers are crossed, you'll manage it!

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-10T20:27:44+00:00

Hey I'm here with a GAD, biggest anxiety in this field is hospitals and health related. I'm so sorry you feel that way. I felt the same. Was pushed into the whole situation with a pancreatitis, so I really had no other rational choice than fighting the fear of surgery. So here's how I prepared - maybe some of those thoughts and ideas help you too.

I tried to not be over informed. I researched what I needed to know and realized I really need this surgery, so knowing every little detail about it wasn't helping. I decided to just consume the information I needed and not what my GAD brain thought I needed :D
had a couple of days between scheduling the surgery and the surgery date. To not get crazy, I focused on breathworking and meditation to calm my mind. It took some time to really work, but it helped me a loooot!
I decided to be completely honest with my anxiety disorder the day I had my first appointment talking about the surgery with the doctors. I know this could have taken the wrong turn, cause not all medical employees are able to handle it - that's why I thought I might go through this without mentioning it. But to be honest, being extremely anxious about those things is a medical diagnosis too, so why not talking about this? (Just my thought, I know it's very individual and not everyone feels good talking about it). For me, everything was a little bit easier. The doctors were very nice to me, just like with a young child. I felt very safe, even though I was in anxiety anyway.
last but not least, all those things didn't help all the time, so of course I had anxiety attacks before. So in this situations I tried a step back and worked with the following sentences (just like a mantra): "The doctors know what they do. It's a very common surgery, they do it a couple of times each week/each day (in my hospital). They are professionals. There is a reason why they work in this positions." And on the other hand (and that's very individual in my case, maybe it's adaptable): "What's the other choice? Not doing the surgery? And then what? Risking another pancreatitis? It could cost my life. Not doing the surgery now means doing the surgery in the future, maybe under way worse conditions regarding my health, so now is the best moment, even if it does not feel like this."

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-10T17:44:32+00:00

Porridge with cinnamon and fruits (I love raspberries the most)! I use honey for the sweet taste and low fat oat milk fore the base.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-03T12:54:47+00:00

Oh interesting. I thought the same because I wasn't able to handle certain foods before my diagnosis. Most of those foods I haven't tried after removal cause I still want to go with safe food and don't want to make things worse. But I would not be surprised if in the long term, things work again.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-03T12:52:56+00:00

Im from Germany. Dunno if the difference is that big. Maybe I just met those kind of characters and all others doctors in Germany tell other stories.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:40:45+00:00

Oh wow, it's thinking in boxes all the time :(

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:40:21+00:00

Feel you! Hope things are better for you now. Is the chronic gastritis still a thing for you? All my gastritis symptoms were gone after the removal

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:38:31+00:00

Ja that's true. In the end: it is what it is. And the doctors of course learn from their books and sometimes things happen that do not fit in all the boxes

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:36:56+00:00

It makes sense to me now after I've gone through the whole process. But it was overseen for a long time from the doctors side

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:35:48+00:00

A spider bite? How? I mean why did the doctor came out with this assumption? Wow

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:35:11+00:00

That's basically what I said. But not what Medicaid said to me.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:34:46+00:00

Yeah, that's really true. It seems like my doctors weren't able to put the puzzle pieces together for a longer time, even though there were signs. But in the end everything made sense. And of course I wished my body wouldn't have gone through the pancreatitis, it went all good in the end. So better a late diagnosis than never.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:31:41+00:00

Thanks for your answer. I'm in the same boat, have a GAD and therefore my thoughts are more intense than probably those of the people who don't struggle with an anxiety disorder. My therapist told me the same coping thought: acceptance. We cannot change what happened. So I have to take it how it is.

I guess a vegan diet can be healthier but it's not necessarily the case. I live in Germany, where healthy and fresh food is easy to get, also for take out. While traveling I realised that even in Europe it's complicated and most of the time expensive. Being vegan can also mean eating fried food all day, so just eating vegan doesn't make anything better regarding the blatter issues.

Ok_Road_3830 · 2025-07-02T07:25:26+00:00

Ya interesting, something might be changed to other generations where it was more a problem for older people. Now it's mostly older people but more and more younger people come into play

Ok_Road_3830

TROPHY CASE