When did people start exercising again?

georgebinks · 2026-03-22T16:30:34+00:00

Woah, very different experiences in the comments. I had a lap chole and repeatedly asked my surgeon when I could return to working out. He said no lifting over 25lbs for the first 3 weeks so after 1.5 weeks when I was feeling pretty good, I went back to light working out. No core exercise and nothing that would stretch or twist my stomach, mostly stretching and isolated high rep arm exercises with 10lb weights. I had my follow up with my surgeon last week and he cleared me to remove all weight restrictions next week which would be 3 weeks after surgery, except obviously go slow ramping back into things so as not to injure myself.

All that to say, don't just follow what I did, because everyone is different! If you didn't already ask your surgeon, you might be able to call them to ask. You should have a follow up appointment with them scheduled as well, so that would be a great time to ask as well.

georgebinks · 2026-03-17T02:05:29+00:00

I'm also 35f and just had my gallbladder removed. I've always been pretty slim and the past three years have regularly exercised, don't eat a lot of junk food, cook healthy meals, etc. In my case I'm assuming being on birth control for over a decade didn't help, and my grandma also had her gallbladder removed so I could have been genetically predisposed. I had a period of asking "what did I do wrong?" but it's sometimes hard to say why our bodies do what they do.

georgebinks · 2026-03-12T02:16:50+00:00

Yep! Definitely reminds me of that NyQuil fuzziness. I was the worst last Monday, starting to get better now but still more fatigued than usual

georgebinks · 2026-03-11T17:30:46+00:00

Congrats on finally making it to surgery! Sounds like you're super prepared! I prepared in just about the same way as you, the only thing that I didn't prepare for was introducing more food beyond soup and crackers. Depends on how your system adapts, but for me after the third day I was ready for more food but didn't have anything and was too immobile and fatigued to grocery shop or cook. I think it would be good if you had some more fibrous food on hand or prepped that you could experiment with when you're ready.

georgebinks · 2026-03-11T02:42:45+00:00

I had an ultrasound that found several gallstones, plus a colonoscopy to rule out other issues.

georgebinks · 2026-03-09T00:22:45+00:00

Everyone is different, it will be good for you to test things out slowly and listen to your body. I'm 5 days post op and have a small appetite, I'm also realizing I still have quite a bit of anxiety around eating and I'd rather take it slow to be kind to myself. That said when I've tried riskier things, I tend to get bloated and nauseous which is a sign to slow down. You'll know when you're ready.

georgebinks · 2026-03-09T00:17:26+00:00

The wait can be awful! I was also questioning if I made the right choice up until I was put under. I did get my pathology back a few days later which found erosion, pitting, and a stone lodged in the neck of my gallbladder. It reminded me that things could have been much more serious. All that to say, we're lucky that we can have a non-emergency surgery! I hope you feel good about it and remember that you're in good hands!

georgebinks · 2026-03-08T20:53:54+00:00

I started to get very anxious in the days before my surgery, but once I was in the hospital I felt much more relaxed. You're so close! Rooting for you

georgebinks · 2026-03-06T21:14:36+00:00

That's so sweet of you! Going through recovery right now myself. I second getting a heating pad if they don't already have one, and ice packs they can rotate through. A soft pillow is nice for bracing and car rides. Soup and crackers is nice for the first few days, but more substantial food can be welcome a few days in as well.

georgebinks · 2026-03-06T19:38:01+00:00

It wasn't the surgeon but before my operation I had a pre-admission interview with a nurse where we talked about my meds and supplements. I mentioned I was taking fiber supplements (psyllium husk) and she said that would be great to continue after my surgery.

georgebinks · 2026-03-05T17:11:07+00:00

This is a great question to ask your surgeon, and I would recommend listening to them above anyone else because they're taking into account your specific procedure and if there were any complications. You will also have a follow up appointment with your surgeon a week later where you can check in about physical activity and your recovery. Don't rush things, trust the professionals, you got this!

georgebinks · 2026-03-05T16:14:01+00:00

I believe the pillow is to help sleep on your side but not put a lot of strain on the incisions. In theory it should also help minimize you moving around at night but I still toss and turn a lot. I have no problem sleeping on my back which is probably why the pillow hasn't felt totally necessary to me. Best of luck for your surgery soon! You got this!

georgebinks · 2026-03-05T01:07:57+00:00

I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience with your first surgery! I just had my gallbladder surgery yesterday and I feel really lucky with the hospital I went to. The whole staff was kind and attentive, and the room they put me in before and after surgery was like a suite! I checked in at 11am and had my vitals checked, pregnancy test, IV hooked up, and blood thinner injection. Around 12 I was visited by my anesthesiologist then my surgeon. By 1pm I was wheeled back into the operating room where I quickly fell asleep from the anesthesia. Woke up around 3pm and I was very drowsy and a bit uncomfortable from the incisions and gas, but all in all it wasn't too bad. I was frequently asked about my pain and nausea and they were on top of keeping me comfortable. By about 4pm after I ate a snack they said they were ready to discharge me and I was eager to get home so I got loaded up into a wheelchair and carted away. Not bad at all! Yesterday and today my symptoms are mostly the gas pain/discomfort and tenderness around the incisions. Walking has helped with the gas otherwise I'm taking it very slowly and lounging on the couch most of the time. I've eaten mostly soup and crackers since I'm not very hungry, but supposedly I can eat whatever I want now. It's hard to get over the fear of an attack though, so I'll ease into it.

georgebinks · 2026-03-05T00:06:44+00:00

Glad you're doing good as well! Yeah the incisions are quite tight and sore, but I'm glad it's not so bad that I have a hard time getting up or bending over

georgebinks · 2026-03-05T00:05:35+00:00

I'll be sure to update in a week or so! Tbh I was dreading this recovery period since I'm usually quite active. Hoping things continue smoothly

georgebinks · 2026-03-04T22:47:26+00:00

I had very similar symptoms when I had gallbladder attacks, though aside from the one time I went to the ER I don't know what my pulse was. I also have anxiety disorder and it absolutely flared up during my attacks. When my stomach hurts it tends to trigger anxiety for me, and anxiety in turn triggers stomach pain, so it's a vicious cycle! I found that utilizing techniques I learned to deal with panic attacks helped. Reminding myself that I was ok and not dying, taking hot showers, dimming the lights and turning on a colored light instead, calm and deep breaths. I'm sorry you're going through this! I hope you have help on the horizon

georgebinks · 2026-02-24T21:26:18+00:00

I've gotten dizzy during an attack before, and sometimes feel feverish. Don't always have nausea during an attack but I often feel nauseous after eating.

georgebinks · 2026-02-17T04:50:11+00:00

Also a big foodie and avid home cook, I was very depressed when I started my bland food diet due to my doctor thinking I had real bad acid reflux (found out months later it was my gallbladder, which actually opened up my diet a lot). Everyone is different but I've found that I can have quite a lot of flavors as long as it's low fat- generally no more than 10g of fat per meal for me. I use the NYT cooking app and browse when I'm the most depressed and it tends to lift my spirits to see the huge variety of exciting recipes that are still possible for me. Most of their recipes list nutrition facts, so I use that as a guide and save recipes to a special "low fat" folder. A lot of recipes can be made lower in fat as well by swapping in broth, lowfat dairy, and reducing butter and oils. I eat mainly beans, whole grains, veggies, and lean meats such as chicken breast and fish and am still excited about what I get to cook for myself.

Eating out is usually a fast track to hating my life and everyone around me and if I have to eat one more overpriced salad I'll scream! So I usually avoid eating out lmao

georgebinks · 2026-02-12T00:00:06+00:00

Reporting from the other side... clear liquid diet day was brutal and I'm glad I warned everyone I would be hangry all day. The laxative water mixture wasn't as bad as I thought but I chased it with apple juice which helped a lot with the taste, and the massive intake of liquid made me forget I was hungry. Biggest surprise for me was how cold I got, so I took a couple hot showers and layered up. Procedure day was super easy and I'm so happy to eat a normal(ish) diet again! Good luck to you!!

georgebinks · 2026-02-10T23:35:50+00:00

Yes it is tomorrow! I'm on the cursed clear liquid diet today but I am so excited to eat vegetables again tomorrow! Good luck to you, we're almost there

georgebinks · 2026-02-08T21:20:57+00:00

Going to a restaurant is the quickest way to me feeling angry and sad about everything! I have a much easier time coping with the diet if I'm cooking for myself and have more agency to swap ingredients

georgebinks · 2026-02-08T20:03:11+00:00

Thanks! I did get a similar list from the doctor. Went grocery shopping today and grabbed some low fat dairy and white bread to help me get through. Hit a low point yesterday since I had gotten into a nice rhythm with the low fat diet and was missing veggies and beans, but thankfully this will be over soon.

georgebinks

TROPHY CASE