UPDATED: My gallbladder wants to kill me.

in Random Crap

UPDATED BELOW…

Yesterday I ended up in the hospital until 4am because my gallbladder is an inefficient fucking murderer.

MARTYR (of very small, unimportant things that are quite ouchy when you experience them).

This is the second time in the last three months that my gallbladder decided to be a big old bastard and so I told the ER doctor that I wanted him to yank it out immediately, but he wouldn’t because he fucking loves gallbladders and acute pain, and also because he’s not a surgeon and didn’t have any knives available.

I’m going to meet a real surgeon this morning and I’m bringing my own spork because if he doesn’t dig this thing out of me then I’m just going in for it myself, because my father had the same thing and he waited until his gallbladder EXPLODED, for fuck’s sake. And yes, most doctors prefer the term “ruptured” but I’m pretty sure “ruptured” is just latin for just letting shit explode inside of you like a time bomb.

Also, I called for directions to the surgeon’s office this morning and the receptionist told me to just look for the door labeled “San Antonio Colon and Rectal” and I hesitated for a bit and was like “Um…I don’t think I want my gallbladder removed that way” and she laughed and said they just hadn’t changed the labeling on the doors yet, and that technically if they did remove my gallbladder through my rectum there probably would be less scarring.

I’m not entirely sure if I’ve picked the right doctor or not.

More later if I’m not dead.

UPDATED:

Alright, so I’m back from the doctor and he was very nice and professional and is planning on pumping me full of carbon monoxide or dioxide (the one doesn’t kill you) and yanking out my gallbladder through my bellybutton.  He didn’t speak perfect english but I’m pretty sure that’s what he said.  Also, he said that he was going to remove the gallbladder using cutlery and then I was like “Cutlery?  Like fish forks and dessert spoons?” and he shook his head and pointed to the comic book  he’d used to explaining the procedure and I realized he was saying “cautery“, which makes much more sense.  So, awesome.

Also, I asked if I could keep my gallstones so I could make a necklace out of them and he said that he couldn’t do that because new regulations are assholes, and that he couldn’t even give the people who’d been shot the bullets he dug out of them because it’s considered “medical waste” once it’s been in your body.  Which seems weird because my daughter came out of my body and they totally let me take her home.  And some people even bring home their placentas and make people eat it (seriously…that’s a thing) and no one ever complains about that.  (Except for the people who have to eat placenta, probably.)  I explained that I was pretty sure that wearing my gallstones was less offensive than making your family unwittingly eat your placenta and the doctor agreed with me and said he’d totally had this same argument a dozen times, which seems like an odd argument to have more than once.  He did though, agree to take lots of pictures and share them with me.  And my friend Maile offered to come take pictures of the surgery and I almost took her up on it because she’s an amazing photographer, but then I remembered that after the surgery the doctor pushes all of the leftover carbon-whatever gas out of your belly button and I don’t think I’d want anyone who I know in real life to witness me forcibly farting out of my bellybutton, because even your very best friends would never let you live that down.

Surgery is a week from today.

Wish me luck.

836 thoughts on “UPDATED: My gallbladder wants to kill me.”

Read comments below or add one.

  2. Take care and best wishes. I completely understand your desire to be rid of such a tedious and malevolent gall bladder.

  3. Good luck at the surgeon! Hope he knows that your gall bladder is a long way away from your rectal area, lol

  5. Good luck, I hope your recovery short!!

    Be sure to write in Sharpie all over your body. Outline the gall bladder. Write on your thighs that students aren’t allowed to give you a gyno exam while you’re out. All that happy fun stuff ya know.

  9. Good luck to you Jenny dear. PS I can’t believe that bastard Victor took a picture of you when you were in martyr mode. So rude.

  10. Any organ that routinely stages a coup should be escorted out – through whatever path available.

  16. You look really cute in your hospital gown if that is any consolation. And gallbladders are petulant assholes. Off with its head.

  18. I went through nearly a year of hell with my gallbladder (yes, a year – but a big portion of it was that I was too STUPID TO GO TO THE DOCTOR until I’d suffered suffered SIX MONTHS of attacks, thinking there was a logical explanation for lying on the bathroom floor wanting to die every few weeks or so) and although the surgeon said straight out that I was in bad shape by the time he got to me, it didn’t rupture. Those asshole gallbladders are kind of stubborn. You’ll feel much better when it’s out, though.

  21. Things I Just Learned: You might be able to pull out a gallbladder through a rectum. Jenny needs better medical advice. Sporks can be used as surgical devices.

  22. My gall bladder was angry too, best thing ever was to get rid of it! I asked the doc to weigh it because I wanted to know exactly how much weight I lost but he didn’t do it. Jerk.

    Hope they get rid of yours today!

  23. See if they’ll let you keep it in a jar! That way you’ll have something to auction off along with your appendix!

  25. I had mine out a few years ago… after a few idiot doctors let me suffer for 10 years because, and I quote, “You’re too young to have gallbladder problems” despite my insistence that almost everyone in my family had theirs out before they turned 30. I also had the complicating factor of it just not functioning instead of having gall stones. So there’s that.

    So hopefully it goes well with your surgeon and you can get that little sucker yanked out soon.

  26. Hugs to you. Gallbladder issues suck. I was so happy when mine was removed.

  28. I actually feel like you picked the correct doctor with a sense of humor.

    Hope all goes well.

  29. I feel your pain…gallbladder issues are a bitch. Good luck!

  30. um, yeah. I don’t know much about anatomy, but i’m pretty sure I don’t want ANY parts removed through my rectum. as hubby would say, “REC-TUM? hell, KILLED ‘EM.” harharhar. good luck and godspeed on getting that MFer ripped out…just not through the a$$hole.

  31. Worst pain ever. Childbirth, by comparison, is a splinter. Get the damn thing out. They do lap surgery for this, a couple pokes and one 1/4 inch incision, no big scars or excessive recovery time, you can even go home the same day. Be rid of the damn thing.

  32. Mine was a vicious bitch too….thankful that the night I ended up in the E.R. that my close friend pulled back the curtain and told me that he would yank that sucker right out of me….ohhhhh also super thankful that my friend is an amazing surgeon…LOL I did complain later that I thought he had taped my right breast over my left shoulder during the surgery, but he just got pissed and told me that it was gas trapped in my body…his wife just rolled her eyes…..

  33. @Katie, I wonder if you can stuff an organ? Like an animal.
    I think I just went to a bad place. Unicorns SPARKLY FRIGGIN UNICORNS carrying Vera Bradley bags. There that’s better.

  34. Warm healing thoughts to you…You’ll be stunned by how pain-and-poison-free you feel when you wake up without the offending organ.

  36. They say that gallbladders are as fun as a barrel full of hysterically laughing unicorns. I don’t know what’s wrong with them.

    I hope your insides remain intact until you & your surgeon decide otherwise.

  38. On the plus side you still look beautiful even in the ER. Don’t know how you manage that but I’m envious. Now for the gallbladder: don’t forget to Ask them to put it in a jar for you so you can sell it on ebay.

  39. Milkthistle will take care of this problem. Seriously. I know you’ve probably made up your mind, but until you can get your surgery scheduled, go to Walmart and buy the Nature’s Valley Milkthistle. It’s six bucks. Take four a day, not all at once.

    I know. I can’t help it. It’s what I do. So take it or don’t take it. Just like my advice.

    Love ya, girl. Feel better!

    TRIBE JENNY!!!

  40. Been there, done that. Asked them to save me some stones after surgery, and my totally rockin’ surgeon did. My son used them in geology class for who and tell. Because yes, they are calcified, just like rocks outside your body.

  41. Believe it or not – it’s called NOTES, natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery – and the goal is to use orifices you already have to remove things like gall bladders and appendices. It’s still very experimental.

  42. Best wishes and healing thought for a safe and fast recovery.. with minimal scarring! 🙂

  43. HA! Mine recently and abruptly decided to end it’s previously peaceful coexistence with me as well. I was two seconds from having my husband remove it with his dog and horse doctoring kit. Fortunately the surgeon was easily persuaded. I’m now two weeks post op and couldn’t be happier to be rid of that evil demon organ. Good luck!!

  45. Healing blessings and hopes for a good surgical team. Mrs Rug went through it quite a while back, and had some issues with one of her nurses. Once she was all healed and out, though, she felt much better.

  46. The only thing I regret about having mine removed is I gained back the 20 pounds I lost when mine went downhill. Ok, that and allowing them to send me home three hours after surgery. OUCH! The no more screaming after eating onions or peppers was a definitely an upside.

  47. Get it out!! I had mine done a couple months ago and it’s was SOO worth it!

    (PS — the surgeon my doc sent me to was in a bariatric surgery office. I’m sitting in the waiting room thinking “is he trying to tell me something??”)

  48. What about a laser? I thought they could just lightsaber anything these days. Quick and painless. I’m hoping quick and painless for you.

    -Angie

  49. Please take a Mason jar along with your spork. Because *obviously* no matter how that bastard comes out, you’ll want the exploded remains in a jar to take home. That way next time you ask some asshole if they “want a piece of you”, you can follow it up by throwin a piece of your exploded asshole gallbladder at them. I’m just trying to think ahead for you, because I care. PLEASE be better soon, I need your sanity in my insane world.

  50. Had it done last year. I love any reason to take meds, so it was a win/win for me (I was careful). I only needed them for three days. You’ll do great!

  52. Definitely get that evil thing out. It’s an easy surgery. They go through your belly button. Been there, done that. Prayers and good wishes your way.

  53. Please don’t die! As a matter of fact, please get healthy, because you are wonderful, and deserve the best of health and happiness!

  54. Don’t forget the spork! Also, you look MAHvalous, even with tubes taped on.

    Truly, I’m vibrating healing thoughts in your direction.

  55. I just had my gall bladder out a month ago. It’s not so bad. Just take it easy, especially that first week. You will feel a ton better. Good luck!
    PS Mine was not extracted from an “orifice” yikes.

  56. get it out…I had mine done last month and jumped on a plane to Hawaii two weeks later. Felt SUPER good, spent 12 hr days in Hawaii and never once thought that I had just had surgery. You will feel so much better and will not live in fear of having more attacks.

  57. Hang in there! I had this a few years back too. They said on the ultrasound that my gallbladder looked like a purse full of pearls. Just the stone septic kind. They took it out the next morning. Good luck. If they do take yours out they can do it laproscopic which is just a small cut usually and heals quicker. Have the Dr take lots of pictures for us 😛

  58. I had mine out last year after two attacks – they hurt luck a mofo. Best tip while waiting for your surgery is NO fat diet – steamed, fish, chicken, veg, rice, yoghurt. It will stop the little sucker from trying to squeeze the stones out. Poor you 🙁

  61. I really wish you the better!, hope you get well soon… because there isn’t enough Jenny Lawson in this world D;

  62. If he wants to use your spork to go in through the out door it’s time reevaluate your choice in Doctors. Good luck Jenny and feel better soon.

  65. I had mine out 14 years ago, and almost died in surgery because the doctor didn’t believe how bad my pain was. I had a giant stone lodged in the duct. Um, when you are screaming and barfing in the ER, maybe there might be a little pain. Asshole. You’ll feel so much better when that fucking gall bladder is out. Even if it’s through your asshole.

  66. Oy. Be well. I had mine out a few years ago. I was sorely disappointed that they wouldn’t give me my stones. Something about medical waste…

  67. Feel better! I had my splodey think out about 17 years ago…best thing I ever did….they are nasty little buggers! And get it done as fast as possible….my sister didn’t know about hers being so evil and ended up with systemic infection and an emergency surgery! Enjoy the drugs!

  68. Good luck! I hope it all goes well and you don’t have the gall bladder removed via rectum. I thinking that might be slightly more traumatic than you are looking for. Good thoughts your way!

  69. Oh and they will probably let you keep that stones if you want them. I have mine in a container in the kitchen I like to whip them out and show visitors.

  72. May they give you lots of drugs to keep the pain away until your gall bladder is out. Gall bladder attacks are worse than labor.

  73. Outstanding, can’t believe you had the gall to blog about this. Oh wait, you’re you. Seriously though, I had some similar issues a while back so I feel your pain. Tape and Aspirin to it, you’ll be fine.

  74. And you are still funny during all of it. I admire you so much! Hope you don’t need the spork, but if you do, I don’t recommend using it rectally. Tines…ouch. 😉

  75. On the topic of gallbladders (and this is the absolute 100% truth I swear I’m not making this up). I had problems with my gall bladder for about 14 years on and off. Then, last spring, I spent a weekend in April on my sofa reading your book and laughing hysterically. I laughed so hard my abdominal muscles were actually sore. I finished the book Sunday evening and returned to my job on Monday still a little sore from laughing.

    On my drive home from work that Monday afternoon my soreness gave way to an ever increasing ache in the upper right quadrant of my abdomen. Still I thought I had really just pulled something laughing (I do laugh really hard, I even had broken blood vessels under my eyes from laughing). As the evening wore on though, that ache slowly turned into a “Dear-sweet-Baby-Jesus-make-it-stop-if-I-had-any-military-secrets-I’d-talk-red-hot-poker-this-is-what-being-drawn-and-quartered-must-have-felt-like” pain. My husband took me to the ER and finally my gall bladder had tanked and met the requirements for removal, which they did the next morning.

    So, I’ve always felt a little indebted to you for making me laugh my gall bladder out. I hope they’re able to exorcise that demon organ of yours and you’re feeling better soon. Lots of love!

  76. OMG, like 20 people already used the “Recked ‘um” joke. I’m devastated. Now I have nothing.

    Gallbladders are no fun. Also, gallbladder is a stupid name for an organ. As a writer, your body is simply cleansing itself from bad word choices. It means you’re reaching a whole new level of writing and biology.

    And now that I’ve just made myself jealous, I’m going to go cry about how this writer has never had HER gall bladder removed. Although there was that hernia… and come, on, “hernia”? Almost as bad as gallbladder.

    Feel better soon, Bloggess. <3

  77. I had my gall bladder out a few years ago. There were three little incisions (on in my navel), and I can’t even find them now. If you haven’t ruptured, that’s probably the way they’ll go. It was a fairly quick recovery too. I felt so much better (after having felt so awful). Praying it goes the same for you!

  78. You’ll feel so much better once it’s out! It took me 6 months of doctors visits to get them to take it out. I didn’t have stones and the functional test was inconclusive so apparently in the medical world that meant I was fine and just needed a doggy bag of narcotics from the ER. I was not fine. I was sick for over a year. I threatened to take it out myself which they didn’t like, but hey, ball’s in your court, pal. I got mine out a month ago and, twist ending, it was diseased!

    Related: I now understand why people throw their lives away on morphine. It’s magical!

  79. My daughter had her gallbladder out at 16 after ending up in the hospital for an overnight stay because she wouldn’t stop throwing up and her tummy was very ouchy. It was done laprascopically so she has 3 little dimples around her belly button. She tells people the person doing her belly button piercing was drunk. 😉

  80. I think you have TOTALLY picked the right doctor. Anyone who can give you a silver lining to forcibly removing something out your bum is a receptionist for a mighty fine doctor, indeed!

  81. Ugh. I’m sorry. I went through this a couple of years ago. You’ll be much happier with the fat bastard gone!

  82. I feel your pain. No one would touch my gallbladder for 6 years. 6 painful years. Something about I was too young to have issues with it. No 18 year old has gallbladder problems. I was finally referred to a wonderful surgeon who took one look at me and said. “You’re having gallbladder attacks. When would you like for me to remove it?” Just a note, apparently they don’t like doing the actual surgery in the office exam room. Which is stupid when you are 21 and have been in pain for 6 years. But once it was gone, oh, wow! the relief! You know, a side from the whole can’t use your stomach muscles and all. Best thing I had while recovering? A teddy bear. Yup, I was 21 going to see Monster’s Inc with a teddy bear! It was a hard one, used as a splint for heart patients. If you can find one I highly recommend it. They make laughing, coughing, standing so much easier. Good Luck!!!

  84. No pressure, but if you don’t taxidermy your gallbladder into a singing raisin or something, I think we’re all going to be a little disappointed. At minimum, jar of formaldehyde/lava lamp.

  85. I started having severe gallbladder attacks a week away from my c/s date. I ended up at the ER the second time 3 days away from my c/s, contracting, & they still wouldn’t deliver me early, b/c my OB was on maternity & the scheduled doctor for the c/s thought it would be fine to leave for a week long vacation the week before I was due, even though I was on high risk watch! I had to wait 2 weeks after I gave birth before they yanked it out of me. I feel for you!

  86. I just had my gall bladder removed two weeks ago today. Its a pretty easy recovery, and the best part was I didn’t have to cook or clean for a whole week. Best vacation I’ve had since getting married and having kids! Feel better!

  90. Dude, you don’t need that bitch – get it yanked! They do it without so much cutting these days anyhow. Question: Do you plan to keep it in a jar? That would be cool, maybe a nice reminder to her mother for your daughter! She can take it to college with her and freak people out!

  91. I had mine out on a Monday and went to the State Fair on the following Thursday! Good Luck!

  92. Keeping my fingers crossed that there’s nothing involving the rectum, just a nice guy who is all too happy to yank the evil thing out. Then, you’ll have a great excuse to chill on the couch for a couple of weeks and NO MORE PAIN!

  93. I had mine out at 19 after a few years of misery. Apparently the stones were so big, they sent them off to be preserved for study, but they didn’t even leave me one. Jerks. It is kind of cool to know that somewhere people do look at part of me with awe, though. Good luck and feel better!!

  94. Feel better soon! And you should totally give your gallbladder to your dad for a late Father’s Day gift!

  95. I just had my gallbladder taken out 3 months ago. Thankfully, I never ended up in the ER because of it but that surgery was the best thing possible. I had a non functioning, severly infected gallbladder. Stock up on gas-x strips and tums. And try to move around as much as possible after your surgery to make the gas get out of your abdominal area. And take it from me, BE MINDFUL OF WHAT YOU EAT AFTERWARDS. I thought my usual steak quesadillas were fine for dinner last night. WRONG. On so many levels.

  96. You should ask if you can keep it in a jar once they pull it out. You could sell it on the black market for a discount (you know, because it is stabby so it might be a hard sell). Or you could name it, put it on a bookshelf, and torture it for the rest of your life. That is what I do with the kidney stone I left in my back pack anyway. No one wanted to buy it. Apparently kidney stones have no value on the black market.

  98. As I read this I am in agony because mine was removed yesterday. Word I warning: they won’t just take the damn thing out. I have had the following tests:
    CAT scan
    HIDA scan
    Upper gi endoscopy
    COLONOSCOPY
    Abdominal MRI
    MRCP

    All done over a two month period. And they were all negative. I saw a surgeon last week who said, “sounds like your gallbladder needs out.” No shit!!!
    And he was right. He told my husband it was nasty.

    Moral of the story: if all of those fancy tests say your gallbladder is ok it must be. Until of course it is robotically removed and it isn’t.
    I hope you get yours out quicker than I did

  99. Omg just get it out! I was sick for a year with that god for shaken shit( although I was the thinnest I’ve ever been so maybe I shouldn’t of had it removed). One huge recommendation…do not laugh when you get home holy shit does that hurt like a mother fucker. My son was five and totally into star wars so he laid with me on the couch and I was like what is Jamals deal. He’s like mom Its “Darth mal”whatever. Anyway. Best of wishes to you

  100. The gallbladder is not unimportant, small though it may be. Gallbladder attacks hurt like a mad bastard. I know I thought I was DYING. I hope they get it out soon, and give you the good pain meds.

  101. I had my gallbladder removed after 3-4 months of OH FUCKING DRAG QUEEN JOSEPH THAT HURTS SO BAD stabby pains. It was full of gall stones. I named my murderous gall bladder Rocky. When I went in to have it removed I asked the Doc if I could keep Rocky’s stones. He looked all aghast and said “Why?!” I replied with I want to make a maraca. Its that whole turning a bad horrible no good thing into an awesome thing- thing.
    Stinkin doctor wouldn’t let me have Rocky’s stones. But the wretched and sadistic Rocky is gone now, and I am much happier for it. 🙂

  102. Good luck! My father-in-law just had his gallbladder removed on Saturday and he is doing great. I wish you a speedy recovery!

  103. I think that any Dr.’s office that can joke about how to remove a gallbladder is exactly the right place for you. Good Luck!

  104. I really hope you feel better soon. One question, do they let you keep your gall bladder after they take it out like they do tonsils, that is un less it explodes? I think it would look great in the doll house mad scientist lab.

  105. Oh no! I hope they take it out. And soon!

    I, too, waited until my inefficient bastard of a gallbladder exploded (don’t let them call it “ruptured”…bullshit! It felt like it exploded and took out a few vital organs with it!). Though, this wasn’t by choice. I dealt with the pain for seven years (SEVEN YEARS!) and no surgeon would take it out. They were all convinced it would get better and become more functional, because somehow, a gallbladder with 30% functionality on a good day, isn’t so bad. Of course, they never saw me lying in a fetal position on the bathroom floor in the middle of the night crying and rocking myself because the stabbing pain wouldn’t go away. Surgeons are assholes sometimes.

    So good luck!!

  106. Been there. I had mine removed almost 20 years ago (shit I’m old!) after being misdiagnosed with everything from an ulcer to psychosomatic crazy girlness (added the last part myself). If they won’t take it out, you might want to remind them of stuff like pancreatitis and kidney failure and malpractice suits and stuff.

    Good luck! Having mine removed was a godsend.

  107. I just had my gallbladder removed two weeks ago. I was lucky enough to have a doctor that saw the symptoms of bastardlike behavior and he rushed me to a surgeon. I was also lucky enough to be referred to a surgeon that specializes in removing the gallbladder through only one incision through the bellybutton. I’m healing like a rockstar! If you can find a surgeon that will do that, definitely go for it! If you live in the SF Bay area, I can give you the info.

  108. Um, I think you have chosen the exactly RIGHT dr, he’s so busy taking out angry gallbladder a through people rectums that he hasn’t had time to change his sign. Plus: less scaring. Seriously good luck, I had a good friend get hers out and she lived having it out. Apparently gallbladder can me very bitchy!

  109. As someone that just experienced the toxic gallbladder organ syndrome that shut down all my other organs I feel for you. I personally recommend you start asking janitors to take it out because then they admit you and they find a real surgeon to take it out.
    I also feel compelled to tell you that they take it out of your belly button and you should under no circumstances look in your belly button a week after surgery because you will be convinced that a popcorn shrimp has taken up residence in said belly button.

    Good luck!

  110. I have read the word gallbladder way too many times this morning, thanks to your post. You should definitely get it taken out, not only because it is trying to murder you, but also because it’s a terrible, terrible name for a body part. Gallbladder, gallbladder, gallbladder….

    Get well soon!

  112. I’m sorry you’re in pain… at least while you’re at the hospital they can give you pain meds. I had my gall bladder removed last June and they took it out through my belly button. I hope you’re out of pain & on the mend soon!

  113. Gall Bladders suck!!! It was life changing after mine was out. I will warn you, I still had attack like symptoms for 6 months afterwards – nausea, etc. Now life is good.

    I hope the meeting with the surgeon goes well! Thinking of you!!

  114. I had my gallbladder out when I was still in college. All the med students were fascinated, and came in to poke me and ask if it hurt when they did. The answer was always yes, incidentally.

    I’ll tell you the funny story about my operation after you’ve come through. If I tell you before, it may scare you.

    Anyway, clearly I survived. I’m sure you will, too, and then you get to be curled up into a ball for a week while you heal. It’ll be fun.

  115. Get it out. You won’t believe how much better you’ll feel. Also, stay near a toilet for a month or three. Because after the gall bladder comes out, there is NO warning about needing to poop. That gradual feeling of, “Oh, I might need to poop later” is GONE. It’s just, “Holy shit, toilet or not, IT’S COMING!” Nobody warned me about that part.

    You’re welcome.

  116. Had mine removed in May, recovery was a breeze… Hope you’re having it done Laparoscopically. Best of luck to you!!!

  117. Gall bladder issues are the worst! I hope you can get it out soon, so you don’t have to deal with that pain anymore.

  118. Holy moly, you’re funny! Just discovered you. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, fucking gall bladder.

  119. Gallbladder is considered a delicacy, but only if it’s served with mint sauce. Otherwise, don’t bother. Just have a hot dog.

  120. Hoping for a speedy recovery!! Is your gallbladder conspiring with your ovary? On another note, possibly take Copernicus with you next time. He has knives.

  121. Eh – I had mine out last year (and I didn’t even need to because my doctor is fucking incompetent but we won’t go into that because wine) and it was half a day of bed rest and three small incision scars. Hope you feel better soon!

  122. My thoughts are with you. I’m so tired of my doctor telling me “well there’s nothing really wrong with your gallbladder” even though about once a year I feel like it’s going to explode out my side like the alien in, well, Aliens. Good luck and I hope you don’t need the spork!

  123. Oh Jenny, I feel your pain. It was just less than a year ago, when I had to have mine removed. I was in miserable pain and what should have been a simple in one day, out the next, turned into 2 hospital admissions, totaling 8 days. I was out of work for a month, and still felt kinda yuck when I returned to work. It took about 6 months for me to start getting back to normal, post surgery.. but then, I started putting back on all the weight I’d lost from not being able to eat right for months. That sucked. I hope that your gallbladder doesn’t give you the trouble I had, and that you get to feeling better soon.

  124. You’ll feel better, but stay close to the bathroom after you eat greasy foods!

  126. Feel better, Jenny. I know gall bladder issues are no joke. My Mom had hers out after resisting very pitifully…she is such a wimp when it comes to pain.

    My sister-in-law, however championed on for months before ending up in the ER. She had at least 3 dozen stones and almost went septic, she is stubborn like that.

    Hoping I’ll keep mine intact, but who the hell knows these days.

    Give that gallbladder hell with yer spork!

  127. I hope you can get the surgery and it goes well. I had to have mine out nine years ago. I was sore like I’d done a thousand sit-ups (I’m presuming; it’s probably the pain of 10 sit-ups actually for me) for a couple of days but drugs are good. lol Just be careful afterwards not to each too much greasy food because…well, I don’t want to get into the details, but it’s rough.

  128. hahahahah! see if i had a secretary that said something like that, i would be SURE i was in the right company, humor in the office is vital…

    i am very sorry for what you are going through and will have to check out the rest of your blog but i have a feeling i will enjoy your humor and sympathies with your suffering

    i suffer from lupus and all the joys it brings, i just started my own blog for this and when i figure out how, i would love to add your blog to the links section/list of people to follow

    us sicky babies need to stick together and teach the world what invisible illness looks like 😉

  129. hope everything goes well, I’m certain it will be a relief to get that bastard outta ya!

  130. Gallbladders suck. If they don’t see stones or sludge on your tests then you’re screwed. I hope for your sake that you are loaded to the gills with stones so that they’ll end your suffering. I suffered the way you are from the time I was 10 to the age of 36 and told the surgeon take it out or I would.

  131. Don’t be scared! I had an emergency gall-bladder surgery a few months ago, had to have mine removed immediately because I was in so much pain I could barely funcion. 3 days later I was back at work and feeling fine!

  132. Yeah I had mine out 4 years ago. It sucked. Be careful cuz yes you can go back to eating crap, but anytime you DO have greasy food now, you will have to go to the bathroom shortly after.

  133. Look on the bright side. That’s a very nice picture of you. Even in the ER with no makeup on, you’re so pretty. Gallbladder pain becomes you. Praying for a speedy recovery.

  134. You tell your stupid gallbladder that if it doesn’t start behaving that it’s going to have to answer to the tribe. We do not take kindly to threats to our leader! Get well soon Jenny. We love you.

  135. So Sorry – the pain is un-freaking-real, I had mine out when I was in my 20’s. And then forever after you hafta be careful about mixing booze and fried foods, and the only time you can eat any kind of creamy soup is home. Alone. Within 10 ft. of the bathroom. On the other hand, I got to keep 2 of my gallstones. Still have them in a jar somewhere – always meant to make them into earrings.

  136. BOOOOO
    And by boo I mean ‘screw you gallbladder!’

    Feel better. Remember – nuke the gallbladder from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

  137. I am pretty sure if they removed your gall bladder through your rectum you would feel like a hand puppet…. and though that could be interesting…. I don’t think it would be super comfy… possibly even less comfy than the potentially exploding gall bladder….

  138. I have a fatty liver and it drops sludge into the gallbladder. I started eating much healthier a few years ago, unaware that cutting out fried foods would literal feel like it was killing me. I eat advacados once a week now and that seems to keep the sludge moving enough that I don’t get pain. If I become aware of where my gallbladder is, I just go eat tex mex and that feeling goes away.

  139. You’ll be glad to know that your sense of humor is not located in your gall bladder. I was worried about that when they removed mine. But a year later and I’m still fucking hysterical.

  142. I just had mine out last week. My pain after is less than I had before surgery. I even got a new belly button out of the deal.

  144. I hate hospitals. Especially when you have to go to one alone.

    Also, how do you manage to still look so super cute in a hospital gown?

    Some of us would be lost without you, so take care & feel better soon … xoxo

  145. Good luck! I had mine removed, after seriously considering hitting my head on the wall to knock myself out, I decided surgery was probably a better option. Warning though, no matter what they tell you, your gall bladder does actually serve a purpose. It keeps you from shitting your pants. So, after you have it removed, try not to shit your pants. When you eat fatty or greasy foods, you will have to run to the bathroom. Some people don’t have a big problem with it, so hopefully you’re one of the lucky ones.

  146. I’ve had the surgery, and you will feel SO much better without the little bastard. I tried to get my surgeon to remove my appendix while he was in there, because I hate having surgery. I figured I’d get him to remove the next possible trouble while in there, but he wouldn’t do it.

    Just FYI – they blow your abdomen full of air, so take something loose to wear home. Mine was done on an emergency basis so I didn’t have that option, and I could not zip up the pants the next day. Thank God for long shirts.

  147. Gall bladders are overrated. Ditch it, quickly. Then laugh at it as it lies dying. Then skip the funeral. Feel better!!

  148. At least the lady on the phone has a sense of humor. Humor is good when choosing a surgeon….on second thought……

    Feel better soon! Gallbladders are bitches!

  149. I’ll be the patient for you! They can have my gall bladder…I’ll do it for the pain pills…wait, that makes me sound like a drug addict…I’m not, really…I have fucking Fibromyalgia…I hate this constant pain…all night, all day, every night, every day…it’s fucking ridiculous! Whomever invented it was insane. I’d rather have a kidney stone or have my gall bladder removed…UGH!

    PS – I hope you feel better taking MY pain pills.

  150. I felt the exact same way! You will feel so much better once they get that thing out of you! Hopefully they will do it fast!

  151. Don’t worry…if they take it out laproscopically (is THAT spelled right???) it’s no big deal. Jut 3 little tiny scars and a whole lot of gas afterwards! But I will warn you, be ready for some EXPLOSIVE bowel movements from time to time the rest of your life…always know where the nearest toilet is!!! Love your book! How’s your Dad doing???

  152. I had/have a little cyst on my gall bladder. The pain is excruciating, right? I didn’t want surgery, so I cut 99% of the fat out of my diet; no cheese, no peanut butter, no egg yolks, no chocolate, OK a little bit of chocolate, but not like before. And my symptoms have gone away, it’s been 2 years now. don’t you want to try a diet change before a surgery?

  153. Having my gallbladder taken out was just part of my continuing weight loss program. Appendix, gallbladder, cartilage, bone fragments, and other unnecessary pieces, I feel like a new man. Although, I am a little worried about what I may lose next. My gallbladder had more than forty stones in it.

  155. My gallbladder also tried to kill me so I feel your pain. You’ll feel much better once it’s gone. But here’s a secret nobody tells you…once it’s gone you’ll have trouble processing fats for awhile so be sure you’re VERY close to a bathroom right after you eat. (a tip I would have been very grateful for after my surgery, if you get my drift)

  158. You will feel better when it comes out; but (of course there’s a but) you will need to be careful of what you eat for a few months. Like if you go to DisneyWorld and don’t like the food at a restaurant except for the salad, don’t eat a platter and a half of salad. It will hurt you like a mofo. Like you want to die again kind of pain. Feel better!

  159. Gallbladders are evil little bastards! Having mine removed after YEARS of gall attacks and doctors telling me it was just acid reflux and muscle spasms in my back. I took a trip to the ER, had a painful ultrasound and out it went. I instantly felt better… Well, after the pain of surgery and that damn gas dispersed from the surgery and my shoulder stopped hurting. Hoping you have a safe surgery and speedy recovery!

  160. My gallbladder tried to kill me when I was eight but fortunately, my doctors punched it out of my body with lasers. Just last year (at the ripe old age of 24) a stone in my bile duct started plotting revenge for its brethren… Less lasers this time, but the same amount of victory.

    Hurts like a bitch. Tell em to give you the good stuff!

  161. A good surgeon can go through the belly button and leave no scars. Forget the other exit. Unless you’re due a colonoscopy. Then it’s just being efficient.

  163. My husband had his gall bladder out after it almost exploded. Just so you know, it is there for a reason, and your doctor not wanting to get rid of it isn’t a whim. Your gall bladder stores bile – it’s the OMG-YOU-ATE-KFC emergency response unit… you eat fat, it comes to the rescue with extra digestive enzymes. Since losing the gallbladder, coming up a year ago in September — he’s lost about 20 lbs, which is not coming back (I know, that’s probably not a disincentive, says the rolly polly lady). The reason he lost the weight is that his stomach is often in turmoil from eating any food with fat. So kiss the french fries, potato chips, bacon, any quantity of red meat goodbye for a quite a while. He also gets full really fast. Food is not fun any more. The acute pain will vanish, but if you get any pleasure from food, you’re going to lose that for quite a while. Weigh your options carefully!

  164. Maybe less scarring but not the way I’d go with. Although I’ve never had to remove my gallbladder, so I don’t know what I’m talking about.

    I can’t think of any stories that would inspire you or assure you everything will work out fine. The only story I can think of is of my mom sneaking candy to my grandpa when he was in the hospital. Tip: kids can enter a hospital carrying almost anything in their pockets and they don’t get in trouble. No one searches kids pockets.

  165. I hope it goes well and quickly, and you get well so fast they don’t know what hit them. Make those doctors laugh, but not while they’re cutting you.

  166. I described my attacks as: “it feels like someone shoved a knife through my midsection and twisted it”. And yet my doctor (my OB Gyn, by the way–I was pregnant) said, “well, woman can have some funny pains while they are pregnant.” Oddly, he’s still my GYN.

    Once I went to a regular physician, and then a surgeon, I received proper attention to the un-f-ing-believable pain. Not a lick of trouble since I had it removed. Hoping the same for you. (Avoid fats to avoid attacks until you do).

  167. Good Luck and I hope you feel better soon!

    After being sick forever, a surgeon decided to take out my gall bladder “just in case.” Didn’t help, but it was an extremely easy surgery to recover from and I didn’t ever have any of the aftermath problems of not having one. I just counted it as the world’s smallest weight loss via not-so-vital organ removal.

  168. I went through it once. Once.

    Got that shit taken out the next day.

    Good luck, hope you don’t like fried foods too much and hope you’re but one of the 5% (like myself) who get bile salts that make you shit within minutes of eating…. hope you like rice if you do.

    Love and thoughts to you!

  169. Feel better!! My mom had her’s out, and she decided that she wasn’t going to have surgery and then recover, she was going on a ‘surgication’! So think of this as some surprise time off for some mandated R&R!

  170. UGH.
    Hope you’re feeling better soon, Jenny. I wish I could think of something witty to say, but I’m too busy wincing at the thought of your performing a self-gallbadderectomy with a spork to think of anything funny.

    (As a side note … A SPORK?? If you can dig out organs with one of those things, you are truly the Queen of the World, because I can’t even pick up a fucking tater tot with one of those gender-confused utensils.)

  171. Well, I’d always rather have nurses with weird senses of humor. Hope it all goes well and that they dig that sucker out soon!

  172. Oh, I forgot. Did they tell you the med school shorthand for accessing possible gallbladder issues?
    Forty, Fat, Female & Fertile.
    Charming. But, reasonably accurate.

  173. I had my gallbladder out, and let me tell you, you will be SO GLAD when the fucker is gone and can’t hurt you anymore!!

    Good luck, and I hope all goes smoothly. xoxo

  174. Yuck! I went through that last year but felt a million times better when they finally removed it.

    Sadly they wont let you keep it in a jar afterwards. 😉

    I hope you are feeling better soon and am sending sporky thoughts to you!

  175. Hey Jenny,

    I’ve noticed you and I share a lot of similar health issues and I was wondering if you have been tested for a gluten allergy or celiacs disease?

  176. I just had mine removed last Monday. Mine had become an evil Bond villain and was plotting to ruin my life one attack at a time so after 18 hospital stays in 3 years, the doctors finally yanked the thing out. It’s only a week since but I feel fantastic. Get it removed as soon as you can, the immediate difference is insane. Hope you feel better soon !

  177. The temerity of that gall bladder!

    I consider this to be a hilarious play on words. 😛

    Get better soon, Jenny. Hugs to you.

  178. Good luck & when you have the surgery remember these rules:
    1) as soon as you get to your hospital room grab the phone and turn the ringer w-a-y down. The last person in that room was stone deaf and you don’t want to jump when it rings right after you get back to your room (been there done that)
    2) When the nurse peeks in on you in the middle of the night – don’t twitch or they will take that as permission to poke, prod & play with your bod. Only up side is they will give you drugs when they’re done.
    seriously tho:
    3) anesthesia can cause depression as it works its way out of your system afterwards & it can take up to a year to do it!
    4) should you decide to have the onion rings (or other fried food) within a year after surgery – be sure you’re close to a bathroom (or better yet take an imodium first!)

  179. If the receptionist is quick enough to think of having your gallbladder yanked out through your rectum as a way to eliminate scarring, you are TOTALLY at the right doctor’s office!!

  181. When they removed my mother’s gall bladder, she had 20+ triangle-shaped stones in it. Are you sure you’re not an ambulatory quarry?

  182. Good luck and I hope you feel better too.

    My gallbladder did the same thing to me a few years ago. I ended up in the hospital a week before it was supposed to removed. It was spewing stuff back out into my body so I had to be on IV antibiotics and fluids until they could remove it. The surgery was a breeze, they did the laparoscopic procedure and I was out in no time. Recovery was easier than when I had my impacted wisdom teeth out but that’s because I didn’t get take home drugs like I did with the gallbladder 🙂

  183. I’m with ya, sister! Had mine out a few years ago after convincing my docs there really was something wrong with me. It was the best few thousand bucks I’ve ever spent. (I think the med. industry should do a serious study on the effects of depression/anxiety on gallbladders).

  184. Pssht, whatever. That gallbladder is amateur! Aiming to be the first serial killer gallbladder, my mom’s gallbladder starting slowly killing my mother whilst turning her breast milk sour, so that it could destroy a tiny breast feeding me as well. That is what happens when you believe in your dreams, gallbladder! You could have BEEN somebody.

    Despite having a subpar murderous gallbladder, I hope you feel better soon and get that bastard out.

  185. I’d say I don’t miss mine, and really I don’t….but I do spend a lot of time desperately popping Immodium while sitting on the toilet praying it will stop before I have to go to a function. Or back to my desk. I no longer freak out when the odor in a public bathroom is a miasma because I so sympathize. Also, I’m the queen of courtesy flushing.

  186. If the nurse is making jokes, I think you’ve picked the right surgeon. However, if you wanted to come up north, I would be happy to recommend an excellent surgeon and surgical center.

  188. Jenny, just had mine out about two weeks ago. I had a great surgeon and I really was (painfully) on my feet the next day. I milked it and took a week off from work.

    They wouldn’t let me have the stones though…something about biohazard human body parts disposal protocols. Apparently they have to send it off to a lab. I think it’s all a cover and our diseased organs are being sold on the black market to medical schools for dissection. Can you imagine? A whole class at their tables, dissecting along to the diagram…student with the most stones wins the pool…

  189. Bloggess of my heart:

    I feel your pain…or rather, felt it… twice. Please note: not only can your gallbladder cause you (insert heretofore uninvented word meaning penultimate pain) but so can the GHOST of your gallbladder.

    Indeed, five years after I was exorcised of that tiny, angry demon, I developed similar symptoms again. Apparently, even if the organ isn’t there, stones can form and lodge in the little passageways that your liver and pancreas like to use. This is not to scare you… it’s just to encourage you to see your doctor without delay if you ever experience the symptoms again after your surgery… unlike moi… who for three years kept saying, “there’s no way I’m THAT kind of sick because I’ve already taken care of that.”

    Yes way.

    BTW, if you don’t want cholecystectomy scarring, ask if you can have an ERCP to remove the stones. It might not be feasible if your stones are a certain kind, but the ERCP doc travels down your throat with tiny surgical instruments (don’t ask me how they shrink the doc to get him in there) rather than cutting into your side — and while that might seem like a party at Guantanamo, it’s actually much less invasive. Since you get to sleep through it, who cares?

    Feel better. There will come a day when you can eat bacon again, baby girl. I promise you that! <3

  190. I had to have my evil gallbladder removed after two ER visits, so I literally feel your pain. “Enjoy” the liquid diet… Ick. Get someone to smuggle you some fries.H

  191. My wife is waiting for her gallbladder to try and kill her. There is a family history. Her tonsils, however are always trying to do her in. And no one will take them out for her.Happy thoughts are with you!

  192. Been there, done that. I know how fricken’ awful it is. I thought I had been shot through with an arrow. Which is weird, because there were no bows & arrows around at the time.

    That said, the doctor screwed up, and clipped my COMMON BILE DUCT. I ended up having three liver resections, lung surgery, several infections, and 53 days in the hospital. So good luck with that.

    Make sure to tell the surgeon not to fuck with your common bile duct. It’s a bad idea.

    Good luck… get better soon!

  193. I actually think you did pick the right one if the office staff is that witty. Good luck, the surgery went very smoothly for me when I had it done. Actually, it was a damn relief to have that fucker gone.

  194. hahahahahahaha. love you and your posts! Yet another gallbladder story: Mine ruptured. And then fell apart while they were taking it out. Made me pretty damn sick for a while. Get that sucker OUT!

  195. and my husband thought I was crazy for buying a titanium spork, but you never know when you might need one of those uber-useful utensils!

  196. Best thing I have ever done for myself was to get rid of my gallbladder. I didn’t even know how bad I felt until it was gone. I had mine taken out through my belly button…which was actually pretty awesome because I have no scar. It will be year ago next week and I have been AWESOME!! Everything in life has improved and I am in no pain. Get that sucker out!

  197. Lol, I think you picked EXACTLY the right doctor! Also, I’m discussing your book in book club next week – woot!

  198. Just had mine taken out six weeks ago. What a difference it makes. Hope all goes well and you can kick that douchecanoe of a gallbladder to the curb soon. Speedy recovery!

  200. Every year my gastroenterologist says to me “you have a lot of gallstones” and i say, “well, I don’t notice them, so let’s pretend I didn’t hear that, because they aren’t bothering me. But I will let you know the second the are.” I’m keeping my fingers crossed for my silent gallstones and you soon to be had surgery. Hopefully not utilizing your rectum, Or a spork.

  201. Gall Bladders are tricksy things. Mine almost ruptured on me almost 15 years ago. It wasn’t fun. From anecdotal stories about 50% of people who have their gall bladders removed wind up with some weird food-related issue. Here’s hoping your not in that group of people!

  202. Oh girl, I am so sorry your gallbladder is being an attempted murdering ass hole. I hope you get your revenge soon. Just… not with a spork. Talk about SCARRING!!

    Heal. Feel better. Blog. I will wait.

  203. I had my gallbladder removed last year when I was in such pain I was writhing on the floor, unable to get up. After years of “stomach pain” that I had chalked up to being lactose intolerant and inherently gassy, I finally had found out why I couldn’t eat anything without all the pain.

    I asked them if I could keep the stones, to make into etsy jewelry. They said no, not because they hate crafts, but because gallstones are like cookie crumbs. DOESN’T THAT MAKE YOU HUNGRY?

    Anyways, good luck! If they do it lasroscopically you will just have three tiny scars. If you can turn your bellybutton inside out as a party trick, you will be unable to do so anymore though, as I discovered.

  204. Oh, Jenny, I totally feel for you. After years of pain and several tests that the gastroenterologist said was “inconclusive,” my GP sent me to a surgeon, who told me that the test results actually said that the sucker needed to come out NOW. It was hard to believe him, since he looked like Doogy Howser, but I did it anyway. The anesthesiologist looked just a bit older, and YELLED at me after I’d told him I’d had a sip of water that morning before surgery. “DO YOU WANT TO ASPHYXIATE AND DIE????” But I am so freaking glad I had it done.

    Please be aware, though — if they do it via laparoscopy, remember that they have to pump your belly full of air to do it. When you get home, you’ll need to fart and fart and fart. And calling the nurse is no help. I got up and walked, rolled on my stomach, etc. The only thing that finally worked was bourbon and a cigarette. And yes, bourbon and Percocet should not be taken at the same time, but at that point, I didn’t care.

    Get better soon! And PS? You look awesome in a surgical gown.

  205. Good luck to you! I had my gallbladder out last summer and wouldn’t you know it – after I had the damn thing out, I ended up in the ER with similar pain – and much to my surprise, a gall stone had somehow gotten on the loose and decided to plug my bile duct. That added another procedure to roto-rooter my bile duct and install a stint, which then had to be removed a couple of weeks later. Other than all of that exciting stuff, the surgery was cake!!

  206. I have issues with mine too. I opted to stop eating red meat and I’ve been ok for two years now…except my iron is low now. I had a small amount of ground beef the other day and felt awful for three days. :/. I prefer not to be cut open again..bad experience…

  207. I’m very glad that your gallbladder is an inefficient fucking murderer, the alternative is so much worse!
    Take good care of yourself and hopefully the gallbladder is not linked to the funny bone in any bizarre way.

  209. Had mine removed over 10 years ago, and I feel you. I was ready for them to take it out with a spoon! I still have to be careful about eating fatty food, but that’s a small price to pay to never have to experience that kind of pain again! Thoughts and prayers with you!

  210. Best wishes for a speedy recovery from that bastard. For me, kidney stones are the bastards.

  211. There are a lot of benefits to having your gallbladder removed. Some drawbacks. But overall? Totally worth it. Here’s hoping you can have it yanked and have it done laproscopically, if that’s even a word. Speedy recovery!

  212. Ugh. Best wishes. I hope you’ll only need your spork for the shitty mashed potatoes and corn they’ll feed you later.

  213. take a permanent marker and draw directions on your body. Any vital parts that you want to keep mark them “NOT THESE”

  214. I started having gallbladder attacks about a year ago. I ended up in the er, and then they sent me to a specialist to check on it. So I went to this guy pretty much directly from the er, and he came in and looked at me and my chart and I explained to him what was going on. He touched my gallbladder area which made me basically hysterical with pain, and then he was like, okay, we need to discuss your weight problem. I was like, wait, WHAT??? He then spent 15 minutes telling me I was overweight, and have I thought about weight watchers? I was LIVID! In the end he told me that my weight was a more pressing issue then my gallbladder, and refused to recommend the surgery. (My husband was there too, which i am glad about because who would believe me otherwise? He was also furious, but the Dr would’t change his recommendation of “weight loss”.) It took a month of extreme pain and more er visits before they finally yanked that sucker out. In the end I lost 30 pounds because I was so sick I threw up everything I ate (which the Dr CONGRATULATED me on), but as soon as I could keep food down gained 50 in a single month (and I still wasn’t eating that much). It really hit home how much worse medical care you can get it you are fat…. I was in the er crying with pain, and the suggestion was to lose weight. I lost the gallbladder though in the end, which made my life way better. I am hopeful you will have an uneventful surgery!!!

  215. It is super easy surgery, and you’ll be back to normal in a few days. In the meantime, I am SOOOO sorry. I’ve given birth to three people without so much as a peep (Great, I’m a fucking scientologist now.), and my first gallbladder attack had be rolling around on the floor screaming obscenities, which is behavior I usually reserve for much happier occasions.

    Finger crossed…prayers out…Jello sent… 🙂

  216. Like an idiot, I waited TWO YEARS! When I finally went in (moving day, McDonalds AND pizza) the ultrasound tech said, “Holy cow! We’re not supposed to show you the monitor, but you’ve got to SEE this thing!” The biggest stone was an inch across and had ears, like Mickey Mouse. I hope they get that thing OUT!

    Speedy recovery!

  217. I hope having it removed solves your problems – I had mine removed 6 years ago and guess what?! I STILL have problems! I’m thinking now that the gall bladder wasn’t the problem.

  218. Healing energy your way.
    I think you picked the right place…at least they have a sense of humor!

  219. So to avoid less scarring you need to poop your gall bladder out?

    We.Are.Fucked.

    Thankfully the receptionist won’t be anywhere near the doctor, through the operation.

    Good luck, stay strong. ~hugs~

  220. I JUST had mine out three weeks ago! I was suffering for about a year and a half before I was able to get it out (pesky pregnancy got in the way) and it is one of the BEST decisions I have ever made.

    Le me know if you have any questions! I can totally sympathize; I had my share of ER visits when my gallbladder decided to be a vengeful mother effer. Worst. Pain. Ever. Worse than being in labor for more than 24 hours and having two c-sections.

  223. Ha! I love your line: “More later if I’m not dead.”

    Somehow, I think if ANYONE could figure out how to communicate to us from the Great Beyond, it would be YOU!

    Never stop blogging. Never!

  224. Good luck! My doctors definitely used the word “exploded” when my slow-leaking appendix finally detonated, detaching from my colon, leaving a gaping hole and spewing poison throughout my entire abdominal cavity. I have an awesome row of permanent titanium staples in my colon and a belly button to vagina with 30 staple-hole scar (so pretty). Super fun!!

  225. So glad you’re not dead. Hope you continue to stay not dead. Hope all goes smoothly and you don’t have to get the spork involved.

  226. Yes, the correct technical term is EXPLODED. Because that’s what happened to my Dad (after being misdiagnosed for years…stupid doctors!)…and he almost died. GET IT OUT, GIRL!!! Insist, demand, take a gun with you…whatever you need to do to convince them to operate! Good luck, God bless and be well!!

  227. So, I have a friend who went on a strict NO-FAT diet and was able to keep his gallbladder. He also lost about 40lbs and has been gradually able to reintroduce some fat into his diet if he is careful. Just something to keep in mind.

  228. My gallbladder tried to kill me back in 2004. I felt SO much better after I had it out. Especially because when I’d been to the ER a year earlier, they’d basically made me feel like an idiot when they saw nothing on an x-ray (it showed up on the ultrasound the next time). Good luck. Positive vibes coming your way.

  229. Your gallbladder seriously sucks ass at efficient murder. Which quite frankly i’m glad about, but seriously, I hope there’s no christmas bonus for that one. I think you may have just invented a whole new meaning to teh phrase keyhole surgery!

  230. I met a doc who does “No-incision gall bladder surgery”. Seems he uses an endoscope, goes down your throat and into your stomach, makes a F*CKING INCISION, and snags your gallbladder that way. Sounds like false labeling to me.

  231. Actually, I think you picked exactly the right doctor. Or at least the right receptionist. I think you and she will get along very well–I could totally see you saying that. And the right receptionist is way better than the right doctor. Or maybe not. But anyway….

    I had my gall bladder out a year or two ago (even tho mine was never bad enough to send me to the ER) and I can tell you out is way better than in.

  233. I’m sorry you are in pain. There’s data out there that gallbladder issues is a sign of food allergies and thus removal will only cover up the real problem. There’s way to heal the inflammation. I don’t have my gall gladder anymore and the doctors didn’t know the cause of the problem. Years later I now know I had gluten intolerance (among other things). I didn’t need it removed–I needed the reason it became inflamed. Before you undergo surgery please look up what happens to your body if you are sans a gallbladder. You’ll have issues afterward, too. Trust me–you gall bladder is not an “extra” organ. It’s better to find an alternative. I have a bunch of links if you are interested.

    Be well.

  234. I don’t know if you have the right doctor or not, but you definitely have the right receptionist.

    Feel better.

  236. I hope they can finally resolve this even if it means cutting you open. My friend had the same surgery with no complications.

    Even in pain, you’re still hilarious and inspiring. Sending you healing thoughts and prayers.

  237. Sounds like your doctor’s office staff at least have a sense of humor about their jobs. I’ve never had gallbladder problems, but it sounds like it’s a mostly useless organ anyway (kinda like an appendix that way), so why do we even have them to begin with? Why are we born with organs we don’t really need, but if they start being bitchy, they can potentially kill us? What kind of sense does that make?

    Anyway, good luck with getting your mean ass gallbladder removed.

  238. Good luck! And when you’re high on painkillers, call your sister for an update on excessive hair growth!

  240. First, you look adorable in hospital garb..second, you look a little like a girl I know who sings opera in TX. That is all.

  241. I think you picked the perfect Dr. if his nurse is that quick on her feet.

  243. Don’t be dead. Your blog needs to continue.
    You may have trouble absorbing some fat soluble vitamins and you may also become deficient in B12 after surgery (especially if your dietary changes cause you to avoid meat and dairy products). You probably need to discuss this with your doctor so that you can plan how to address these eventual problems.

  245. I hear that gall bladder attacks are more painful than child birth. Of course I heard that from my ex-husband who had not given birth and was a giant wuss. Quick healing! You’ll feel loads better once it’s out!

  246. Maybe you could sell it! Because a bear gallbladder goes for about $10,000 according to the Internet, but selling them is now illegal in several states. (Because they are are removed by killing bears and not just rectally like yours.) I bet you could get at least 5 grand, which would be a boon to your ethically taxidermied creature budget.

  247. Joining the legions here who want you to fell better. And if you have a legion by your side, things are bound to look up!

  249. It took me 9 years and loads of fighting with my insurance to get mine out. I finally had to agree to be self pay if it turned out to not be my gallbladder, it was, so they paid up. I think the surgeon knew I was serious when I told him to “reach in a yank something out and lets see if it helps.” I was desperate by that point.
    After you have it out isn’t the most fun either though, make sure you take probiotics, they help.

  250. I kind of think you picked the exact right doctor. Receptionist anyway. And you will feel so much better with the gallbladder out.

  251. You’ll be fine. Tell them you have a headache, too. I did before I had mine yanked and the anesthesiologist gave me Fentanyl, which is 80x more powerful than morphine and the best stuff ever. They even let me see one of the stones and it looked like dog food.

  252. And now we know why doctors say, “you can’t put a price tag on good health.” They can, apparently. We can’t.

  254. Some organs are overrated. Please don’t be dead, that just wont work for your many friend/fans! I can tell you that having your gall bladder removed will be one of the best things that has ever happened to, not to mention the morphine. In fact, i think you should commit to writing several blogs while enjoying your morphine. Did you know that horses dont have gall bladders? Be sure to have the doctor take a picture of it (removed) for your blog. It would be fab.

  255. I’m sorry your gallbladder is being a jerk, but I’m glad you’re trying to get it removed before it becomes ‘splody. That’s a good idea.

    I hope you’re feeling better really, really soon!

  256. The same thing happened to me over Christmas two years ago. They sent me home and I was back at the ER the next day. They were going to send me home again until I threatened them. YOU DO NOT NEED TO GO PLAY GOLF. YOU NEED TO SAVE MY LIFE. RIGHT NOW for fucks sake! It came out a day or so later. You have rights. Demand treatment.

  257. Hopefully they remove it! I had mine removed in 2010, when I woke up in excruciating pain from gallstones apparently. It sucked.

  258. All you people with your bad test results and gall bladder surgery make me envious. All my tests come back normal so no surgery for me. I still get to have all the attacks and endure pain so bad that I honestly think I’m having a heart attack and dying. Me and my “normal” gall bladder are going to sit over here and pout.

  259. Oh my gosh, you are hilarious, even though your post is about how much your gallbladder is torturing you. In all seriousness though, I do hope this doctor listens to your intuition and does what you are wanting. I couldn’t imagine dealing with that kind of pain that often and knowing the answer to the problem. Best of luck!

    Sydney

  260. I love how doctors like to understate things. Gallbladders don’t explode, they rupture. It’s not pain, it’s discomfort. Yeah, and this isn’t my fist, it’s my hand positioned in such a way that it will cause discomfort when it ruptures your face.

    Feel better ASAP.

  262. Gall bladders are best out. They are nasty vindictive entities bent on destruction. Hoping all goes well for you and for a quick healing.

  263. Yikes! That is painful! I’ve been there and it sucks. Get it out asap! And if you have to do it yourself don’t forget to lock the cats up first or they’ll play with that shit. Also, Set up the camera. Love and hugs!

  264. Damn girl, that sucks.
    I hope you don’t die cuz I really, really like reading your stuff.
    Take care of yourself and never refuse the good drugs.
    xo

  265. My gallbladder was a b*tch and would have relished the opportunity to explode, I’ve no doubt. The removal of it was my first experience with lap surgery … I would have to think long and hard should the possibility of surgery ever arise again on whether I would do lap or traditional surgery – my partner would likely think the same, who had to deal with me and luckily has the patience of Job (or Victor, really. I wonder if he’s ever been compared to a Biblical person before). But I’m told the recovery for lap surgery is shorter so obviously, there’s that.

    In any event, the receptionist bodes well for the doctor.

  266. Oh no! Not the gallbladder! What a horrible horrible thing. *pets* I had the same thing happen at the beginning of this year. Me: *PAIN* ER: Eh, it’s probably your gallbladder. See a doctor. Doctor: Eh, it’s probably your gallbladder, let’s wait and see if it happens again. Me: *PAIN* ER: Eh, it’s probably your gallbladder, see your doctor. Doctor: Eh, it’s probably your gallbladder. Let’s run some tests. *tests tests tests* Me: *This is getting old* ER: Eh, it’s probably your Me: YEAH, I GET IT. DO SOMETHING. ER: Um, we can’t, unless it’s about to explode. Me: Gee, thanks. Me: *ringring* Doctor? Yeah, just give me the name of the fucking surgeon already. Surgeon’s Office: We’ll see you Tuesday. Surgeon: We’ll take it out Friday. Me: OW OW OW.

    DO NOT BELIEVE anyone who says you’ll be faboo and up and around in a couple of days. Try a couple of weeks feeling like a truck ran over you.

    The good new is, you will get better, and you will feel normal again and you really don’t much need a gallbladder! GET WELL SOON!

  268. It’s “non invasive” these days – just two little port holes and no massive scar. This is really good because abdominal surgery of any kind sucks ass and takes forever to recover from (as I know).
    Wishing you as easy of a time as possible and speedy healing. Make sure they send you home with decent pain management so you don’t have to suffer “because wine” doesn’t mix well with post-op healing.

  270. Feel better soon! Make sure you sterilize that spork before self-surgery-ing . . .

  271. TIL I may have a wonky gall bladder. Except, when I woke up in the middle of the night in horrible pain, I just waited for it to go away and it did. And then it came back. And then it left. This was a year ago. I’m still alive, no thanks to me.

    But no worries, when I started having chest pain 6 months later, I went the E.R. That was heartburn. A probiotic and antiacids and I was fine.

  272. Good luck! My dad had his gallbladder removed (he had gallstones) and they went in through 7 tiny holes in his abdomen, so he was doing great by the next day and healed up in no time after the procedure! I hope it turns out to be easy like that for you, too!

  273. You poor thing. That is so unbelievably painful. And you are sitting at home thinking – I am in excruciating pain. It is radiating across my chest and it might be a heart attack. You were smart to go to the E.R. unlike me, who sat in my living room at 3:00 a.m. by myself with 2 small children asleep, thinking, “I am in excruciating pain here. It could be a heart attack or it could be my gallbladder. If I don’t die in 5 minutes, it’s my gallbladder, if I do, well, then, I guess it was my heart and wasn’t I stupid to not go to the E.R.” DUMB! Fortunately it WAS my gallbladder, unfortunately, same thing – it took a year for me to get it out and I had many attacks that were beyond painful. P.s. Don’t let them rip it out through your colon and also 2nd p.s. My surgeon who was young, fit and GORGEOUS told ME that I would be able to dance a jig and jog within 2 weeks of the surgery. It would be that painless and easy to heal from. Wrong. Wrong and oh, did I say WRONG???? No, two weeks later at the post-op apt I was still in significant pain and wondering when I’d be over the pain, and he just looked at me and said his golfing buddy just had surgery a week ago and was already golfing. I wanted to rip his gallbladder out from his throat and ask him to do a jig, jog and golf! Your body heals at the pace it heals and NO ONE can tell you what that time frame IS!!!!

  274. Take care.

    My father had his gallbladder explode also. Luckily, he was in surgery to have it removed and they had just taken it out of him and put it on the table when it ker-ploded. The only reason he knew that there was a problem was that it acted up after he ate a pastrami sandwich so he went for a checkup. A pastrami sandwich saved my father’s life. See? Pastrami is good for you.

  275. P.S. Dawnie’s comment is correct. The after is not fun. It’s called ‘dumping syndrome’ and supposedly on a small % of the population experience the joy that is ‘dumping syndrome’ and you get the picture from the name. All that stuff that your gallbladder processes, now goes through the liver and ‘dumps into your stomach and intestine’s if you get the picture. She is right. Lots of probiotics and yogurt, until your system adjusts. Whoever said that that gallbladder is a useless organ LIED!!! Hence the ‘dumping’. Still better than the pain.

  276. I’ve got good news for you. The operation for that will leave you with only the tiniest scar. My wife went through it and she came out ok. Had to deal with the change in diet for a bit though but even that got sorted out soon enough. Get it done and get some rest.

    Cheers!

  277. Gallbladders *are* total biatches. Getting mine out tomorrow morning.

    Hope you don’t have to wait too long to get your GD GB out.
    <<<<<<>>>>>>

  278. I hope you can get it yanked out soon. I tried to wait when I starting having “attacks,” because I had an 8 week baby old that basically nursed 24/7, but I got up a stone in my bile duct, and ended up with pancreatitis. BTW, I insisted on bringing my baby to the hospital with me, and the only person who complained was the patient representative?!?? P.S. maybe you can get the doctor to give you the gallbladder, you know , for your “collection” of odd shit!

  279. Why oh WHY do Dr.s insist on keeping malicious organs inside where they can keep causing pain??? I’ve never understood this. I can’t even get a Dr. to admit that my gallbladder is evil, it’s always so nice and polite when I have an appointment. Like it knows…

  280. In the good old days when they let you take medical waste home from the hospital with you, my mom kept her gallstones in a jar in the bottom drawer of the cedar chest. We kids would take them out and look at them in wonder, play around with them, although as I remember they weren’t perfectly spherical enough to play marbles with.

  281. My gallbladder really did literally almost kill me by causing a gall stone to lodge in my common bile duct causing pancreatitis which is serious business. Medically induced coma for 5 weeks, two months in the hospital, life support, re-learning how to walk, homecare nurses for a year, several surgeries and the whole works. You can read about it here: http://www.sunnycrittenden.com/wp/about-me/soooo-i-almost-died/

    Yank that sucker. I’ve had zero issues since they took mine out a year ago and when they took it out, it was discoloured and full of stones so the likelihood of continuing problems if they didn’t take it out was pretty high.

    Good luck. 🙂

  285. It’s an easy surgery and then they give you fun drugs that make you think you’re whispering when you’re not, and you totally think the anasthesiologist can’t hear you call him hot, but he can, and so can the people down the hall.

  286. They took mine out and yes, if they won’t take it out now then use a spork yourself or a ginsu knife or anything else that might be handy. I have never had pain like that in my life and I have had 2 kids and multiple surgeries in my lifetime. I had no idea what was wrong with me and ended up with pancreatitis and could have been dead on the bedroom floor. They took out my gallbladder through a small incision and I have felt a LOT better ever since. The way I look at it is that I wasn’t aware of it until it went haywire and so I don’t miss it now. Good luck to you (you won’t need it, it’s a fairly routine surgery) and enjoy floating along on the drugs they give you.

  287. My 87 year old mother-in-law got her gall-bladder removed laparoscopically and was helping load four if her cows three days later, personally, not by Skype from the hospital! But my sister was miserable for weeks. I hope yours is more the former outcome than the latter and you’re punching cows, or something equally butch, in no time. Be well!

  289. I had mine removed in 2004, for similar reasons. It’s actually a pretty easy surgery and recovery time is usually less than a week. Be prepared for the aftermath – too much grease and you’ll just…pass it. Like, if you ever took the Alli diet pill? Those kinds of side effects. Also, you may have issues with certain spices. I can’t eat jalapeños without feeling sick, but chipotle (a smoked jalapeño) is fine? Weird.

    Good luck, pretty lady!

  290. My wife had gallbladder surgery five years ago. She began having gall bladder attacks during her last pregnancy. she was told that if she were not pregnant (or under 20 weeks pregnant), gall bladder surgery is relatively simple and require minimal recovery time. But since she was 22 weeks pregnant, she would require a larger incision, that it would take longer to heal and then probably require her to have a C-section, because if she tried to push the baby out, there was a likelihood of rupturing her surgical incision from the gall bladder.

    My wife chose to live with the pain of the gall bladder for several months. This was without massive pain meds (again, because she was pregnant). She gave birth to our fourth daughter and had gall bladder surgery the next day. It was brave. It was gutsy (no pun intended). I’m married to a very cool lady whom I really don’t deserve.

    Living without a gall bladder is an inconvenience, but nowhere near as bad as living with the torture of gall bladder attacks. I hope you get the relief you deserve.

    Be well, stay strong and rock on!

  291. Don’t let them talk you out of it. Exploding organ pain isn’t the kind of pain that makes you a better person (like the pain of learning a new skill) it’s basically just pain.

    Good luck.

  292. Jenny, I hope you feel better soon and I hope they can just take it out for you! I suffered through gallbladder stuff for years and then they finally took it out. I could have hugged that doctor. Recovery from the surgery was kind of a pain in the ass for me personally (everyone is different though), but it’s worth it not to have to go to Urgent Care or the ER anymore for the same thing.

    Hugs,

    Emily

  293. I have heard from others that the pain is excruciating! Apparently diet is a contributing factor so stay away from the Golden Arches 🙂
    Speedy recovery to you!

  294. That is the worst had mine out years ago after nightly gall stone pain… hope they get it out for you soon!

  295. Can you do that thing where you go to the sketchy side of town and search for quarters & dimes in a public phone change return and get stuck with a needle and wake up in a bathtub filled with ice with your kidney gone, except, it won’t be your kidney but your gall bladder instead? That seems like it could be efficient although I don’t know if it’s covered by insurance.

  297. I am so with you on this. As on many things, it seems…hmmm. Maybe I should get those checked, too.
    Anyway, after two years of killer pain every few weeks, I finally mentioned to my doctor what was going on. Because I’m an idiot that way, ya know. And she instantly said “That sounds like your gallbladder. We can fix that.” Three days later I was under the knife and after, the surgeon said he’d never seen a gallbladder as enlarged as mine in someone so young (I was in my early 30’s at the time.). He compared it to a golf ball.
    My scars aren’t bad, and on the plus-side, I no longer shudder at the sight of bacon. Ahhh, bacon.
    Wait, what was I talking about?

  298. Luck to you! I feel your pain literally . . . . I too am waiting for the surgery and I think that the fricken’ low fat diet is gonna kill me before the gall bladder does . . . .

  300. You’re quite right to look into getting that thing out. I say, if it hurts you and you don’t need it, time to go!

    I hope that you’re feeling better soon 🙂

  301. I hope it is a metal spork, I have learned the hard way plastic sporks become mostly useless, mini roller coaster models with autoclaving.

    Good luck and speedy healing.

  302. My gallbladder tried to kill me too. I’m in medical journals for it – basically the fat wall that cushions your organs interlaced with the streaky bacon of my liver and gallbladder, so when it did the squirty squeezy thing, my entire ‘cushion’ would get yanked… party good fun times.

    Get the thing taken out. It’s all of four tiny little incision scars and some shoulder pain for a few days after. Oh, and the baseball bat to the belly feeling. But that’s two days, then you’re all good. Get to feeling better!

    (Oh, and if the website link works, that taxidermied ridiculous thing is for you. Let me know how to get it to you.)

  303. Sorry to hear of your gallbladder attack. Hope you feel better soon! Mine gave me trouble for a loooong time …once thought it was because I went bowling..was sooo sore after. Then few mo. later in ER with gangrenous, about to explode GB. Tried lap, didn’t work, had the big scar & staples. Now find out over a year later there are stones left behind…go in in 2 wks to try to fish them out! Hope yours don’t want to make an encore appearance! Sending best wishes and fast recovery!

  304. OMG, MINE EXPLODED TOO!!! A few years ago just 3 weeks after having a baby mine ruptured and it hurt so much more than unmedicated childbirth, and I didn’t get a baby for it. I did get a lot of morphine though.

    I hope they yank that thing out of you and you’re better pronto!! Good luck!

  305. Oh LAWD you are hilarious. I hope the meeting went well. I don’t like surgery but it is pretty damn awesome when they fix painful things.
    I have to say I find it surprising when people don’t like “interesting” routes for surgery. We have had a few patients who were very averse to the idea of vaginal hysterectomies and opted for the way more complex abdominal hysterectomies (with longer recovery times0. But anyway, having a gall bladder removed “that way” would be weird, no lies.
    Feel better soon!

  306. Been there, done that. Go for the drugs, and ask for pictures. And make sure they send you home with good drugs. For me, once the damn thing was out, the pain was from all the gas still stuck in my abdomen. Make sure you move around so it doesn’t happen to you.

  307. I guess it’s gallbladder season. You’re the 4th person I know that is having issues. Hope things get better soon…

  308. Take it out!!! My husband waited until his blew up and it hurt! And he is fine without it. It’s a stupid organ.

  309. Urk. I had mine out about ten years ago – I thought I was being a baby about the gallstones until the nurse came in and looked at the chart and said, oh, gallstones. That’s more painful than labor.

    You will feel SO much better!

  310. ouchies. Hopefully they will cooperate and operate! 🙂 I haven’t had the joy myself, but I’ve watched 2 friends go through that, not fun at all!

  311. We will see how good “the power of suggestion” is….I probably saw the word “gall bladder” 15 hundred million times. Hope it doesn’t work.

    Hurry and get better. …The internet will still be here.(Unless we all get gall bladder problems from this blog.)

    Huggles.

  315. Hoping your feeling better and the have removed that bastard of a murderous gall bladder from you and not through your rectum!!! How annoying when the Doctors stand by while your writhing in pain!!! You almost want to reach out and pinch in that nano second on pain relief and pinch them! I had an amnio test for my last pregnancy and the needle was the length of my fucking arm… Nothing to numb me either!! Just a sonogram pic and hold still!! When it was over, the Doctor said that wasn’t too bad, my reply… in front of the nurse and my husband, let me see your penis and I will jab that needle in you, then you tell me how it wasn’t so bad!!!
    In all seriousness I hope your back at home asap, im sure the cats are keeping up with their jobs, von trapping and going thru the pile of Im confused books!!!

  319. What’s the doctor waiting for? A stadium chant? Here it is: Take it Out, Take it Out, Take it Out. Hope that helps and fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!

  321. Good luck! I had gallbladder disease for more than a year and had to go doctor shopping for someone who wouldn’t just tell me I was depressed and it was all in my head. It took me way longer to recover than the nurse’s 80 year old grandmother, apparently, but once I did I felt a million times better. Except for a lot of random urgent pooping. And not being able to have gluten any more. Or too many fried foods. But really, yay!! Seriously, you will feel better.

  322. I was in your position with severe gallbladder pain, but they would not do surgery unless I had gallstones, which I didn’t. I started seeing a acupuncturist to relieve the pain. Whatever they did, combined with a healthier low-fat diet, actually healed the gallbladder. Within six months, I was out of pain, not having gastric issues, and able to eat fairly normally as long as I saw my acupuncturist regularly. 2 years later, you wouldn’t know that I ever had a problem with it, and I haven’t even been to the acupuncturist for a maintenance visit for 4 months.

    After my experience with it, I could not recommend acupuncture highly enough. If your insurance won’t cover it, look for a “community style” practice where they charge much less. Mine charges as little as $15 per visit. Also, if you do yoga poses that stretch the sides and hips in between visits, that helps to stimulate the same meridians that the acupuncture does.

    Good luck!

  323. I started having gall bladder attacks at 22 years old. After a dozen ER visits, I couldn’t convince a doctor that it was my gall bladder. (Nevermind that every other woman in my family had had HER gallbladder out by the age of 25.) I was told that I was too thin and young to have gall bladder problems and that it was all in my head. They thought I was a junky looking for pain meds. In fact, the first time I was referred to a surgeon, he refused to do any tests. He just referred me to a psychiatrist, because he decided I was a hypochondriac. “It’s all in your head,” he said. Dumb doctor didn’t even know that gall bladders are in your abdomen, not your head. 30 lbs underweight and over a year later, a surgeon finally took pity on me and removed my gall bladder. I asked him what he was going to do with it after he removed it. He chuckled, “Want to keep it for a souvenir, huh?” No. I want you to send it to that bastard surgeon who told me I was crazy. Put a bow on it.

  324. I had mine out a couple of years ago after it tricked me into thinking I was having a massive coronary. Next to my partial hysterectomy it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s a painful recovery, so take it easy. Get well soon, I know you will. You won’t regret this, I promise.

  325. I promise the surgery and recovery are a breeze compared to the attacks!

  327. Two weeks before my college graduation, my gallbladder up and quit. It just died. No stones, no previous problems, it was just like “F$#% this. You work too hard. I’m out.” It started by feeling like I had thrown my neck and shoulders out symmetrically, which was a real possibility as I was rehearsing a fight scene where I had my throat slashed by a rapier at the end and whipped my head back a lot. Then the next morning it spread to a horrible pinching near my thyroid, so then I though my bad family thyroid lot had come up. By the end of that day it hurt to lay down and breathe and I was throwing up blood. The ER doctors thought I had fluid around my heart until a male nurse came in and poked my stomach and went “does that hurt” and diagnosed me. I was in surgery by 6a and in the hospital all weekend on a liquid diet because the doctor forgot to tell them to put me back on solids. Also they bruised my lung when they intubated.

    Now I have four little scars in a right triangle (the corners and one on the hypotenuse) and no gallbladder. All that’s really changed is sometimes my bile duct swells and cramps before my period and I don’t digest corn. So my suggestion is that after the sucker comes out, don’t go chow down on a feast of corn until you know if it’s going to hurt you. Corn makes me hurt when I eat it. It sucks. I miss it.

    Oh, but cornbread is fine because someone already ground that corn up for me.

  328. Um. I’m 48 and I’ve never known anyone who had their gallbladder out. How come so many of your readers (commenters at least) have serious gallbladder problems? Strange isn’t it? Good luck to you and I hope you lose the pesky organ soon (Ha. Organ.)

  329. I just hope you get your gallbladder out soon (and not through your rectum)! Those attacks are so painful!

  330. I feel for you. In 6 months I took 5 trips via ambulance to ER. The last trip I went postal on the staff & demanded the sludge filled gallbladder be ripped out. The next afternoon it was taken out & 24 hours later I was home without the little bastard causing pain. Laproscopic Surgery & the half inch scars fade in under 6 months. The $5,000 on all the ambulance charges could have been used for actually living pain free. Take a crazy assed stand for your body & wallet.

  331. Good luck and best wishes to you! Sending good vibes for a speedy recovery. Also, I hope they spare your rectum. Gallbladders can be dick-holes but your rectum is your friend. At least mine is. And by that, I mean my rectum is my friend, not your friend, because that would be a little weird. Though I suppose it could be if you wanted it to? Also, I my rectum isn’t really my friend. We don’t chat or shoot the shit (no pun intended) or anything. I don’t know.
    I need to go lie down.

  332. make sure you get yourself a teddy bear. I had mine out and i would put the bear on my lap and buckle the seat belt over it so it didn’t put pressure or rub my incisions. Plus if you hug it when you laugh or cough, it doesn’t hurt so much. And it’s cuddly and nice to be able to carry around as a grown up sometimes. They kept sending me home from the er saying I had heartburn until an on call surgeon took a better look. turns out it was ready to burst any day! The doctors I had seen before just assumed I was after pain medication because of my age (I was 24) I’m glad you’re going to see a surgeon!

  333. Geez, Jenny “best first name ever”!! You’re so NOT allowed to die. Don’t even consider it. Fingers and toes crossed for you from Phoenix :).

  335. My first doctor misdiagnosed me, never did a scan or ANYTHING. Once I moved to NY my new dr. did a scan and he saw “a row of pretty pearls” gall stones” so he did take the gall bladder out laparocopy ey. you know what I mean. never had pain there again. what the heck is holding them back? Jenny, you’re the boss, just tell them to do it or you’ll publish is name 🙂

  337. Oh, and a nice heat pack for your shoulders after surgery for the referred pain; laparoscopy is great but some parts of it suck. The pressure on your diaphragm as the CO2 is absorbed into your bloodstream makes your shoulders hurt. Weird but true. I had a buckwheat hull neck pillow that I kept nuking in the microwave for about 3 days post laparoscopy. The toasty warmth really helps ease the shoulder pain.

    That’s assuming they take it out laparoscopically. Also, the teddy bear idea sounds like it would help a LOT. I just drove around holding my belly for about a week.

    P.S. – No, I still have my gall bladder. I’m short an ovary, fallopian tube, and cantaloup-sized ovarian tumor. Yea!

  338. Oh man gallbladder pain is the worst! especially if you have panic disorder, Seriously I have gone into the at LEAST every six months for ten years with horrible pain in my chest and back, “Oh it’s just a panic attack” FInally two years ago I was talking to a friend ‘coz the pain was so bad and she’s like “GO to the er, tell them it’s yer gall bladder” got tests done and had to stay in the hospital for like 3 days.

  341. I just had surgery myself. I should’ve known better than to start reading your blog again before I was fully recovered. I hurt myself laughing. San Antonio Colon and Rectal Center…. Bahahahahhahahhahhaha! Good stuff.

  343. Seems the typical sentiment amongst your followers is sympathy. Not me. It was an appendix that almost took my life. A gallbladder has a daily job and yours put in a lifetime (albeit short) of duty. My appendix (super rupture) lived in me like the unappreciative, lazy, mystery organ that it is (was). I got even. Well my doctor did– diced it up into schnauzer kibble. I digress. I really just wanted to use this forum to bitch about the weeks long hospital stay when I lived on puddin’ and antibiotics. Gallbladder bomb tops appendix suicide like paper covers rock.

  344. I hope you get the surgery, mostly so you’ll feel better, but partly bceause I hope Victor gives you your phone while your still dopey from pain meds. Those are gonna be some good tweets.
    Seriously Hope you feel better soon sweetie.
    Lots of soft hugs and chocolate

  345. I had my gall bladder out last summer after having gall bladder disease misdiagnosed as a defect that caused my ribs to float out of joint 10 years earlier. I am kinda surprised mine didn’t explode! It’s so nice once it’s out! Feel better!

  346. Good luck with that- I had mine taken out four years ago and it is still haunting me- it comes back and stabs me just for the hell of it every couple of weeks because gall bladders are the DEVIL! Oh, and by the way, they blow you up with air to do the surgery, and the air is supposed to go away, but mind didn’t and I looked like I was seven months pregnant for about three weeks. Delightful surgery, super fun! The drugs are good though, make sure you get the refills!!

  347. Ugh, gall bladder attack is the worst! Don’t worry though, they just suck it out with the hoovermatic and you’ll be fine in a couple of days. Word of warning though, removal of the gall bladder usually has some unfortunate effects on the bowels. You might want to have some astronaut diapers on hand for long car trips.

  348. Shit, you are the SECOND person I care about to have this happen yesterday. Gallbladders are assholes. Wait, that’s not right…

    Anyway, I hope you feel better.

  349. Yeah, get it out. It doesn’t like it in there anyway. LOL, Though adjusting the diet afterwards is occasionally difficult. Think of the pain meds and hope of wonderful things.

  350. The only thing worse than the gallbladder attack itself is the pain of the gas they pump into your belly during the laproscopic surgery. No one tells you about this! Good news is the gas eventually dissipates (joy!) and life settles into post-gallbladder bliss.

    Good luck, God bless and enjoy the versed pushed prior to surgery–all 5 seconds that you actually remember!

  351. You’re way too alive to die. Although having your GB removed through your rectum sounds… interesting, I know lots of people who have had it removed laparoscopically and boom- were out of the hospital faster than you can say, I can eat butter again and it won’t kill me. Break a leg!

  352. You may be in pain but I see fabulous lip color on you. 😀 Good luck with everything today. I am sure they will take great care of you. 😀

  353. Ask your surgeon if you can keep some of the stones.

    Some of mine were the size of peanut M & M’s; and when my husband is being a dick, I pull out the jar and give them a disgruntled shake.

    Also, be ready for explosive shits for a while post-surgery. But it’s better than the agonizing pain of gallstones.

  354. When asked, your pain is always a 10+. Enjoy the drugs, but not for long….because wine!

  355. yup. been there, done that, should have a t-shirt for it. my first message from my gallbladder was “oh god i’m having a heart attack”… the next message was “let’s throw up everything”. I made my dr see me.. they tend to sluff you off into an instacare here. my white blood cells were so high the lab was amazed. unfortunately I had pancreatitis. i spent 4 days in hospital, no food or water by mouth, boy did I suck on the spongy things for dry mouth and then i cheated and sucked water off my toothbrush. i had surgery on a wed, and they tried the lap stuff..no go, so i have a bulgy scar on my belly (well, everything on my belly bulges) and the little scars where the tried, released on thur, and went to my daughter’s college graduation on sat. of course i was hunched over and dragging my drains with me but i felt so much better.

    you look great in your sick person outfit. my hospital gown had little blue thingies on it and their name..like a would steal a hospital gown. i know you will do great and feel a whole lot better. take care of yourself, you are important to a whole lot of people!

  356. Take it easy with the spork–I don’t think insurance covers that. Just like they don’t cover ice picks to treat chronic acute sinus pain or the medicine that would actually, you know, treat the problem. Sometimes I wonder why I pay this crap.

  359. When I had my gallbladder removed (HALLEFREAKINLUJAH), the doctors sucked it out through my bellybutton. I am simultaneously fascinated by and horribly grossed out by this information. (Note: Do not ask questions when you are waking up from anesthesia. You will never forget the answers. NEVVVVVVER.)

  361. I hadmine out last summer after McDonalds tried to kill me through the use of my gall bladder. I work with my surgeon, and we take care of gall bladder cases every day so I though “no problem” we’ll a year later and I frequently will yell over at the surgeon when he’s on the floor “hey I want to be the first gall bladder transplant recipient” being with out pain is nice, but I would love to be able to eat and retain the food.

  362. Oh Jenny…

    Gall Bladders are fucking assholes, and I hope you get yours out toot sweet. Had mine sucked out in ’97, but lucky me, that led to the worst GERD in the universe!! Prilosec is my best friend. Simple laparoscopic procedure, but your stomach muscles will hurt so bad you’ll learn to jelly yourself out of bed for three days or so. You rock your awesome self even in a hospital gown…

  363. My gallbladder tried to kill me once about 14 years ago! I spent 8 hrs in E.R. only to be told I had hepatitis (wrong!) and should see my family doctor.

    My doctor took one look at me and called the E.R. doc an idiot since I hadn’t turned. It was damn gall-stones. But I got those little pricks but good. I saw a specialist 3 months after the first attack, who scheduled my operation for 1 month later. It also helped that the gallbladder played nice and allowed itself to be pulled out through my belly button. 1 week of bed-rest and I was good to go.

    God bless Canadian health care … lol!

  364. I had mine out 3 weeks post childbirth at age 31 because my son killed it on his way out, apparently.
    Giving birth was fresh in my mind, so I say this with some authority – I would have a baby every single day for a month before ever having another gallbladder attack. There is no pain like it. It is especially sneaky because one minute you’re dying, and then when its over it just disappears. It makes you feel a little nutty too, like you somehow imagined that moments-ago agony. Best decision ever, to get it out. Best of luck!

  365. Oh, the only side effect I’ve had, since surgery, is that on those really shitty (HA!) occasions when I do get diarrhea, I can’t take Imodium or any other med like it, or I get a phantom gallbladder attack. It’s like that fucker just crawled right back in there and is hell bent on revenge.

    This might just be me…like EEEEEVERYTHING else.

  366. Gallbladders are such douches.

    When mine decided to cease function 8 years ago, I asked my doctor for a scalpel, some Valium, and an abdominal surgery textbook. Surprisingly, he actually paused for a minute to consider the request before saying “no”.

  367. If you do get your gallbladder out, I would like to suggest you have it preserved in a jar. I am desperately hoping to win the lottery so I can buy your appendix. [Anyone confused by this statement should visit the advertiser page.] Right now appendix is out of my league but price your other organs right and who knows? Ka-ching!

  368. Oh ouch!! I feel your pain! My gallbladder was half solidified and took twice as long to take out than it should have but boy did it feel better when it was gone. Except for the drainage tubes coming out…beware the drainage tubes (shudder). Make sure they get those suckers all the way out on the first try. I’m not a violent person but I would have laid those nurses out if they had to try it twice!! LOL

  369. Hope you’re feeling we’ll soon. When my gall bladder got obstructed it was over Thanksgiving weekend when the family was all together. I kept telling everyone I didnt feel well and just wanted to lay down. They insisted I do things like eat and play dominoes. After awhile, I hurt so bad I told family members EXACTLY what I thought of them when they pissed me off, which pretty much was when they dared look at me. One cousin and I didn’t speak for two years after that. And when they came to see me in the hospital, almost every one of them said something along the lines of “so I guess you really DID feel bad.” Moral of the story, until the gall bladder is out, surround yourself with assholes that you won’t miss if you don’t talk to them for two years.

  370. Had mine out last year and AS SOON as I woke up from the surgery I was feeling SO GOOD. And it wasn’t just the great pain meds, ha 🙂 The soreness from the surgery is nothing compared to the pain of the attacks. You’ll be great and so happy it’s gone.

  371. I feel your pain. Been there. It took them three years to yank mine out! I didn’t have stones so they couldn’t figure out why it hurt so much until they ran some dye through my body and found out my gallbladder wasn’t working at all. No bile being released into my stomach so much pain!

    I hope your surgeon is really on the ball and gets this out quickly! On the plus side, I woke up in no pain at all and only minor discomfort afterwards. I even went to a family bbq a couple of days later! The most pain I had was from them having to put gas into my abdominal cavity to give them room to work. The gas works it way up your chest and out your right shoulder area. Seriously, it’s painful and I thought I was dying when it happened but they told me it was normal and it went away in a few hours. Whew. That sucked. But everything else was all good. Tiny scar in the middle of my stomach area, right under the boobs, one in my belly button and I think I have one on my right side where the gallbladder is located too. But they are tiny!

  372. Do not under any circumstances get a gallstone caught in your common bile duct.
    My father gave me this advice after my first gall bladder attack–I did not listen. It was unpleasant. Learn from my mistake. Please.
    Be well. Gall bladder problems suck. Get rid of the damn thing!!@$$!

  373. I’m glad they’re taking care of it. Also glad they’re not trying to yank it out through your ass. Hoping for a quick recovery!

  376. Ugh, my sincerest sympathies to you. I just had mine removed in April and I could lie but where is the fun in that…I am still experiencing side effects of that surgery. No fun at all 🙁

    Hope you get to feeling better soon! Hugs!

  377. Have the surgery and never look back. I had a gallbladder that I suffered with for 10 years. It almost killed me – passed out at the ER – emergency surgery – huge stones, gallbladder attached to the liver, 2 hr surgery turned into 6 – drainage tubes – oh lord the grenade they sent me home with – it sucks ass. Can’t believe my now-husband stayed with me through that!!

    But once you get through recovery you won’t miss that thing at all.

    I wish you luck and speedy recovery!

  378. I would highly recommend against carving your gallbladder out with a spork… Make Victor do it instead. Your hand won’t be steady enough. THIS is what marriage is about.

  379. Oh, no fun a’tall. My gallbladder herniated 22 years ago, in the early days of laparoscopy. I do remember the months leading up to the discovery- pulling my nightshirt off off OFF, because *anything* touching my stomach was bad news. Standing against the wall in the middle of the night shaking with pain for hours, stock still, as that position was ever so infinitesimally less painful, and I’d take any relief. Rooting for you as you go through your own journey of gallbladder joy. Once a gallbladder goes evil on you, it’s much better exorcised.

  380. to save you the indecision of which shoes goes best with gallbladder explosions, may i suggest the ’emerging from a petrified swamp after an apocalypse’ look, as modeled here: http://ow.ly/mBkxe

  381. Here’s to inefficiency in murder and murder-related scenarios. Hopefully your doctor is more efficient. At murder. ing your gall bladder. Obvi. Also, hopefully he is THE Doctor. Ideally Ten. Then all this suffering of ouchies and almost murder by basically unnecessary organs will have been totally worth it.

  382. You will be sooooo happy when that thing is gone. I do not regret having my gallbladder out, not one bit. And all the diets and whatnot people recommended only prolonged the pain while I waited to see if they were going to work or not. Hang in there, this is one pain we can easily get rid of!

  384. A friend of mine waited (because she thought the pain was “just a backache”) until she literally (and I mean that literally) turned YELLOW because of the bile backing up.

    But once it was out, she did much better. And she has a scar she’s pleased to tell people was caused by “shark attack.” So hopefully you’ll have a conversation starter.

  385. Ok, listen Jenny: I had mine out 15 years ago, so I hope things have changed. If not: BE WARNED! So they can do the surgery lapriscopically (I don’t know how to spell that!) where the incisions are small and recovery is quick and everything is hunky dory. EXCEPT! They take the actual gallbladder out through your belly button. You don’t see that incision cuz it is all inside, but when they sewed it up they made my belly button half its original depth. Like…..I couldn’t even get a decent ball of lint stuck in that thing. It was very traumatic and I am still dealing with the tragic loss of belly button storage space, and besides: we all know how judgy people can be of the size of other people’s belly buttons. Even though you couldn’t see it. Or feel it. Or……anything. BUT IT WAS A BIG DEAL!
    PROTECT THE BELLY BUTTON!

  388. “Also, I called for directions to the surgeon’s office this morning and the receptionist told me to just look for the door labeled “San Antonio Colon and Rectal” and I hesitated for a bit and was like “Um…I don’t think I want my gallbladder removed that way” and she laughed and said they just hadn’t changed the labeling on the doors yet, and that technically if they did remove my gallbladder through my rectum there probably would be less scarring.”

    Have you ever read something that made you laugh? Out loud? So you had to finish laughing and then start reading it again? And then you laughed again? And then you end up taking about 5 tries to get through the same damn paragraph?

    Yeah, me neither.

  389. At the end of August I went to the ER after 9 hours of horrible pain. They took my blood pressure, said “oh, you ARE in pain!” (no shit, dumbf**ks,) and, after ultrasounding my gallbladder and liver, told me I wasn’t leaving. After a week of IV antibiotics, my gall bladder (and liver) inflammation was down enough for them to go in and get the MFer out. SO DON’T MISS IT. For months I kept thinking–wow, I really felt like crap all the time before.

  390. I’m having gallbladder trouble too! Except instead of gallstones, I have a “dysfunctional gallbladder”. Which is awesome because I’m so dysfunctional in other ways, why shouldn’t my organs be the same?

    I see my surgeon tomorrow and let’s hope we can both have ours removed pronto so you’ll stop hurting and I’ll stop being so nauseated and burping every 30 seconds.

  391. I have only positive memories of my gallbladder removal, which might have something to do wth the enormous shit ton of pain meds i got =) Also every doctor seemed to thnk it necessary to tell me that te group most likely to hve gallbladder problems are the three f, female, forty, fat. I was eighteen thankyouverymuch

  392. I think, given her response about the removal of your gall bladder, you probably picked the perfect doctor’s office. 🙂

  393. Dude, I’m going to be SO pissed if you die. Hang in there. Feel the fuck better. And milk this for all it’s worth. <3

  398. Wit like your’s can never be destroyed. Best wishes, stay strong and get well soon.

  399. Gall bladders are bastards. My mother’s exploded, too, and mine has being a barfy nuisance twice now. If it goes for a third, I’m shanking it. If it weren’t for the whole “no insurance because crazy” thing, I’d be calling a colon doc to yank mine out inappropriately as well. Or, y’know, something.

  400. The worrying you are doing now is so much worse than the surgery and postcare. I suffered for 11 months (celebrating gallbladder-free 1 year anniversary in 20 days). The first diagnosis was ‘psychiatric’ followed by a prescription of an anti-depressant; the second was ‘gas’; the third was menopause; the fourth diagnosis was diverticulitis; after numerous motrin/pain meds, the only thing that dulled each episode of continuous 12 hours of the most excruciating pain was Skelaxin (a muscle relaxer). Finally I was sent to a Gastroenterologist who ordered a CATscan which showed 3 rocks in the living tomb of my diseased gallbladder. 4 days later, it was removed via laparoscopically and O M G -> THE SWEET, sweet DRUGS! Stayed overnight and then went home (don’t leave the same day -> give yourself a break to be pampered by the wonderful nurses). You will turn a bizarre neon yellow glowing color (it will freak the shit out of Victor) but not to worry, it is just the dye that they inject into your veins to see if they sewed/re-connected everything up right (take photos – it’s fun to glow during the day)! Watch out for really freaky, lucid dreams (f*ing Percocet).
    YAnK that bastard out!!!

  401. My husband had this surgery last year–relax and don’t let anyone give you gory details. He was absolutely fine afterwards (after suffering five horrible attacks in the months previously, breaking his “vomit free since 93” badge of honor) and didn’t even have to change his diet. One day of manageable pain and he was back at work after the weekend. My thoughts are with you, but I’m guessing you will come through this like a trouper and will have lots to write about!!!! I will look forward to it!

  402. Been there, had that done to me. Try to take milk thistle after your surgery to help your poor liver, which now has to do all the work on its own. Feel better soon! (You will…)

  404. Hope you’re feeling better soon! My father had to go through that, and it’s definitely not fun. Just be careful about any dietary changes they tell you about, especially at first.

  405. you are probably going to be so, so happy you did this. but sometimes it takes 6 months to a year to fully recover. i still had ghost pains after having it out. BUT THEY FINALLY WENT AWAY! anyway, good luck!

  406. WTF , God, with stupid organ/guts like gall bladders, appendixes (appendici?), tonsils – and spleens sometimes?!?!? I had my gall bladder out, like 25 years ago and have this wicked cool scar that’s about 8″ long across my abdomen. I tell people that see it that I was bayonetted (sp?). Because bayonets are cool and scalpels are meh.

  407. I’ve been there! My gall bladder tried to kick my ass in 2008 and thankfully a surgeon ripped it out. Unfortunately, I had to go sing in an opera the next day, but shit happens.

  408. When my gallbladder tried to kill me, it apparently came within spitting distance of succeeding. They looked the results of the blood tests they’d done, their eyes got wide, and I got admitted whether I liked it or not (but I didn’t really care, since I was kinda stoned on whatever it was they’d given me and tired from wandering my parents house alternately curled fetal on the floor and pacing around trying to find a position to exist in that didn’t feel like someone had jammed a rusty railroad tie through my sternum) and wasn’t allowed to eat anything (or drink anyting except a little water with my meds) for 3 days until my bloodwork no longer inspired dinner-plate eyes and they deemed it safe to operate. Which they did. Then gave me a prescription for some kind of painkillers that were quite effective and gave me some really bizarre dreams and sent me on my way.

    And that was what I did on my vacation that year. (I really was supposed to be on vacation.)

  409. Gah!

    Almost 2 years ago I woke up in agony. When I got to the ER the doc took one look at me and said “Gall bladder”. I had it out the next day (thank God for health insurance).

    When they got the pathology back, turned out the pain was a jagged 6mm stone trying to get into a 2mm tube. And I must have had issues for years but not known, because the found signs of NECROSIS. That’s right, my gall bladder was turning dead and zombified.

    Upside, once you are over the surgery (took me a couple of weeks) you will feel much better.

    Good luck and don’t skimp on the morphine! XOXO

  410. I forgot one important thing: the first time you finally feel good enough after surgery to roll over on your side. Don’t freak out when it feels like all of your internal organs are shifting…because they are. Even though the gall bladder is tiny, everything is packed in there pretty tight, so even one little missing piece makes things move. The internal disco effect goes away after awhile.

  411. You poor baby! There is no pain like it, not even childbirth. My gall bladder told me it didn’t want me to eat the bloomin’ onion at Outback but didn’t tell me this till after I ate it. The bloomin’ onion, not my gall bladder…… If you decide to try the do it yourself surgery please send me the instructions, I’m game for it……

  412. I had mine out laparoscopically years ago and there was nothing to it, easy-peasy. You’ll do great!

  413. I love it when my friends gall bladders act up!

    Since they always get then taken out, I get cool stuff to train my cadaver dogs with.

    I’m waiting on the third one….

  414. OK, maybe it wasn’t supposed to be funny, but your conversation with the receptionist made me laugh.

    Good luck with your gall bladder removal.

  416. While they’re in there, might as well ask them to do some spring cleaning. I know I would. Just because.

  417. Here is an amusing gallbladder related you tube video that also makes fun of crazy abortion legislation.
    Enjoy

  418. I was in the hospital this weekend. Since I made my husband stay home with our son, I had to content myself with a silent, solo game of Marry-Boff-Kill about the ER staff.

  419. Good luck! My gall bladder ruptured a few years ago and I had to have it removed twice (they missed some of the bits the first time). The recovery from the surgery is nothing compared to the feeling that your insides are trying to kill you that you went through yesterday. Its going to be fine 🙂 Hope you feel better soon! *hugs*

  420. It’s like your ovaries are the Jets and your gallbladder and liver are the Sharks.

    I can hear the music swelling already.

  422. Mine tried to kill me too! WARNING: Do NOT read anything on the internet about recovery. Seriously, everyone who posted apparently had mutant gall bladders from space that seriously messed with them even after removal. Trust me, there are ways to have a *good* recovery!!!!!! They key is to speak with a dietician about how to reintroduce foods. Do NOT leave the hospital until they give you a dietician visit!

  423. I feel your pain. No really. I feel it too. My gallbladder is a mother$%^&er and has been bothering me for the past few weeks too, suddenly out of nowhere. You really take eating for granted until you can’t do it anymore.

    Wishing you lots of luck and a quick gallbladder removal (who needs ’em anyway?)

  424. I had my gallbladder out, and yeah, echoing others in saying that the surgery itself is CAKE compared to the events that lead up to it. CAKE I SAY.

    Well, unless you’re me and they leave a piece of gauze in the main incision and it comes open a couple days later and you’re all “why, that looks like bloody gauze, but it CAN’T be! That only happen to people on teevee.” But it is and you don’t know what else to do so you pull it out and then there’s this big hole in you. That sucked. But probably that won’t happen to you, because that’s super-rare and I already took that statistical bullet for us all. YOU’RE WELCOME, EVERYBODY!

    P.S. I called the on-call doctor for my surgeon’s group right after it happened, because I don’t like to be horrified by myself, I like to SHARE and also THERE WAS A BIG GAPING HOLE and I felt like maybe I should talk to someone medically-inclined about that. She told me a) that it COULDN’T have been gauze, and b) to put a band-aid over the hole in come by the office in the morning. A BAND-AID. And then when I went in they were like “there’s no way it was gauze. We want to see it,” and when I told them I tossed it in the toilet and flushed it they were like WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR and I was like I DON’T KNOW, I HAD JUST PULLED A HUNK OF BLOODY GAUZE OUT OF MY BODY IN MY BATHROOM, I PANICKED. They were kind of judgey about the whole thing, honestly.

  425. yeah, so onetime (not at bandcamp) my gallbladder tried to fucking kill me. My surgeon is a friend of mine, and refused to take it out because it was still functioning like 35% and he said it had to hit 5% for him to yank it. He made me change my diet. MAGIC…ANGEL SINGING.. LALALALALA. Fixed the issue… but another time, during surgery for another issue, I fucking woke up. Don’t do that. Seriously, I’m laying there listening to the surgeons discuss what they are doing, I can’t move but I can hear and see what is going on. Then I heard “oh SHIT” behind my head, and I slowly started passing back out. DONT DO THAT.
    But do feel better and good luck with everything. You’re awesome!! Boo bad gallbladder.

  426. Yeah, my gallbladder was an asshole too. The surgery (what I can remember of it) was almost fun – lots of Jello and good drugs. And my surgeon let me take one of the gallstones home in a little lidded cup (it was the size of a peanut M&M), which may still be in my closet somewhere.

    Wishing you a speedy recovery. Which you won’t get if you use a spork, because those tines don’t get nearly deep enough.

  427. Get well very, very soon! Gall bladder issues blow (though hopefully there’s less of that in this instance.)

  428. Jenny: You will feel so much better when they remove the bugger. I am a receptionist by trade, so that one sounded so funny. I am sure she gets asked that question all the time. I get asked to speak to the LONG DEAD partner who is in the firm name more than you would think. I explain that it is impossible for them to have spoken to him YESTERDAY since he has been dead since the ’80’s. People walking by my desk have no idea what I am talking about but know I say it often. All the best for a speedy recovery!

  429. Here’s hoping your surgeon is talented at a Wizard of Oz level and has a massive ego that is well-deserved. Feel better soon!

  431. Ok, you’re funny, but that receptionist gets a gold star for soothing patients. For a second I thought, hey, where is the gall bladder, anyway? Near any ready-made access areas? Can they tunnel in through the belly button or something? I’ve had one myomectomy and two cesareans, and I have just one scar because they all used the same way in.

  432. Hope you are doing better. Had the same thing happen 2 days after my birthday and one week before Christmas. Was not a jolly holiday 🙁 took about 1 month to feel better (i was sure I should have been better at two weeks but Dr said ”not so much”) . You make sure your family waits on you! The recliner will be your best friend for the next little while.

  433. I had my gallbladder removed, and it wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t THAT bad in comparison to the constant fucking attacks I was having. I will say though that I went overboard on the Percocet, and ended up taking too many on an empty stomach overnite the nite after my surgery, and felt lovely when I got up the next day, but after I stood up I promptly yacked. Vomiting with stitches is less than fun. So my recommendation would be to either take it easy on the Percs (which is a bad recommendation, cuz really – it’s a good excuse to check out for a few days) or eat a little something every time you take them (this is the way better plan). Good luck!

    PS – maybe you should ask the doctor if he could remove your gallbladder via your rectum on the advice of his secretary and see how quickly he comes up with a response.

  434. Hey – I remember your last attack, and I’m pretty sure we all told you to get it out then. You deserve pain-free, sweetie. We’re your awesome and always right Lawsbians. Git’er done.

  435. I had my gallbladder out a few months ago…SO. MUCH. BETTER. Yank it, girl. Yank it. You won’t be sorry.

    Hope you feel better stat.

  436. I would probably pay pretty big money for the San Antonio Colon and Rectal sign. I mean, who wouldn’t?
    Tip: Do not under any circumstances give the receptionist a spork.

  437. What’s up with those body parts that are useless? Why the hell do we have them to begin with? Just so they can hurt like hell only to be removed? Hope you are doing well.

  438. I think you picked the right doctor. When the receptionist comes right back at you on your twisted but solid sense of humor vibe, yeah..that’s the right office for you.

    And that is going to be an awesome line item on your next credit card bill.

  439. So this seems strange, but the “through the rectum” approach is along the lines of what are called “natural orifice” surgeries. They actually are less painful, scar less, and allow you to recover faster. Plus, you’re under anesthesia anyway, so you would never notice/feel them going in a different way. However they wouldn’t typically go through the rectum in your case. It’s usually, well, the vagina. Sounds even weirder, but it works. Not many docs are comfortable doing it, so I’m sure you’re safe. Also, getting your gallbladder out as an elective procedure usually isn’t the problem. Any surgeon would be happy to take out a symptomatic gallbladder. It’s getting it covered by insurance that is the problem. Because insurance companies are awful and forget that the numbers on their paperwork correspond to real people.
    Anyway, I hope all goes well and you get things sorted quickly! Speedy recovery to you!
    And sorry for the medico babble. Long day of working in the hospital and clearly I can’t leave work at work :/

  440. Kinda been there. Kinda done that.

    But it was my appendix. But I’ve heard a gallbladder will make you wish for death.

    Yick. Sorry.

  441. You poor, poor thing. My heart goes out to you. It reminds me of when I spent 3 days in the hospital in WI because of diverticulitis. I had to have a diagnostic enema and was pumped “to the brim” so to speak with some sort of glow in the dark solution to brighten up the ol’ colon. There was a handyman working on the door jamb of the enema room – full on tool belt and everything. I had to ask the radiologist to ask the handyman to please leave so I could have some privacy. They were very put out about the request and I sort of felt like a jerk. I kept wondering if it was normal to have carpenters in the room during exams, rectal and otherwise and I still don’t know. Nobody else seemed to think this was very weird. IS IT JUST ME OR WHAT?????!!!!!

  442. I’ve been through that with kidney stones. After the first surgery to remove stones, I thought maybe he left the kidney in because it was a one time thing. After the second set of stones had to be removed a year later I thought it was because he thought he could treat them. After the third, I decided it was because he wanted to make more money off of multiple surgeries. Half a dozen stone removals I’ve come to the conclusion that he wants to see how much of this I’ll take before I search the internet to find instructions on how to do it myself with a box cutter.

  443. Jenny, I am in love with you AND that receptionist because of this post. You tell ’em Sister.

  444. Good luck! It’s funny timing for me to read this, I just had my gallbladder removed a week and a half ago. I went to the ER at 6:30am last Friday with terrible pain in my middle, and after running a bunch of tests all day they put me in surgery around 4:30pm. I wasn’t given a lot of choice about it, but given that I had been laying there in pain all day, I was not inclined to argue.

    I felt a lot better after I woke up with no gallbladder, despite the incisions. Still waiting for digestion to get back to normal, but that seems to be trending in the right direction, so that’s good.

    Gallbladders aren”t useless, but from what i’ve read it sounds like most people can live a normal life without one. Ask your doctor about possible after effects, though. If nothing else, it would be good to be prepared before going into it. I didn’t get that chance.

  445. I should add that before having it out I was in too much pain to even read the Internet all day!

  446. If it helps any- you look really good for being in the ER at 4:00 in the morning

  447. So sorry for the ouchiness, Jenny! Gallbladders are apparently sensitive about being useless so they’ve got to make a big deal about it, apparently. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, and for nothing unexpected to be removed through your rectum.

  449. Make sure you ask to keep your gallbladder in a jar to take home.
    Then you can punch it in the face.

  450. I feel your pain! Or, well, I _used_ to feel it back before I had my gall bladder out. Having a gallstone stuck in the neck of the gall bladder is just plain excruciating — but you can always comfort yourself that now you will be able to face a Cruciatus Curse with equanimity, or outright ennui…

  451. I hope all goes well. Of course you’ll be getting the good drugs.
    Take care

  452. Oh, sweetie…I haven’t actually had gall bladder trouble YET, but I’ve had all kinds of other medical fun-and-games (a nasty case of inherited diverticulosis that led to losing a foot of my sigmoid colon to keep it from exploding and killing me; a breast biopsy for what turned out to be a minor calcification; a metroplasty–you do NOT want a Sims balloon catheter up your lady garden, trust me on that one–an ovarian cyst the size of a kiwi fruit; an emergency appendectomy; and a lower GI bleed that led to me muttering in the ER as everyone ran around like crazed ferrets, “I knew I should have shaved my legs today…”, leading to a writeup in my discharge notes that began “This lovely 48-year-old woman…”, so apparently I can still be quite entertaining even when I’m bleeding to death out my ass; not even including sprained ankles, panic attacks, and asthma episodes…anyway, while I may not have felt your exact pain, I’ve felt enough other kinds to understand all too well just how shitty you must be feeling, so consider yourself hugged long-distance (as long as that doesn’t make things hurt even more, of course…). The ovarian cyst tale is in my blog, and might give you a bit of a chuckle–I knew 2005 was only going to get better from there when I rang in the new year flat on my back in the Mass General ER while the doc on duty was wrist-deep in my lady garden giving me a pelvic exam while I watched the ball drop on the TV up by the ceiling in the ER bay–so feel free to chuckle over my misery, and perhaps it’ll help you heal faster with yours.

    Oh, BTW, they won’t let you keep your excised bits post-surgery; I know because I asked if I could have my 12″ of colon, and the doctor looked at me as if I’d lost my friggin’ mind (“No. Pathology has it.”)–admittedly, I was still coming out of the anesthesia, but I could have had Goth Cred For Life if I had my colon in a jar, damn it; same deal w/the appendix, too. If you’ve got any fans in the pathology lab at your hospital, though, see if they can’t save a few of your gallstones for you; you might even be able to get them mounted in jewelry for shits & giggles. Oh, and make ’em give you all the good meds, OK? Get that patient-controlled analgesia, and pound that damn button every 6 minutes or so, ’cause you deserve it! *more hugs*

  453. A specialist’s receptionist who made me laugh…just picking myself up of the floor.

    Best of luck…

  454. Well, I didn`t have the time or patience to read thru all the comments, but I for one urge you NOT to get your gall bladder out. You need it for digesting fats, sooooo try some Apple Cider Vinegar, Lemonade, or Apple Juice. Several tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar a day is best. Helps with sudden attacks also.

  455. Hey! I just had this done in February, and my gallbladder tried to murder me too. I thought I was having some horrible reaction to delicious fatty foods, which was…horrifying. I was surprised when the doctor told me that they needed to remove my gallbladder, because I am only 31. I’m down an appendix and gallbladder already…I wonder what organs are going to jump ship next? Good luck with your surgery and recovery!

  456. Had mine out in January, and am sooooooo glad it is gone. I dumbly walked around for 2 years thinking I was having back spasms.

  457. Listen to the warning someone gave you about needing to know where restrooms are pronto, It’s no $hit ! I had mine out 2 years ago, I dropped my middle daughter off to her 1st day of pre-k and went home to lay down and said f this and drove myself to the er.stayed there all day and time came to pick up the kids I told the dr I had to leave and he told me no, I would have to sign papers to be able to leave, so I didn’t get to pick my little pumpkin up on her first day of school. what should’ve been outpatient landed me in the hospital for a week.I had an awful nurse who I complained on and she was awsome after that cause she kept me so doped up that I

  458. Listen to the warning someone gave you about needing to know where restrooms are pronto, It’s no $hit ! I had mine out 2 years ago, I dropped my middle daughter off to her 1st day of pre-k and went home to lay down and said f this and drove myself to the er.stayed there all day and time came to pick up the kids I told the dr I had to leave and he told me no, I would have to sign papers to be able to leave, so I didn’t get to pick my little pumpkin up on her first day of school 🙁 . what should’ve been outpatient landed me in the hospital for a week.I had an awful nurse who I complained on and she was awesome after that cause she kept me so doped up that I didn’t care how awful she was.:) SO glad it is out now though, my Dr said it was the worst one he has ever seen and he didn’t know how I had made it as long as I had.Hope yours is an easy case and wish you speedy recovery.

  459. As I tell everyone that I know having this problem: I am sooo sorry this is happening to you. I had this myself, I would have preferred to have natural childbirth EVERY SINGLE DAY for the rest of my life (along with the accompanying baby for the next 18 years) instead of this pain. It sucks, big time. Good news: the surgery worked great and the recovery was less painful than the condition!! Yay! Good luck to you!!

  460. I work for surgeons and had gallbladder out. You will feel soooo much better after, one cause of pain meds and two cuz no more radiating horrific pain. I wonder if you will have your gallbladder ethically and humanely stuffed and mounted??

  461. Jenny, keeping my fingers crossed for you! I have so been there–except it was my colon, so the whole rectum thing? Yeah, been there, done that. I now have a hole in my stomach perpetually covered by a very-unfashionable beige bag, but I no longer want to dig out my insides with a spork, so it’s all good!

    By the way, you look WAY better in a hospital gown than I ever did!

  463. If you have it taxidermied you could dress it like a little French soldier and name it Charles de Gall-bladder. I think it could be cute and inspire your next book that we’re all waiting for.
    I’ve only had kidney stones, but they tell me that’s pretty painful too, so I can empathize. Hang in there- you’ll be right as rain soon enough!

  464. The gallbladder is the slow cousin of the appendix. You hide both towards the back of the family photos…

    While the Doc is in there you might as well ask for them both to be removed so you can make nice little purses out of them. You know, one for ‘every day’ and one for ‘fancy’.

  467. OMG! I had the exact same problem and it landed me in the hospital for a few days and the surgery sucked balls. I actually wrote 3 funny posts about my stay there and how my evil gallbladder, Stan, tried to kill me.

    I also made a friend in the hospital and we had a Jell-O party at midnight one night, as it was the only thing we could eat. i couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

    In case you need some reading while you’re hopped up on meds. It may make you feel better to know Evil Stan the Gallbladder tried to attack me as well.

    http://lisanewlin.com/2013/01/yup-it-finally-happened/

    http://lisanewlin.com/2013/01/post-surgery-complications-with-the-nurse/

    http://lisanewlin.com/2013/01/two-chicks-and-a-room-full-of-jell-o/

  468. So let me get this straight: you’ve been hospitalized and yet, you’ve still answered virtual correspondence?
    You, young lady, are an ‘effin mixture of woman and machine.
    And you kick ass.
    Thank you.
    And get well soon. (Too bad you couldn’t regenerate, right? Course, there’s only one Bloggess, but new organs would be kick ass.)

  470. At least they’re giving you the good stuff if your picture is any indication.

  471. Gallbladders really are evil, especially once they turn against you! Hope you can get that jerk removed soon! Stay well!

  472. Hey, I live in SA, too. I had my gallbladder out at Stone Oak Methodist. The have a machine called the Da Vinci which leaves little scarring. It looks a little like Edward Scissorhands but it’s pretty cool. Alas, Johnny Depp will not do the surgery. I inquired.

  474. I just had my gallbladder out in May! The good news is that I can eat and I have no more pain and I’m so happy my surgeon took it out. YAY! The bad news is my recovery from the surgery is soooo slow. Not pain-wise after week one, but I was so tired for a month. And even now (6 weeks out) I can’t do half the things I usually do yet. On the bright side, I’ve watched the first 5 seasons of Mad Men and am almost through House of Cards.
    PS> I wish someone had told me that it takes this much time so I could’ve been prepared to have more help so I’m passing it along.

  475. i had my gallbladder out last november. it was the first surgery i’ve ever had (aside from a lame wisdom tooth extraction) and it was pretty easy. and i had NO IDEA how many problems my stupid ineffective gallbladder was causing me until i got rid of it. i feel SO MUCH better.

  476. Gall bladders have the gall to rebel sometimes. I hope that everything goes smoothly and you find someone to get it out ASAP! I’ve heard you feel like a million dollars after you recover. 🙂

  477. I must commend you on your lipstick, what is the shade? Martyr? As long as the surgeon doesn’t use that spork you bring you’ll be just fine 😉 xx (FYI autocorrect tried to change spork to spock… Now that would leave an odd scar)

    (Burt’s Bees chapstick with color. I recommend. ~ Jenny)

  478. Been there, done that. I had my first gallbladder attack a few weeks after having a baby and the gallbladder attack pain was WORSE than labor (though it didn’t go on for as long, thank God!) I hope you’re soon rid of the thing and feeling better. (I will say, not being able to eat anything, because eating triggered attacks, helped me lose all my baby weight and then some. I still don’t recommend the gallbladder diet, however.)

  480. Gallbladders = evil. We have long family history of gallbladder evilness. You know, if you don’t even really need it, why is it there? Because God likes to stir the pot and randomly throw severe chest pains our way once in a while. Oh, great reason, God. Thanks, man. Every time I get heartburn, my mom is all, “It’s your gallbladder!” Actually, it’s just my stomach eating itself and I much prefer that to gallbladder pain.

    Feel better soon. Get that puppy yanked out!

  481. Jenny, I hope you have a quick recovery! I second comments #5 and #23! Feel better!

  482. I had my gallbladder taken out a few months ago. It was a piece of cake, but they gave me a prescription for hydrocodone anyway, just in case. I hope everything goes smoothly for you, though from what I was told, gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy – don’t quote me on the spelling) is really amazingly common so they all get lots of practice at it. 🙂 Best wishes. ^_^

  483. Hope you are feeling better and your surgery is scheduled soon. Per above comments, please line up plenty of casserole-bringers during your recovery. From what I understand (still have my GB but looking at my family, it’s only a matter of time) it’s not the pain but the fatigue, and getting over the anesthesia–if that sort of thing bothers you.
    Sending you pain-free and fast recovery thoughts.

  487. get better soon!
    all i can contribute is that abdominal laparoscopical (sp?) surgery is a bit uncomfortable gas-wise for a while, but that’s pretty much it for a couple of days. and then, within a year, no scars, either.
    i’ve never had gall bladder trouble but from what i’ve heard, the recovery is nothing compared to the pain.
    good luck, and we all love you

  489. I’m exceptionally glad that you’ll be able to have belly button surgery. It’s way better than the other way that used to involve big slices out of your abdomen. Medical science is way cooler now. Almost everything that can be treated can be treated by MOAR LASERS and I’m glad to live in a world where treatments can be boiled down to “this needs more lasers!”

    Seriously, <3 you big and glad you're going to get the bastard yanked out. Still sorry you can't keep any medical waste, though. Such a double standard. What if you'd already picked out names for your gallstones?

    Maybe you can create your own religion before next week and one of the tenets is "I get to keep my gallstones even after you yank out the sack of bile holding them hostage"? I don't know. Worth a try. Your local legislature seems to be up for almost anything at the moment…..

  492. You need a court order to take home placenta in Texas now. I think you should try for a court order for your gallstones.

  494. Good luck! I’m sure you’ll be fine. I had the same procedure a few years back, only they starved me a for a week and then made me lay on a table on my stomach while they forced cameras and knives down my throat before they even considered taking my gallbladder out. Something about cutting rocks out of my liver and pancreas. I dunno.

    Sending love and healing energy your way. xx

  495. When I read they were going to force you to fart, I immediately thought, “Wait, don’t they just need to pull your thumb?”

    I hope everything goes smoothly this week and with the surgery. Sending you love and light.

  496. my friend had this surgery exactly like this. it went fantastic, and because of this new method she had two teensy scars and a rather quick recovery! she got better super quick and i’m sure you will do fantastic too! we will all be thinking good thoughts for you sweetie.

  497. I had mine out in 2007 and my doc saved me my largest stone. Lol, it’s in a sealed jar with a “Medical Waste” label on it, I keep it in my dresser, primarily for the memories. Little quarter-sized bastard caused me a lot of pain before he was taken out!

  498. Shame you can’t keep the gallstones. I got to keep mine (both of them) but then that was in Sweden and they’d probably let you take home bullets too. Best thing I did was getting mine whipped out. Six months of nausea stopped right away.

    Did he warn you about pain in your right shoulder after? My surgeon did, but my distant cousin’s didn’t and she had no idea why she ached and thought something awful was happening. Basically, no matter how well they fart you, there’ll still be some leftover CO2 inside, and for reasons that I can’t explain, it moves up to your right shoulder and makes it ache. It goes away after a day or so, but if you’re not expecting it, it’s kind of worrying.

  499. So, in case no one told you, sometimes when they blow up your belly with the gas, sometimes it makes your shoulder hurt after. Just fyi. I had uterus surgery forever ago and that was one of the nifty side effects that no one tells you about. Best of luck!

  501. Oh…it’s really inappropriate to laugh as hard as I did when I read this. I think forcible farts are allowable in the case of pre-exploding gallbladder removal by spork, but honestly I’d have to check the regulations.

    Good luck lady!

  502. I hope your scar is as cool as Harry Potter’s and the one I got when I had brain surgery.

  503. I don’t know if anyone has said this yet or if you have had surgery with gas used before, but you will likely have crippling pain in your shoulder as the gas dispels in your body over the few days afterwards. Happens with csections and gallbladder surgery. Doctors never seem to warn people about that!

  504. I know your pain — I had mine removed 8 years ago by the bellybutton method (although, I did get to keep my stones–44 roughly large fishbowl gravel-sized stones). Got some cool small scars out of the deal. Sending you some good healing thoughts!

    I did have to fart my way down the hallway before they’d let me go home. Apparently, even while under anesthesia, I was still mortified for farting in front of people I didn’t know (in front of friends? all bets are off).

  506. Good luck, dear – I’ve had the surgery, too, and it’s not the worst kind of minor surgery you can have. Give yourself a good couple of weeks to feel more like yourself, and then watch out for all the dietary changes and sudden runs for the shitter afterwards. It evens out eventually.

  507. Ugh, lived through this about a year ago. Recovery sucks a bunch, but it’s so nice to not have to bend over and grab your stomach because there’s a gremlin trying to eat its way out of your abdomen!

  508. Have fun farting. Don’t forget the (burning) spork (cutlery/cautery joke). And get well soon.

    Don’t eat any unwitting placenta.

    Filibuster!

  509. I asked for my IUD back when I got my hysterectomy. The doctor thought I was just high at first, which I was–Dilaudid is amazing–but I paid like $800 for that thing and I wanted it back. It’s not like I wanted my cancerous uterus. I just wanted the IUD. Nope. Wouldn’t give it to me. Shenanigans.

  510. Wait, those things can rupture?! Holy crap! My gallbladder needs to come out too, so I feel your pain. Literally.

    Everybody wants to keep their gallstones, they should just make that a standard part of the procedure.

    Good luck!

  511. I wish that someone had explained my gallbladder surgery with the forceable farting. My surgery was the day after my 25th birthday and I was freaked out and it would have made me laugh.

    My doc also wouldn’t let me keep it, but he ended our consultation with the tidbit that the gallbladder is a lovely shade of Robin’s egg blue. Who knew? Well, besides my Internist.

    You will be well quickly, I was swimming a day later. Well, aside from the unpleasant feeling of any leftover gas in your body cavity that migrates to your shoulders. Weirdness!

  512. I had this surgery 3 years ago. Best of luck to you and I hope you’ll feel better soon. 🙂

  513. Dude. My mom kept her gallstones (back in the 90s mind you) and semi-turned them into a rattle for my little sister. Maybe she didn’t mean to but that’s totally what Stephanie used it for. I think there was some screaming about it “being really unsanitary!” (it was in a pillbox for fucks sake). Had my grandmother not been over – I don’t think she would have really cared. Kids you know?

  514. Hope everything comes out ok, literally, especially the gas LOL Don’t want you to blow up! I need you to keep entertaining me 🙂 Best of luck!

  515. Too bad you can’t keep your own gallstones! My one grandmother had her gall stones and my mother’s tonsils in jars – Mom threw them out when Gramma died, which pissed me – what a cool inheritance. I had my daughter’s placenta in the freezer for years – didn’t want to eat in, and always forgot it when we planted trees. We lost power a lot back then, so it got pretty gross. I think my Mom came and threw that out too. My daughter’s dead dwarf hamsters are still in the freezer though. And they died a long time ago. 12 years? Fuck, maybe we should get around to burying them. I hate when things die in the winter – my freezer gets crowded. Anyway, good luck with the surgery and the navel farts, which I think would be very cool to have a record of. Just sayin’…

  516. Good luck! I had mine removed 2 weeks ago after a month of it trying to kill me. The doctor was impressed with the size and number of my gallstones. I can’t grow flowers for shit, but damned if I can’t grow some gallstones! It was a one-time thing, though, so my career as a grower is hopefully done. 🙂

  517. I lived with gallstones and attacks for 2 years, at least one attack a month, cause I was too much of a sissy-lala to have surgery. The first attack sent me to the ER in an ambulance because I thought I was having a heart attack. Surgery was 100% the best decision I ever made and I haven’t had any problems since. Good luck!

  518. When I was probably about 8 or 9, my mom was taking A&P in nursing school. They had to dissect a cat. My mom brought home the brain in a jar and presented it to me as a gift. I am back in school myself and took A&P. When we dissected the cat, I wanted to bring home the brain in a jar and give it to my 10yo son as a gift so that he could experience the same boundless joy that I had at this unusual gift. I was given the same explanation that your doctor gave you.

  519. I kept my kids’ teeth for far, far longer than I should have. Wouldn’t that be medical waste (on top of creepy)?

    Laparoscopic is the way to go – and if belly toots are your biggest concern, you’re a better woman than I. I always wonder if I’ll actually fall of the table as they heave me around and not be able to get me back up. Or I’ll pee on the table. Or talk in my sleep and say something that has me waking up in handcuffs.

  520. Hmm, my daughter just had her wisdom teeth out and she wanted her teeth (to make into earrings) she only had three and one would probably have to be broken so she just wanted the three. After a lengthy lecture about OSHA regulations and “biomedical hazard ” waste, the dentist said “but despite all these regulations I will let you keep your teeth” So I guess our dentist is way cooler than your surgeon. Hope all goes well.

  521. Good luck. And I’m right there with you. I had to get a needle the other day. Practically the same thing.

  523. I had one of my tubes removed through my belly button a year or so ago, and they wouldn’t let me keep it or even, like, see it in a jar or anything. GOD, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. IT’S LIKE YOU HATE FUN.

    Here’s to obliterating that pesky gallbastard, and to a speedy recovery and fun pain drugs. xoxoxo

  524. I saw a couple of gall bladder removals during my pharmacy rotations. It’s easier to recover from than it used to do. Each one took about half an hour or so. You don’t want to come to during the procedure though. The doctors can be a little inappropriate in their conversations while they’re operating. Meaning that their talking about anything BUT what they’re doing. 🙂

  525. This: “…it’s considered “medical waste” once it’s been in your body. Which seems weird because my daughter came out of my body and they totally let me take her home.” Best line of the day.

  526. Both my mom and sister had their gallbladders out. They loved it. Because it was so much better than having the pain associated with an exploding malfunctioning one. Theirs were also taken out through their bellybuttons. I found this strange. But they are fine! You will be fine, too.

  527. Ok, who is going to be the first one to see the Gallbladder pics and knit this woman a “Faux Gallbladder” Necklace with matching bracelet?

    Anyone?

  529. I’m glad the surgeon is going to remove your failed assassin of a gallbladder. Just so you know, they never get all the gas out when they’re doing laparoscopic surgery. If you have a rocking chair, use it. It will help work the excess gas out of your body.

  530. My mom was an OR nurse and always wanted her stones too. Turned out hers were kinda more just mush.
    Not all stones are created equal. So maybe you’re stones won’t be that fabulous and you won’t feel so bad.

  531. I had mine done on a Thursday and was back teaching on Tuesday. Granted, I was 26, but aside from some trapped gas in my shoulder that made it achy, I was good to go.

    Although, the weirdest place that I’ve ever had a trapped fart is in my shoulder, so I had that going for me.

    Good luck, and you’ll feel SO much better!!!

  533. My father is having his gall bladder out today and I needed this. Thank you for being a writer. 🙂

  534. Gallbladders are for losers! I had mine removed in January of 2010. I never had any noticable symptoms. My symptoms presented as anxiety attacks. (Who knew??) I had my one and only attack the night before New Years Eve so I got to spend that entire week in the hospital, eating a clear liquid diet. Oh goodie. To add insult to injury, I could see Burger King from my hospital room.

    My tips to you are to walk as much as you can before and, most especially) AFTER surgery. The 2nd morning for me was worse than the first, but as long as you move & walk, you’ll heal faster and feel better. Oh…And there WILL be farting. Like a lot. Feel better soon. 🙂

  535. Best of luck. Just a word of advice – they will probably use surgical glue to ‘stitch’ your belly button up. Don’t listen to your hubby when he tries to tell you there is a pool of blood under the glue. The glue has a slight purple tint, and when applied thickly, like they did my belly button, it does look totally gross. Hopefully, your doc will be more professional about it, like with my first laproscopic surgery, where they didn’t just squirt a gob in there.

  537. Wow Jenny – not much fun – but somehow only you can make it so 🙂
    I had some gallbladder pain once and the advice nurse told me to eat Tums or peptones Bismarck (okay Pepto Bismal – but that is what my spell check turned it into which seemed more interesting…) so I did and it went away – I read up and it says milk thistle is good – so I take that when I remember – and luckily I’ve been all good – just sharing in case you have any more pain before the surgery! Get it out and feel better soon! We need you! Love, Laura

  538. Good luck on the big chop chop, and I don’t know if anyone has told you (509 comments are more than I have time to read today) but during Laparoscopic surgery, some of the gas has settled in your shoulders, and when you wake up they hurt. So bad, you can’t even feel where they had you chopped open. No-one warned me, and I thought I was dying. So I tell everyone. I didn’t getta keep my removed item (ovarian cyst) cuz they had to biopsy it for evil, which I thankfully did not have, But I got lots of pictures. I’m the only one in my knitty group with a picture of my uterus.

  540. It’s a super easy, minimally invasive surgery. I had mine out back in 2002 as an outpatient & was basically back to my “normal” self within a week. I’m sure the procedure has advanced a LOT in the last 11 years & you’ll be fine within a few days. The worst part was when they woke me up from anesthesia & made me cough to help expel any of the gas that was still left in my body. You’d think they could just give you a Rx for some industrial strength Gas-X, but NO!

    Good luck!

  541. GOOD LUCK!!!! I’m sure it’ll go really smoothly, then you’ll have the last laugh on that inflamed bastard!!

    Regarding medical waste, I learned the same thing when I had cancer surgery. I wanted my tumor so I could keep it in a jar and walk past it every day and be all “HA ha, fuck you cancer, you died of ME bitch.” But the hospital told me “medical waste” blah blah. Then I read this book called ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ and found out that hospitals do whatever they WANT with our discarded bits. Like. Studies and shit, if they want. Your gallbladder could be the key to discovering a cure for… uhh… gallbladder disease. And you’ll NEVER KNOW. Because nobody will tell you.

  542. Best of luck Jenny. Hopefully, yours goes much better than mine did a year ago. *shudder* Thoughts will be with you from all over!!

  544. Ok people can we please not horrify our dear Jenny with gruesome tales of surgeries gone wrong? Pre-op anxiety is not conducive to a speedy recovery. On that note…in case no one has mentioned it yet, the worst part of laproscopic surgery is the gas leaving your body. Yes they “forcibly fart” you, btw I love that term I think I may need to start randomly insert it in conversations, but the left over takes a couple of days to leave your body. It presents as severe joint discomfort. For me it was in my shoulders, collar bone area and yes walking farts. Usually you aren’t allowed to go home after surgery until you can fart. it passes though and some decent otc pain reliever will help. I’m kind of a pro at the surgery since I had to have multiple for endometriosis, hernia and gall bladder. And I was kidding about the pictures which just proves your awesoemness! It sounds like you are in good hands despite the accent.

  545. I had the same surgery 16 years ago. You’ll be fine… I went back to work the next day.

  546. No luck girl, I’ll be praying for you. I’ve never met you but I totally love you and will pray for smooth surgery, skilled doctors and nurses and quick recovery.

  547. Can you imagine having to answer the phone all the time, “San Antonio colon and rectal center”!!!!!! Anyhow….it took me two years, umpteen tests, tons of bills, and one very nice ER doc. But then they took out the miserable little snot. OMG! It was wonderful. If I eat cow, or lettuce, I feel like it’s growing back, so be careful what you eat for a bit! Good luck!

  548. Anyway, who needs a glabaddler, gllabarter, gallabattr, oh, whatever.
    Get well soon, let us know how do you feel without grablsbplatter!

  550. Good riddance to bad rubbish, right?? You will feel so much better without the asshole gallbladder. I had frenchfries for dinner on the way home from the hospital…..then read the post-surgery instructions which warned not to eat fried foods for a couple days. Best Damned Fries EVER!!! (and no issues)

  551. Wishing you a quick recovery! I had to have mine out about three years ago, right before Finals Week. It got me an Incomplete in Organic Chemistry instead of the F I’d really earned.

  552. I wonder where your gall bladder thinks it wants to go after it’s liberated from your body. I guess it isn’t quite smart enough to figure out that it isn’t getting out in one piece. Good luck with the procedure and recovery.

  553. Good luck! I had that operation in 2000. You’ll feel a lot better (well, less gallstone-y) in no time!

  554. Good luck! You will feel SO much better after it’s over! Well, not immediately afterwards– your stomach is going to hurt like hell for a few days, but after that, big improvement!

  555. Good LUck! I’m glad they’re getting the gallstones out soon! it’s dangerous when it raptures — almost life threatening really. Not that is NOT a joke!

    But i’m a little worried your surgeon doesn’t speak English well. I can only hope what you think he’s said is actually what he’s said and what he plans to do ….

    It’s TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE that you don’t get to keep the stones! They’re YOURS!!! THey’re in your body!! How else can you make a better claim that something belongs to you?!?!

    I must say you look quite good with lovely lips for someone who’s survived another attempted murder by gallbladder. Did you have the frame of mind to put on lipstick before you took the pic? Well done. You know what’s important =)

  556. I promise you (as a recent gall bladder operatee) that you will NEVER hear as many puns utilizing the word gall as you will in the next few days. Also, don’t be upset if your right shoulder feels ouchy after you wake up because it’s just the gas and once you belch heartily (and if you’re lucky like me, it will be surprising and in front of a nurse who will be all gently approving) it’ll go away. I really wish someone had told me that.

  557. I had it done. It really was not that bad…the farting continues when you get home too! Stock up on some febreeze or maybe put some charcoal briquettes in your bed to absorb some of the odor! 🙂

  560. Get that sucker out! It was the best thing I ever did, having that bastard removed, the only downside for me now is that ice cream is a 20 minute, live parking, no loitering, sit your ass near a toilet kind of affair.

  562. Oh yuck! I’m so sorry! Get well soon! It’s unfortunate that you can no longer bring home your gallstones…. my grandmother had them in a gerber baby jar on her picture shelf for most of my life… Super weird, but hey… they were prizes I guess.

  563. Happy Gallbladder Outage Day. Wishing you swift healing and nice nurses.

  564. I had the same thing done a couple of years ago, its the best thing, you will feel SO much better when its done. Do listen to the DR though and stay home for a week or two or however long he tells you to do it, and make sure someone is home to help you get off the couch or wherever you decide to hangout for a couple of days. Your stomach muscles are going to be cut and you will be weak. The gas, hurts. Walk it off.. a couple of laps around the living room helps get it going, it will feel like its in your collarbone, and possibly like you’re having a heart attack, but you’re not, just walk it off. You will feel better! Good luck!

  566. Who makes these laws?
    Why the hell don’t they keep the medical waste babies!?
    Gross. Those things could be dangerous. I know mine are.

  567. I had my gallbladder out in November (in MN, if that matters), and they let me have my stones. In fact, because I asked them to let my friend pick them up for me, they got really confused or excited and gave her 2 bags…and one of those bags contained some other guy’s gallstones. You can have them, if you want. (But they’re not anywhere near as impressive as mine. Just say’n.)

    Also, your body won’t be processing fat well for a while, so it’s kind of a license to eat whatever the hell you want and not gain weight…as long as you’re okay with literally running to the bathroom after eating said whatever the hell you want.

  568. In case you get this far down in reading the comments, I have one…if it works like the endo-deal I had, your shoulders will hurt afterwards, unless you let all the gass escape, naturally. So my advice is lay down alot. Butt up is good.

  569. I still have the video of my gallbladder surgery if you really want to watch – I’ve never had the guts.
    Doc missed the sarcasm when I asked for a copy of the video. Imagine my surprise when he handed it to me.
    It’s probably really a blank tape cuz he knew I’d never really watch it. (yeah this was before DVD’s)

  570. So I have this weird thing where I don’t like my bellybutton touched or poked, it freaks me out and now the image of things being pushed out of your bellybutton is stuck in my head and I suddenly want to curl into fetal position to protect my bellybutton. Great here comes an anxiety attack. Thanks for that.

  571. I’m all for removing unnecessary body parts. Although I’m leaning more towards all the fat around my midsection and less towards gallbladders and appendix.

  572. Best of luck. I had this exact surgery two years ago and all went fine. Most of my scars are almost gone now and the recovery was less than a week. Hang in there…it’s better than the excruciating pain from the stones. I didn’t get to keep mine either!

  573. I’ve known two people who have had their gallbladders removed and the new way that they do it laproscopically is pretty amazing. Instead of sawing you in half they make three little cuts and everyone is a lot happier. Happy to hear that you’ll be getting relief soon!

  574. I had mine out one year ago today! At this exact time they were wheeling me out of surgery.

    You will do great! And I’m sure you will have lots of stories to come back and tell us…LOL.

  575. Heal well, and enjoy the pictures. Just avoid video…

    I think we have some canine kidney stones in a jar someplace, wonder if they’re medical waste now too. And no, they weren’t from our dogs, the vet just knew my kid was the type who would really love some kidney stones in a jar. She was right.

  576. I had awesome pictures of my gallbladder, and it looked like a pomegranate filled with teeny tiny stones – they looked too little to have caused such misery. You’ll feel tons better after surgery.

  577. It isn’t that bad of a procedure. But, when I had my gall bladder yanked out of my belly button, I wasn’t prepared for them to glue my belly button together! I kept trying to tell everyone I was an alien and asked my mom where I came from because it obviously wasn’t from her…then the glue fell off and I was human again. And they wouldn’t even let me see my dancing stones, much less take them home :(. Thinking of you and all will be fine!

  578. You can do this….it’s easy……you go to sleep and then you wake up and you weigh less and people bring you pie and all kinds of awesome “I’m sorry a body organ was forceably removed from you” gifts. Including but not limited to..pie…Enjoy tatala…enjoy….

  579. UGH! Feel better soon, Jenny! Maybe it will distract you to read about Ball Ironing. It gave me a lift and apparently it does so for George Clooney’s nutsack.

  580. I had my gall bladder out and was playing ice hockey exactly one week later. Swear. To. God. Of course, the Percocet may have had something to do with it. But you are going to feel great after, really. And the 4 little scars are no big deal. Miniscule.

  581. These regulations are just gonna lead to more people having back alley surgery so they can bring home souvenirs.

    Good luck with your gall bladder!

  583. Damn! Get that thing out of there! I need a you for a guaranteed tears-shooting-out-my-eyes-and-hitting-my-glasses because I’m freaking giggling and snorting like a maniac for a few minutes every day. And, yes, it’s all about me. Fingers crossed for quick recovery.

  584. Oh that’s too bad that they don’t let you keep it. Here in India they let you and my mother kept her stone(it was quite big for a stone) with her for awhile. She would flaunt it at her relative’s faces, who wouldn’t know exactly how to react. It was weird and funny at the same time.

  586. The thing about milk thistle is true. Also, have you been checked for celiac disease? Friend of mine had mind numbing “gallbladder” attacks, had the gall bladder removed, still had the pain, found out it was celiac, and had to lose a perfectly good gall bladder. Also, I had all of my rectum and 15% of my liver removed through lap surgery. You’ll be fine.

  587. I’m thinking of birthday cake, jolly cardboard mini hats, party attached to your belly button and a bunch of people ( who you definately dont want to see while emerging from the depths of anasthesia) standing around your bed yelling SURPRISE!

  588. I totally wanted to make a necklace or bracelet out of my gallstones! I wanted to say “I MADE THIS. NO LITERALLY.” but when I got my gallstones, there was one cute tiny one and one huge white translucent one that was kinda ugly and nearly the size of my stupid gall bladder. I was disappointed.

  589. Good luck! I had my gallbladder removed in March after it took the doctors TWO freaking years to figure out what was wrong with me. You will feel much better afterward!

  592. I hope your surgery goes well and the surgeon doesn’t use a spork, although in your case one of those Slush Puppy straws with the spoon at the end might work beautifully. I’m still pissed that my surgeon couldn’t smuggle out of the OR even one of the 11 pieces of titanium he yanked out of my ankle. I’m a metal smith. I had plans for that shit. You’re right, the new regulations are assholes. Feel better! xoxo

  594. Mine is only an asshole if I feed it coffee. I’m not sure I’m winning, not being able to drink coffee, but it doesn’t try to attack me.

    Seriously, worst pain ever, I hope your week goes quickly.

  595. I know you’re not a praying person, but I’m praying for you!!!
    I’ve been dealing with gallstone attacks since 2003 (holy shitsnacks- it’s been 10 years?!) but am too lazy to get it taken out- although I did get *really* good at figuring out what not to eat to keep it from getting pissed off.
    Hubby on the other hand… not so good at not eating shit that’s not going to make him feel like he’s dying and making me drive him to the ER at 2am (5 times? 10 times? I lost count). I don’t know what the hell he ate this time, but his evil-ass gallbladder ended up causing pancreatitis while he was 1-1/2 hours away from home, in the city, in a meeting, to which he took the train. He managed to get back on the correct train, but couldn’t make it all the way home. He got off at one of the slightly-less-scary stops and called an ambulance to take him to the closest ER, which was still an hour drive from home. It took them 6 hours to admit him into the hospital and then they made him wait in the hospital for 4 more days of total agony for the swelling to go down enough for them to take it out. All said and done, he was in the hospital for a whole week. He wasn’t allowed to eat until the last day. He literally survived the entire time on an IV drip.
    Long story short: I’m so glad you’re getting that motherfucker out of you before it does any more damage.

  596. May I please….offer… ew. ew. ew.

    As part of the trend in developing surgeries without external wounds, surgeons last week removed a woman’s gallbladder through her mouth. The operation was performed as part of a clinical trial at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

  598. i wish you well and you have one hell of a sense of humor and words… i just past stones friday and never had them before. i have (6) left logged in the linning.., nothing they can do. so i might feel your pain. Again wish you well and i now will be following you.

  600. Good luck! My kids will be pleased to know that they were not considered medical waste, even though they came out of my body, and were not thrown in the medical waste heap with their placentas…which we did NOT eat!

  601. I think the hardest part of my mom’s gallbladder surgery was dealing with us teen comedians post-op. “Stop making me laugh, it really hurts!” Not sure why we took that as an invitation to make her laugh more.

    Best of luck on your surgery and recovery. You’ll be feeling amazing in no time!

  602. Keeping you in my thoughts. Mom had hers out about 10 years ago – She was so amazed at how much she felt better. You deserve to feel better.

  603. I got my gallbladder taken out on May 31st laparoscopically. They made four holes and pumped me full of gas as well. I never farted it out. I was just bloated for, like, 4 days and I never farted more. I just burped more and than I felt better.

    Anyway, my doctor lied to me. He told me it take me 3 days to feel “100% better” and I wouldn’t need any pain meds heavier than ibuprofen. (Spoiler: I totally needed heavier pain meds.) That was the worst part for me. I got the procedure done on a Friday and I couldn’t do anything until Monday about the pain.

    Maybe we should start a gallstone club. My biggest stone was 2 cm and right in the neck of my gallbladder. The surgeon was scared my gallbladder would EXPLODE if I didn’t get it taken out. I was in school so I had to wait four months. (Spoiler: gallbladder never exploded.) They also didn’t let me keep my stones but did take pictures.

    All in all, you won’t remember that day and you’ll get some fun stories out of it. You’ll also feel so much better once you’re done healing.

    I hope your surgery goes smoothly and you get lots of pictures of the miracles inside of you that you can’t turn into a necklace.

  604. Dude. Everybody I know is getting their gallbladder out recently. It must be trendy to be gallbladder-free. Good luck with the surgery!

  607. Been in your shoes, and it’s no fun. Good luck with surgery and plan on changing a few eating habits…no more grease or fast food…

    …thanks for the laugh, though. My b-day is today, and guess what I’m doing? Getting my broken hand casted…happy b-day to me!!

  608. I had my gall bladder out a few years ago and like so many other of the Bloggessorians, I was amazed at how wonderful life without an asshole gall bladder can be. Wishing you a smooth surgery and recovery!

  610. Hang in there Jenny – I had my gallbladder yanked out of my bellybutton 3 months after my second C-section, because apparently someone decided that pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period are a swell time for the body to produce enormous amounts of gallstone-forming poisonous crap. So I had a fresh C-section scar, a newborn, a 3 year old, and then gallbladder surgery. I asked them to take lots and lots of photos but they didn’t (bastards). I had my appendix removed when I was 17 and asked the doc to take pictures for me, and he totally did. they are in my baby book. (I asked to keep the photos from my colonoscopy too). You are going to feel awesome after that thing is in the trash.

  611. LUCK LUCK LUCK LUCK… So I’m assuming that we should be glad the it is inefficient at the task of murder because, you know, if it wasn’t I wouldn’t have just laughed so hard I pulled something in my shoulder over being forcibly farted through your belly button…wishing all of the extra luck that’s floating around heads in your direction.

  612. I’ve had this done. Two small incisions – one for the scope and one to pull out the gallbladder.
    Having the gallbladder attacks were so awful, I was happy to give mine to medical science.
    Recovery is pretty fast. Just don’t eat any toasted cheese sandwiches (my husband’s one thing he can cook) for months after. Trust me on that one. Good luck.

  613. And actually, the worst part is not the farting but the gas that is NOT removed via aforementioned forcible farting, because it migrates through your body cavity up to your shoulders. The pain in my shoulders was the worst part of the whole ordeal afterwards. The incisions don’t hurt a bit.

  614. You and me are BFFs except you just don’t know it yet.
    I have had some crazy “gallbladder attacks” and just Monday talked to surgeon about getting that little bitch removed via my belly button. I don’t have gallstones (or at least none big enough to show up in any of the gajillion scans/tests I’ve taken), but apparently my gallbladder is just a lazy mother-effer and has decided to no longer function properly. Perhaps our surgeries will be at the same time and maybe, somehow, our gallbladders will meet up in some gallbladder heaven, and prance around together in full-functioning form.
    p.s. Thanks for making me laugh. It’s been a painful few months for me, so being able to laugh about it is good therapy. Also, best of luck 🙂

  615. Please, please, please, please feel better! Sporks are uncomfortable, but highly efficient…so good use of your thinking cat-cap. 🙂

  616. Gallbladders really are assholes. Mine attacked me right around Christmas one year. The doctor said to avoid higher fat foods and cheesy magic until I could have surgery to get it removed. IT WAS CHRISTMAS EVE! What else do you eat? I ended up having to wait until the spring to have my surgery and ate no cheese for months. I couldn’t even remember my Taco Bell order anymore. I’m not sure how I survived. Once I had they surgery my husband stayed home to take care of me. Instead he just made me laugh a lot and then immediately cry out in pain from the laughter. Assholes.

  617. Good luck but I am sure you will be fine. I had my gallbladder out one week ago today. I had the same type of surgery and went home a few hours after it. I also have fibromyalgia so I tend to need a little more time in recovering and I already feel better and am eating better than I did before the surgery and without pain. The only problem I am having is a wee bit of constipation so I recommend stool softeners as soon as you feel you can take them but other than that it is not bad at all. You get to lay around and watch Doctor Who and enjoy some good pain killers.

  618. I had an organ removed last year and the best thing anyone said to me was: “What if you see this as an opportunity to put all the crap in your life you don’t need anymore into this part of you and let the surgeon take that, too?” One of the things I got rid of, along with my cancery uterus: “The Unfortunate Decade of Mall Perms”. Yup. Gone forever. Never existed.

  619. Good luck! So sad they won’t let you keep them. I can only imagine what a fabulous display would come from such a thing. Tape a $20 to your belly before the surgery with a note, “This is yours if you give me my stones.”

    Might work.

  621. Best of luck and FYI- the gas they inflate you with can also make your shoulders sore. (Something to do with molecular weight and floating?!) so don’t be scared if your shoulders are sore. Make the recovery nurse wrap a warm blanket around them!

  622. MY God woman! That you can make me laugh out loud while worrying for you at the same time is a talent.
    Good luck and Godspeed on your recovery.

  623. Had this same surgery 10 years ago, and it was/is great. You’ll never be constipated again. Of course, your friends will start calling you “Squirt” and it will have nothing to do with how tall you are.

  624. OOOH. I had my gall bladder removed like that and no one told me about the bell button fart! I bet it’s like Ole Faithful. I wonder if the doctor yells, “STAND BACK SHE’S ABOUT TO BLOW” before he pushes on your guts causing a geyser of air to be released. I mean who would want to get hit in the eye with an errant chunk of innards?

  625. When I asked my surgeon if I could have my gallstones after the surgery, he looked at me like I was crazy and said no one had ever asked for them before. Then he got kind of excited! lol He was really excited to show them to me after the surgery, because mine weren’t “normal” gallstones – instead of looking like stones, they were big crystalline structures. He said “Wow, all those sharp edges must have been really painful!” Uh, ya THINK!?!

    I did get to take them home – wonder where I put them….

    oh and FYI – avoid salad for a couple of months.

  626. I HAD THAT DONE LAST YEAR!!!!!!!!!!! I now have three mosquito bite looking bumps around my rib cage area and a funny little knot thingy inside my belly button! I HATE gallbladders! Mine attacked me for a year before they would get it out. After the surgery, this nurse kept screaming my name to wake me up . . .I woke up and turned to my boyfriend and said in a tiny, I’m-hurt-and-I-don’t-like-this-loud-lady voice. . .”they yell at you here” and went back to sleep. I feel a billion times better now though. . .except I recommend taking digestive enzymes forever afterwards. . .there’s a lot more “activity” coming from the lower region afterwards!!! 🙂 I hope you have a speedy recovery and feel awesome afterwards!!!!! 🙂

  627. Thanks for being in such good spirits that you’re able to make us all laugh. 🙂

    Hope all goes well!

  629. “You’re the best medical waste they ever let me take home”

    I totally see that being on a birthday card to my daughter this year…..

  630. My husband had the same procedure done in early May, and he was so happy to have it out. IT was the easiest recovery – 3 holes over the belly button, and then a bigger hole at the belly button. Kind of gross, and looked like a little alien port-hole. He had it done on a Monday, and by Thursday he was at an all-day conference, and back to his job on Friday. Good luck! You will feel so much better!

  632. My surgeon rocks! Said could not also… but did anyway. These gall stones are a funky looking thing, I’m impressed something like that was made by me. Art be damned.

  633. So, I had gallstones as well, and eventually had my gallbladder laparoscopically removed too. One thing I wish someone had told me was how very little my stomach/stitches/surgery site would hurt, and how much of a Bitch the gas that they inject you with would be. I had sharp, stabbing pain in my left shoulder that hurt so much I threw up. My dad actually called the hospital, thinking I’d have to be brought back for surgery-related complications, and they told him that it was just the residual gas from the surgery that had traveled upward when I stood up, and became lodged in my shoulder. It went away in a few days, but it was hell. On the bright side, it did distract me from the stomach/stitches/surgery site pain.

    Ask your doc if he can take internal pics of you. That was the best part of the surgery for me–well, that and getting to sleep sitting upward in my grandfather’s motorized La-Z-Boy for 3 days. While he was in there taking out the gallbladder (and evidently losing track of where he put the damn gas), my doc took pictures of my liver (surprisingly intact), gallbladder (looked like a waterballoon stuffed to capacity with gravel), and other internal organs. Then, after he had taken the gallbladder out, he took pictures of the deflated organ and all the gallstones next to it. Pretty cool alternative to receiving your own medical waste.

    Good luck! Here’s hoping no one makes you laugh and that you don’t eat ground beef anytime soon (another little known fact about gallbladder surgery–tolerance for fatty foods plummets,which may lead to anal leakage).

    …I can’t end my first comment to you ever with the phrase “anal leakage.” And now I’ve gone and said it twice. So I’m ending with Taco Bell. Because they give you sporks with which to eat your meal. And because this is essentially your last opportunity for a while to eat a chalupa.

  634. It’s not too late to ask your friend to get pictures! 8D Or video. Video! For science!

    If I ever get shot (I hope I don’t, knock on wood!) then I really hope I get to keep the bullet. D: Same thing with gallstones. But I guess since we’re both in Texas, and in somewhat-kinda-maybe-proximity, I don’t think I’d be allowed to keep any of that either. Bummer. : /

    Good luck though! You’ll do great! And my dad said that getting his gallbladder removed TOTALLY improved his life. He had awful heartburn before, they said it would be worse without the gallbladder, but in reality it drastically improved! Woo!

  635. Good luck, Jenny!!!
    You know you don’t have to go this far for the sake of your readers…but I’m sure there’s an excellent blog post lurking at the end of this adventure.

  636. Gah! Definitely get the surgery, you’ll feel loads better, and you’ll have a sweet scar in your belly button that looks like you could have once had it pierced, but you got into a fight and some skank ripped it out.
    Also, just be warned that the gas that doesn’t get pushed out of your belly button will sit in your gut for a few days, so try to fart as much as possible. It’ll help!

  637. I once saved an Inmate from their gallbladder. That little shit said “to hell with this”, closed up shop and died.

    On a side note….forced belly button farts would make for interesting text tones…

    “Who the hell did that?!”
    “My mom….”

    Or not…

  639. I had that done several years ago. It’s not bad at all, I have 4 little scars. I forgot to take out my belly ring, so they took it out and put it in a plastic bag for me.

    The gas eventually does leave, at least. You’ll just feel a bit like a balloon for awhile. And while you’re healing you deserve to be waited on hand and foot! Hand and foot, do you hear me???!!!

  640. Oh sweet lady, thank you so much for the laughter you give is in the midst of your pain. And for the mental image of the gas being let out of you like a party balloon. Make sure they secure you to the table, so you don’t go flying around the room……pthhhhhhhh. My thoughts and prayers go with you.

  641. True story. Two days ago I was saying to my husband how strange it would be to fart out of your bellybutton. Huh. So it’s possible. Who knew?

  642. Also, you will wake up with a hot sandbag on your shoulder…which be hurting like a mother trucker…it has something to do with your body absorbing the leftover gas that they can’t force out of your belly button. I really don’t get why it is so, but it is.

  643. BTDTBTT-shirt….you’ll be so glad to be rid of that bugger! Good luck and ps…so glad you decided to not film the bellybutton fart thing….

  644. That shiz is called a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and I had mine out. Now I have little weird marks all over, because the benefit to having laparoscopy is that instead of having one big fuck-all scar, you get a bunch of little fuck-you scars instead. That’s better, apparently.

  646. I had mine out the same way a few years ago n it wasn’t terrible n healed super fast!!… Good luck n make sure you start walking around as soon as you can to get the excess gas out… Otherwise it makes you feel as though you can’t breathe n might be having a heart attack… All the best to you!!

  647. Maybe you could get some cow’s gall stones or something and use those for the necklace and just say they’re yours?
    In fact, your dad could probably get you some real easy.
    It’s symbolic after all and maybe yours wouldn’t be pretty ones, what if they were all rotten looking? Ugh.

    (I say cow gall stones because that was the first thing that came up in my looking into gallstones, I am not making an assertion as to similarities between you and cows…except you both have gallbladders)

  648. Sending good vibes now and next week. I, like the other 629 people here, really look forward to having you back online.

    Re: the surgery, you might have some shoulder cramps after all that gas, which apparently rises inside. And sinks, too, so you deffo don’t want any video or audio coverage. The worst part perhaps is that the latter makes you laugh…and laughing hurts.

    Hope it all goes well.

  649. If your gallstones are anything like my dad’s gallstones, then trust me, you wouldn’t want to make a necklace out of them.

    At least, not if you wanted to wear it in public.

  650. It’s true about your friends not letting you live it down…I still have a picture saved on my desktop of my friend’s post-gallbladder removal ‘goals’, which included ‘pass gas’. I drew a little farting stick figure next to the goal to make it easier to understand in her drug-induced haze.

  651. Good luck. (Does it make me a very bad person that I kind of want you to get someone to video the whole farting through your belly button thing?)

  652. I had my gallbladder removed about 9-10 years ago and it was no problem. It was a “piece of pie” or should that be “easy as cake?” 🙂

    Wishing you a similarly easy, complication-free procedure along with a quick post-op recovery.

  653. Good luck on the surgery! I had my gall bladder taken out of my belly button a few years ago. I spent my 40th birthday with a bleedy belly button and no gall bladder. Loosing it didn’t even make me lighter. I guess gall bladders don’t weigh much. That part sucked. The surgery also stretched the crap out of my stomach skin worse than being pregnant. That sucked too! Put lots of vitamin e, shea butter and whatever else you can get your hands on this week before the surgery. Maybe it will help prep the skin for the trauma of the forced air. It was great getting that nasty gall bladder out though. Worth it!

  654. best of luck to you and glad you still have your humor during all of this. Die gallbladder, just die will ya!!

  655. Good luck, lovely! May you have the most elegant belly button farting experience of all time. We will all be thinking of you. <3 In the "hoping you're doing well" way, not the "imagining her stomach farts" way. …never mind.

  656. Did you at least inquire about the rectal gallbladderectomy?

  659. Good luck!!! Wishing you a speedy recovery! Just think of how much better you’ll feel once this is all over!

  660. You are completely right. “Rupture” is just a fancy way of saying “that shit blew up inside of my person,” and that’s dumb. I’m glad that your doctor isn’t going to let that happen to you. I can’t imagine that it would feel very good. I also can’t believe that you’re not going to let your friend see you forcibly fart through your bellybutton. That’s a once in a lifetime chance at something you can’t unsee! If I were doing that, I’d want a witness so that we could recount the tale in public while creeping people out. Or at least so that I could tell people that I farted out of my bellybutton once and when they said “I don’t believe you,” I could call said friend and she could tell them all about it.

  661. eeek! Scary stuff! Good luck with the operation.

    I’m pretty sure a receptionist with a good sense of humour is a good thing, moody receptionist just make you worry.

  662. I agree – Gas-X strips and a heating pad are the greatest thing ever, after a laparoscopy.
    You can do this, Jenny! We’re rootin’ for you!

  664. You will feel so much better after it is gone. I had my gallbladder out when I was 26.They took it out the old fashioned way, with large scar to prove it, but I was so glad to quit having the middle of the night attacks of pain. The pain is horrible. Wishing you a safe surgery!

  665. I went through this a few years ago. So glad you’re going to get it removed – it’s such a relief. I was less worried about the gas than my allergies. Every time I coughed or sneezed I was convinced that my intestines were going to squirt through the healing incision on my belly button. Get well soon!

  666. I had this surgery about 9 years ago now. Hope it goes well for you!

  667. After a night of writhing in pain, was put on the short emergency list to have my gallbladder removed due to it’s severity. 3 short months later, I had the surgery. Freakin’ HMO. FYI – I recommend the surgeon uses his skills and sews your belly button area and NOT staple. After 3 weeks of the staples rubbing against my jeans, I was ready to get out my pliers and pull them out myself. Make the doctor use what he learned and not short-cut with a staple gun. That’s why they get paid the big bucks.

  668. Good luck! Make them give you some zofran or phenergan for after the surgery b/c anesthesia can make you barf like crazy. And the last thing you want to do when you have stitches in your abdomen– even small ones– is for said abdomen to involuntarily spasm repeatedly. Trust me on this one.
    Also, I begged my ob/gyn to let me take my IUD home with me when I got it removed (b/c it kept poking my fiance in the wiener, which seriously interrupted an otherwise fantastic time), but she said she had to send it to a lab or some shit. A week later she called and said I needed to come in for further testing, and I was so freaked out (and lazy) that I never went back. But that was like 2 years ago, so if I had a serious disease or cancer or something, I’d probably know by now. I’m still pissed about the IUD though. I think anything that’s been lodged in your body and caused suffering should be yours to keep!!

  669. I’ve had mine removed, and it is a pretty easy procedure. Best to you!! You will feel better.

  670. Jenny, please do take care of you.

    We are all selfish bastards here- because we drink at your well.

    You have a daughter, a husband and extended family that love you and need you. Wishing all the very best of everything. ~PB

  671. I’m adding this comment because you were at 666 comments and not that I believe in that kind of stuff, buyt why take chances.
    By the way, I’m pretty sure people would pay to see a farting bellybutton.

  672. who needs a gallbladder anyway? My mom lost hers after it tried to explode. Happy surgery day to you!

  673. To commenters: Gallbladder is one word.

    Susan – endoscopic surgery is not experimental otherwise the insurance would not pay for it.

    Billie – sounds like you had gallbladder dyskinesia, aka biliary dyskinesia, suffering postprandial pain. A regular HIDA scan won’t show that; you have to have one with Sincalide to get a gallbladder ejection fractions. Cholecystectomy helps those patients.

  675. Just had mine out 2 weeks ago! Good luck! You’ll feel so much better!

  676. Much love. I had that little bastard gallblader taken out a few years ago – best. breakup.ever.
    This is, mind you, after going to the ER and having a fucking ER doctor say “I don’t think anything is wrong with you, but were you molested as a child?” (WHAT THE FUCK)
    Great woman-surgeon went in via scope (no cutlery) and with fire & brimstone (aka cautery) took that jerk out. I feel MUCH better. Just take fiber with those pain meds, take it easy and don’t eat a ton of fat -laden food (i know, right? ) at first.

  677. I had gallbladder removed 6 months after baby was born. Apparently, pregnancy can make it go bad – go figures.

    Anyway, every month I suffered delivery-partum pain. If I knew any better, I would have gotten it out the first time, or had 5 children by now – not sure I want any of them, but for the pain, seriously, I’ll take the surgery in a NY minute.

    My surgery went excellent. It’s been two years and no complications what’soever. And I get to eat fat again! Yay. 🙂

  679. Craptacular! It’s like we have the same organ as mine was trying to kill me 2 weeks ago and now if I eat anything w/fat in it I want to kill me too!

    So I guess all the cool kids are getting their gallbladders out…we can be “scar sisters” but not in a gross stalker way. The cool way.

    On a great side, think of the weight loss, those stones must way at least 8lbs EACH! I hope you have 9 stones!

  681. As a Professional Medical Photographer for many years I can offer you some PBS style trivia that will make your experience much more special.
    1) The human gallbladder is a archaic organ that your body is trying to forcibly eject. (hence the pain) You aren’t loosing a gallbladder so much as you are evolving. Kind of like humans loosing tails and webbed feet.
    2) Photographing your surgery is like taking pictures of your washing machine, all the action is behind the scenes. What you want is the videotape of the endoscope feed.
    Here is what you are in for:
    You will have a few tiny incisions, a trocar will be inserted into each incision. One will have the endoscope – this magical camera will allow the doctor to see your evil gallbladder and any other exciting bits, like your colon, lungs etc., another trocar will be the passage through which an assortment of tools will be inserted to allow the doc to grab, snip, package and pull out the offending organ, they usually use the belly button. An electrocautery device will be used to seal your insides up so you won’t bleed out.
    Fun fact – they use a plastic bag to get the galbladder out. A Zoplock bag goes in your belly button trocar, gallbladder is stuffed into bag, bag is zipped shut and yanked out. Nice and neat and clean. No nastiness escaping into your stomach cavity.
    Bonus Fun Fact – The electrocautery knife was invented by Dr. Arthur Carroll Scott. Scott was born in Gainesville, Texas. He established the Kings’ Daughters’ Hospital in Temple, Texas in 1898, then The Temple Sanitarium in 1905. The Sanitarium was renamed Scott & White Hospital, now one of the biggest hospital dynasties in the country.
    Extra Bonus Fun Fact – A Trocar is a medical device used in many procedures. It is also the name of a car club, The Trocars are a Dallas Texas based Funeral Car Club. They meet monthly and drive their restored hearses around town.
    -Stephanie

  682. One of these days, we’ll evolve the appendix and gall bladder away…right?

  683. Years ago, my husband spent an evening complaining of not feeling well and in the MIDDLE of the night, he decided he felt bad enough to go to the emergency room. We had 2 small children so he said for me to stay home with them and he’d drive to the hospital himself because he didn’t feel THAT bad. Half-way to the hospital, he was gripped by agonizing pain and said later that if he would’ve seen a police car at that ungodly hour, he would’ve flagged them down for help! To make a long story long, he was admitted to the hospital, treated symptomatically for acute pain of unknown origin and was subjected to a battery of tests and after TWO days they decided that it was probably his gall bladder (in spite of inconclusive blood tests). Once they opened him up, they had to use a ziplock baggie to surround the GANGRENOUS gall bladder!!! The moral to this story is follow your instincts–you’ve been symptomatic long enough, girlfriend so have ’em yank that MoFo O-U-T!

  684. ::GOOD LUCK::
    When they say “no solid food” check if that means ice cream. Because, ice cream.

  686. When my mom had her gallbladder taken out, they totally let her keep the stones. I know because I think I got AT LEAST two show and tells out of those puppies.

  687. Guess what? You fart a lot after the surgery too. The good news is, even with the farting, and even with the (minor, really, but that’s no reason not to get some good drugs) pain, you will STILL feel better than you did before they yanked that bitch out. Also, my boyfriend asked about keeping my gallstones, and was summarily shot down.

  689. He uses a comic to explain the procedure? That’s genius! And a little frightening. Still sending get well wishes your way, chica!

  690. I know you won’t have time to read this, but let me join the thronging hordes wishing you good luck with the surgery. Lots of love to you lovely lady.

  692. Good luck! Be totally sure to tell Dr. Mumbles to squish out ALL the gas because when they don’t, it hurts like a MF for several days (don’t ask me how I know, just trust me). Sorry they won’t let you have your gallstones, I have my husband’s screws and rods from his broken leg operation, I’m gonna make a mobile as they’re too big for jewelry.

    Heal quickly
    (die murderous gallbladder, die)

  695. You will be fine! Just take it easy with recovery. You may not be feeling like Superwoman the day or so after, and that’s ok. Let your body heal. Don’t push it. You may also find that fatty foods give you, um – how should I put this – fecal incontinence – for a while after the surgery until your body adjusts to no more murderous gallbladder. Best to you!

  696. All the luck in the world, Jenny. (Sorry to all of the other people won’t get luck now 🙁 )
    Lisa

  697. You must have magical powers because you have managed to look absolutely gorgeous in a hospital gown with hospital lighting. And hospital lighting is the most unflattering light there is. If I even go to visit someone in the hospital, the lighting is so bad that I look sicker than the sick one! I bet if they had warm soft lighting in hospitals like they have in expensive boutique hotels, patients would get better faster. Also, if hospitals were more like spas, we probably wouldn’t complain so much about how expensive they are.

    Take care and be well soon! Sending all good thoughts your way!

  698. Oh, honey gallbladders are ass, well not literally because that would be confusing and messy buy you know what I mean. At least it won’t cause you anymore problems. I worked with a women who had hers removed she said it was fairly easy procedure. I hope you have a similar experience, in and out with good drugs!

  699. You will do awesome and so will the doctor! sending you lots of love and healing vibes! You don’t want anyone in there for your belly button farts anyway…they would probably just be assholes and video it and put in on You Tube and the you would really never live it down!
    T

  700. Commenting again because I am a stalker. I mean, uh, concerned about your well-being. 🙂 Serious note from someone who’s been there: When you realize, post-op, that you have to pee, start getting up and moving towards the potty. I waited (because I had a 19-year-old bladder) and it took me 45 minutes to shuffle-step to the bathroom because my tummy muscles were angry from being poked. I almost didn’t make it. I realize you’re not 19 and have gone through childbirth, so maybe you already have a Hamster Bladder of Great Impatience. I’m just saying I don’t want you to get pee on your toes. You’re welcome. 🙂 <3

  701. I had my gallbladder taken out when I was 15! It was stuffed full of stones, but they didn’t let me take them home either. I had been filled full of hope because when I asked my doctor if I could have them (or some of them) he said, “I’ll see what I can do.” Apparently I hadn’t learned the lesson to know that, “I’ll see what I can do,” really means, “That’s a cute thing to ask, but, no.”

    However, mine did come out of my belly button and I still have the scar just inside my belly button to prove it. I’ve always thought this was cool because technically, my belly button was my very first scar — so now I have a scar INSIDE of another scar!! (I can hear you saying, “Woah! That’s awesome!” and I know. Soon you too will have a scar inside a scar. We should form a club.)

    I don’t have any horror stories to share since my surgery went really well, and I didn’t have any weird side effects after. No pooping my pants and no dietary restrictions (other than the ones I make for myself so I don’t binge on chocolate all day). No one’s really sure why I had gallstones at age 14/15, but since they haven’t come back or caused me any pain after, I don’t really mind that no one figured out the why of it all.

  702. That pain is horrible. Definitely worse than childbirth because it is constant (no break like with contractions) and you don’t get to take a snuggly baby home at the end. I had emergency gallbladder surgery last August. Thankfully I haven’t had any side effects like many of the other folks here. Just my wee little scars. The first couple of days after were rough though because it hurts while your body gets rid of all of the gas they pump in you. They wouldn’t let me keep my gallstones either. Rat bastards.

  703. After I had my murderous organ removed I had to call the office because I thought the doc must have been sharing the good drugs with himself judging by the sewing job he did on my belly button. The nurse said that nope, he did it right; that all belly buttons look stupid and messed up afterward and they will go back to normal in a bit. So you’ve been warned. My belly button promptly got what looked like a big bruise all around it but was, in fact, an infection. Keep an eye out for that.

  704. Hugs to you, the only real issues is if not all the nitrogen oxide gets pushed out. That last bubble will go up & out to your upper lung & shoulder areas. It’ll hurt like a knife, but hot compresses help & Do Not take all the pain meds, ibuprofen should cover this type of pain but do listen to your surgeon as he’s. Done many of gallbladder surgeries Not you. Take it slow & easy for a week. No binging on greasy crappy foods. & yes, pooping will take about about 3 weeks to normalize to your schedule before. In. About 1 week you’ll feel so much better. So many people are on your side with love & positive energy, you my sweet pee will be just fine. No need to worry or get all hyped up.

  705. about your surgeon, my oncologist was Egyptian so his ESL was kind of shaky. since my children have suggested i not say “huh?” when not being able to understand (and i had my glasses on) it was a matter of “come again” “pardon” i really just wanted pictures by the end..but my surgeon….ah talk about ahunka ahunka o’ burnin’ love. he has removed four of my body parts and i am looking to see if there is anything left i don’t need.
    Talking about passing wind, since i am such a classy grandma, i showed my 10 yo grandson that i can fart when i do situps. he laughed, my daughter was not so amused. no sense of humor that girl.
    I am sure you will do great and make us all laugh when you blog about it.. you are just my kind of gal and i love you to pieces, even your gallbladder. oh, and take an extra pain pill will ya, just for me, my ibs is holding me hostage

  706. you are going to feel SO much better after you get your gallbladder removed. the only downside is that it turns out that your asshole gallbladder is what makes it possible for you to eat corn and popcorn and nuts and once it’s gone those things are a huge no go (unless you want to be in horrible pain for days). but, on the bright side, no more horrifyingly excruciating pain that makes you want to kill someone if only it would stop hurting for five seconds.

    we’ll be thinking of you and hoping that everything is shiny and happy. 🙂

  707. You will feel SO much better once the little bastard is taken out of you. I had three punctures that made three cute little scars…and hardly any forced farting. My doctor wouldn’t let me keep the stones either – of course the doctor who took my appendix out when I was 12 wouldn’t let me keep that either. Seems wrong…I mean those things are mine…right? Guess not. Also…take the pain medication! I’ll be thinking of you.

  708. How could you need luck when you have a doctor who will remove the offending organ (I refuse to name it because all these posts have convinced me that I am just insanely lucky for not having any problems with mine, and I don’t want to give mine a chance to realize that it could be trying to kill me instead of just sitting there doing its job) with cutlery (maybe even a fish fork) and then you will have gas in your shoulder and a number of other places as well and then you will not be able to eat corn and whatnot.

    OK. Good luck. Maybe insist on taking a rabbit’s foot, or a whole stuffed rabbit (or other rodent of your choice), into the OR with you. After saying no to your request to keep the gallstones, they kind of have to say yes to that, right??

  709. When I had mine removed I wanted to keep it to give as a gift to my brother-in-law (he teaches anatomy) but doc said no 🙁 Turns out there wasn’t much left, it was “all et up” with gangrene. Feel better soon.
    Remember, no big greasy meals after, unless you want a BIG SURPRISE!

  710. Yes, please keep us up to date on the surgery. I’m looking forward to having this same conversation with my surgeon in the near future. Good luck! M

  712. Been there! Felt that! Glad they are taking it out but be aware…when they took mine out I suddening started having to go to the bathroom every time I turned around, and I’m not talking about peeing!! I finally went back to the doctor who told me, ” Oh ya, some people have a problem because your gallbladder regulates the amount of acid your body releases after you’ve eatten. When we take it out the acid just goes straight to your stomach and you have the runs constantly!!!!!” Are you kidding me!!! Thanks for the heads up doc. Now I have to mix this awful tasting powdered crap in water every single day for the rest of my life so I don’t accidently crap my pants. Nice! At least I don’t have to wear diapers. P.S. The the scar is hardly noticable.

  713. A laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is the name of what you’re having, is the most frequently performed surgery in the country, so you should be good there. Good luck!!

  714. Next time get kidney stones, you can totally keep those (so long as you’re willing to filter your pee until they come out). But seriously, don’t, they hurt like a bitch.

  715. my friend freeze dries placentas into capsules for the mother to take (since mammals eat their placentas after birth, there must be some nutritional value, or maybe they just eat it to keep other animals from eating it then maybe accidentally eating their babies). she’s all like ” I gotta go pick up so and so’s placenta,” and she posts things like “placenta in the purse,” which is gross because that’s where she keeps her money that I am forced to borrow sometimes! also, sometimes her refrigerator is FULL of goddamned placentas, and then her family is forced to eat out, which is okay since she gets paid good money to encapsulate placentas. She actually has “an office” in a friend’s basement which is full of shit (I think she might have hoarding tendencies), but she swears she uses “a clean area.” she won’t ever let me SEE her cutting up or pulverizing the placenta cause she said it would gross me out. She listens to book tapes on her iphone while doing this. I think it’s really an excuse to dump her kids with me under the guise of “working.” P.S. I planted mine under a bush, and the thing is EXPLODING with life, so that must prove something!

  717. Good luck with your surgery. Try laying some cash and a membership card to the double unicorn club over you belly so that when he goes in to start he can take that as a nice little tip. Then after you get stitched up he hides a ziploc bag (the hospitals probably don’t keep an inventory of these) of the gallstones under the blanket or in a secret location that is drawn on a map using outdated picture references. Now you can have your gallstone necklace! Problem solved!

  718. so I had my gall bladder removed via belly button last year. and this is the best piece of advice i can give you. you wont understand the importance until the day after the surgery. but just file this at the back of your mind.
    i don’t remember why this works, but my sister in law who is a nurse came and helped me out for my recovery last summer and she taught me this technique. using your stomach muscles hurt. and you wont know how much you use them until after the surgery. when you get up, lean over, or are sitting on the toilet, keep a pillow near by. press the pillow against your abdominal muscles. for whatever reason, it hurts significantly less when the pillow is pressed against those muscles when you have to use them.
    also, its really awkward to get out of bed. those muscles hurt, the incisions are painful, and you can’t turn onto your tummy. i ended up tying a piece of rope to the bed post and it gave me just the little extra assistance i needed. with your arthritis, you might have even more need of it.
    just a few thoughts on how to get through the first couple of days. also, don’t forget to ask your doctor if there are any drugs you shouldn’t take by mouth anymore, now that your gall bladder isnt going to be.

  719. Hopefully this will fix the gallbladder being a dick once and for all. Now let it be a lesson to all of your other organs who want to kill you.

  721. Glad that you have hired a hitman for your gallbladder. That will teach it to mess with you.

  722. Don’t be surprised if you have residual pain in your shoulders after the surgery. If you do, it will be a result of left over gas. At least that’s what my surgeon explained to me. For all i know, while I was out, they hung me up on the wall and played “pin the tail on the patient”

  723. Had mine done two years ago. Walked into the operating room at 815am and was home in bed watching The Young and The Restless at 1230pm. Easy peasy!!

  724. Wow! Sounds like an exciting surgery. You need video of you farting out of your belly button. OBVIOUSLY.

  725. My mom just had that procedure done and you’ll be better in a jif!

    (although the way I had MINE done I can boast about a really cool-ass scar that follows my rib cage down one side and totally lie and say I was in a knife fight….)

  726. I had mine out in November….totally easy, out for an hour and a half, Percocet for a day and a half and then back to work in a week. I got to keep my gallstone (only one and it was as big as a freaking golf ball) and my nurse took a picture of my gallbladder for me!!!!

  729. Good luck, Jenny. You’ll be in our thoughts and we’ll send lots of karmic energy to your doc to do a good job. You’re actually lucky to be having gall bladder surgery now. I had mine almost 30 years ago and have an ugly-ass scar to prove it. My how things have changed for the better.

  731. LUCK!
    Gallbladder pain is unfuckingbelievably bad. You will feel so much better once you are rid of the little blighter.
    XO

  733. I do hope you have an uneventful recovery from your surgery. But if it IS eventful, then please blog about it so we can share in your eventfulness.

  734. I had my annoying bastard gallbladder removed 8 years ago. Best.move.ever. Well, other than the removal of my very angry uterus and ovaries 10 years ago. I digress. After the removal of your gallbladder you may (should) be told to avoid greasy/fatty foods for awhile. Please, for the love of Xanax, heed this warning! If they tell you 2 weeks, wait 4 – hell – wait 6 weeks! Your tummy and family will thank you! In all seriousness, I hope the surgery goes perfectly and you heal beautifully! Make sure Victor spoils you and buys you new towels!

  735. Yay for getting rid of the painful nuisance! And here’s crossing fingers that your recovery is as smooth as the other folk I know had.

  739. I have heard that eating/ingesting placenta helps with postpartum depression. Apparently, if you are fancy, you can have your placenta ground up and put into pill form so you don’t have to chew it. Just more random stuff taking up space in my brain. You are welcome. And best of luck with the surgery 🙂

  740. GB pain is beyond horrible….. you will feel awesome when it is out. The evil thing can never haunt you again !!!!! Recovery mostly is easy-peasy. Make your husband waits on you for as long as you can, even after 6 mo post-op ; after all you can’t “strain” your GB Free abdomen too soon….. Ha! Actually – it will depend on the procedure, laparoscopic vs open. You will be doing fine in no time.
    Best of luck. LBM

  741. I would charge my friends to witness me fart through my navel. They get to do that for free at the gym or at work.

  742. So the function of my belly button is for surgeons to remove my gallbladder through it and make farty noises when they’re done?
    Great…

  743. I recently found out that, when I was born, my parents took the placenta and buried it in the garden. Then they planted asparagus over the placenta. They ended up with a really good crop the next year. We moved the following year, but asparagus stays around for a long time. I hope the people who moved in after us enjoyed the placenta asparagus.

  744. I’m sorry that you have such a mean gall bladder, but I’m very happy that it’s an inefficient murderer! Gall bladder surgery has come a long way, but don’t let anyone fool you. It’s still someone cutting into your body, and laparoscopy isn’t cute and gentle like it sounds. Sure came as a shock to me, anyway! Take the time to heal properly and be well!

  745. I got a sweet new belly-button out of my cyst removal! I called it the toad because it was toad sized and just sat there looking ugly. My OBGYN called it a chocolate cyst which sounds like it would be awesome but is actually totally gross.
    Good luck and good drugs. and wine.

  746. I’ve read many of the comments but I’m not sure anyone addressed this issue. You have cats and cats like to jump up onto people. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t stop my cats from jumping on my healing stomach esp when I was napping. The pillow helped, but if you aren’t much for pain, I advise you keep your cats away from you for a while. I read a lot of comments about horrible after effects of the surgery, but take it all with a grain of salt. I didn’t even take my pain killers; plain ibuprofen worked just fine without dehydrating me. And I haven’t had any dietary restrictions since surgery. Your body needs time to adapt. Eat a low fat diet and you should be fine. Go into surgery with a positive mind frame, drink lots of water and say a little prayer.

  747. Good luck!!!! We love you (well, your writing that is–don’t want Victor to get jealous). Get better soon (or as quickly as you can once they remove the offending organ). And this comment is why I am not allowed to talk to sick people.

  748. So they won’t let you have the gallstones? Well, damn…I was going to recommend my jeweler friend Columbine to you; she makes and sells jewelry made from real human bone (obtained from decommissioned med school skeletons, IIRC–I’m not making this up, I swear), and she’d probably be delighted to bang out something spiffy for the woman who introduced “Knock knock motherfucker” to our vocabularies, but…stupid medical waste rules. 🙁 (FWIW, they did let me keep my wisdom teeth when those came out a number of years ago–in fact, they asked me if I wanted them while I was in recovery still trying to wake up and wondering why it felt as if someone had stuffed a couple of Super Plus Tampax between my back teeth. 2 came out in pieces, and 2 whole; a different friend had hers capped and strung on a necklace, but I’m thinking earrings for mine. Oh, Columbine… 😉

  752. heehee…when i was a surg tech, it was common practice to announce ‘specimen out’ when handed, oh say, a gallbladder…that was fine until i assisted on a c-section…habit, yes, but apparently it’s not cool to make such an announcement when welcoming a non-gallbladder, ok child, into the world…in my defense, gallbladders are a tad less grody…just sayin…i hope you’re feeling better…

  754. My best bud had this surgery done last year, but now I’m going to make you really really jealous: HER gallbladder was GANGRENOUS. Yes sirree, they were calling in other doctors to take a look BECAUSE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT!!! And her doctor wouldn’t let her take it home, either. I think your argument about the questionable practice of taking placenta and children home vs gallstones is a valid one.

  755. I just had mine out last year after dealing with it for a few years. Good luck! Maybe you’ll be lucky like me and they’ll give you a photo of your insides you can frame as art work.

    …they also gave me a lunch box. To my disappointment it was empty, (I thought my gallbladder would be in it)

    :-D.

  756. I had my little fucking monster Gallbladder popped out about 9 months ago. The surgery was pretty easy and I was back to work in a few days (gas, bloating and all). Just as an FYI as someone who has trogged through depression too, make sure to watch your Thyroid levels. My Thyroid went wonky after the surgery (this has happened to more than a few people that I know of ) and caused a major depression spell. Have your thyroid levels checked and keep an eye on them. Wishing you all the best and a speedy, dreamy recovery.

  757. I had mine out a few years ago. That night before bed (the attacks are always at 3am, right?!) I put self tanner on planning to shower most of it off in the morning. At 4am my streaky orange self was in the ER being prodded by the most handsome 40 year old surgeon EVER (even hotter than McSteamy). Admitted, operated on, no shower for 3 days. Not my finest hospital memory. Good luck and shave your legs everyday just in case!

  759. Okay now that I have picked my laughing ass up off the floor!! Good Luck!! I can not wait to hear how things go and wish you a speedy recovery! As for the farting out of your belly button, I guess it’s the one time you don’t have to excuse yourself!!

  760. Good Luck! I had mine out years ago. The WORST part… it hurts to laugh for a couple days after your surgery. That whole cutting through your stomach muscles, and the inflating. Yeah.

  762. Will you be totally out, or given a local? You know, like with a C-section? If you are completely out, you should have Victor (or the Doc) make an audio recording. Would hate for you to miss your own belly button fart.

  763. Good luck sweetie. Try not to destroy anything while you’re still high after the surgery.

  765. If he was going to use cutlery, you could have loaned him your spork!

    Good luck. Hope you’re feeling much better soon!

  766. Beware the murderous gallbladder post op SUCKS. They don’t tell you this stuff… Be ready not to be able to sleep in your own bed for a few nights because of hurts so bad. And the glue shit they put on the incisions itches like a bastard and you can’t itch it because it will pull the glue out. Things like taking a shower, eating breakfast or going to the bathroom requires a nap afterwards. So you aren’t being a lazy asshole I promise. And lastly the only thing to keep the pain away is to take the pain meds every 4 hours. Yes wake up out of what little sleep you get and take them. Otherwise you hurt in the morning. Goodluck, heal well and you will feel amazing after the pain goes away.

  771. good luck. and heres to the doctor sneaking a gall stone out with you. 🙂

  772. My gallbladder decided to quit on me a week before a highly anticipated trip to the UK. My friends went without me. Bitches.

    Anyway, my bitterness has only slightly subsided enough to allow me to write up a couple of post-op tips.
    You’ll feel like you’ve been stepped on by an elephant. If you sleep on your side or stomach, you’re fucked for a week or so. WASH YOUR HAIR the morning of the surgery. It takes a few days before you’re allowed to shower and in the heat you feel gross instantly. Better yet make an appt for a blow out at your salon. What better excuse for someone washing and drying your hair for you than, “I just had an organ yanked out my belly button”. Ice packs (or frozen corn in my case) help to combat soreness and swelling. Inevitably a cat will jump on your stomach and you’ll immediately consider murder. You love your cats but consider having a lightweight pillow handy. Mostly importantly, relax and take it easy. Overdoing it comes naturally and you’ll want to set your brain to sloth mode for a bit just to let your body catch up.

  774. They wouldn’t let my husband keep his gallstones either, but they gave us a color photo of the inflamed gallbladder. It is now framed and hanging in our dining room.

  775. Had that done a year and a half ago. When they say not to pick anything up for several weeks, they mean it. I was back in for hernia surgery 6 weeks later. You’ll feel like hell the first 12 hours or so but then it gets better. My nurses also had me drink a lot of ginge rale to help expel the remaining gases. Don’t know how burping gets rid of gas they’ve injected into you but I didn’t have the pain in my shoulder like I did after a previous surgery. Good luck to you!

  776. I totally feel your pain. I keep begging doctors to remove my tonsils, but they won’t do it because they fucking LOVE tonsils, but I don’t, because my tonsils are infected ALL THE FUCKING TIME, and today I contemplated removing them myself with my letter opener, but then my desk was all messy and I couldn’t find the letter opener because obviously the doctors hid it in order to save the precious, precious tonsils they so love. I hate my fucking letter opener for allowing this to happen.

    Anyway … Good luck on your surgery! I’m sure it will go swimmingly. 🙂

  777. I knew there was a reason I ended up here tonight! I feel your pain. Quite literally. Although the transfer may not have gone as anticipated because I’m feeling it in my left kidney. I’m 24 almost 25 and having my 3rd/4th kidney stone, the second this year. There’s some debate if #3 actually passed or if this is a whole new stone. Sadly I’m hoping its number 3 just being a pain in the ass and reviving like a serial killer in a bad teen horror film because I became a fucking vegetarian so this wouldn’t happen again and I miss meat dammit and if this is #4 than all these months of meat deprivation have been for naught. And there is no such thing as a good veggie dog, feak, soysage, lunch meat replacement, or facon. And as nasty as it is going down its even nastier coming back up because every time that stupid ass little organ spasms I whimper and vomit in pain. I move that we remove all excess organs at birth. No more than 1 kidney, no gallbladders, lets do away with appendixes, and have uterine removal optional at the onset of puberty.

  778. So sorry about your gallbladder. I understand they hurt like a MF er when inflamed. Speaking as an experienced mean R.N and someone who has needed too much surgery; get out of bed and start walking ASAP post-op. It will. benefit your belly, lungs and get you out of the hospital faster, Feel better soon. Digs

  779. I can feel your pain, or at least I use to feel it. I would wake up 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. with extreme pain that kept me up and almost in tears. I was 21 years old, and my mother had her gall bladder taken out around that age. Her older sister did also. My brilliant family doctor insisted I was too young to need my gall bladder taken out, but decided I did have an ulcer at 21 years of age. She put me on medicine and that was that. Until, her medicine didn’t work and I ended up at the E.R. needing a quick surgery because of a stone getting ready to drop that most definitely would have EXPLODED inside me. I had mine taken out at 22 years old, and thankfully, little scars and no pain every night. Wishing you the best!!! You will feel soooo much better once the surgery and recovery is over.

  780. Long time reader, first time poster…… I wish you well. Get well soon.

  781. Good luck! I had mine taken out last year and it was the best decision ever. I haven’t given birth, but I was told that the horrendous pain that you suffer with gallstones is similar. I am so incredibly happy not to have to deal with that again!

  783. Here’s wishing you a quick recovery! On a side note, I’m a pathologist, and we have people ask for their stones all the time. (That might be one of the least gruesome requests that we get). If you contact the lab at the hospital where your gallbladder was removed, they very well might still have your gall bag and all its goodies. (Not sure if someone else suggested it or not. At the 781st comment, I’m a little late to the party. As usual. I AM a pathologist after all.)

  785. I used to work with a lady who proudly displayed her gallstones in a baby food jar on her desk. AND I live in San Antonio so i’m calling bullshit on the “medical waste” rigmarole the doctor gave you. I’m sure I could totally sweet talk the hospital staff in to letting you go home with your poop rope. I mean gallstones.

  786. I know you won’t see this, but I had to put it somewhere. I’m in trouble. I’m so so sad. Intellectually I know I’m blessed, but I can’t see anything good or bright ahead of me. I don’t know what to do. Depression lies. I believe that. You’ve said it, and I’ve lived it. I know it’s true. But looking up from the bottom of the pit, it’s hard to see how I’m going to get out of it. I can’t rely on someone else to save me. I can’t be that weak. I’m not anyone’s responsibility. What am I going to do? Why am I not lovable? What’s wrong? Here’s what I do. I lay on the couch. I watch Zoolander and Pitch Perfect. I cry and cry and cry and try not to think too much or hate too much. And then I eventually need toilet paper. Because that’s the one thing you can’t do without. 🙂 It gets better, right? (I see a therapist and I’m on medication)

    (IT GETS BETTER. Depression lies. Don’t believe its lies. You are strong and lovable and wonderful and one day you will tell someone that you once questioned your value and they will look at you in disbelief. Keep seeing the doctor. Be honest with your doctor. Sometimes it can take a long time to find the right combo of drugs and therapy to set things back into place…but when it finally it works, it’s like a reset button. Keep fighting. You’re worth it. ~ Jenny)

  787. I had my gallbladder out that way, through my belly button. Best thing I ever did because I stopped feeling like utter shit all the time. And also, Vicodin. Have fun, and good luck on your surgery!

  788. Hey Jenny! I had my gall bladder out last November. I love that the totally unnecessary little organ is gone. I figure I have ended up in a fantastic club that includes many ordinary folks, but also fabulously famous folks like Pink, and now Jenny Lawson too. So welcome to the club.

    I swear my mood and depression have improved since the surgery. Perhaps it’s a cool side effect?!

    Good luck with the belly button farting.

  789. I had my gall bladder removed the old-fashioned way when I was 30. A giant scar across my side and certain byproducts of being gallbladderless [ask what they are before you go under the knife so you are prepared.] Wouldn’t you know the next year, laprascopic surgery became all the rage. You will have a decidedly better time my dear.

  790. Had mine out in ’05. Heard all sorts of horror stories about not being able to eat all kinds of foods afterwards. I can eat anything I want (except too many peanuts). You’ll be so glad it’s out.

  791. i just read the update and WHY THE HELL CAN’T WE HAVE OUR GALLSTONES??? i also wanted to make a necklace, but my request was met with a disdainful stare and then the doctor just kept talking.

  794. Just for future reference, most women who eat their placenta, do not share them with other people. Some may, but I think that’s rare. I had mine raw in smoothies for the first 2 weeks. I couldn’t taste a thing weird about it. And I was WAY less anemic after that birth than the one before. I know it’s sounds weird and if you were standing in front of me talking about it person, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t fess up to it.

  795. But yeah, you should totally be able to bring your own gallstones home!

  797. Jenny,

    Love you and wish you fast healing. Of course you will choose what’s best for you. Just wanted you to know that I also ended up in ER w gb pain and I understood why so many people want to yank them out immediately. I was so sick and in so much pain that I couldn’t take a full breath or walk on my own. I did a liver/gall bladder flush with apple juice, epsom salt and olive oil, completely against medical advice, flushed dozens of stones ut of my body, and 20 years later I still have all my organs and am pain free. I ran my own cleanse center for 20 years and saw dozens of people get rid of their pain and not have to go thru surgery with this same flush. You may prefer the surgery, just wanted you to have the info. Whichever you choose, you know it will make another great story.

    xp,

    Shayla

  798. Had mine out in ’05. Went in through the ER on a Tuesday morning. Waited. Waited. Waited some more. Got nothing for the pain, of course. Finally was admitted. Ultrasound revealed the boulder and a sea of sludge. Surgery was scheduled for Wednesday. Waited. Waited. No food or drink, of course, because they’d be coming for me “soon.” Waited some more. Finally had it out at 6 p.m. Monstrous thing was “as big as a golf ball,” which apparently is pretty big in abdominal circles. Three tiny incisions, left nary a mark eight years on. Sent me home on Saturday with a drain — a darling little juice box pinned to my shirt — but without the stone. Surgeon kept it for posterity, or the first tee, I know not which. But I went back to work the following Monday. Don’t be a hero. Take the pain meds on schedule because if you miss a dose, or wait because you’re feeling better, when the pain does come around it’s that much harder to quell. They told me, as others have recounted, “no special diet” aferward, but the dastardly little pouch does have a function — storing bile — so when it’s gone, the stuff has to go somewhere else. You’ll figure out pretty quickly what you can, and can’t, stomach in the post-GB era. Good luck and all best wishes for a quick recovery.

  799. I have had three surgeries in my lifetime and they all turned out fine, including gallbladder, but I always write on my body with a marker what they are suppose to be doing that day. It is purely cautionary, but they never took out the wrong thing….so far.

    Also, if you tell them you have to keep everything they take out of you for religious purposes, you get to keep it, you just have to fill out a lot of paperwork and say you are Jewish or Hindu or something.

  800. P.S. when it hurts really bad, bang your back up against a door frame and that sometimes moves the stones around…but you sound like you got rocks, not stones.

  801. I had my gallbladder out in 2011, right as I was working on the final draft of my master’s thesis. I was also supposed to adopt a kitten that weekend. Sure, I had been in crippling pain on and off for about a year, and was finding it nearly impossible to drink orange juice, eat tomatoes, or eat candy, but it was the the inability to adopt a kitten that weekend that truly upset me.
    I adopted a kitten two months later. I no longer have crippling pain. And hey, orange juice isn’t a fireball of nightmares.
    What I’m trying to say here, is, I hope you feel better. And I loved your book. Way to be awesome.

  802. Good luck Jenny – I am having surgery the same day in hopes of being more to be more like you, my role model. Ok, it is really to fix my hideously arthritic claw of a hand, but I totally would have scheduled something out of solidarity anyway – a massage maybe. Here’s to ridding ourselves of problem body parts, effective pain meds and miraculously fast recoveries!

  803. They popped my gallbladder out a week before Halloween. I passed out at a Halloween party because the surgeon left a stone in one of the ducts. I was dressed as Michael Meyers with the mask and jumpsuit. Everybody thought I was drunk, it was really something. Besides that it was a simple surgery and I didn’t need any painkillers after the first day. Good luck!

  804. Big hugs & love. My friend had her gallbladder out recently, she feels much better now.

  805. I have my deceased mother’s gallstones and would be happy to send them to you for a necklace (I haven’t figured out what else to do with them yet). I think it’s a pretty minor surgery these days and hope it cures what ails ya’.

  806. My son once ask me ( when he was about 8) where his “lanta” was. I was like..your What? He said” you know Mom, Mylanta?” He’s now 31 and I still laugh at him.

  808. Ah that’s scary…surgeries/procedures can be scary but I find it far less scary when I’m determined to fix whatever it is that’s going on with my body (appendix, a baby that refuses to exit through the proper doors and requires. c-Section, etc.). Yay for modern medicine.

    I wish you a fast recovery and a healthy dose of fun with the groggy stuff they give you!

  809. My mom had her gallbladder out many years ago, it seems when then did let you bring your stones home. She proceeded to gather them into a small pile, cover them in several layers of clear polish and still to this day uses them a her tokens when playing board games! All is fine untill someone remarks on how unusual her token is. You can imagine the reaction following her colorful story!

  810. I had mine removed (belly-button route too) on the 3rd. I did NOT magically get better, but mine was not trying to murder me via stones like yours is, mine was trying to murder me by being non-functioning. Bile was spilling into my stomach and making me sick sick sick. Crazily, I did not lose any weight. The bile was still making me sick after surgery, so now they have me on cholestrol meds which they say bind to the bile. I am finally feeling better on day 3 of the meds, 8 days after surgery. And bonus, I guess my cholestrol will be spectacular since I am taking 6 pills a day.

    Wishing you a much faster better recovery than mine! 🙂

  811. I too was attacked by my gallbladder. It was taken out the same way as yours. I’m thrilled to say that 4 days later I felt like a new human. I also realized that your belly button has a fuckton of nerves, and they were pissed at being messed with. Good luck. Remember that you’re actually having major surgery, only with minor incisions, and think up a cool story to tell people about your scars. People will be expecting that.

  812. Oh yeah. Totally forgot the coolest part: at my two-week follow up appointment, my doc presented me with ACTUAL PICTURES of my diseased and scarred organ as well as my liver, the innocent bystander. Best thing ever. I’m making a photo album.

  814. I hope you’re healing alright and that Victor’s taking great care of you.

  815. I had this happen last year, hopefully you have recovered. And hopefully they used neither CO or CO2 as both will kill you…

  816. I had a giant fibroid removed on from my uterus two weeks ago and they wouldn’t let me keep it (I joked that I wanted it taxidermied or bronzed). SO lame. My awesome doctor did take pics, thgh, and because I’m gross I posted them in my blog . From what I’ve heard, you’re going to feel ridiculously better now that you’ve had that nasty gallbladder out! Hope your recovery is quick and easy!

  817. The part about not being able to give you your gallstones because it is medical waste is a line of crap. My surgeon tried to tell me the same thing about the titanium plate and screws in my wrist because I wanted them after they were removed. Well, I did my research and there is no law or regulation in the state of California that says you can’t get stuff returned to you once it has been removed from your body. The surgeon wanted to argue with me about it and I told him, “Look, I’m not dumb. I did my research. If there is a law or even a Kaiser policy about this I want you to SHOW it to me and I’ll drop it.” He couldn’t. I got my titanium plate and nine screws. Now art on my wall. 🙂

  818. I am cracking up…I too had major gallbladder issues and I asked the surgeon if I could keep my gallstones…he looked at me and said…uhh no..I agree…assholed

  819. Ugh. I feel your pain. My gallbladder went wonky after the birth of my second daughter. Worst pain I’ve ever felt. Trumps drugless childbirth.

  820. Holy moly batman. ….. who woulda thunk that looking up”gallbladder” while on Pinterest would lead me to your site. … I love your candor. … and man this surgery thing scares,me but this pain is worse….. last surgery i had was emergency apendectomy with acute paratinitis… and it resulted in a belly button to Csection scar. .. total emergency. .. that was 10 day in hospital. damn! thanks for going along for this ride with me. .. even if ya didnt know it. .. count down to my surgery in t-minus 2weeks….PS :1st time reader & now commenter & now forever a fan. .. awesome site. .. where have they been hiding you(or me ) haha

  821. Same problem as you and I am in the middle of my second attack in less than a year. I am going to doctor Monday and DEMAND that they take it out. Send my ass to a surgeon and kill it I don’t care. My mom and sister both had problems and had them removed and are fine. I have never hated my body more than right now. My regular doc is out till Nov but he tols me to come back to the clinic and they would send me to a surgeon. So come monday they best do what I say or I am suing the shit outta people. I feel like I am dieing. I can eat a piece of cracker but that even hurts. I wanted it out the firat time but they said that it looked fine. Well its not! Be out with you, you nasty evil little freak. My 7 year old is so worried that anytime I move he comes running. He won’t sleep in his bed incase I need something. I will not do this to him. I am glad that you are getting yours removed and sending prayers that you heal fast and never regret this decision.

  822. I have the same problem for about a year now the pain wants to kill me I just wish someone can help me removed it because realy I don’t feel like living this pain is unbearabile it makes you hate every one around you the doctors just can’t understand the pain I don’t have medical aid and the visits to drs are expensive I am realy glad thers someone that’s helping you because I know how this pain can kill you

  824. So Jenny, i never heard the verdict on your gallbladder surgery? was it a success? i’m due to
    have mine just before New Years Dec.31,2013…But i’m also trying out that gallbladder cleanse!
    (flush they also call it) i’ve been suffering like this (but now its really bad!) since 2010..Nerd herd
    that i am 😉
    Johanne. B

  825. I know this was a long time ago but I just read it and I felt the need to let you know this is so fucking perfect!!! Exactly how am feeling right now!! I too will he bringing a spork to the doctor today so this sob comes out. Thank you for the laugh although it was painful!

  826. So many people on other threads have said not to get it out that you’ll end up with the same pain and that the bile will burn your anus and give you cancer down the road. All this is driving me crazy because I’m not sure what to do should I get it out or not? Everyone says different things online. Also, I heard that getting your GB out can cause you to get diarrhea with every meal you’ll have and that you no longer can live happy knowing you’ll be stuck in the toilet most of the time. Is this all true? Did you all get these symptoms? I been suffering off and on for 12 years already and last time the scan said I had chronic Cholecystitis enlarged GB. What do I do?

    (Everyone is different. I’m glad I had mine removed because I haven’t had the same pain, but I do have to take probiotics now to keep my digestion good. ~ Jenny)

  829. I just came across your blog post while searching for information on gallbladder surgery. I cracked up so hard that my gallbladder started screaming at the to shut the fuck up! I hope your recovery went well. Thanks for making me laugh!

  830. Hi! Read your entry, and laughed, I could have been you! I even have a hospital selfie to go with it! I had mine taken out two weeks ago…I shared this on my FB…..wanted to give everyone an UpDaTe since it’s been two whole weeks post my gallbladder removal surgery aka Cholecystectomy.
    No gallbladder? NO PROBLEMS! I feel AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! Seriously. WoW! What a DIFFERENCE! I have clarity and just feel GOOD, nourished, and strong! My broke down gallbladder had been poisoning me on the day-to-day life, outside of the horrendous early morning episodes that left me robbed of sleep, curled up on a bathroom floor, sweating, freezing, and SO SO SO sick!
    I have not refrained from fat in my diet at all. None. If I sees it I eats it! HAH! Much to the scale’s dismay…..aw well! I’ve enjoyed bacon wrapped jalapenos full of cheese and cream cheese. On Tuesday I ate TWO hole avocados! I’ve stuffed my face full of peanut butter, peanut butter cake, ground beef, hot sausage, and FAST FOOD (hamburger and deep fried fries) and late night bowl’s of cereal with MILK! The only thing I haven’t tested out yet is a restaurant steak…..you know the kind cooked in lard aka fat then smothered in melted butter? But I will.
    I’ve gained 5lbs….but I have eaten like a pig, slept like a baby….OH YEA….lying FLAT!!!! WOO! Sleeping sitting up really is for the birds! Anyway, I’ve eaten all this ‘crap’ and have had zero side effects other than the weight gain. I do not promote eating like I have but I needed to really test the system out, not let up on the gas, but punch the damn gas down. Now that I’ve caught up on my glutinous behavior, I’m going back to a typical “Lindsey diet”. In life, I’m not sure why my appendix went septic nor my gallbladder….maybe it’s all that BEEF I eat? As I told my Surgeon, I’m a Texan and I eat Beef, I need my Beef.
    Lastly, my cravings for fresh pineapple are gone. SO ODD!

  831. Hello everyone i am very happy to meet the Dr OHIKHOBO who help me to enlarge my breasts, hips and bums. Or do you feel your manhood is too small, you want to enlarge your penis now with his penis cream and become stronger and powerful permanently, email him via, (drohikhoboherbalcenter@gmail.com) or you can also contact him through his website you we call or whatSAPP him +2348103601042, (1) BUMS (2) BREAST (3) PENIS

  832. This is a great write up, I was also a victim, having uterine fibroid for many years. The size of my fibroid was very large as a grapefruit in my womb, trying to conceive was so hard. My difficulty was not only getting pregnant, but keeping the pregnancy. I occasionally had reoccurring bouts with dysfunctional uterine bleeding due to fibroid tumors. I even came close to having a hysterectomy, but due to future/possible complications, I refused. I learned about some herbs mixture prepared by Dr.Leonard and that was my breakthrough to a long standing problem. I already gave birth to a bouncing baby boy, very healthy, happy, and bright. I forgot to mention that my non-existent sex drive returned within just a few weeks of starting the herbs, this was a pleasant surprise. If interested and ready to give a try check out his blog: http://curetouterinefibroid.blogspot.com/ or contact me for my detailed experience; vicjack39@gmail.com.

  834. In the UK Dr’s are just total and utter turds! I have a gallbladder problem and nobody gives a flying f###! It’s all way to complicated if it’s anything more the use of a plaster, blood pressure reading or a blood test!

  835. Omg…laying here in terrible pain from my gallbladder, but laughing my ass off. You are too funny!

  836. Your are incredibly funny,they won’t tk my gall bladder out,their just gonna let me die💋💋💋

Leave a Reply

MY BOOKS:


shop

Subscribe to the bloggess, y'all.

Enter your email address and receive notifications of new posts by email. It\'s like I\'m stalking you, but more efficient.

Archives

ALL THE COOL KIDS ADVERTISE HERE:

I fucking love these people & not just because they support my wine-slushee habit:

Flourish in Progress: (T)hug Life: Part hood. Part good.

Pregnancy Calendar at Alpha Mom: Amalah’s week-by-week guide to the miracle of pregnancy and all the various indignities that come with it.

The Mack Files: Digesting life in bite-sized pieces through the lens of clichés, quotes & “truisms”.  Often irreverent, always honest.

Barking at the Moon: If your dog is your furry child, you will laugh out loud at Tracy Beckerman’s book about her family & a one-dog wrecking ball named Riley.

Kieran’s Humor: Not suitable for children, the sensitive or those hoping to get into heaven.

Go Doc Yourself Podcast: When a good doc ends, the klatch begins… Join hosts, scientists, and friends, Erin McCourt and Erin McCartt in weekly documentary dissection.

Welcome to xanaru: A mostly funny blog about the quest for happiness through authenticity, Great Danes and indiscriminate swearing. Plus hand-painted, custom artwork on bags, jackets, backpacks & more.

How the Hell Did I Not Know That?: Humorist Lucie Frost shares daily Instagram reels with learnings of the day—words, music, whatever–with plenty of laughs and all the curse words.

Beautiful Writers book: Writers! This coming-of-career memoir (w/ the BEST advice from celeb authors, real shit you haven’t heard) is life. A page-turning beach read doubling as how-to. #Magic

The Dating Days of Marta O: When I told my sister I was building a blog she said: “Do people still read blogs?” I do not know, but if YOU want to read it, here it is. Keep in mind, my stories about dating after 40 are for the brave.

Where Do I Belong? A memoir of Sarah Carrington: The unbelievable story of growing up in a religious cult in the mountains of Northern British Columbia. What happens to you in life doesn’t make you strong; rising above it does.

CONNECTED: A Personal Journal for Ketamine Therapy Created by writer & patient Katherine Davis for this powerful clinical treatment. If considering ketamine for major depression, check out this essential tool.

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh: SO GOOD.

Discover more from The Bloggess

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading