Day 1: The Day After Gallbladder Removal Surgery

Note: It has now actually been two weeks since my surgery, so I am not posting these real time. This post is about the day or two just after my surgery that was two weeks ago.

The day after my surgery, I made the decision to stop taking painkillers. Quite frankly, I am not a fan of taking them. They make me thirsty, and if you take painkillers long enough you start needing a higher dosage and you experience withdrawal symptoms (headaches initially). So after only popping a few of those on the day of surgery, I switched to good old Advil on day 2. Make sure you consult your doctor about the medications, especially if you plan to mix medications. If you take painkillers and Tylenol, for example, you are overdosing on acetaminophen.

The very first day after surgery, my abdomen feels very swollen and tender. I was regularly warning my little girls not to run into me, climb on me or try to hug me, for fear of the discomfort. At this point I was trying not to sneeze or cough when possible. I also had to have my wife keep our 10 month old Golden Retriever puppy caged up and away from me, because the idea of her jumping up on me with those paws and nails was too frightening. Also, quick movements (like twisting to avoid your dog jumping up on you) could cause a lot of quick pain, and put a scare in you. I recommend thinking ahead and planning for your recovery.

Planning for Your Recovery:

• If possible you should try to see if someone can be around to help you the first few days. Getting up can be a chore, and although you want to get on your feet and move around, it's nice if someone can get the mail for you, help with laundry, carry groceries, do dishes, etc.
• Make sure if you have a dog you have someone who can walk it as you shouldn't be lifting weight or dealing with a dog pulling on a leash. Maybe even have someone take the dog for you for at least a few days.
• Make sure you have a few different sized pillows ready, because you will find sleeping is difficult at first and you may need to be sitting at a specific angle to be comfortable.
• Buy some foods in advance that you feel with be gentle on your stomach. I bought food like chicken noodle soup, lentil soup, graham crackers, etc. Some doctors will tell you to avoid foods high in fat, other doctors will say eat whatever you feel like. Listen to your doctor, of course, although I found that I was able to eat pretty much anything.

Note: You can probably grin and bear the discomfort of any of these items, but ask yourself if it's worth the small risk of tearing open an incision (inside or outside). For me, better safe than sorry, and once you start healing up you quickly recover enough to take care of yourself again.

The First Few Nights of Sleep after Gallbladder Removal Surgery

My first night of sleep was pretty uncomfortable. As I mentioned earlier, I found it easier to stand up than sit or lay down. As your abdomen is bloated, this makes some sense simply because sitting requires you bending that bloated/swollen abdomen. Laying down just seemed to make things uncomfortable, and even a little painful. I was only able to sleep on the first night by using two pillows so I was at a 15% bent angle, and I had to rotate just a bit to my left (elevating the gallbladder area).

I went to bed around 10 PM that night, and I slept for 2 hours before waking up in too much discomfort. At that point, I got up and moved around the house, had some water, read some email. This lasted about an hour, and then fatigue took me again and I went back to bed. I did the same thing the second time. 2 hours more of sleep, and then an hour of moving around at 3 AM. After another hour up, I went back to bed for 2-3 hours, and got up for good around 6 AM.

This was by far my worst night, and the good news is that the sleeping got progressively better each night. On the second night I stayed in bed for 6-7 hours, waking up a few times just to use the bathroom and then right back to bed. By the third night I think I was sleeping more soundly, using 1 pillow, for 6-7 hours. 

Looking into the future, by the end of week one I was able to turn on my left side for periods of time without a problem, and now 2 weeks later I can sleep on either side comfortably.

Dealing with your Incisions and Showering

The incisions are tender the few days after surgery, especially the belly button incision. I have always had a very sensitive navel however, so that may just be my experience. There is surgical glue over all of the incisions that you need to be careful not to wash off.

I was told to wait two days before showering, which I did, so towards the evening of day 3 I took a shower. Washed my hair and other areas, and tried to avoid getting water on my abdomen area where the incisions are. 

As each day passed, you feel more comfortable and confident taking a shower and allowing your incisions to get wet.

Appetite

My appetite on the first few days was there, just not very strong. My stomach felt the way I imagine a lap band might make you feel. I would get minor hunger pains, and feel full very quickly. The internal swelling probably lead to the stomach feeling more compressed and thus full quicker.

On the day after surgery, I was sticking to soup and salad and crackers. By day two, I was already venturing out into other foods like chicken, with no real problems. I was still avoiding foods like eggs, bacon, red meat and such. Just didn't feel that brave. I also tried my first coffee on day 2, no issues there.