I wish I had seen this thread sooner!
I had mine taken out 2 months ago! I had been in pain for a over month before they took the stupid thing out! I woke up my morning, ate my breakfast and had these horrible pains in my right side, and it hurt so much that I was in the fetal position all morning. This subsided within a few hours and I just figured it was the flu or something. Well soon everything I ate would come up, or if I didn't throw up I would have agonizing pain as my body attempted to digest the food.
After a week of pain I went to my MD, who they had me taken to do a CT. I was lucky she is linked with a hospital and they had the CT scanner in the same building. That orange crap they make you drink is the nastiest stuff in the world!
The CT ended up showing nothing, so I had to get an ultrasound which also showed nothing. However, my pain kept getting worse and my doctor was convinced it was the gallbladder. I had a HIDAS scan done, and just a note to anyone who needs to have one in the furture: Bring an iPod, a book, and have someone drive you. They may say you will be fine, but if you have complications like I did, you may end up barfing your brains out and end up in the ER!
Thats what happened to me! I hadn't eaten anything in almost a day since I had fasted for the scan and injection made my gallbladder contract so much I could not stop getting sick! Thankfully I had the scan done at the hospital and was sent to the ER. The HIDAS scan show no problems, at which I was pissed since I spent 12 hours in the hospital! The ER doctor refused to think it was my gallbladder, he thought it was a drug I had taken once and been off of for a month at this point!
I followed up with my MD who thought the ER doc was stupid and had be follow up with a surgeon. Within a day of meeting the surgeon, I had the worst attack of my life and ended up being directly admitted to the hospital and had emergency surgery the next day. I had the laparoscopic surgery, and had three cuts. The scar on my belly button is finally healing!
As for foods, if you just had surgery please don't rush it! PN Mama00, things like cheese and chicken can be some of the worst dishes for this thing. I would wait at least a week and wean yourself back on them. I started to notice some sense of order after 3 weeks, but I still have problems with greasy and fatty foods. A co-worker of mine had her's taken out and said she couldn't eat normal for a year following the surgery!
Oh and to end my story, after all the stupid ER doctor and the CT, Ultra, and HIDAS all telling me nothing was wrong, we got the pathology report back!
It seems I had several stones, they were just small. and it was diseased!