I had my gallbladder removed yesterday.

I should have posted this prior to my surgery. But, I was so anxious. I couldn't do much more than tell a couple of people about my surgery. It was hard, but I am coming out the other side now. And, as much as I'd like to be able to say that I can do this on my own, I know that I can't.

I had my gallbladder removed laparoscopically yesterday morning. The surgery was done because the my gallbladder functioned at less than 10%. And, while they did not find stones, they did find that my gallbladder was extremely inflamed. And, because of that, I had a total of 5 incisions as opposed to the 4 incisions which is customary. The only other surgery I've had was an appendectomy in November of 2009 and, let me tell you, I never imagined recovery from surgery to be this difficult. But, I'm getting by -- if only second by second...

I reported to the hospital at 6:00am yesterday. My surgery was at 7:30am and lasted an hour and twenty minutes. And, I was home by 12:30pm. I wanted to remain in the hospital, but my surgeon (the same surgeon who did my appendectomy) felt it was in my best interest to return home. They prescribed me Vicodin and Phenergan and sent me on my way. It's been a rough 36 hours. Not only am I in an incredible amount of pain, but I am also struggling with intense nausea and some other symptoms that are most likely a result of the surgery.

I am not feeling well and am having trouble even writing this much, so I am going to end this thread for now. I feel foolish for not sharing this information sooner, but, I was struggling too much to ask for support here. But, please know I am here and appreciate any support and kindness you can offer...

This surgery took its toll on me and I'm having a rough go where recovery is concerned. I'll write more when I can, but between pain and medication, I just can't do much more than this right now.

I so appreciate all of the support and vibes I've received from everyone . Your experiences, too, have been a tremendous help as they have shown me that I am not alone...

Recovery has been difficult. I had my appendix out in November 2009 and the pain I experienced during recovery then was nothing compared to how I've felt as I've gone through this. I had my gallbladder out on Monday and yesterday was the first day that I was able to stand up straight. The incisional pain, for the most part, is nearly gone. Of the 5 incisions, only two are still painful -- the others are just tender. However, the air that they pumped into my abdomen when performing the surgery is still causing me quite a bit of discomfort. And, I will spare you the details of my intestinal issues since having my gallbladder out. But, let me say that they do seem to be improving every day. And, for that, I am grateful. As of now, my biggest hurdle seems to be fatigue. I know that, as each day passes, I will get stronger, but I am still sleeping for most of the day. But, it's a process. And, I'm much more thankful to be on this side of it than the other.

I don't want to harp on my surgery as I don't want to get caught feeling sorry for myself. But, I did want to give a brief update. Thank you to everyone, again, for your support, prayers, and vibes. They did help and continue to do so now...