I've lost 99lbs in the past 13 months on CICO. 33/F, 295 to 196 at last weigh-in -- but wait, how much does a giant, stoney gallbladder weigh? Because I lost one of those yesterday.
PSA: It's been said many times on here, but, losing weight fast can give you gallstones, and they SUCK. Having your gallbladder removed also, massively, sucks...but you should do it anyway asap because the alternative is worse.
I had my first major gallbladder attack in January, puking endlessly, which sent me to my first-ever visit to the ER. Gallstones were already on my radar from having read up on the effects of major weight loss, so I told the doctor that might be the cause. I got a CT scan and they said everything looked normal, and that I probably just had "some crazy virus."
I continued to have (relatively minor) gallbladder attacks every month or two, whenever I had a particularly heavy meal. Your whole upper right abdomen goes tight and stiff and painful, there's no position you can get in to relieve the misery, you just have to writhe it out for hours.
I felt a lot of guilt about it, thinking my new way of low-cal eating had damaged me and I was stupidly bringing this pain on myself by occasionally overeating (which, technically, yeah. But I don't need more guilt/shame around food.)
Finally a couple weeks ago I had an annual physical, and when my doctor saw me wince from him pressing on my upper right abdomen and heard my ER story, he said he was pretty sure I had gallstones and referred me to an ultrasound. Turns out CT scans are not diagnostic for gallstones! But ultrasounds are, and it was confirmed, I was just waiting for a call to schedule a surgery consult, when...BAM. Passed a stone. Worst pain ever, sent me to the ER again, twice.
A couple days later I was finally able to get surgery. I was ready for it to be no big deal. Laparoscopic, outpatient, done in an hour, no problem. Couldn't wait.
NOPE. Excruciating pain. When I woke up I couldn't breathe. That gas they fill you up with is terrible. For about an hour my breathing was so painful and labored I thought I was going to suffocate. Agony in my shoulders from the gas. And the nausea! Fuck my life.
It's been 24 hours since the surgery and I'm starting to feel halfway human again. I still can't breathe deeply, and my abdomen is so sore. But I know I'll never have another gallbladder attack, so that's worth a lot.
And between the organ removal and days of liquid diet, I'm sure I've hit my 100lb milestone in the process! Yaaaay.
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