I've been 3 wks from having the operation and food no longer makes my stomach feel sick, i'm so relieved because there was a point before where I thought my pain and agony would not go away. I'm really grateful to actually feel good.
i just had my gallbladder surgery a few days ago, and I have been really sore for a while, so now I am getting better now. I thank god that I am doing great and for everybody praying for me. god bless you all. holly rogers from Tyrone ga.
I had my gallbladder surgery in April of this year.. after 4 years of pain and suffering i’m so much better now! Your story is so inspiring! Thank you for sharing ☺️
I was diagnosed with 1.26 cm gallstone six months back. After much delaying due to anxiety and panic I'm finally having my surgery tomorrow. Your video helped me a lot getting mentally prepared. Thanks! ☺
+Natalie's Life Thank you. I had to stay a couple of nights in hospital as my gallbladder was a bit inflated and infected. The stone grew quite a bit within six months. About 2 cm. The surgeon also inserted a catheter drain into one of my incisions for 24 hrs. I got home yesterday and feeling a lot better now but because of that catheter the right side is still a bit sore and it hurts like hell while coughing.
Thank you for this video. My gallbladder was removed last March 2, 2018. It was quite painful on the 1st and 2nd day. Im on my first week now after the operation. I can eat anything! My bowel is still normal and regular. But still, I am avoiding fatty foods as much as I can.
It’s always a good choice to choose a healthy life style. So, it’s good to stay away from fatty foods. I will be praying for you to have a speedy recovery.
I’ve been in the hospital for four days now due to my gallbladder, just had my surgery yesterday and they gave me an extra day to recover in the hospital. These staff have been so helpful and kind to me. Very happy my attacks won’t happen again and love how well i’ve been treated. My moms been here with me through it all so i’m also extremely thankful for her. I get to go home later (its 3:57 AM) can’t sleep haha. It’s been a long journey so far..feels like these four days went by so slow but finally no more gallstones!!! 😍
Hi, I'm 18 and I had my operation to remove my gallbladder today (30/06/2017) your videos are really helping me to know that I am not alone and I feel less anxious about the future. Thank you so much, I'm so thankful that you are well and made this video xx
I'm having my gallbladder surgery tomorrow😭😭 9 in the morning. I have gallstones and a gallbladder attack is the worst pain I've ever experienced but im super nervous about going under and the pain afterwards. I have a super low pain tolerance.
+Holly Rhodes I'm sorry about your pain, but you will feel so much better afterwards! Compared to the surgery pain, this pain that you're having right now will probably be the worst. I'm not saying the pain afterwards is a breeze, but I thought it would be worse than what the pain actually was. The first 3 days were the roughest days, but after that you will start to feel a little better than you did the day before. Take it one day at a time and stay ahead of the pain. Don't wait until it's at a 7 (on a scale of 1-10) to take the medicine for the first 3 days. Take it when the pain is manageable, but feels like if you waited an hour the pain would rise. The worst pain wasn't my stomach. It was my right shoulder. It was hurting because of the gas they have to fill you up with to be able to see everything in your stomach. By day 4, you shouldn't have shoulder pain or very little. So don't be alarmed if you do have shoulder pain. But to get rid of the shoulder pain quicker you have to (sorry if tmi) pass gas. And, I was scared about going under too. This was my first major surgery. But honestly it wasn't scary at all. It was actually relaxing and I felt at peace. I felt God's presence telling me that everything is going to be okay. God was right there with me the whole time and He will be right there with you the whole time as well. Pray to Him for peace. Pray for the doctors/surgeons. I will be praying for you! Let me know if you have any other questions. God bless!
Natalie's Life thank you so much for all the advice! yeah my shoulder is hurting worse than my cuts and I haven't been able to keep anything down😳 but icing my shoulder has been helping.
+Holly Rhodes You're welcome! The good thing is that pain won't last for very long. I'm glad the ice is helping. And oh really? Are you throwing up or is it going the other way? Did you call your doctor/surgeon about that?
+Alyssa Lopez It's an amazing feeling to not feel pain/discomfort/feel as if you need to use the restroom! The first few days can be rough, but just know it will get better. Every day you will feel more better than you did the day before.
Suddenly I knew I have gallbladder stone & CBD stone also. Last week ERCP cmplted and right now two stent stay in my little belly. Bt I am little afraid for my open gall stone & CBD stone surgery 😥 which will happen last week of this month. Ur story feel me confident about surgery and the pain.
Hey Natalie Thank you for all of your gallbladder surgery videos! I have gallstone and will have the gallbladder surgery the coming Thursday. Your video really helps me and cheers me up. Thank you! God bless you❤️
Natalie's Life Thank you for asking! My surgery was successful and I’m trying to get used to the life without gallbladder. It’s not too bad actually:) So far so good!!
im having an attack at this very moment lol... cant sleep, cant walk, cant sit still, so watching youtube helps me a bit to keep my mind of the pain. i have had about 75 attacks in the last year or two... first started once a month, later on three times a week... im really thinking of doing the surgery as well, so i was doing some research and have to say your video really helped me a lot. Many thanks for sharing your experience!
Hi Leila, nice to hear from you again! Actually im having an appointment at the hospital this tuesday. its not for the operation yet, but i get like an 1 hour pre-operation talk, so basically they will explain what i can expect, what i have to prepare for and when the surgery is. Here in Holland they do it like this to speed things up on surgery day (so they can skip all the explaining then and start the operation directly). So im guessing the surgery will be within 2-4 weeks from now. i noticed when watching some gallbladder videos from the usa and canada that lots of people from your country get a emergency surgery, or at least the surgery is planned fast. Here in Holland they seem to see a gallbladder surgery as a minor surgery so even if im having lots of pain they wont do a emergency surgery... well, actually the doctor said that in case i want to speed things up i could call my health insurreance company and ask for an emergency surgery (basically i had to act that im dying from pain).. but i decided not to do as i already have had so many attacks that im getting used to them :) And to be honest i have been delaying it a bit myself by not going to the doctor for a long time as i never had a surgery before and im a bit nervous haha... not really scared, but just dont know what to expect... but ok, im totally wasted after all these attacks and it totally destroys my social life at the moment, so its time to take action... i let you know when i have had the surgery... thanks again for your video and interest, much appreciated. its really nice to talk to someone who has had the same... cheers
another thing i noticed that it seems so quiet at the hospital your went... not sure if that is because you live in a small town? or is that normal in your country? Here, hospitals look like airports, incredible huge and full of people 24/7.. but ok, maybe thats because every person in our country has a health insurreance as its obligated by law...
After 7 months of postponing it I'm finally going to schedule my appointment for the surgery I am beyond terrified of going under..... I'm glad you feel better now :)
I unfortunatly dealt with painful gallstones for almost a year without realising thats what it was! its now been 10 weeks since my first hospitilization where my liver started to fail and it turns out i've got something called Mrizzi Syndrome, where the gallstone is in the wrong duct and crushing another duct of the gallbladder, i have a stent just now until they can wrangle some specialist to take my gallbladder out! Im terrifyed, there is a huuuge chance it wont be a small keyhole surgery so im definetely anxious, thanks for sharing this, it answered some of my fears
+Hannah McKenzie Oh no wow I'm sorry you're going through this! I'm sure after your surgery you will feel so much better. That sounds really painful. I'm glad I could help you! I will be praying for you!
Hannah Sheeran , I wandered what was the outcome of your story. I had a very high expectations regarding the laparoscopy gallbladder. Today is the third day after surgery. But in my case was not that simple. That was 1% , 1%!! chance that open skin would be the option. And it happened. I’m 57 male ( I would say overweight, unfortunately) and been feeling this crazy pains for years not knowing it’s because gallstones. I have history of kidney stones and that’s what I thought! So because of that when they reach the camera in the area and a huuuge massive gallbladder inflammation and full of big stones. There was no chance it would came out with regular methods. So they cut! Probably a 7-8 “ and staple. Recovering process becomes triple now. More crazy pain meds. Hopefully tomorrow will be better day. And the next, and the next.
Been watching your videos before I had my gallbladder removed last Aug. 15th. Today marks my 8th day of healing and I just want to thank you for showing the positive side of having this surgery. I really thought I'd have panic attack in the operating room but I didn't due to watching a lot of positive videos about it. I was so proud of myself for bravely facing the surgery. To be honest, I dont' think the surgery itself was painful. More like a discomforting pain, at least for me. The only problem I had was developing hemorroids on the 2nd day post op. Urgh! My doc gave me meds for that and hope it'll better so I can feel like myself again. Keep posting positive videos, Natalie. 😘
I had mine removed yesterday it doesn’t hurt to bad. I came in the day before with a gallbladder attack and I had pancreatitis so I had to stay in and they did it the next day in the afternoon It hurt a bit when I woke up but I was to out of it to retnotice I have to stay in overnight for 3 nights I can go home tomorrow morning so I’m excited it doesn’t hurt to much it just feels strange x
Thanks for making this video, I had mine out yesterday, watching this last week helped settle my nerves before it happened. In Australia they don't kick you out of hospital straight after, they leave a drain tube in and send you 24 hours after.
Just got home a couple hours ago, i think im experiencing less pain than most people which is lucky. Though i was like a turtle on my back yesterday, could not get up out of bed, today i can do it but its just sore.. I'm looking forward to trying some foods i couldn't eat before and see how all the plumbing works now.. but will leave it till the weekend i think once the soreness has settled down,
+Stephen Wratten Definitely give your body time to heal. When I woke up from surgery, I already felt better and I could tell a difference. It was amazing. The most painful part of the whole surgery was the shoulder pain. The shoulder pain was from what they filled my stomach up with, to make me look 10 months pregnant/really big. It’s so they can see everything in the stomach. I was sore around my incisions and mainly slept all day the first day except for eating, drinking, and going to the restroom. My surgeon recommended a very bland diet. I followed that. I had Mashed Potatoes, Jell-O, Pudding, Apple Sauce etc (soft and easy to digest foods/bland diet.) He recommended that for the first 2-3 days, but I did that for longer because I wanted to give my stomach enough time to heal and process everything. I also didn’t work for a while because I work with kids and I couldn’t lift anything heavier than a milk carton and just to give myself extra time to heal. I just kept taking it easy with foods. On the 4th of July, so about almost a month out since my surgery; I picked up an outside chair. I noticed that night that, that made me sore. Nothing unbearable, but I just got sore. Also I went chipping and putting at the golf course possibly a week ago, and that made me sore. So, definitely take it easy with the activities. Also, if I laugh for a long period of time, that makes me sore as well. But I am working now. I feel SO much better!! I can actually eat again! I have even tried McDonalds and it went great!! I hope your recovery is as positive as mine was/is. I'm actually going to do a Full Gallbladder Story before, during, and after this week if you want to stay tuned.(: The item that started my symptoms again in May before I got my surgery was actually not food. It was a drink.
I definitely will keep an eye out for your full story and check it out. I had a single 18mm stone, i didnt get attacks like normal people, but instead if i ate oily food or foods that triggered it (too much bread, too much fruit juice, too much sugar) i would get a raw constant pain that lasted weeks before it settled. I had been good with my food in the weeks leading up so wasn't in pain when i had it out, so keen to see how it goes now with some Mc Donalds as well, as the chips would really hurt me. I've been lucky and not had any gas pain, though i did notice before while laying in bed and wigling a round a little the sensation of air moving around my abdomen, felt odd but no pain. I work in IT so luckily i don't do much heavy lifting, 99% is all on a keyboard. How do you go with lots of fatty foods? I've heard that some people have a problem where it comes out the other end too quick after, hope i dont have that problem.. also read you can get bile salt pills to take with those kind of foods to replace what your bile would have done so prevent that issue.
hi im keith from liverpool england ive got my gallbladder op on friday 27th jan 2017 im petrified i suffer with anxiety panic attacks an im agraphobic i dont leave my flat very much so this is gonna be a nightmare for me im so anxious an scared ive been told i will go in hospital in morning an have op then be sent home a few hours later ive never had a opperation before so worried about anesthetic an pain relief as im allergic too a lot of drugs an medication ....but after seeing ur videos natalie an seeing you up an about just a few hours after surgery with a smile on ur face an eating an drinking i fine this really encourageing thank u xx
keith I had galdstones but they got infected so I had my galdbladder removed I didnt know what it was cause I had been feeling like that since last year but couldnt figure it out what was going on I got to follow up with PCP same here I suffer my severe panic attacks, anxiety and other stuff. Its not easy for me though everybody is different. But I have to stop stressing, worrying, etc cause it will not help the recovery process. It still feel sick after I eat but because I had the surgery and my still re-cooperating and getting used to the process. I dont know how long its going take the process of healing it might take you longer again everybody is different how their body reacts to surgery this was my first time having surgergy. So I was kinda freaked out but they made feel very comfortable and assured that I was going to be alright. Sending prayers to you.
+keith devine Hi Keith. I was scared too, this being my first major surgery. I was nervous about going under too, but it was actually relaxing. Make sure you tell them that you are allergic to a lot of medication. For pain relief, I would recommend not waiting until your pain is at a 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10). The key thing is staying ahead of the pain. I'm glad I could encourage you! You're welcome. I appreciate you watching. I will be praying for you, your surgery, and your recovery.(:
Natalie's Life thank you natalie its 11.50pm ere now so im gonna try get some sleep chest is tight an stomach in knots as vvvv anxious an scared but told them i only want paracetamol for pain relief as thats all i can take at home when in pain so fingers crossed all will go ok im due to have my op at 9am tomorrow so im gonna take some deep breaths try switch my mind off a bit an get some sleep thank u for ur kind preys an words its so kind of u thank u xxx
+keith devine I stayed up late too the night before my surgery, but on the bright side you'll be getting plenty of sleep. Okay good. Try to think about something happy that will help you stay calm/ peaceful- your favorite tv show, the beach, snow, animals, anything that makes you happy. And, you're welcome!(:
Natalie I feel the same way I had my surgergy on sunday and I just feel weird cause I feel very anxious, just I cant explain like my stomach is rubbling. I still get sick after I eat though. Yea everytime I eat my stomach bloats up feel like a pregnant woman. I already have, anxiety, severe panic attacks, depression and stress cause Im not that physically active but I do try to move around a little I get nauseous cause this is my first major surgery. And my stomach has not went down after I eat meals. I think my body is in shock and I have to keep asking people that Im okay like reassuring. Sorry dont mean sound gross but I cant still digest foods its been like almost a week. I think I have IBS. They said to call my PCP If you doesnt go away in 24hrs I dont see him until tuesday. Im just really scared and try to focus on something else are watch t.v. and get up. Im not used to eating the foods that I once ate before like cause I was in a nursing home last year and the year before all I ate was hamburgers and I would always get sick after I ate. I do have loss of appettite. Its been like that since last year of loss of appettite. Its still rejecting the food I eat. I dont know It digust me on eating food but I have to get that mentally of not being afraid to eat the food. Please help anyway possible.
Hi Natalie! Deb from Saskatchewan, had my surgery today. Oh so amI hurting! 3 different pain meds, the doc said he had a bit of dificulties so I'm a bit more beat up, but happy thing I am not as full of gas as I thought I would be...I got lucky I guess. I never had the same Doctor twice in this two year process, he totally understand about the fibro, new that we had to double the meds, hopefully I don't have to do it for two long. He took pity on me and found a way to release a lot of the gas. So its just mainly a bit of burping rather than the other direction...lol... He also said he sent the gallbladder away for testing. All I knew was that it was full of stones! But there was something off with it. So pray that it is fine.I was in for hour and half, best sleep i've had in a long time. Now its 1:56 am,my hubby is snoring and I am wide awake! Am going to take another dose of meds,and hopefully sleep. Yes the getting up and down are painful! I also had a 21/2 hr ride home too, we live in a small town that doesn't have specialsist... So Im all blue purple and yellow,and parts of me were stuck down that shouldn't, so that hurt too...but anyway, hopefully I will sleep good, my girlfriend is coming to stay with me fore the day because my hubby has to work, life of farming. It is harvest season here. My 25 yr old son was kind enough to take me down, and stay and drive me back. His boss was so impressed i think he still gets paid for the day off. So good nite, hope you get the message. I couldn't find the other one! 🇨🇦😴💤
+Deb/Mike DelFrari Hello Deb, it will be painful the first few days. Buy, every day you will feel a little better than the day before. Just make sure you stay ahead of the pain. Don't wait to take a pain pill until the pain is sky high. Wow that is a lot of pain medications. I will definitely be praying about your gallbladder being sent off for testing. The good thing is if you didn't get sleep last night, you can basically go to sleep whenever you feel like it throughout the day. And just take it easy. Oh my goodness! I bet that was a painful ride home. Yes you definitely want someone there with you, so I'm glad your friend is coming to stay with you while your husband is working. Wow that's really neat! And, that is so sweet of your son!
Natalie's Life yes I did manage to get some sleep, then a friend came over for a few hours, then I had a snooze , and then my hubby decided he wanted his supper so he came out and made it. Earlier i had scrambled eggs and cheeze. Lots of protein! Lol And some lemon wafers...then I had some mashed potatoes! Lol but fresh made from spuds. This is the first time in a couple years since that has happened ! So yea trying to keep ahead of the pain, thats the trick, and resting. Yes, I had to take an antacid, so hopefully no more. My puppys are still keeping watch over me! Thanks so much for all your videos, they have been a big help! Made me a lot more relaxed about it!
+Deb/Mike DelFrari Good! Sounds yummy. Is your body taking the food pretty good? That's precious. I love dogs. You're welcome. I'm really glad I could help you!
thanks for your videos! I have been in pain for over 8 months and I'm finally have surgery Monday! I have lost so much weight because I dread eatting because i know how much pain is coming afterwards. use to only be greasy foods or milk and food with milk but over the last month it's everything I eat or drink.
+Zei Brai Oh my. If that happened to me, I would definitely tell my doctor or surgeon about that. You don't want to be getting dehydrated and/or not eating enough.
Thanks. Surgery went good for some reason it took over 3 hours instead of about 1 like we we're told. I got home about 530 yesterday and I was sore but manageable. last night waa first night I slept all night instead od being in pain half the night from gallbladder. But woke up up this morning and my shoulders and back are so stiff I couldn't lay down. So I'm confined to the recliner with a bunch of pillows. this taste in my mouth is the worst and burping all that gas and coughing up junk from throat so not a good day. hopefully tmrw is better
My doctor has informed me that I’ll be needing my gallbladder removed. Even though I’ve had surgery (feet)before, I’m still nervous. So, I’ve been mentally preparing myself. I will be scheduled once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Thank you for sharing
Hi I'm Eric and I also have a gallbladder surgery coming up and I'm really freaking out! But after watching your video it really helped me not to freak out a lot and can't wait for the surgery to be over and enjoy some dinner with my family. Thanks
Hi Natalie, so I am having gallbladder surgery on Tuesday, July 25th and I am so nervous! I have some questions, so do you remember how long your surgery was and how long after that you got home? Are the pain medications they gave you pills, or liquid? And why did your shoulder hurt- did they inject you there? Thanks so much! I am excited though to finally be able to eat my favorite foods again!!!!!!
+Samera Lesher +Samera Lesher I was nervous too before my surgery, but in my experience, the thought of it was scarier than the actual surgery. My actual surgery was less than an hour. For me, from recovery to going home was an hour and a half- two hours by the time I got home. I received pain pills for my surgery pain. My shoulder hurt because of the gas they filled my stomach with, so the could see everything in my stomach. The only way the pain will decrease is (sorry if this is tmi), but to pass gas. You're welcome! Just make sure to give your body time to heal. Also, what helped me was definitely having a "fluffy" pillow after surgery on the ride home. Whoever is going to be with you and taking you home after surgery can have the pillow in the car. But, this is a must. This pillow has been awesome for my recovery! After surgery, when you get into the car it really helps your stomach to put the pillow right on your stomach. Also, sleeping- putting the pillow on your stomach if you are lying on your back. Or, if you're lying on your side putting the pillow around the incision areas. It works great that way too. I will be praying for you, your surgery, and your recovery!
Natalie's Life Thanks so much for the response!! I will definitely be bringing a pillow with me, that's such a good idea!!! Thanks for the prayers, I hope my recovery goes as well as yours did!!😊
I'm getting this done next week. being my firsy major surgery I was a bit scared but your video has helped me a lot and I'm not so scared anymore. thankyou :)
+Bronwyn Waasdorp I will be praying the surgery goes great and you have a smooth recovery. I'm glad my video has helped you. I appreciate you watching.(:
Your so lucky. 2 MONTHS ago I was rushed to hospital in the worse pain of my life I struggled to breath it hurt so bad! They sent me home saying I had a tummy bug and to basically get over it! A month later I finally got an appointment to see my doctor I had to wait a month for him to be available. A month after that I got my appointment through. They just discovered it's gallstones. Loads of them! I now have to go back to my doctor in 2 weeks time (which I prebooked a month in advance just incase) to see what we should do. Iv been told it's best to have it removed but I doubt they will do it. And people say free healthcare is great!? I can safely say I'm saving up to have the surgery done privately! As usually the waiting list is months long. So the fact that a few weeks later you were in and out of surgery to me is mind boggling!
+lost619 Wow I'm so sorry! Well I'm glad you got an appointment. Sometimes it can take a little bit to have surgery. It depends on the surgeon, insurance, etc. I hope your doctor's appointment goes well. I got in to have surgery fairly quickly. I will be praying for you!
Natalie's Life I'm not even talking about getting into surgery lol they took 2 months of lying to finally give me a scan and realise. That's the part that annoyed me. But yeh surgery will be months I should imagine. My step mum waited a year! Uk healthcare system sucks I guess. I'm defo going private though. Seem to get treated normal there!
I had mine out a week ago the best thing I ever did the gallbladder attacks were the worst.. first two days are painful. 3rd n fourth Ur still sore. After that u feel great! I promise it's worth it if Ur having attacks. Each day gets better 💖
Just a question. After your gallbladder removal surgery and when you were recovering, did you had any small lump on the area where they have done the key hole surgery.
In my experience, I don't recall having a small lump. I definitely had swelling though. If you're concerned, I would call your surgeon/ doctor about that.
Before my surgery I was a size 3 and they had my go on low carb diet and then I lost weight and went down to a size 0 I was pale too then after my color came back I guess it was from the pain. I’m on day 3 or 4 of my post surgery
I just found out I have gallstones as well. I haven’t talked to a surgeon yet, but nonetheless, I’m still rather nervous for the surgery. I do agree gallbladder attacks are the worst pain I’ve ever felt... and I feel sick after eating as well. I just can’t wait to feel better.
I have not yet the doctor seem to think it a muscle pain but I don’t no if it continues I will have it checked it mostly at night ween I lay down the other night I had some gas pain there I cud fell it
i’m getting this surgery a week tomorrow and i’m 14 years old. i was wondering how quick i can go out and meet my friends afterwards because i don’t want to have to wait more than a week
+MorganMillwardMusic x In my experience, I was very sore for a while. I didn't feel like doing anything. If I were you, I would have your friends come to you.
I just got mine out a week ago. My advice you need to adopt for few days a small frequent meal. Trust me abdominal bloating is so damn painful after surgery.
I'm Meaghan I'm 12 and I've had this horrible stomach pain for 2 years and I went to the hospital and every dr I saw told me it was just a stomach ache. Long story short my dr told me I was describing gall stones. So I'm going for an ultrasound soon. I'm kinda hoping it's gallstones just because my mother had her gallbladder removed and recovery isn't that long. Wish me luck!
+Meg Moloney Hi Meaghan wow, two years with stomach pain sounds miserable and uncomfortable. I hope and pray the doctors figure out what's wrong, so you can start to feel a lot better. I will be praying for you!
I never had gallbladder issues before. Went to the dr because of the weekend my stomach bloated and I was in a lot of pain. The dr sent me for a cat scan and when they read the scan they said to go to the ER immediately. Got admitted and they did emergency gallbladder removal yesterday morning. I am still in the hospital hooked up to am IV. Might have to be here a couple more days. So glad your surgery was quick and that you are feeling better.
+Elena Alboretto I was nervous as well, but actually I didn't have anything to worry about. This is one of the most common surgeries that people have every day. It will be okay. Don't worry!(:
Elena Alboretto I had my surgery last Monday and please don't worry. Follow the instructions of your physician on what to eat. I'm going back to work 2/27 . The only thing that bothers me is when I walk I feel a little winded.
MedusaEyes00 hey, my mom had gallbladder surgery today she is in hospital right now but i really want to know what should i do when she will come home i mean can you please tell me what should i give her to eat? a basic 7day plan would be very very appreciated i am asking you because doctors here are kinda strange they just tell eat low fat food and don't eat beef but i really don't understand what should i make for her to eat and recover fast. One more thing can she eat cereals in breakfast? egg boiled? i need dishes names plz help!
I’m having my surgery on Monday (4/9/18) and usually I would be soooo nervous but this gallstone attack pain is the worst thing ever so I really want to get it over with. Thank you so much for this video :) !
Natalie's Life thank you so much !! I truly appreciate it ! Everything went well thank God ! Now it’s time to recover ! You definitely made me less scared of having this surgery !! 💕🙏🏽
hi I am have my gallbladder surgery on the 17.10.17 nd have been worried like crazy about it as the hospital in am going to does not allow visitors in the day surgery unit so have to go through it all alone
+Natalie's Life . I don't know if it's because it a fairly small unit with in the hospital or maybe because it is in Scotland.the hospital are not as bad with the not eating and drinking rule . I am not allowed to eat after midnight but am allowed to drink water up till 6.30am on the day of my surgery
+Natalie's Life: visitors can come if they keep you in between 2 and 4pm then again at 7pm till 8pm but visitors not allowed in the day surgery unit at all unless u are under 18. I am hoping I won't be in long as I am the first one on the list in the morning and have to be in hops tial at 7.30am . I am just going off the information which the pre op nurse gave me . I am thinking about doing weekly vlogs on my recovery and how long it takes me to get back to horse riding again. have my final doctors appointment tommorow the 26 September before my surgery and I think I have weekly appointments after the surgery as I am not the best at dealing with pain
mine they gave a sedative before they wheeled me to the operating room, and in there they position me onto the operating table. They then made me take some oxygen as they administered the anistesia through the iv. then i only feel a very slight burn from the iv and drifted off to sleep.
Thank you so much for posting this, I'm having this surgery tomorrow and I am very nervous but I am in a very similar situation as you seem to have been in so this has made it a little easier on me thinking might actually be able to eat again Haha I'm glad it worked out for you and you could recover :)
+Mo Winkler I went to the doctor and what actually diagnosed mine was an HIDA Scan. If you go to my video My Full Gallbladder Story- Before, During, and After it has all the information in there. It talks about my symptoms, the doctor experience, everything.(:
+Mo Winkler You're welcome! I hope that video helps you. After, if you have any questions feel free to ask me through here, Twitter, Snapchat, or by email.(:
I had gone to the doctor complaining of acid reflux, got meds for that also had pain, then would vomit and had terrible nausea, over a period of 3 months
I'm having surgery tomorrow but watching your video helps keep myself from not being scared for getting this surgery. I was going to postpone it but I no I need to get it done. Thanks again and glad everything went well for you. I hope it also goes well with me.
+Annabel Delgadillo I'm glad my video helped you. You will feel so much better. & You're welcome. Thank you for watching!Yes, me too. I feel so much better! I will be praying everything goes great with your surgery!
I'm having mine removed in 4 day I'm so nervous. mine is so full it has enlarged my gallbladder by almost double. the largest stone is about an inch big and then my other stone are smaller like the size of Eminem's, causing my gallbladder to nearly be double in size. I just hope I can go back to eating normal again after surgery
+Rebecca Drolet Oh my goodness! That has to be painful. After surgery you will feel so much better. I am praying for you, your surgery, and a speedy recovery!
thank you ! I just had surgery yesterday! it's been a painful surgery recovery so far. My doc said I can go back to eating what I use to eat but I'm not going overboard. I haven't had a full meal yet just small snacks like wheat thins and apple sauce every 4 hours when my meds are due. I Had to have all my bandages replaced today but so far everything is going pretty well! :)
+Rebecca Drolet You're welcome. Yes it will be at first, but every day you will feel better than the day before. That's great. Yes I agree. I wouldn't go overboard with it as well. I would gradually work up to it. And, just make sure you eat enough with your medicine. I'm very glad everything is going good.(:
I'm on day 5 and so nauseated. My reflux is so bad and I have heartburn. How old are you now? Do you eat whatever you want? How long did your nausea stay? Im a southern girl and I wanna have southern fried foods at least once a week esp chicken and pizza lol.
I too lost 15 lbs being sick with my gallbladder. I’m 23 and Just got mine out today. Been up walking around but don’t let that full (edit: omg see drugged up brain
+Ashley Salazar It can be scary, but pray to God why you're scared. It could be the surgery itself, the recovery time, etc. Pray for your doctors and surgeon. Then, give it up to God. He is with you! I will be praying for you, your surgery, and your recovery.
I had hip surgery, a colonoscopy and now getting my gallbladder out tomorrow morning all in 1month I’ve had all these surgeries. It’s been extremely hard
Getting mine done in a few hours. I'm more worried about any complications after like sepsis or internal bleeding. It's just my dumb anxiety taking over. But your video has helped a little I think. I've lost around 30 lbs since i started having symptoms in may so I really need this done so I can eat normal again.
I was watching videos to prepare myself for my upcoming gallbladder removal, and I started watching this one an realized omgosh! Thats Bailey! Thats where I’m going to have it done. Yr nana in the video haha 😂
Thanks so much for posting this! Very informative. I'm actually getting this done soon, too. I am wondering if you could explain more about what it was like to get put to sleep? This is the part that FREAKS me OUT!! Like, what does it feel like? How do they do it? What does it feel like when they put the stuff in, like do you get sleepy or is more like wide awake to instantly out? Could you have stayed awake if you would have tried or is it impossible? Haha. Basically whatever you remember about that part would be helpful. Thanks so much!
+xcalabur18 You're welcome. I'm glad my videos have helped you. Oh wow, well I'm sorry you're going through this rough time with the gallbladder. You will feel so much better after! I had the same feeling. Really right before they wheeled me into the operating room they gave me something to take. It was in liquid form that was really sour. Then after that I would say 1 minute at most I was starting to feel loopy already. They then put the hair net around my hair. I get wheeled into the operating room and I had to go from the bed to the operating table. I was so loopy I could barely get on there. They had to help me haha. I'm lying on the operating table and I remember them putting something that went around the lower part of my legs pulsing very slowly. It was actually really relaxing. Then I heard I believe the surgeon tell me something, I look up, and I was out. Very smooth process. I felt very loopy when they gave me whatever they gave me. I could have not stayed awake at all even if I tried. I would try to lift my head and I could barely do that because I was so loopy. It was a very relaxing and smooth process. And, you're welcome.
+Alyssa Lopez I will be praying for you! You will feel so much better. I was scared about them putting me under, but honestly it wasn't scary. It was really relaxing. And, I'm doing great. Thanks for asking.(:
Leticia Pelayo I had my surgery three weeks ago! im feeling so much better and my scars are still healing but they dont hurt anymore. I didnt even take my pain medicine after my surgery. I was in some pain but not to the point where i needed to take it. But im glad i had the surgery because now i can eat without pain constantly bugging me
I am 4 days out of surgery and sticking to a low fat diet. I'm afraid to remove the bandages and haven't had the energy to take a shower. all I do is sleep
If you have any questions or concerns, I would call your surgeon/doctor. The first three to four days can be tiresome. In my experience, I started to feel more like myself on day four or five. But, it’s different for everyone.
I wish you well! I just had mine out yesterday. I felt crappy when i first woke up afterwards, but i think they gave me more medicine and they let me sleep for another two hours. I felt pretty good when i woke back up again. Im feeling the pain now but its not bad, they give you the “fun” drugs for the pain if it gets bad 🙂
I have surgery Tuesday. I am a little nervous but I know everything will be okay. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, it really helped me. Wish me luck 😀
It wasn’t functioning properly. The Ultrasound showed that the outside of my Gallbladder looked fine and normal. But, when I had the HIDA Scan, that’s when the doctors saw that my Gallbladder wasn’t functioning properly from the inside.
Thanks for the video. I’m having surgery this coming Tuesday. A little nervous but it helps to see videos like yours.
Hope you are still doing better.
I've been 3 wks from having the operation and food no longer makes my stomach feel sick, i'm so relieved because there was a point before where I thought my pain and agony would not go away. I'm really grateful to actually feel good.
That’s so awesome! Well I hope you continue to feel better!
I’m 3 days in after having surgery, and I hope I can say the same.
@@miyokosoul6237 Yes, GOD bless you!
i just had my gallbladder surgery a few days ago, and I have been really sore for a while, so now I am getting better now. I thank god that I am doing great and for everybody praying for me. god bless you all. holly rogers from Tyrone ga.
I’m glad you’re feeling better! I’ll be praying for you and take it easy. God bless you too!
Had my gallbladder removed 2 days ago and seeing this is very comforting. The pain is manageable but I can't wait to fully heal 🙏
I had my gallbladder surgery in April of this year.. after 4 years of pain and suffering i’m so much better now! Your story is so inspiring! Thank you for sharing ☺️
I’m so glad you’re doing so well!
💗 I appreciate you watching!
How are you doing now after the surgery? Any complications and do you still experience any pain? Can you eat whatever you want?
I was diagnosed with 1.26 cm gallstone six months back. After much delaying due to anxiety and panic I'm finally having my surgery tomorrow. Your video helped me a lot getting mentally prepared. Thanks! ☺
+WarHead Oh my goodness that sure does sound painful! I'm so glad my video helped you!😊 I will be praying for you and your recovery.
+Natalie's Life Thank you. I had to stay a couple of nights in hospital as my gallbladder was a bit inflated and infected. The stone grew quite a bit within six months. About 2 cm. The surgeon also inserted a catheter drain into one of my incisions for 24 hrs. I got home yesterday and feeling a lot better now but because of that catheter the right side is still a bit sore and it hurts like hell while coughing.
+WarHead I'm sorry you're not feeling well! Wow, that sounds like a challenging experience. I hope you start feeling better soon!
Did you have a gallbladder attack? Or they just needed to remove the gallbladder due to the stone ?
Thank you for this video.
My gallbladder was removed last March 2, 2018. It was quite painful on the 1st and 2nd day. Im on my first week now after the operation.
I can eat anything! My bowel is still normal and regular. But still, I am avoiding fatty foods as much as I can.
It’s always a good choice to choose a healthy life style. So, it’s good to stay away from fatty foods. I will be praying for you to have a speedy recovery.
I’ve been in the hospital for four days now due to my gallbladder, just had my surgery yesterday and they gave me an extra day to recover in the hospital. These staff have been so helpful and kind to me. Very happy my attacks won’t happen again and love how well i’ve been treated. My moms been here with me through it all so i’m also extremely thankful for her. I get to go home later (its 3:57 AM) can’t sleep haha. It’s been a long journey so far..feels like these four days went by so slow but finally no more gallstones!!! 😍
Yes God is with you always, God bless you and thank you for sharing this video about your surgery experience
Hi, I'm 18 and I had my operation to remove my gallbladder today (30/06/2017) your videos are really helping me to know that I am not alone and I feel less anxious about the future. Thank you so much, I'm so thankful that you are well and made this video xx
+Emily Vlogs I'm so glad my videos are helping!😊 You're welcome! I hope you get feeling better. I will be praying for you!
Emily 2801 How are you doing now after the surgery? Any complications and do you still experience any pain? Can you eat whatever you want?
Back in the days you can have visitors. I had my gallbladder removed Mon and I was all alone.
I'm having my gallbladder surgery tomorrow😭😭 9 in the morning. I have gallstones and a gallbladder attack is the worst pain I've ever experienced but im super nervous about going under and the pain afterwards. I have a super low pain tolerance.
+Holly Rhodes I'm sorry about your pain, but you will feel so much better afterwards! Compared to the surgery pain, this pain that you're having right now will probably be the worst. I'm not saying the pain afterwards is a breeze, but I thought it would be worse than what the pain actually was. The first 3 days were the roughest days, but after that you will start to feel a little better than you did the day before. Take it one day at a time and stay ahead of the pain. Don't wait until it's at a 7 (on a scale of 1-10) to take the medicine for the first 3 days. Take it when the pain is manageable, but feels like if you waited an hour the pain would rise. The worst pain wasn't my stomach. It was my right shoulder. It was hurting because of the gas they have to fill you up with to be able to see everything in your stomach. By day 4, you shouldn't have shoulder pain or very little. So don't be alarmed if you do have shoulder pain. But to get rid of the shoulder pain quicker you have to (sorry if tmi) pass gas. And, I was scared about going under too. This was my first major surgery. But honestly it wasn't scary at all. It was actually relaxing and I felt at peace. I felt God's presence telling me that everything is going to be okay. God was right there with me the whole time and He will be right there with you the whole time as well. Pray to Him for peace. Pray for the doctors/surgeons. I will be praying for you! Let me know if you have any other questions. God bless!
Natalie's Life thank you so much for all the advice! yeah my shoulder is hurting worse than my cuts and I haven't been able to keep anything down😳 but icing my shoulder has been helping.
+Holly Rhodes You're welcome! The good thing is that pain won't last for very long. I'm glad the ice is helping. And oh really? Are you throwing up or is it going the other way? Did you call your doctor/surgeon about that?
Holly Rhodes how are you doing now?
Me too..gonna have mine tomorrow. ..how was yours?
i cant wait to finally not feel pain after eating! i can totally relate to everything youre saying
+Alyssa Lopez It's an amazing feeling to not feel pain/discomfort/feel as if you need to use the restroom! The first few days can be rough, but just know it will get better. Every day you will feel more better than you did the day before.
I'm having mines in 2 weeks. I agree with you. I'm so ready for surgery yet so nervous. I'm ready to eat without feeling pain again.
I am having mine February 1st and I cannot wait! I am so tired of hurting and not being able to eat.
@nikki mines is the 5th of Feb. A couple days after yours. Good luck!
my surgery is in 4 hours .. pray for me.
❤
Suddenly I knew I have gallbladder stone & CBD stone also. Last week ERCP cmplted and right now two stent stay in my little belly. Bt I am little afraid for my open gall stone & CBD stone surgery 😥 which will happen last week of this month. Ur story feel me confident about surgery and the pain.
Hey Natalie Thank you for all of your gallbladder surgery videos! I have gallstone and will have the gallbladder surgery the coming Thursday. Your video really helps me and cheers me up. Thank you! God bless you❤️
You’re welcome- I’m glad they helped you! How are you doing? Thank you and God bless you too!
Natalie's Life Thank you for asking! My surgery was successful and I’m trying to get used to the life without gallbladder. It’s not too bad actually:) So far so good!!
im having an attack at this very moment lol... cant sleep, cant walk, cant sit still, so watching youtube helps me a bit to keep my mind of the pain. i have had about 75 attacks in the last year or two... first started once a month, later on three times a week... im really thinking of doing the surgery as well, so i was doing some research and have to say your video really helped me a lot. Many thanks for sharing your experience!
I'm sorry you're having such a rough time! I'm so glad my vids helped you!(:
Did you have the surgery already?
Hi Leila, nice to hear from you again! Actually im having an appointment at the hospital this tuesday. its not for the operation yet, but i get like an 1 hour pre-operation talk, so basically they will explain what i can expect, what i have to prepare for and when the surgery is. Here in Holland they do it like this to speed things up on surgery day (so they can skip all the explaining then and start the operation directly).
So im guessing the surgery will be within 2-4 weeks from now. i noticed when watching some gallbladder videos from the usa and canada that lots of people from your country get a emergency surgery, or at least the surgery is planned fast. Here in Holland they seem to see a gallbladder surgery as a minor surgery so even if im having lots of pain they wont do a emergency surgery... well, actually the doctor said that in case i want to speed things up i could call my health insurreance company and ask for an emergency surgery (basically i had to act that im dying from pain).. but i decided not to do as i already have had so many attacks that im getting used to them :)
And to be honest i have been delaying it a bit myself by not going to the doctor for a long time as i never had a surgery before and im a bit nervous haha... not really scared, but just dont know what to expect... but ok, im totally wasted after all these attacks and it totally destroys my social life at the moment, so its time to take action...
i let you know when i have had the surgery... thanks again for your video and interest, much appreciated. its really nice to talk to someone who has had the same...
cheers
another thing i noticed that it seems so quiet at the hospital your went... not sure if that is because you live in a small town? or is that normal in your country? Here, hospitals look like airports, incredible huge and full of people 24/7.. but ok, maybe thats because every person in our country has a health insurreance as its obligated by law...
hi, the surgery is planned for coming tuesday, so pretty fast. i let you know once its done..
After 7 months of postponing it I'm finally going to schedule my appointment for the surgery I am beyond terrified of going under..... I'm glad you feel better now :)
+G Mendez I was scared myself to go under, but actually, in my experience, it wasn't scary at all. Thank you, me too!(:
I unfortunatly dealt with painful gallstones for almost a year without realising thats what it was! its now been 10 weeks since my first hospitilization where my liver started to fail and it turns out i've got something called Mrizzi Syndrome, where the gallstone is in the wrong duct and crushing another duct of the gallbladder, i have a stent just now until they can wrangle some specialist to take my gallbladder out! Im terrifyed, there is a huuuge chance it wont be a small keyhole surgery so im definetely anxious, thanks for sharing this, it answered some of my fears
+Hannah McKenzie Oh no wow I'm sorry you're going through this! I'm sure after your surgery you will feel so much better. That sounds really painful. I'm glad I could help you! I will be praying for you!
Hannah Sheeran , I wandered what was the outcome of your story. I had a very high expectations regarding the laparoscopy gallbladder. Today is the third day after surgery. But in my case was not that simple. That was 1% , 1%!! chance that open skin would be the option. And it happened. I’m 57 male ( I would say overweight, unfortunately) and been feeling this crazy pains for years not knowing it’s because gallstones. I have history of kidney stones and that’s what I thought! So because of that when they reach the camera in the area and a huuuge massive gallbladder inflammation and full of big stones. There was no chance it would came out with regular methods. So they cut! Probably a 7-8 “ and staple. Recovering process becomes triple now. More crazy pain meds. Hopefully tomorrow will be better day. And the next, and the next.
Been watching your videos before I had my gallbladder removed last Aug. 15th. Today marks my 8th day of healing and I just want to thank you for showing the positive side of having this surgery. I really thought I'd have panic attack in the operating room but I didn't due to watching a lot of positive videos about it. I was so proud of myself for bravely facing the surgery. To be honest, I dont' think the surgery itself was painful. More like a discomforting pain, at least for me. The only problem I had was developing hemorroids on the 2nd day post op. Urgh! My doc gave me meds for that and hope it'll better so I can feel like myself again. Keep posting positive videos, Natalie. 😘
I had mine removed yesterday it doesn’t hurt to bad. I came in the day before with a gallbladder attack and I had pancreatitis so I had to stay in and they did it the next day in the afternoon It hurt a bit when I woke up but I was to out of it to retnotice I have to stay in overnight for 3 nights I can go home tomorrow morning so I’m excited it doesn’t hurt to much it just feels strange x
Wow, that sounds very painful. I hope you feel better and can just recover now. I’ll be praying for you as well as your recovery.
Natalie's Life 🙏 thank you
You’re welcome.
How are you doing now after the surgery? Any complications and do you still experience any pain? Can you eat whatever you want?
Good job Nat congratulations and speedy recovery.
Thank you and take care with God blessing always
Thanks for making this video, I had mine out yesterday, watching this last week helped settle my nerves before it happened. In Australia they don't kick you out of hospital straight after, they leave a drain tube in and send you 24 hours after.
+Stephen Wratten You're welcome. I'm glad it helped calm your nerves. Wow that's good. I hope your recovery goes great!
Just got home a couple hours ago, i think im experiencing less pain than most people which is lucky. Though i was like a turtle on my back yesterday, could not get up out of bed, today i can do it but its just sore.. I'm looking forward to trying some foods i couldn't eat before and see how all the plumbing works now.. but will leave it till the weekend i think once the soreness has settled down,
+Stephen Wratten Definitely give your body time to heal. When I woke up from surgery, I already felt better and I could tell a difference. It was amazing. The most painful part of the whole surgery was the shoulder pain. The shoulder pain was from what they filled my stomach up with, to make me look 10 months pregnant/really big. It’s so they can see everything in the stomach. I was sore around my incisions and mainly slept all day the first day except for eating, drinking, and going to the restroom. My surgeon recommended a very bland diet. I followed that. I had Mashed Potatoes, Jell-O, Pudding, Apple Sauce etc (soft and easy to digest foods/bland diet.) He recommended that for the first 2-3 days, but I did that for longer because I wanted to give my stomach enough time to heal and process everything. I also didn’t work for a while because I work with kids and I couldn’t lift anything heavier than a milk carton and just to give myself extra time to heal. I just kept taking it easy with foods. On the 4th of July, so about almost a month out since my surgery; I picked up an outside chair. I noticed that night that, that made me sore. Nothing unbearable, but I just got sore. Also I went chipping and putting at the golf course possibly a week ago, and that made me sore. So, definitely take it easy with the activities. Also, if I laugh for a long period of time, that makes me sore as well. But I am working now. I feel SO much better!! I can actually eat again! I have even tried McDonalds and it went great!! I hope your recovery is as positive as mine was/is. I'm actually going to do a Full Gallbladder Story before, during, and after this week if you want to stay tuned.(: The item that started my symptoms again in May before I got my surgery was actually not food. It was a drink.
I definitely will keep an eye out for your full story and check it out. I had a single 18mm stone, i didnt get attacks like normal people, but instead if i ate oily food or foods that triggered it (too much bread, too much fruit juice, too much sugar) i would get a raw constant pain that lasted weeks before it settled. I had been good with my food in the weeks leading up so wasn't in pain when i had it out, so keen to see how it goes now with some Mc Donalds as well, as the chips would really hurt me. I've been lucky and not had any gas pain, though i did notice before while laying in bed and wigling a round a little the sensation of air moving around my abdomen, felt odd but no pain. I work in IT so luckily i don't do much heavy lifting, 99% is all on a keyboard. How do you go with lots of fatty foods? I've heard that some people have a problem where it comes out the other end too quick after, hope i dont have that problem.. also read you can get bile salt pills to take with those kind of foods to replace what your bile would have done so prevent that issue.
+Jade Nilsson I hope it goes great. I will be praying for you! I appreciate you watching.
hi im keith from liverpool england ive got my gallbladder op on friday 27th jan 2017 im petrified i suffer with anxiety panic attacks an im agraphobic i dont leave my flat very much so this is gonna be a nightmare for me im so anxious an scared ive been told i will go in hospital in morning an have op then be sent home a few hours later ive never had a opperation before so worried about anesthetic an pain relief as im allergic too a lot of drugs an medication ....but after seeing ur videos natalie an seeing you up an about just a few hours after surgery with a smile on ur face an eating an drinking i fine this really encourageing thank u xx
keith I had galdstones but they got infected so I had my galdbladder removed I didnt know what it was cause I had been feeling like that since last year but couldnt figure it out what was going on I got to follow up with PCP same here I suffer my severe panic attacks, anxiety and other stuff. Its not easy for me though everybody is different. But I have to stop stressing, worrying, etc cause it will not help the recovery process. It still feel sick after I eat but because I had the surgery and my still re-cooperating and getting used to the process. I dont know how long its going take the process of healing it might take you longer again everybody is different how their body reacts to surgery this was my first time having surgergy. So I was kinda freaked out but they made feel very comfortable and assured that I was going to be alright. Sending prayers to you.
+keith devine Hi Keith. I was scared too, this being my first major surgery. I was nervous about going under too, but it was actually relaxing. Make sure you tell them that you are allergic to a lot of medication. For pain relief, I would recommend not waiting until your pain is at a 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10). The key thing is staying ahead of the pain. I'm glad I could encourage you! You're welcome. I appreciate you watching. I will be praying for you, your surgery, and your recovery.(:
Natalie's Life thank you natalie its 11.50pm ere now so im gonna try get some sleep chest is tight an stomach in knots as vvvv anxious an scared but told them i only want paracetamol for pain relief as thats all i can take at home when in pain so fingers crossed all will go ok im due to have my op at 9am tomorrow so im gonna take some deep breaths try switch my mind off a bit an get some sleep thank u for ur kind preys an words its so kind of u thank u xxx
+keith devine I stayed up late too the night before my surgery, but on the bright side you'll be getting plenty of sleep. Okay good. Try to think about something happy that will help you stay calm/ peaceful- your favorite tv show, the beach, snow, animals, anything that makes you happy. And, you're welcome!(:
Natalie I feel the same way I had my surgergy on sunday and I just feel weird cause I feel very anxious, just I cant explain like my stomach is rubbling. I still get sick after I eat though. Yea everytime I eat my stomach bloats up feel like a pregnant woman. I already have, anxiety, severe panic attacks, depression and stress cause Im not that physically active but I do try to move around a little I get nauseous cause this is my first major surgery. And my stomach has not went down after I eat meals. I think my body is in shock and I have to keep asking people that Im okay like reassuring. Sorry dont mean sound gross but I cant still digest foods its been like almost a week. I think I have IBS. They said to call my PCP If you doesnt go away in 24hrs I dont see him until tuesday. Im just really scared and try to focus on something else are watch t.v. and get up. Im not used to eating the foods that I once ate before like cause I was in a nursing home last year and the year before all I ate was hamburgers and I would always get sick after I ate. I do have loss of appettite. Its been like that since last year of loss of appettite. Its still rejecting the food I eat. I dont know It digust me on eating food but I have to get that mentally of not being afraid to eat the food. Please help anyway possible.
I am doing good now, I am so glad I had my gallbladder surgery two months ago. thanks for the prayers. holly rogers from Tyrone ga.
💗 You’re welcome!
Hi Natalie! Deb from Saskatchewan, had my surgery today. Oh so amI hurting! 3 different pain meds, the doc said he had a bit of dificulties so I'm a bit more beat up, but happy thing I am not as full of gas as I thought I would be...I got lucky I guess. I never had the same Doctor twice in this two year process, he totally understand about the fibro, new that we had to double the meds, hopefully I don't have to do it for two long. He took pity on me and found a way to release a lot of the gas. So its just mainly a bit of burping rather than the other direction...lol... He also said he sent the gallbladder away for testing. All I knew was that it was full of stones! But there was something off with it. So pray that it is fine.I was in for hour and half, best sleep i've had in a long time. Now its 1:56 am,my hubby is snoring and I am wide awake! Am going to take another dose of meds,and hopefully sleep. Yes the getting up and down are painful! I also had a 21/2 hr ride home too, we live in a small town that doesn't have specialsist...
So Im all blue purple and yellow,and parts of me were stuck down that shouldn't, so that hurt too...but anyway, hopefully I will sleep good, my girlfriend is coming to stay with me fore the day because my hubby has to work, life of farming. It is harvest season here. My 25 yr old son was kind enough to take me down, and stay and drive me back. His boss was so impressed i think he still gets paid for the day off.
So good nite, hope you get the message. I couldn't find the other one! 🇨🇦😴💤
+Deb/Mike DelFrari Hello Deb, it will be painful the first few days. Buy, every day you will feel a little better than the day before. Just make sure you stay ahead of the pain. Don't wait to take a pain pill until the pain is sky high. Wow that is a lot of pain medications. I will definitely be praying about your gallbladder being sent off for testing. The good thing is if you didn't get sleep last night, you can basically go to sleep whenever you feel like it throughout the day. And just take it easy. Oh my goodness! I bet that was a painful ride home. Yes you definitely want someone there with you, so I'm glad your friend is coming to stay with you while your husband is working. Wow that's really neat! And, that is so sweet of your son!
Natalie's Life yes I did manage to get some sleep, then a friend came over for a few hours, then I had a snooze , and then my hubby decided he wanted his supper so he came out and made it. Earlier i had scrambled eggs and cheeze. Lots of protein! Lol
And some lemon wafers...then I had some mashed potatoes! Lol but fresh made from spuds.
This is the first time in a couple years since that has happened ! So yea trying to keep ahead of the pain, thats the trick, and resting. Yes, I had to take an antacid, so hopefully no more. My puppys are still keeping watch over me!
Thanks so much for all your videos, they have been a big help! Made me a lot more relaxed about it!
+Deb/Mike DelFrari Good! Sounds yummy. Is your body taking the food pretty good? That's precious. I love dogs. You're welcome. I'm really glad I could help you!
Watching this before my surgery on dec 5th 🥺🙏🏻 thank for this video it just makes me feel relax a little bit.. ☺️
thanks for your videos! I have been in pain for over 8 months and I'm finally have surgery Monday! I have lost so much weight because I dread eatting because i know how much pain is coming afterwards. use to only be greasy foods or milk and food with milk but over the last month it's everything I eat or drink.
I'm only 4'11 and a regular 115-120 and Monday I was down to 93 from not being about to eat
+Zei Brai You're welcome! I'm sorry you've been in so much pain. I will be praying for you, your surgery, and your recovery.
+Zei Brai Oh my. If that happened to me, I would definitely tell my doctor or surgeon about that. You don't want to be getting dehydrated and/or not eating enough.
Thanks. Surgery went good for some reason it took over 3 hours instead of about 1 like we we're told. I got home about 530 yesterday and I was sore but manageable. last night waa first night I slept all night instead od being in pain half the night from gallbladder. But woke up up this morning and my shoulders and back are so stiff I couldn't lay down. So I'm confined to the recliner with a bunch of pillows. this taste in my mouth is the worst and burping all that gas and coughing up junk from throat so not a good day. hopefully tmrw is better
+Zei Brai I hope you have a better day tomorrow. The first few days can be rough.
My doctor has informed me that I’ll be needing my gallbladder removed. Even though I’ve had surgery (feet)before, I’m still nervous. So, I’ve been mentally preparing myself. I will be scheduled once the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Thank you for sharing
Hi I'm Eric and I also have a gallbladder surgery coming up and I'm really freaking out! But after watching your video it really helped me not to freak out a lot and can't wait for the surgery to be over and enjoy some dinner with my family. Thanks
LOL...your Nana's (not wanting filmed) reaction is "Priceless!"
Hi Natalie. Why did you have you gallbladder removed? Is it because of polyps? What is the size of the polyps?
Thanks for the video. Good to prepare for my surgery. Thanks again
Thank you for watching! I pray you're doing well!
What foods could you eat after the surgery please
Hi Natalie, so I am having gallbladder surgery on Tuesday, July 25th and I am so nervous! I have some questions, so do you remember how long your surgery was and how long after that you got home? Are the pain medications they gave you pills, or liquid? And why did your shoulder hurt- did they inject you there?
Thanks so much! I am excited though to finally be able to eat my favorite foods again!!!!!!
+Samera Lesher +Samera Lesher I was nervous too before my surgery, but in my experience, the thought of it was scarier than the actual surgery. My actual surgery was less than an hour. For me, from recovery to going home was an hour and a half- two hours by the time I got home. I received pain pills for my surgery pain. My shoulder hurt because of the gas they filled my stomach with, so the could see everything in my stomach. The only way the pain will decrease is (sorry if this is tmi), but to pass gas. You're welcome! Just make sure to give your body time to heal. Also, what helped me was definitely having a "fluffy" pillow after surgery on the ride home. Whoever is going to be with you and taking you home after surgery can have the pillow in the car. But, this is a must. This pillow has been awesome for my recovery! After surgery, when you get into the car it really helps your stomach to put the pillow right on your stomach. Also, sleeping- putting the pillow on your stomach if you are lying on your back. Or, if you're lying on your side putting the pillow around the incision areas. It works great that way too. I will be praying for you, your surgery, and your recovery!
Natalie's Life Thanks so much for the response!! I will definitely be bringing a pillow with me, that's such a good idea!!! Thanks for the prayers, I hope my recovery goes as well as yours did!!😊
+Samera Lesher You're welcome!😊
Thanks so much for sharing. My surgery is coming up.
I'm getting this done next week. being my firsy major surgery I was a bit scared but your video has helped me a lot and I'm not so scared anymore. thankyou :)
+Bronwyn Waasdorp I will be praying the surgery goes great and you have a smooth recovery. I'm glad my video has helped you. I appreciate you watching.(:
Natalie's Life hi Natalie. I had my surgery and everything went really well. thankyou again :)
+Bronwyn Waasdorp That's so great!! You're welcome.(:
Your so lucky. 2 MONTHS ago I was rushed to hospital in the worse pain of my life I struggled to breath it hurt so bad! They sent me home saying I had a tummy bug and to basically get over it! A month later I finally got an appointment to see my doctor I had to wait a month for him to be available. A month after that I got my appointment through. They just discovered it's gallstones. Loads of them! I now have to go back to my doctor in 2 weeks time (which I prebooked a month in advance just incase) to see what we should do. Iv been told it's best to have it removed but I doubt they will do it. And people say free healthcare is great!? I can safely say I'm saving up to have the surgery done privately! As usually the waiting list is months long. So the fact that a few weeks later you were in and out of surgery to me is mind boggling!
+lost619 Wow I'm so sorry! Well I'm glad you got an appointment. Sometimes it can take a little bit to have surgery. It depends on the surgeon, insurance, etc. I hope your doctor's appointment goes well. I got in to have surgery fairly quickly. I will be praying for you!
Natalie's Life I'm not even talking about getting into surgery lol they took 2 months of lying to finally give me a scan and realise. That's the part that annoyed me. But yeh surgery will be months I should imagine. My step mum waited a year! Uk healthcare system sucks I guess. I'm defo going private though. Seem to get treated normal there!
+lost619 Oh my goodness I thought you meant getting into surgery. Wow that's a long time to wait.
Natalie's Life yep it really sucks! Hopefully I can get enough money for surgery so I don't have to wait a year
+lost619 I hope so too! That would be a long time to wait.
I had mine out a week ago the best thing I ever did the gallbladder attacks were the worst.. first two days are painful. 3rd n fourth Ur still sore. After that u feel great! I promise it's worth it if Ur having attacks. Each day gets better 💖
Just a question. After your gallbladder removal surgery and when you were recovering, did you had any small lump on the area where they have done the key hole surgery.
In my experience, I don't recall having a small lump. I definitely had swelling though. If you're concerned, I would call your surgeon/ doctor about that.
Before my surgery I was a size 3 and they had my go on low carb diet and then I lost weight and went down to a size 0 I was pale too then after my color came back I guess it was from the pain. I’m on day 3 or 4 of my post surgery
How are you doing now
thanks for uploading these videos. i may have to have surgery for my gallbladder these videos helped me be less nervous about it :)
I’m glad my videos have helped!(:
I just found out I have gallstones as well. I haven’t talked to a surgeon yet, but nonetheless, I’m still rather nervous for the surgery. I do agree gallbladder attacks are the worst pain I’ve ever felt... and I feel sick after eating as well. I just can’t wait to feel better.
Wow I’m sorry to hear that! That’s how I felt too: nervous. But I thought of the outcome and I knew I would feel better. I’ll be praying for you!
Natalie's Life it’s okay! I know this video is old haha. But thank you so much :) I really appreciate it.
You’re welcome.😊
I have not yet the doctor seem to think it a muscle pain but I don’t no if it continues I will have it checked it mostly at night ween I lay down the other night I had some gas pain there I cud fell it
i’m getting this surgery a week tomorrow and i’m 14 years old. i was wondering how quick i can go out and meet my friends afterwards because i don’t want to have to wait more than a week
+MorganMillwardMusic x In my experience, I was very sore for a while. I didn't feel like doing anything. If I were you, I would have your friends come to you.
Get well soon,Natalie. I’ve had major surgeries like that but i got better and I know that you will too
just had surgery and it hurts so much to get up 😩
Same i know it hurts I notice that I have to stand up and walk a little for my pain doesn't get bad while laying in bed
Wow I’m really sorry to hear that! For me, the pain lessened lessened each day.
I just got mine out a week ago. My advice you need to adopt for few days a small frequent meal. Trust me abdominal bloating is so damn painful after surgery.
I'm Meaghan I'm 12 and I've had this horrible stomach pain for 2 years and I went to the hospital and every dr I saw told me it was just a stomach ache. Long story short my dr told me I was describing gall stones. So I'm going for an ultrasound soon. I'm kinda hoping it's gallstones just because my mother had her gallbladder removed and recovery isn't that long. Wish me luck!
+Meg Moloney Hi Meaghan wow, two years with stomach pain sounds miserable and uncomfortable. I hope and pray the doctors figure out what's wrong, so you can start to feel a lot better. I will be praying for you!
Hi Meg 👋 For how long now your mother had the surgery ? Hope u reply. Thanks :)
I never had gallbladder issues before. Went to the dr because of the weekend my stomach bloated and I was in a lot of pain. The dr sent me for a cat scan and when they read the scan they said to go to the ER immediately. Got admitted and they did emergency gallbladder removal yesterday morning. I am still in the hospital hooked up to am IV. Might have to be here a couple more days. So glad your surgery was quick and that you are feeling better.
I have surgery Feb 28th and I'm freaking out
+Elena Alboretto I was nervous as well, but actually I didn't have anything to worry about. This is one of the most common surgeries that people have every day. It will be okay. Don't worry!(:
Elena Alboretto I have this coming Tuesday 2/7/17. Kinda nervous aswell. Do they give you any pain medication after the surgery?
+J509 I will be praying for you! They did for me. I would ask them just to make sure.
Elena Alboretto I had my surgery last Monday and please don't worry. Follow the instructions of your physician on what to eat. I'm going back to work 2/27 . The only thing that bothers me is when I walk I feel a little winded.
MedusaEyes00 hey, my mom had gallbladder surgery today she is in hospital right now but i really want to know what should i do when she will come home i mean can you please tell me what should i give her to eat? a basic 7day plan would be very very appreciated i am asking you because doctors here are kinda strange they just tell eat low fat food and don't eat beef but i really don't understand what should i make for her to eat and recover fast. One more thing can she eat cereals in breakfast? egg boiled? i need dishes names plz help!
I’m having my surgery on Monday (4/9/18) and usually I would be soooo nervous but this gallstone attack pain is the worst thing ever so I really want to get it over with. Thank you so much for this video :) !
I will be praying for you as well as your surgery! And, you’re welcome. I appreciate you watching!
Natalie's Life thank you so much !! I truly appreciate it ! Everything went well thank God ! Now it’s time to recover ! You definitely made me less scared of having this surgery !! 💕🙏🏽
You’re welcome! That’s really awesome everything went great! Yes exactly. Take time to recover and take it easy.😊
I'm having mines in 2 weeks. I agree with you. I'm so ready for surgery yet so nervous. I'm ready to eat without feeling pain again.
Your awesome! Very informative, my friend going through it next week. Hope your feeling good.
Thanks so much! Wow, well I'll be praying for your friend. Yes I'm doing great-- thank you.(:
hi I am have my gallbladder surgery on the 17.10.17 nd have been worried like crazy about it as the hospital in am going to does not allow visitors in the day surgery unit so have to go through it all alone
+eve rutherford Wow really? Why don't they allow visitors?
+Natalie's Life . I don't know if it's because it a fairly small unit with in the hospital or maybe because it is in Scotland.the hospital are not as bad with the not eating and drinking rule . I am not allowed to eat after midnight but am allowed to drink water up till 6.30am on the day of my surgery
+eve rutherford Hmm maybe so. Can the visitors come after your surgery or does the hospital have a certain bracket of time that they can come?
+Natalie's Life: visitors can come if they keep you in between 2 and 4pm then again at 7pm till 8pm but visitors not allowed in the day surgery unit at all unless u are under 18. I am hoping I won't be in long as I am the first one on the list in the morning and have to be in hops tial at 7.30am . I am just going off the information which the pre op nurse gave me . I am thinking about doing weekly vlogs on my recovery and how long it takes me to get back to horse riding again. have my final doctors appointment tommorow the 26 September before my surgery and I think I have weekly appointments after the surgery as I am not the best at dealing with pain
+eve rutherford Oh okay. And, that would be neat. The key thing is to stay ahead of the pain. Don't let it get to a 10 (on a scale of 1 to 10.)
Thank you for sharing your experience. Getting mine removed tonight or tomorrow and your video really helped me :)
How r u now any problem facing right now
I’m doing great and nope I don’t.😊
how does the anesthesia process go
mine they gave a sedative before they wheeled me to the operating room, and in there they position me onto the operating table. They then made me take some oxygen as they administered the anistesia through the iv. then i only feel a very slight burn from the iv and drifted off to sleep.
+Stella Medina I explain how the process went for me in my video: My Full Gallbladder Story- Before, During, and After.(:
Thank you so much for posting this, I'm having this surgery tomorrow and I am very nervous but I am in a very similar situation as you seem to have been in so this has made it a little easier on me thinking might actually be able to eat again Haha I'm glad it worked out for you and you could recover :)
+TheGoldey7 You're welcome and I hope your surgery went well! I will be praying for you and your recovery. & Thank you, me too!
Natalie's Life Thanks I appreciate that! It all went well, time for recovery!
+TheGoldey7 You're welcome and that's great!
I love eating now I used to be Afraid to eat. I felt that same tightness and best advice is rest as much as u can for the first 3 to 4 days
How did you Figure out that you needed it out? Like what symptoms did you have?
+Mo Winkler I went to the doctor and what actually diagnosed mine was an HIDA Scan. If you go to my video My Full Gallbladder Story- Before, During, and After it has all the information in there. It talks about my symptoms, the doctor experience, everything.(:
+Natalie's Life thank you!
+Mo Winkler You're welcome! I hope that video helps you. After, if you have any questions feel free to ask me through here, Twitter, Snapchat, or by email.(:
I had gone to the doctor complaining of acid reflux, got meds for that also had pain, then would vomit and had terrible nausea, over a period of 3 months
Thank you for this video my surgery is Wednesday I’m starting to get scared your video put me at ease
I'm glad my video helped you.(:
I'm having surgery tomorrow but watching your video helps keep myself from not being scared for getting this surgery. I was going to postpone it but I no I need to get it done. Thanks again and glad everything went well for you. I hope it also goes well with me.
+Annabel Delgadillo I'm glad my video helped you. You will feel so much better. & You're welcome. Thank you for watching!Yes, me too. I feel so much better! I will be praying everything goes great with your surgery!
I'm having mine removed in 4 day I'm so nervous. mine is so full it has enlarged my gallbladder by almost double. the largest stone is about an inch big and then my other stone are smaller like the size of Eminem's, causing my gallbladder to nearly be double in size. I just hope I can go back to eating normal again after surgery
+Rebecca Drolet Oh my goodness! That has to be painful. After surgery you will feel so much better. I am praying for you, your surgery, and a speedy recovery!
thank you ! I just had surgery yesterday! it's been a painful surgery recovery so far. My doc said I can go back to eating what I use to eat but I'm not going overboard. I haven't had a full meal yet just small snacks like wheat thins and apple sauce every 4 hours when my meds are due. I Had to have all my bandages replaced today but so far everything is going pretty well! :)
+Rebecca Drolet You're welcome. Yes it will be at first, but every day you will feel better than the day before. That's great. Yes I agree. I wouldn't go overboard with it as well. I would gradually work up to it. And, just make sure you eat enough with your medicine. I'm very glad everything is going good.(:
I'm on day 5 and so nauseated. My reflux is so bad and I have heartburn. How old are you now? Do you eat whatever you want? How long did your nausea stay? Im a southern girl and I wanna have southern fried foods at least once a week esp chicken and pizza lol.
hello i had mines removed also a few weeks ago. Do you know if not having a gallbladder makes you gain weight?
I'm having galbalader surgery Tomorrow..I'm so so nervous and feared
I hope and pray it went well!
@@NataliesLife it's over... Do you feel any side effects after galbalader removal surgery?
I too lost 15 lbs being sick with my gallbladder. I’m 23 and Just got mine out today. Been up walking around but don’t let that full (edit: omg see drugged up brain
I enjoyed this video . I get mine out Jan 15th
I feel it’s very painful to breathe and cough 😢 it’s my 3rd day post surgery
what kind of doctor do i see for gallbladder gallstones surgery thank you
I'm 12 years old I will be getting my gallbladder removed and I'm really scared 😪😓
+Ashley Salazar It can be scary, but pray to God why you're scared. It could be the surgery itself, the recovery time, etc. Pray for your doctors and surgeon. Then, give it up to God. He is with you! I will be praying for you, your surgery, and your recovery.
Thanks for sharing your story. I get mine removed Monday.
💗
How did your surgery go?
@@NataliesLife It went great! Thank you for asking! :)
I had hip surgery, a colonoscopy and now getting my gallbladder out tomorrow morning all in 1month I’ve had all these surgeries. It’s been extremely hard
Getting mine done in a few hours. I'm more worried about any complications after like sepsis or internal bleeding. It's just my dumb anxiety taking over. But your video has helped a little I think. I've lost around 30 lbs since i started having symptoms in may so I really need this done so I can eat normal again.
i got gallbladdrr attack wheever i eat meat like chicken but pain goes away do i need to go operation?thanks
I was watching videos to prepare myself for my upcoming gallbladder removal, and I started watching this one an realized omgosh! Thats Bailey! Thats where I’m going to have it done. Yr nana in the video haha 😂
Haha so funny! They were awesome! So grateful for each one of them. I hope your surgery goes well.😊
💗
I mite have to have mine out I have been having pain in my wright side
Have you had any tests yet to confirm?
Thanks so much for posting this! Very informative. I'm actually getting this done soon, too. I am wondering if you could explain more about what it was like to get put to sleep? This is the part that FREAKS me OUT!! Like, what does it feel like? How do they do it? What does it feel like when they put the stuff in, like do you get sleepy or is more like wide awake to instantly out? Could you have stayed awake if you would have tried or is it impossible? Haha. Basically whatever you remember about that part would be helpful. Thanks so much!
+xcalabur18 You're welcome. I'm glad my videos have helped you. Oh wow, well I'm sorry you're going through this rough time with the gallbladder. You will feel so much better after! I had the same feeling. Really right before they wheeled me into the operating room they gave me something to take. It was in liquid form that was really sour. Then after that I would say 1 minute at most I was starting to feel loopy already. They then put the hair net around my hair. I get wheeled into the operating room and I had to go from the bed to the operating table. I was so loopy I could barely get on there. They had to help me haha. I'm lying on the operating table and I remember them putting something that went around the lower part of my legs pulsing very slowly. It was actually really relaxing. Then I heard I believe the surgeon tell me something, I look up, and I was out. Very smooth process. I felt very loopy when they gave me whatever they gave me. I could have not stayed awake at all even if I tried. I would try to lift my head and I could barely do that because I was so loopy. It was a very relaxing and smooth process. And, you're welcome.
My surgery is tomorrow!! Super nervous
I am having my gallbladder removed April 14th and I am scared not sure what to expect afterwards
Did you have gallstones
No, I didn't have Gallstones.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
i have surgery next wednesday, and im so scared. Im glad to see what to look out for. Hope youre doing okay!
+Alyssa Lopez I will be praying for you! You will feel so much better. I was scared about them putting me under, but honestly it wasn't scary. It was really relaxing. And, I'm doing great. Thanks for asking.(:
Alyssa Lopez did you have the surgery done how was it how do you feel?
Leticia Pelayo I had my surgery three weeks ago! im feeling so much better and my scars are still healing but they dont hurt anymore. I didnt even take my pain medicine after my surgery. I was in some pain but not to the point where i needed to take it. But im glad i had the surgery because now i can eat without pain constantly bugging me
Natalie's Life tysm! im glad i got it!! and im glad youre doing okay!
that's good to hear I need to get my surgery set up my I'm scared.
my surgery is this Monday am so scary ☹️
I pray and hope it went well!
I'm finally having mine took out this Thursday and I'm so scared I'm not very good with pain.
I hope your surgery went well. I’ll be praying for a speedy recovery.
I am 4 days out of surgery and sticking to a low fat diet. I'm afraid to remove the bandages and haven't had the energy to take a shower. all I do is sleep
If you have any questions or concerns, I would call your surgeon/doctor. The first three to four days can be tiresome. In my experience, I started to feel more like myself on day four or five. But, it’s different for everyone.
I'm feeling better pretty much just tired of sleeping sitting up
Tell me the side effects after removed gallblader?? Im also goint to remove..
I had a gallbladder removed 3 days ago still feel swollen.. but little bit fine.
I'm 11 and I have gallstones and I have my surgery 1 day after my birthday so wish me happy birthday
I hope your surgery goes well and I also hope you have a great birthday!
I’m here coz my schedule to anistisya on dec 24 need to remove my gallbladder too I’m scared and nervous
I'm on the waiting list for my gallbladder to be removed I have multiple gallstones
I wish you well! I just had mine out yesterday. I felt crappy when i first woke up afterwards, but i think they gave me more medicine and they let me sleep for another two hours. I felt pretty good when i woke back up again. Im feeling the pain now but its not bad, they give you the “fun” drugs for the pain if it gets bad 🙂
We might be twins soon lol going for my HIDA scan tomorrow to see if my gallbladder is ok
+Natalie L Haha, I hope you get feeling better!
I'm 13, 14 in like 2 weeks. I was told I'm younge to have this😳 but I'm getting the surgery soon
Oh wow that is a young age to have this surgery! Sorry to hear that. I'll be praying for you!
I had mine yesterday. For anyone getting there's done I would suggest a cheap walking cane to help you with getting in and out of chairs and bed.
I'm finally having my surgery tomorrow afternoon 🙌🏼
I hope and pray it goes well!
Natalie's Life thanks so much!
You're welcome!
I have surgery my right size
My surgery is tomorrow
I hope you're doing well!
I have surgery Tuesday. I am a little nervous but I know everything will be okay. Thank you for sharing your experience with us, it really helped me. Wish me luck 😀
+MrsWright 16 I will be praying for you! You're welcome. I'm glad I could help you.
Plz tel mam.
About ur galstone size
I didn’t have gallstones.
@@NataliesLife y u remove galblader
It wasn’t functioning properly. The Ultrasound showed that the outside of my Gallbladder looked fine and normal. But, when I had the HIDA Scan, that’s when the doctors saw that my Gallbladder wasn’t functioning properly from the inside.
K , thank u for rply
You’re welcome.
Before my gallbladder surgery I wasn't aloud to eat or drink 24 hours before.
In September of 2016 I lose my gallbladder at 23 years old