Hello! I'm new to this forum, but hoping my question will lead to answers that will help more than just me (I went searching online and couldn't find anything relevant).
Background: I was diagnosed with UC in 1999. I had a successful J-pouch surgery in 2009; other than a few minor bouts of pouchitis, things have worked pretty well since then and I'm glad I had the surgery. I'm now in my late 20s, quite healthy and active.
Last year, during a period of high stress, I discovered that the bloating/stomach ache I was having for a few weeks was due to a couple of 'quite chunky' gallstones (ultrasonographer's words). After the stress died down the biliary colic symptoms went away--they'd only been classed as mild-to-moderate--so the gastroenterologist was happy to adopt a 'watchful waiting' approach instead of jumping into surgery.
Since then, I've had a few very mild events of biliary colic--which is to say a feeling of pressure/bloating under my right ribcage and that odd sort of gas pain in my right shoulder and back behind my right ribcage. No nausea, no bad pain. Really just a bit uncomfortable and annoying, but it doesn't stop my getting on with work and life. It eventually goes away on its own.
Because it appears occasionally, even in a mild way, I suspect this means I'll have to have my gallbladder removed eventually. My biggest concern is how my digestive system will react. Although I'm very grateful for my J-pouch, it does make using the toilet a bit of an event: emptying it is loud and smelly, which always makes me self-conscious, and requires wipes afterwards to clean up. When I read the horror stories online about life after gallbladder surgery for people with normal intestines--the diarrhea, the floating poo, the burning skin, the intense bloating after meals--I get quite scared about how my own guts will react. I eat quite a healthy vegetarian diet, so there's not much left I could do in terms of nutrition to counteract any changes.
For anyone who has had their gallbladder removed after getting a J-pouch:
What has been the difference in digestion or output?
Have you had to alter your diet?
Do you find your output floats/doesn't flush? (This sounds dreadful.)
Are you more bloated after meals?
Do you have any urgency?
Anything else?
I would be so grateful for stories from fellow J-pouch folks! The Internet only seems to have stories from people with regular digestive systems and, of course, only those with the worst experiences post online. Meanwhile, my surgeon--whilst technically quite good--doesn't have enough of a bedside manner to understand these concerns and dismisses my worries as frivolous. (Typical surgeon: understands black-and-white, but no nuance!)
