OH GOD is there TIME BOMB in my belly? Who still has their gallbladders years later?

I am reading threads and I'm afraid of my gallbladder.

So...is there no hope? What percentage of post-ops here still have their gallbladder post op 2 years or more?

I lost mine at 1.5 years...

Taking ursodiol is supposed to help in some cases.  If you're not on it, you might suggest it to your PCP.  It's a medication you take several times per day to try to prevent formation of gallstones and you take it for several months.

FWIW: I didn't take my ursodiol.  No clue if it would have helped me or not.

I've just passed the 2-year mark, and no gb issues. I did take ursodiol for my first 6 months post-op.

I still have mine, and  according to an ultrasound I have about 4 months ago I have stones also. But my GI doctor isn't really worried about it though. He says lots of people have stones and they never pass or cause issues. He did tell me to be aware of what the symptoms are and call him immediately if I have them. My fear is that gallstones and bowel obstructions are kinda similar in symptoms so I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. When I asked him about it he said that with the gallbladder the pain will be near the right side of my ribcage and possibly radiate to the right shoulder while the bowel obstruction pain tends to be further down in the abdomen. Either way, if I ever do feel any type of pain I am not messing around with it. I would rather be safe than sorry.

I took the meds for 6 months............ for the most part but I went into the DS with a crappy gallbladder. I have sludge. Doesnt that sound pretty? however 3 years later I still have my sludgy GB and although I have had a few attacks (of which I lay on my left side and all is well pain wise for 30minutes or less then the attack is over and I go about my happy way) I am fighting tooth and nail to keep it until the very last second.

I still have mine at 2 yrs out, with no issues.  I did take the urisidol through rapid weight loss phase.

Why stress? You may never have a problem with it, but if you do it's an easy fix. Gall bladder surgery is a walk in the park next to what you've been through. I had mine out two years before my DS and it really isn't even a memorable event. My best advice is that if you start having problems, go ahead and take care of it BEFORE you have a full blown attack. You have insurance now, right?

My gallbladder caused me the worst pain in the world.

I was 2 weeks after having my first baby,  a stone got lodged causing my pancreas to eat itself  and i had not just a galldballer attack but pancreatitis, it was so horrible i passed out fromt he pain . I had to be in the hospital for 5 days before they could operate. I was NPO.  

That was the worst pain i ever had. EVER.

Just sharing  so that people know that even though the surgery itself is really no big deal, the problems that can happen from the gallbladder can be really bad and to not underestimate how serious it can get.

Yes, that's why I advised her to get it taken care of at the first sign of trouble, before she had an attack. Of course, I am a firm believer that it is ALWAYS best to remove the gall bladder and appendix at the same time as the DS surgery to avoid potential problems and confusion between the pain of a gall bladder attack or appendicitis with the pain of a bowel obstruction. But since that didn't happen at the hands of The Butcher Huacuz, the best she can do at this point is not to stress about it until symptoms occur, then get it taken care of ASAP.

I guess I am lucky my appendix was taken out when I was 25.