I had my gallbladder removed a couple of years ago. I know how bad the pain can get - it's awful. I feel really bad for you that you have to wait so long for a scan.

If you do end up needing surgery, it's laparoscopic with 4 really small incisions and recovery is just a few days. I needed morphine for only 2 days and it was fine after that.

Of course, your body needs to get used to not having a gallbladder and that'll take about 6-9 months but it gets better over time. The only thing I'm careful about now is really spicy things (like habanero peppers), but otherwise my diet is pretty normal.

Hang in there, you're almost at the finish line. But if the pain is really bad, like a 7 or 8 or higher/10, and it's affecting your functioning, it's probably time to go to emergency.