Newly diagnosed with Gallstones..where and what to eat? Help!

[03badger]

Hey y'all
So we leave 2 weeks from today and I was diagnosed with gallstones YESTERDAY. This is really throwing me for a loop. Does anyone have any ideas for low fat or gallbladder friendly? I'm seriously so sad about this-no Mickey bars or anything I love to eat at Disney


I would so appreciate any advice

 

[alliecat523]

There are tons of healthy options at all the parks. I fell in love with the power salad at Electric Umbrella during our September visit. I would just ask for the dressing on the side. I really don't think you'll have any problems. Even at TS you can ask for any potentially high fat sauces or dressings to be held.

 

[DLgal]

Oh geez, that sucks. I had a massive gallstone attack a few years ago out of nowhere. It was horrible. I had to wait 4 weeks before I could have surgery (needed to wait for the inflammation to calm down and scheduling issues). In that 4 weeks, I had to limit myself to no more than 5 grams of fat at each meal, and no more than 15g of fat daily. It was SO hard. I ate mostly toast with jam, chicken noodle soup, one egg at a time, and plain chicken breast with steamed veggies. Eating out was hard, but I would just ask for everything "plain" and steamed or grilled, with no oil. The good thing was I lost 10 pounds.

I will tell you, you do NOT want to have a gallstone attack at WDW. So, as much as you may be tempted, do NOT give in. During my 4 week "diet", I would start having pain if I accidentally ate something with too much fat.

 

[rwdavis2]

What foods make it flare up? Usually, fatty foods made mine go crazy. get it removed when you get back.

 

[pumba]

I didnt have any pain or knowledge that I was having a gall bladder attack..I was sick , but no pain...I think they will accommodate you at any restaurant..jsut say plain or on the side...hope you feel better

 

[tobikaye]

Make sure you know what causes flair ups for you because it can present differently for different people. My grandmother and my aunt both had totally different foods that caused them to flair up before they had surgery. For my grandma, basic salads were the worst and my aunt found popcorn too hard to digest until surgery.

 

[scrappingbuckeye]

Meh, I've had stones for a few years - I try to avoid fried foods. Other than that I eat pretty normal at Disney. I haven't had an attack in quite a while now.

 

[North of Mouse]

Your Dr. should have given you guidelines on menu items to avoid. Also, look online - you can find great articles on things to avoid. My gallbladder has been removed, but your diet after 'can' also be affected, just remember that!

Good luck being 'attack free' on your Disney trip!

 

[prudence64]

Ice cream and butter always did me in while I was suffering.

 

[Uncleromulus]

If I were you I would not seek genuine advice from Doctor Disboards or Doctor Google!!

Great for general observations ,experiences of others ,etc but I think your own Doctor should know and be able to tell you exactly what you can and cannot eat.

And he/she can tell you whether or not your gallbladder needs to be removed---

 

[novatwinmom]

I was at Disney between gall stone diagnosis and surgery four years ago. My doctor wasn't a lot of help with regard to diet - he just said to avoid fatty food until I could get the gallbladder removed. His main advice was that if a liquid wasn't transparent, I shouldn't eat it. So creamy salad dressing, for instance, would be a bad idea, but a vinaigrette might be OK. I just didn't eat salad dressing during that time. It wasn't worth the risk.

We were staying at Shades of Green, so our dining options were a little different. Unfortunately I lived on the kids turkey sandwich, which either has no mayo or could be made without mayo, and the spaghetti and marinara sauce at the restaurant at Shades of Green. If there was cheese on the sandwich (I can't remember) I would have pulled it off. My worst trigger foods were hamburgers and ice cream. Our only table service meal was Ohanas for Breakfast, so all the meat was out (sausage and bacon didn't seem like a good idea, though I don't remember what meat they offer.) We were there for Thanksgiving so we went off-site to Perkins for that main meal (they served Turkey and all the trimmings). I don't think I ate much of anything. I also remember some kind of rice bowl at the quick service place at Polynesian that we would visit on our way back to Shades of Green.

Unfortunately, your best bet may be the kids meals because they tend to be plain/without sauce. The trip was totally worth it - my girls were just a year old and loved the place. I was determined to go even if I had to go in a wheelchair - which wasn't necessary. Had I had a gallstone attack in the park, though, it would have been disastrous. They hurt so much I couldn't walk until they passed.

By the way, the surgery to have the gallbladder out was nothing compared to the gall stone attacks I'd had in the weeks leading up to it. On the plus side, I lost about 15 pounds while on the "gallbladder diet" - my coworkers asked how I lost it. I told them that the fear of a gallstone attack prevented cheating on my diet. They decided it wasn't worth it.

 

[ZoZo]

If I were you I would not seek genuine advice from Doctor Disboards or Doctor Google!!

Great for general observations ,experiences of others ,etc but I think your own Doctor should know and be able to tell you exactly what you can and cannot eat.

And he/she can tell you whether or not your gallbladder needs to be removed---

I completely agree with this - please check with your doctor. They should be able to give you all of the information you need.

 

[msmama]

I no longer have a gallbladder but like someone else said, random things that you wouldn't think can trigger it. Salads are rough for me (why, I have no idea but iceberg lettuce seems to be the worst of the lettuces - darker greens not as bad). I couldn't figure out what it was until I read about the lettuce on the disboards actually!

I ate a lot of plain turkey sandwiches while learning to live with gallbladder problems.

Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

Great for general observations ,experiences of others ,etc but I think your own Doctor should know and be able to tell you exactly what you can and cannot eat.

Ha ha ha ha! Have you read the responses? People are all over the place in what they can and can't eat. It's individual to the person.

And to put your faith in ONE flawed doctor who might have missed the "gallstone" week? Nah. I will take the words of tons of people and their many, varied, doctors over ONE person any day of any week.


OP, lots of people talking about surgery. In my time online I have noticed that about half the people who have their gallbladders out still have the EXACT SAME pain and attacks that they did before surgery. Surgery isn't always the fix. I would try lots of different options first. Because having surgery is a big deal (no matter if it's laparascopic or not), and it would really be awful to lose a part of your body but still have the symptoms.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Ha ha ha ha! Have you read the responses? People are all over the place in what they can and can't eat. It's individual to the person.

And to put your faith in ONE flawed doctor who might have missed the "gallstone" week? Nah. I will take the words of tons of people and their many, varied, doctors over ONE person any day of any week.


OP, lots of people talking about surgery. In my time online I have noticed that about half the people who have their gallbladders out still have the EXACT SAME pain and attacks that they did before surgery. Surgery isn't always the fix. I would try lots of different options first. Because having surgery is a big deal (no matter if it's laparascopic or not), and it would really be awful to lose a part of your body but still have the symptoms.

I did read the responses and the OP has no idea if any of them are right for their particular situation. And look at the ones advising surgery--from folks with no idea of the condition of the OP's gallbladder!!!

When I had a Kidney Stone attack I went to Doctor Google to see what I should and should not eat. Well--almost every known food was good on one site and bad on another! Individual to THAT site or THAT person--but not to me!!!

Had I followed the advice on some sites I would almost certainly made my condition worse and had another attack.

 

[03badger]

If I were you I would not seek genuine advice from Doctor Disboards or Doctor Google!!

Great for general observations ,experiences of others ,etc but I think your own Doctor should know and be able to tell you exactly what you can and cannot eat.

And he/she can tell you whether or not your gallbladder needs to be removed---

I wasn't seeking their medical advice. I actually went to Nursing school, so I knew what the problem was before I even visited a physician. My question was regarding where to eat because most things at Disney aren't exactly healthy (don't get me wrong, I LOVE Disney food, but this trip is obviously different). I was hoping to get some advice on where others had good luck with choices or dishes that they particularly liked. There are a billion food options at Disney, I was trying to get a feel for lower fat options that others liked

 

[wdw71]

Before I had my gallbladder removed I had terrible attacks with almost anything I would eat. In the middle of the night UGH! I also had to wait weeks before I could have my surgery and ate a million plain baked potatoes, plain white rice and popsicles. I know it isn't the same for everyone but since my surgery I eat anything I want with no issues. Good luck on your trip I hope your attacks stay away and and remember it isn't only the food that makes WDW great.

 

[Dis703]

I had stones for a few years before finding out what they were and having my gallbladder removed. First ultrasound didn't show anything and attacks seemed so random. Had attacks a few times on holidays but it never made much sense as to what set it off. I could eat a crazy high fat meal and nothing and then eat what seemed more normal with lower fat and bam I'm in agony.

So it's possible you can eat whatever you want. I have to say I never did have an attack at Disney thank goodness. But as for lower fat meals I can't give any specific meal but obviously limit your dairy, beef, fried foods, even dressings on salads if that's your goal. Fried foods seem to be a biggy for many people with gallbladder issues.

Good luck I hope you don't have any issues and can still enjoy some good food.

 

[soniam]

Columbia Harbor House has a grilled salmon. However, grilled foods often have butter, which may or may not bother you. I would stick with TS and maybe not buffets/family style, since it's not as easily customized. I have heard that the POR QS has make your own pasta and maybe something else (salad bar?). That could work. Sunshine Seasons is a pretty healthy QS, relatively speaking. I can't think of any specific TS that would work; the dishes just aren't coming to me right now. You might just have to look at the individual menus on Disney's site, All Ears, or Touring Plans. I know the Touring Plans' Lines app let's you access all of the menus and seems to be fairly up-to-date. Good luck. DH has been there and done that.

 

[Anomaly711]

It might be a good idea to try the buffets. I found a lot of healthy options among the chicken nuggets and mac and cheese. Lots of veggies, grilled meats, etc. Specifically Boma, Tusker House, Garden Grill (family style, but meat and veggie options), Hollywood and Vine, Akershus has a lot of fish and salads on their buffet. Also at Epcot there are a lot of quick serves in World Showcase that offer Asian and Mediterranean fare: sushi, salads, etc. I think there is a misconception that Disney food is unhealthy, but I didn't find that to be true. The only unhealthy habits I indulged in there were eating dessert with every meal and drinking lots of calories (darn Starbucks!) Once you figure out your trigger foods, it should be easy to avoid an attack.