I really do hope you are right Mrs D. I admit I'm a bit scared of the general anaesthetic because of the slowing down of my heart and arrhythmia these days. But the anaesthetist I met was very reassuring and told me that I would be closely monitored while in theatre and afterwards. I am a terrible worrier and have postponed this operation twice in the last 15 years because I feared having a general. What a wimp I am!

The Sonographer did an abdominal ultrasound twice over a month during my two hospital admissions and found my gallbadder to be uninfected and quite happy with it's large inhabitants. But seeing as my liver enzymes have been high recently and I do have GORD I guess it could quite easily be my gallbladder playing up in smaller but insidious ways as you suggest. I only have two weeks to go now and am really hoping that its removal dramatically improves my quality of life as you suggest.

As I think I've said here before I have an almost paleo diet and never eat saturated fats or refined sugars and hardly touch wheat/ gluten or dairy. The most naughty thing I consume is a block of dark organic chocolate a day at the moment and about half a glass of wine a week. Some scientists now suggest that these are actually beneficial in moderation. So I should find it very easy to cope with life once it's out as no dietary changes needed.

Thanks for your support - fingers crossed this operation proves life changing in a good way! X