Hi Mike,
You lost TWENTY POUNDS IN TWO WEEKS and you Are BUMMED OUT???? Get outta here! That is Fantastic! Holy cow, man, whatcha want??? If you don't want that loss, I'll take it, no problem! Really proud of you!

Yup, the GB thing- been there, done that. It is actually the fat in your diet that will get things in an uproar, rather than the meat. You might be able to stall the inevitable surgery by reducing the fat while keeping up the protein- you know, you have completed your first 2 weeks of induction, so add in more carbs with some green veggies but only to the point where you still remain in ketosis. At this point, I would add in small amounts of green veggies withevery meal, even breakfast- celery;spinach, cabbage, lettuce. Veggies for breakfast seems weird, but you can always work in a stick of celery. Also try smaller, more frequent meals- that should help too.

If you have gallstones, then you might as well schedule the surgery and get it over with. If you don't, you are running a risk, as the stones may get bigger and may eventually get stuck in the bile duct, possibly requiring more extensive surgery on an emergency basis, which, trust me, will come at the most inconvenient possible time in your life.

Trust me, Mike, the procedure is a piece of cake now, requiring an overnight stay, or sometimes in and out same-day. They use an endoscope now, and just make a few very small incisions for the scope and a few instruments. It's done under general anesthesia, and first they puff up your abdomen by blowing in C02, then locate the gallbladder, cauterize the base, and "suck" the little bugger, plus resident gallstones, out through the scope! A few tiny stitches, and DONE! Afterward, pain is very minimal- a little IV Demerol or Morphine, and then you feel really good. Post op pain is minimal- I only required one dose of Demerol after surgery and felt fine later. Most of the after affects come from the general anesthesia, and also from the C02 in your tummy- the residual gas left in there rises and presses against your diaphragm, and you may feel some funny pain or discomfort in your shoulder. If you know what it is, you won't think it much; if you aren't warned, you will think you are having a heart attack! That is why I tell you now! If you get up and walk around as soon as possible, and stay on fluids that first day, you'll be back to normal in a day or two.

Afterward, this diet seems to suit those of us without gall bladders very well. Without a gall bladder, you simply can't STORE the bile that helps digest fat, but your liver is still secreting bile all the time. Before Atkins, and after my GB surgery, I tended to get diarrhea after eating a fatty meal, but apparently that was just in combination with high carb foods. Now on Atkins, everything is totally normal.

I know Mike, you probably are just THRILLED at the idea of having the surgery. I stalled on that. I am a nurse, and I knew exactly what was wrong with me, even without the tests, but just couldn't make myself do it, until I wound up in the ER in the middle of the night, doubled over with pain and nausea. OOOooo, that was fun. Don't go there! I waited so long, my gallbladder was gangrenous, and I almost croaked. Just another hard-headed nurse!

Good luck, and hope this helps.
Kat