gallbladder removed, IBS, stomachache, hiatal hernia

I feel your pain.  I have IBS & a hiatal hernia, however, I have not had my gallbladder removed......yet, at least I hope I won't have to.  I have learned to listen to your body.  Yes, small meals help A LOT.  I am also lactose intolerant & I cannot eat Pork.  Pork ribs put me in the hospital, though I was misdiagnosed & was told I needed my tubes out...so I went & had surgery & they also took one ovary out, putting me into menopause early.  No matter how much I told the doctors I really thought it was the pork, they insisted on surgery for the tubes.  Well, I made sure I stayed away from pork ribs until about one year later--my husband & I were eating at Chilis, I was in the ladies room when our food arrived.  I knew he ordered ribs, but I thought they were beef ribs.  He offered me ONE RIB--that was all I ate.  I ended up with a gall bladder attack--which was exactly what happened to me the first time when they told me I needed surgery for the tubes.  I learned my lesson to LISTEN TO YOUR BODY & your gut instincts.  After googling about gall bladder problems, I learned that Pork, onions & eggs are the 3 major foods that cause gall bladder problems, along with many others.  I already knew by listening to my body that red meat, greasy fried foods, fatty foods, milk products & caffeinated beverages & chocolate all did not agree with me--these are usually related to the gall bladder.  I just recently learned that the cabbage family--broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, sauerkraut, etc., also do not agree with me, which for me was related more to IBS.  Albeit I already watch what I eat, sometimes I can incorporate these foods into my diet, but only a very small amount, or I will pay for it with an IBS attack or a gallbladder attack.  I don't like to be on tons of medication, so I only take my Omeprazole for the hiatal hernia when I feel a food may interfere, but sometimes you just have to say no to some food items.  It is a process, but I have lived & learned on my own, rather than being pumped with medication to soothe the SYMPTOMS of an actual disease process.  That is what all meds do & eventually they build up in our systems & wreak havoc on something else later on.  I did start taking a probiotic to help me & I try to eat Activia to keep my system normal.  I did a lot of googling to learn about my symptoms & what foods agree/disagree with me.  I was put on different meds at one point for the IBS, & all they did was make me feel sick & nauseous.  If you really want to know what is in the meds they are giving you, google that too, you'd be surprised what is in it, thinks like the same ingredients used in resins, glues, & even the stuff they de-ice airplanes with....no wonder I felt sick.  All I can say is DO YOUR RESEARCH & LISTEN TO YOUR BODY !  You are your best advocate when it comes to your health.  Write down how each food affects you when you eat.  I hope this helps.