Same-Day Gallbladder Surgery [Joel Perry]

My name is Joel Perry. I am from Brookings. I've lived here my entire life and I work for the City of Brookings. My kids are grown up so I'm lucky enough, I get to kind of do what I want when the wife lets me. But I like to work on old cars, vintage cars.

What procedure brought you to Brookings Health System?

Last year, I just started not feeling good, not feeling right. I would eat and didn't feel good, food didn't taste good, so I started to think that maybe I should probably talk to somebody about that. That's why I came to Brookings Health System and consulted with my doctor.

How were you diagnosed with gallbladder issues?

They did the imaging, also did some blood work. I had an ultrasound, thank goodness I wasn't pregnant. I found that out, but yeah, no. They did the imaging and blood work testing like that and they figured out that my numbers were down a little bit and they recommended that I have my gallbladder removed. So we did, a week before I left on vacation.

How did the staff make you feel comfortable?

The day of surgery I came in. It was very professional, they met me at the door, took my bag. Obviously you're nervous, I mean, I've never been through anything like this before and they were great, wonderful, caring. You know, a little sense of humor on the side to kind of break the ice. Very comfortable. I had no issues at all between Dr. Johnson and the staff here letting me know where I was at, what they thought was happening. They were very helpful, very professional.

How was your recovery from gallbladder removal?

The recovery was good. I mean, anytime you have surgery like that they're poking and prodding in places and I was able to manage it and it's probably good that I was active and moving around. I think it helped with the healing process. They had no problems with me going off and we did, we took a vacation. We were actually driving and we drove 4,000 miles in just over a week. And so it was a lot of sitting in the car. It was good.

What changes did you notice following surgery?

After the surgery, I felt better. And as a continued prognosis to get better, to feel better, Dr. Johnson suggested I try a different diet and put that into play. Been feeling a lot better.

Why was local surgery important to you?

I wanted to come to Brookings Hospital because it is local, same-day surgery. I got to go home. I didn't have to go down to a large metropolitan hospital and try to find my way around and not knowing anybody or stuff like that. Great service here. I wanted to come here because I knew that Brookings Health System has good service right in Brookings. There's no need to go anywhere else.

Would you recommend same-day surgery at Brookings Health System?

I've had a great experience here and I tell other people about it. I've never had anything negative. I've lived here my whole life, you know, so I've doctored here my whole life. I've never been anywhere else for anything. I've always had a great experience. The staff is wonderful and helpful, informative. I don't see a need to go anywhere else. Why? You know, it's right here.

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