Don't let people freak you out, you will be sore from the surgery for about a week, it's weird your back will hurt from leaning forward from the incisions. You'll have 4 small insicions one at the top of your stomach, one in your belly button, and 2 for drain tubes. Diet shouldn't change although you may experience a little acid reflux down the road just because the bile has nowhere to go but into your stomach but nothing a Rolaid can't cure. You'll be fine! They even make you go back to work in a week...blah!!!
My buddy just had his out about a month ago. He had gallstones and what the doctors described as "sludge". The above quote is basically paraphrasing everything he said. I would personally see what the
doctor(s) say about absolutely anything you could do to possibly save and or reverse the situation and consider surgery as a last resort. Doctors are experts, but just because they are doesn't mean they're always right. If that were the case they'd all agree 100% of the time. If it's truly toast, by all means have it out, but if you haven't reached the point of no return, I say fight to keep what's yours!! I'm sure you've heard of all sorts of people trying alternative treatments, some with success and some not, but the point is to at least give it a shot instead of dismissing it as fringe/witch doctor medicine, who knows, it might just save your gallbladder.