Most people who know me know that I had my gallbladder removed, but many don't know why. Many people in my family also had theirs removed. The gallbladder is an organ located under the liver that may or may not be removed if you have gallbladder disease. You may be wondering what exactly the gallbladder is. The gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ about three to four inches long and one inch wide. It is located under the liver and is connected via the hepatic duct. (Mama's Health) My doctor explained a simple way to expand on what the gallbladder does, it is a storage system for the liver and helps digest fats. He also told me it was like your appendix but on the right side, you have it but if it gets infected it bursts. You can live without this organ. Like many medical problems, there are people who are at increased risk of developing gallbladder problems. People with existing medical problems that cause the liver to produce an abnormal amount of bilirubin, a substance formed from the breakdown of hemoglobin in the blood, are at greater risk. People who have gallbladder disease in their family are also at increased risk, as in my family. Other people are at higher risk: women, people over the age of forty, ethnic groups, pregnant women, transplant patients, diabetics, and many others. (MedlinePlus)One problem you may have is gallstones. The most common type of gallstones is cholesterol gallstones, which have nothing to do with cholesterol. One way a cholesterol stone forms is when there is an imbalance between bile salts, which help cholesterol remain a suspended liquid, and cholesterol. This will turn into a mucus gel formed by a hole... in the middle of the paper... if that was the problem. It is common, however, for the stones to return and later need surgery. (Mama's Health) Having my gallbladder removed helped with the pain. I know many other people who have had their gallbladders removed and it has helped them. The only downside to having it removed is that I can't eat the same food I usually eat; now I just have to watch what I eat, eat the food that gives me problems in smaller proportions, and then I won't have problems anymore. Works Cited "Gallstones and Gallbladder Diseases." Google.com. June 26, 2009. University of Maryland Medical Center. March 10, 2010. “Gallbladder.” Google.com. 2000-2009. Mama'sHealth.com. March 10, 2010. “Gallbladder disease.” MedlinePlus medical encyclopedia. 1997-2010.