Question:
I am 3 weeks post RNY and until today doing absolutely wonderful.
Of course, I am 700 miles away from home and my surgeon. Today I bent over to talk to my toddler, stood up and heard and felt a severe popping sound up under my left ribcage. The pain was sharp and severe at first. It hurts when I take deep breath. Of course, it's Friday afternoon at 4 when this happens. I called my surgeon and he was not on call. I get the general surgeon on call and he has "know idea" what it could be. He suggests calling my surgeon on Monday morning. I am still having quite a bit of pain, hours later. The pain is almost midline under my incision radiating to the left. I am just frustrated, thinking I "ripped" something I shouldn't. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? — [Anonymous] (posted on September 21, 2001)
September 21, 2001
I had the same thing, only it started out of the blue and not from one
event. I was exactly 3 weeks post op, also (I had Lap RNY). It just
started hurting...the only way I could describe it is after you work out
for a long time then drink water too fast you get that pain in your side..
that's what mine was. It hurt really bad when I took a deep breath
(sometimes it didn't hurt unless I was taking a deep breath, unless I moved
a certain way). This went on for 3 days before I finally went to see my
dr. Mine is far away, also.. 4 hours. I was scared out of my mind! Well,
they did a cat scan of my chest and abdomen, made me drink this gross dye
drink and injected dye into my veins. It wasn't fun, but it was worth the
results - nothing was wrong (I was convinced I had something horribly
wrong!). It just ended up being a little trapped air in there. I figured
it couldn't be gas because it hurt too bad and lasted too long, but I was
wrong. After awhile it started hurting all the time, almost feeling
bruised - and still even worse when I took a deep breath. But, after
having the tests it went away a couple of days later on it's own. I don't
know what the popping was, maybe it was a coincidence. If it gets bad you
can always go into the Emergency Room. Good luck!
— Jen S.
September 21, 2001
Please don't wait until Monday morning. I would go to the emergency room.
Your surgery is too new. Something could be wrong. It could be gas, but
when I have had trapped gas, it feels like someone is giving me a great big
bear hug...VERY TIGHTLY. This surgery is nothing to mess around with.
Take care and let us know how you make out.
— barbpatter
September 21, 2001
Hi there! I can totally sypathize with you. I had the same pain at exactly
the same time. My doc. did send me to the ER and I had a leak test. It
was negative thank goodness. He was uncertain what the pain could be.
They ruled it off to trapped gas and the bowel waking up after laying
dormant after surgery for so long. I also at a urinary tract infection
which could have added it to it. All I know is it last for about another 2
weeks ...So how did I deal with it...PAIN KILLERS...It was really
unbearable for me it was worse than the surgery! I hope this helps. Good
Luck!
— Melissa S.
September 22, 2001
Hi, my .02 here. Yes, it is certainly possible that it could be trapped
gas. I know when I have that even now 1 1/2 years later the pain is
unbearable and it hurts to even breathe. BUT, it could be something else
too. You are too freshly post-op to take any chances. Please go to your
local ER and get yourself checked out. It may be gas but it may not.
Better to be safe than sorry! Believe me, if the doctor's there don't know
anything about WLS they will get in touch with your surgeon! I ended up
back in the hospital in Lafayette, LA two weeks after my surgery in Houston
due to a very massive infection. The doctors and nurses there were not at
all familiar with WLS but they got Dr. Ferrari on the phone and he stayed
in contact with both them and me for the 5 days I was there. There was
even talk of transporting me back to Houston in an ambulance because the
surgeon on call in the ER didn't want to touch me. Thank God they kept me
overnight and the following morning (Monday) there was a surgeon who took
over my case who stayed in contact with Dr. Ferrari and also seemed to have
a clue about what I had had done. Please don't play around with this. If
you are still in severe pain today please please please go get checked out.
Better to feel a little foolish to hear it's just gas and have the peace
of mind that all is well than to risk something really major being wrong.
Also, please update this site and let us know how you are doing. Take
care!
— Kellye C.
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