Unusual Problem?

I had my surgery in January of 2002. I have lost 116#'s and am very happy that I had the surgery. I have been having a problem for about the past 4-6 months and have attributed it to the surgery, but in going through all the postings here, I haven't found anyone else with this problem, so I don't know if it's from the surgery or if it's something I should go to my primary doctor about. I have been experiencing pain in my stomach (it is tender to the touch), my stomach is distended (I look like I'm about 7 months pregnant) and rock hard. This is not all the time, but often enough that it is very uncomfortable! I also experience a lot of gas pains. I have tried to keep a diary of what I eat, to see if this is triggered by certain foods, but I have have not been able to detect a pattern. When I am experiencing this problem, it feels like someone has stuffed a basketball in my stomach and it really hurts. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? My primary physician doesn't know a lot about this type of surgery and because it has been over 2 years since I had the surgery, I would have to re-establish myself as a patient (with the doctor who did the surgery) in order to be seen. I have "put this off" for a number of months now, hoping that it would just go away, but that doesn't seem to be happening. If I knew that this was surgery related, I could just wait it out, it's the not knowing for sure that has me concerned and wondering if I shouldn't just ignore it and hope it will go away...

I experianced a lot of similair problems over christmas. I kept putting it off and it turned out that I had a stomach ulcer that had opened up, it dripped fluid on my intestine and that caused a whole in my intestine, it also ate away at a row of my staples. It caused my gall bladder to swell to 3x's the normal size. I got a blood infection from all of the bacteria and ended up in emergency surgery. The doctor said if I hadn't of been treated when I was, I could have died because the blood infection was causing my organs to shut down during the surgery. Sounds severe, but all of this didn't happen overnight. For almost a year I would get these horrible stomach pains, and i just chalked it up to part of the surgery. Have your doctor take and x-ray or MRI, or a GI and make sure that all looks okay. I wish I would have acted sooner, because I spent christmas and new year in the hospital!

I had similar problems 6months post-op that was thought at first to be a hernia.... turned out to be a baseball size abcess... nonetheless I ended up with surgery to lance this after undergoing several ER lancings that didn't resolve the problem at first.. they ended up putting a drain in... When your body isn't getting the right amounts of nutrition it doesn't heal fast sometimes heals from the outside in rather than the inside out and an abcess can result and eventually infection... How are your eating habits? are you taking your vitamins regularily? Hope this helps.... Janelle

I have the gas problem. My stoma has stretched and I was told that alot of air goes through with the food. The gas pains are horrible.

I have a insision hernia, started about 2 months after my surgery in 1/2002. Only caused occasion pain until recently. Looks like a baseball in my belly button. Now if i sit too long with pants tight around that spot, it leaves me in pain. So back to my Dr. this week, and surgery soon after. I don't like the though of being opened again, but better now than have it "blow out" and need emergancy surgery. But I read the other postings to your email, and I'm sure by now you've been diaganoised, treated, and feeling better.

Hi, I haven't had my surgery yet but this sounds kind of scary. I hope you are okay! I have one question for you though, is it worth everything you've been through, would you do it again?

worth all of and and more. my life before was just an existance. without the surgery, by now my heart would have started going, my back was already gone and I was on disability. my breathing was labored always. I doubted I would make it to 50. I live now as I haven't since I was a teen! Being obese and all its complication are a risk and scary to think of. Do all your research, ask lots of questions. Talk to people whom have been out about 5 years and see how they are doing and what they say. It will be 4 years this Saturday for me. Good luck and let me know how you do!