not feeling well...

I posted a few days ago about stomach pain and burning, I saw my surgeon for my 4 week follow up visit and he gave me stomach medicine, which is helping with the burning part. I have also been feeling really sore, like my stomach has been squeezed too much and bruised as well as what I think may be some muscle/gas pains right under my ribs. In reading everybody else post it seems like everybody else is doing so much better than me? How about it...I had open RNY, anybody having or had the same discomforts I am having around the 4 1/2 week mark? My foods and vits are going ok, no trouble eating or swallowing pills, do have some discomfort with getting thin liquids down, still hurts sometimes but is getting better. I am trying to keep my head up and remain positive about my surgery, but all of the pain and discomforts are keeping me down. Thanks all for listening! Teresa

Teresa, You are doing just great.. I had my surgery July 11 and I was a slow healer.. I was still in pain by week 4.. but my doctor gave me great advice.. he said I could give myself a headache and get upset over every pain..or I can accept the fact that I had major surgery..don't expect to be fine this far out.. I still get pains at times.. this is a MAJOR surgery and you are a trooper for doing it.. and just hang in there girl! XoXo, Maya

Hi Teresa, I have been having problems, too. Mine aren't exactly the same but very similar. I have had 2 serious episodes of things getting stuck and not being able to eat for 2 days. The last time was Friday and since then I have had stomach pain in my actual stomach - not just my abdomen - and have not felt like eating. I also have burning in my stomach. I also had noticed a couple weeks ago that I had gone from being able to eat 1/2 cup of soft things (pudding, jello, soups, etc..) to being about to barely get down 1/4 of a cup of anything. 1/4 cup felt like I was stuffing myself. I haven't been able to really eat or drink much since Friday. My doctor just started me on Reglan (generic is metoclopramide). It is supposed to help increases the contractions of the stomach and small intestine, helping the passage of food. It also does something about the contractions of the esophogus. I feel like things even get stuck there. I also suddenly and nassaus all of the time. Since I can't drink enough I am dehydrated. Therefore I feel like crap and sleep all day. What did the doctor put you on for the burning? I was already on Prevacid to prevent ulcers. My doctor has also scheduled a scope just to be sure I am not getting a stricture. Keep me posted on what your doctor says and how your medicine works. I feel like you. Everyone else seems to be doing pretty well and I feel like I am going down hill. Good luck - hope you get feeling better soon!!! Shellie

Shellie, My doctor put me on protonix, it has helped a lot with the burning. I think the "brused feeling" is going to resolve on it's own. Today I started hurting a lot right under my ribs, to the point of not being able to stand up straight, I have a call into my surgeon now to find out what this is, it feels like I am trying to stretch out a muscle that doesn't want to be stretched, but in a very severe nature, putting me in tears. Anybody have a clue? I hope we both get to feeling better real soon, I have less than a week and have to back to work! Just expected to be doing a lot better than this by now! Teresa

I had that same pain in my ribs at about 2-3 weeks out. I called the surgeon who had a neat explanation for it. He said that it is similar to scraping your knee as a kid. Remember how you would get a big scap right over your knee and how badly it would hurt when you tried to bend your knee? He said that is basically what is going on inside your body where they did all of the work. Good luck, Shellie

I never thought about it that way, it makes sense though. I thought I was alone, that this sharp pain I get every once in awhile is never going to go away. If I take it easy I do not have as much trouble with it, but I have not been doing too much walking because it (the pain) is not predictable, makes me want to stop everything, and I am afraid I will be stuck out walking somewhere and look like a fool trying to recoup. For instance, I went to the store today and felt like crud if my stomach brushed up against the grocery cart. This pain is only fairly recent, maybe the past week, so maybe it is just the next phase of healing. Mandie

Shellie, How are you feeling now?...Be sure and let me know how your scope turns out. I am now nauseated all of the time, hardley able to eat or drink. They are giving me phenergan, but i would rather know what the problem is and fix it....can't take phenergan and sleep all of the time! This is the first time since my surgery 5 weeks ago that I have been nauseated like this....wondering if it could be a side effect from the protonix? Take care..keep me informed! Teresa

Teresa, I went through that at 2.5 3 weeks. This is almost the fifth and I feel much better. I walked a little and increased distance (even hunched over) since the day I came home- I believe it helped me heal faster. I remember under my ribs aching and hurting. I made sure when I would sit up or crawl over in bed I was breathing out instead of in. That helped with the pain. It does take time. EACH DAY should be better not worse. IF not CALL THE SURGEON.. Is your scar healing... Are you able to do any movement or very light stretching and walking.. It may help... HUGS to you. I called my surgeons office cause the itching and pain around the scar bothered me last week- they said GOOD that means your healing... Hang in there...