**For a nurse or others....Another RNY complication?**
I have been having pain under my right ribs on and off for a year now. It has gotten worse over time. It sometimes radiates down towards my naval. It feels like a gall bladder attack (which was removed in 1995). The pain can last as few as 30 minutes, or as long as 8 hours!! When I have an attack, I am doubled over in pain. Even lortab and percocet do not help. I have been to the ER a few times for this. CT and blood work so not show anything wrong. I have had a partial bowel obstruction before, and had surgery to correct it. My current bariatric surgeon here in NC (not the one who did my RNY), says it is not surgical, and pretty much threw his hands up in there air not knowing what the cause is. I went to a Gastroenterologist the other day, and he said it may be adhesions that spasm after I eat, but he wants to do an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy next Friday. I really didn't like this G.I. doctor... he was asking me if I had a low tolerance to pain. I told him that I had an extrenenly HIGH tolerance to pain, as I have been through a boatload of things!! Oh ya, I guess I should mention that I have had deep red blood in my stool twice in the past three weeks... so anyway, the nurse that scheduled my tests told me that I will receive versed and demerol. Well, neither of those out me out, and I want to be unconcious! I am calling their office tomorrow to make sure that I can get Propofol or something.. if not, I am not having the procedures done. I guess my question really is, do any of you have unexplained pain like mine? I have listed all of my surgeries below which would explain why my adhesions MAY be playing a role in my pain! Thanks all and God Bless!
Feb 2009: Exploratory lap, appendix removal, adhesion removal, Endoscopy
Jan 2008: Exploratory lap, intussusception repair (bowel collapse), adhesion removal, Endoscopy
Aug 2006: Internal Hernia repair w/Mesh, Partial bowel obstruction, Endoscopy
July 2004: Tummy Tuck
April 2003: Lap RNY
April 2000: C-Section
Dec 1995: Gall bladder removal, Lap
Jan 1990: Ovarian Cyst removal, Lap
Nov 1961L Pyloric Stenosis
Phew!
341/172
Jan 2008:
Maybe you should ask for a cat scan?? ( its one of those things you go in and can not move... thats how they found out I had the stone. )
Good luck!
april
I am three years out and I have had GI issues like yours since surgery. I had irritable bowel before the surgery and was told it may get better, or it may get worse. It got worse. I have no tolerance for anything I eat, so I have to take a lot of medications to slow down the constant "gurgling and churning" in my stomach after eating. I became lactose intolerant as well.
I am a RN and I can tell you that you are not alone. I too have had many laproscopic surgeries and have had continued pain in my right side under my ribs every since I had my gall bladder removed. It too feels like a gall bladder attack. I have mentioned it to my doctors and they can't seem to find a reason for the pain like you. I have had many CT scans, ultrasounds, blood work, etc. Let me say also that when I went to have my gallbladder tested, all the tests they ran were negative. Even the blood work for amylase/lipase etc. I did the gallbladder test where they injected medicine into the gallbladder to initialize a spasm, but with all that the tests still came out negative. My surgeon decided to remove the gallbladder anyway. Upon doing so, he found that my gallbladder was diseased! even after all those test were negative. The same thing happened to my mother, but her's was gangreneous! So tests aren't always definitive.
You stated that you had a CT scan in the ER and they found nothing. Was it done with contrast? If so gallstones would have shown up. People tend to think that because they have their gall bladder out, that means they won't have any more problems. But they are wrong. You still have your bile duct and sludge can build up and form a stone. Also, after bypass, the risk for kidney stones develops as well. I have had kidney stones for over 20 years and recently in the past 6 months, I have had at least 2 every month. I was also told that I may have adhesions that could count for the pain. But for the most part I have gotten the same reaction as you...made to feel like I'm a hypochondriac!
I can tell you that they will not give you propofol. That medication involves anesthesiologist monitoring because of the risk of respiratory depression. That's the one that killed Michael Jackson! Just tell them if they have not given you enough Versed and Demerol, they will up the dose. I have to do the same thing. I don't know if this helped any, but feel free to contact me if you have anymore questions! [email protected]
