So much pain still.. lost faith in ER's, DRs and my surgeon

 I can usually tell if pain if pelvic in nature, i.e., gynecological, or if it is bowel in nature.   What's your gut (no pun intended) instinct about what this pain is?

Have you personally called the medical records department at the hospital where you has surgery and asked to speak to a supervisor? All you should need to do is fax a written request to medical records for a copy of your operative report and discharge summary. Your surgeon should have dictated that report the day of your procedure.

I could be way off line here, since I haven't had the DS yet (but worked 9+ years at hospital and dr's offices) but the things that pop up in my head when I read your symptoms are
1. IBS
2. Diverticulitis
3.Adhesions
4. Gall Bladder (have experienced this one personally, and the pain wasn't where I thought it should be either)
5. Pancreatitis

Anyway, I do hope you get better soon. And, if it were me not being able to get my records, there would be a lawyer involved. It sounds like to me he may have screwed something up and is trying to hide it. Just my humble opinion.

Beth

By "endo" do you mean endometriosis?  Women can get such a dramatic hormone dump after surgery that it can kick endometriosis into hyperdrive.  Did they treat it when they went in to look around if it was present?  If you do have endometriosis, I'd suggest talking to your gynecologist about treatment options since it's not necessarily a DS-related issue, but is certainly aggravated by your DS while going thru the rapid weight loss phase. 

It's always possible multiple things are going on at once.  This just caught my eye so I thought I'd clarify with you.  I'm so very sorry you're going thru this and hope you get the answers you need soon.     

ETA:  In regards to requesting records, they have 15 business days to provide records before being out-of-compliance.  If you request them personally they can charge up to $25 for the first page and so much for every page afterwards.  If you have your PCP request them, it's professional courtesy (free).  Any failure to comply should be reported directly to their state medical board for disciplinary action. 

Steve,  I used to work at a mental health facility, and we never released records to patients.  Ever.  We would, though, release them to other physicians.  Isn't HIPAA the same in every state?  Or is the law different regarding mental illness records? 

HIPAA's federal law so it's the same in all states.  There is a provision that allows for a provider not to release medical records if it would be harmful to the patient's psychological health.  They have to be notified of the reason for refusal along with any recourse they may have.  Regardless of the situation, a timely response is required from the provider.  Any HIPAA violation is a personal fine assessed directly to the provider and many times to the provider's institution as well.  It is not covered by malpractice insurance, but rather hits the provider/institution directly in the pocketbook.  It also triggers disciplinary action from their respective state medical board and becomes a permanent mark on their record. 

Thank you Steve!  I knew it had something to do with a different rule for mental health, but wasn't sure on the rest.  I can vividly remember sitting in on a conference call between a patient and our center's director.  She told the patient that we didn't have to release the records to her, because the center owned the records and not the patients.  Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 I work as a therapist in mental health in NY.  Mental health patients have rights to their records as well.  If requested- a professional would go through them with the client present- it was also discussed with the psychiatric doctor to determine if it would be damaging or not. It is a professional's responsibility to record the facts and professional responses- not your personal opinions.  Unfortunately this is not always the case. 

Regardless- this is baffling to hear that a medical facility is not releasing the records regarding a surgical procedure and (in a previous post) the facility could not locate a doctor or intern who verbally gave you a diagnosis?  Patient advocate would be the first place I would start as well as the other recommendations for reporting the problem- and then considering legal support.

What are they telling you about endometriosis? A friend of mine had it all throughout her abdomin, and she was in TERRIBLE pain for MONTHS before they got things under control.

 With regards to gall bladder pain/gallstones, my pain was above the stomach directly below the ribcage. It was the worst pain I've ever experienced. Like a ball of pain between the belly button and the ribs that wouldn't go away sometimes for hours. The pain from a gallstone attack is in a different location from a gall bladder attack due to eating fatty foods.

- A gallstone "attack" can be in the dead center of the stomach accompanied by loads of nausea, pain and sheer mofo agony. 
- A gall bladder attack due to fatty foods is often on the right side below the ribcage and radiated to the back and shoulder.

Of course this varies per individual, but this is common for me and my family. 

My doctors thought it was indigestion at first, despite me saying it wasn't food related. It could happen during a peaceful night's sleep, 9 hours after a meal. It was sudden and didn't matter if I ate spaghetti or toast. It started slow and built up to episodes where I would be unable to breathe or walk or do anything but vomit until I passed out from pain.

My doctors thought it could be many different things. I brought up gall bladder problems and he said I was too young and he wanted to do this and that first. I switched doctors because I wasn't getting anywhere after loads of stupid tests, and I knew I had gallbladder issues since I was 16 when I had an attack after eating fatty food, so I knew I was already at risk.

The new doctor ordered an ultrasound right away. Tons of BB sized gallstones that were passing in the duct, causing severe pancreatitis. They scheduled the surgery right away.

I had the gallbladder removed at 8am that morning and was out of the hospital by 11am. I felt instantly better. Like dipping in a cool pool on a summer day, I felt that much better from head to toe. 

Anyway, you said you still have your gallbladder and that your pain is in your stomach area. I would strongly recommend getting at least an ultrasound to rule out gallstones or sludge. Either way, please keep on your doctors until you feel better. Good luck.