Question

Hello everyone.  Okay, the good news is that I'm down 62 pounds since my surgery on September 29, 2008.  I just have some questions about this pain/discomfort I've been feeling since yesterday.  It feels like a combo of heartburn and gas, but it's seriously bringing me to my knees.  I have a high pain tolerance, but this is killing me.  It also seems to move around from my chest to my stomach and then back up to my chest.  I've taken gasX, heartburn meds, etc and nothing is working.  I even took a pain pill last night to try to make myself relax and I couldn't sleep.  Has anyone had anything like this?

Hi Renee. Congratulations on your weight loss.

I just attended a class about postoperative complications and the symptoms.

My advice is to call your surgeon right away! If you still have your gallbladder, it could be a gallbladder attack.

But it sounds more centrally gastric and ANY gastric pain needs to be reported right away. You could be having a obstruction or the beginning of one somewhere. I don't know what kind of surgery you've had but if you have a band, it could also mean slippage. Even if the pain goes away, report it. Bowel torsion from adhesions can cause pain that comes and goes... for a while, until it doesn't anymore. I don't want you to panic or be scared but you should be concerned.

In any case, pain is never a good thing... it means something is awry and you need to get it checked out. Please don't ignore this. If it's nothing then you've nothing to lose by getting in to be seen. At the very least call your surgeon's office and talk to at least a nurse (not the receptionist) and hopefully your surgeon.

Please let us know how you are doing.

Hello!  I know it's not my gall bladder because I already had that taken out.  I had gastric bypass surgery.  I'm worried it's some sort of blockage...whatever it is, it doesn't feel good.

Sounds like the gall bladder. But I never knew of it lasting that long. I could be wrong. I would call your doctor tho because pain is not a good thing.

Well, I know it's not my gall bladder.  I had that out years and years ago.  Thank goodness!  I made an appointment for Tuesday to get checked out because it just isn't going away.  Thank you!

I would not wait until Tuesday. Seriously, if you still have the pain now and it hasn't let up, I would get yourself to the ER where you had your surgery if possible and if not possible then the nearest ER and have them contact (INSIST ON IT) your bariatric surgeon.

Since you don't have your GB and the pain has not resolved, you cannot afford to ignore this.

Sweetie, get off the computer and get yourself to the ER.

I'm currently at work.  Talking to my boss about letting me leave to go now.

I'm so relieved to know this. Let us know how you are doing. I'm sending good juju thoughts to you for recovery!

Hi Renee:

what was the outcome? Did you go to the doctor? What did they say?

Heather

I went to the doctor and they did an ultrasound and a CT scan.  The only thing they saw was that my blood vessels and veins seemed to be twisted up.  I have another appointment with my surgeon tomorrow to go over the test results and see if they need to go in and look at everything.  I'll keep everyone posted.  :-)