Newbie with questions

 Hey everyone!
 
 I am really excited to join this forum..seeing I don't really have the greatest support system at home.
I am 6 days post-op and I am surprisingly not hungry. I need to force myself to drink during the day, but I am craving food. Is this normal? My sense of smell seems to have gotten stronger, so when my family is cooking, or eating fast food, the smell is over whelming.

My main concern right now is the pain I am feeling in my left shoulder. In the hospital, they said it was gas pain from the surgery and to walk it off. It did go away for a couple of days but then it came back with a vengence...it now travels out towards my chest, but only on left side. Sometimes the pain medication helps it, but not always. I have been drinking milk the last couple of days so I am wondering if that is the culprit?

The other concern I have is the incision were the port was placed...It is still very sore and I can actually feel the port. Is that normal? How long does that continue? I do have a dr. appt coming up, but I figured I could get some info here from people. I am unable to attend the suport group meetings in my area due to my work schedule. So this is my only outlet.

Thank you so much to all who take the time to read my rant. I appreciate any feedback :)

Hi I experienced the severe shoulder pain for a week or two after my surgery.  I found out it was my pain meds causing trapped gas.  The pain was almost unbearable. When I quit the pain meds it went away.  Also the port incision was the last to heal for me and yes even at my heaviest I could feel it.

I had some gas pain, but had those phantom left shoulder pains for weeks after surgey. It would hurt when I moved right, coughed, sneezed, hiccoughed...very painful, seemed to radiate from my band site to the shoulder. From what I have heard, it may be the diaoragm being irritated. It did eventually go away, but I them rarely.  My port incision was the last to be pain free, probably a good 6 weeks.  You sound normal :)

 O.K. thanks for the responses. I guess it is just an unfortunate side effect. Hopefully it goes away soon.

I had severe shoulder pain as well and the best advise I can give you is walk, walk, walk. I had no pain from the surgery itself, but the gas pain was at times unbeareable. I read that I should walk, but the day after surgery I was thinking yeah right! But then I kept on walking as much as I can and the more I walked the better it got. I also had the port pain, it will get better with time. I will tell you however, I am a year + out and at times I still have some minor soreness around the port area. But it will get better. Good luck on your journey!

I think the heightened sense of smell is normal.  I went without solid food for about a month (pre-op and post-op).  Everything seemed to smell so good.  Even driving past restaurants I was smelling yummy food.  I think it's just deprivation of not eating "real" food for an extended amount of time.  Of course your craving food when was the last time you had a "normal" meal???  Even TV commercials were making my mouth water!!!! 

Too funny! Thanks for advice

walk as much as you are able too, I also kept gas x handy after my surgery.  I found that when I had those shoulder pains they would ease up if I laid on my left side but everyone is different.  Hope that you feel better soon

Jessica

Thank you, Jessica!

Soreness at the port site is normal and can last a few weeks while gradually getting better.  When you say you can feel the port, do you mean you can feel it when you touch the port site? Or do you mean you can feel it inside you when you bend over or move in a way that puts stress on your abdominal muscles? If it's the former, you're probably feeling scar tissue, not the port. If it's the latter, that's normal. The port is sutured or clamped into the abdominal fascia (the tough sheath that surrounds your abdominal muscles), so every time you move in a way that involves your abdominal muscles, you're going to be reminded of your port. I can still "feel" my port in that way at times, not as pain, just an awareness of the port.

Jean