Someone PLEASE make this belly pain go away (mini-rant)

Pup, I thought of that. Seen a lot of those.
If the circulation was compromised you would eventually have trouble after every meal. It would show up in either an EGD or colonoscopy depending on which of the mesenteric arteries was affected if it was chronically shutting the arteries down. It is more often caused by hardening of the arteries. Instead of a heart attack, you get an abdominal attack. Tissue dies. It can be chronic and lead to an acute event but mostly I've seen sudden attacks. If they thought this was a possibility for a minute they would be testing for it.
Lora, not knowing the surgical technique used at the time, the surgeon may or may not have sewn up the defects that we know now can prevent hernias. Since you have the same surgeon, she would have considered this as she knows her technique at the time.
There has just been so much surgery in or near the area they are going with the most likely scenario and trying to do no (more) harm. They don't really know what is going on or where.

I know that the two surgeons I have used previously (of the three I talked to) are trying to do what they believe is best from a medical standpoint... and I do understand the issue with adhesions (and every surgery creating more of them) and that doing surgery when you have no idea what you are looking for is not their favorite thing to do, BUT I cannot just live with this for the rest of my life.  It is wearing me down physically, emotionally, and psychologically... I will probably eventually end up addicted to pain killers... and I will likely not be able to keep a job because of excessive absenteeism (my current full-time job is currently in jeopardy and I already had to stop seeing clients (my part-time job) because I felt it was unethical for me to continue when I was having to periodically cancel sessions with very little notice which is very hard for trauma clients)... and because we have no diagnosis for this I would never be eligible for disability.  If it doesn't get fixed, I might as well go play in freeway traffic...

Lora

Lora,
I had left side pain and took Vicodin at least once a day for the past year.  I've had CT scans, etc. that showed nothing.  I am fortunate that my surgeon feels strongly that we (post RNY) should be able to walk around just like everyone else with no pain.  Due to my body's reaction to surgery we didn't want to do anything until school got out. (I had missed 4 months in 2010 due to complications and hospitalization, PICC line, and feeding tube). He did an exploratory surgery 2 days after school got out and although he found no adhesions, there was an area of weakness on the intestines where you could see it was irritated.  He "tacked" the intestines so they did not have the freedom to move as much.  He also did some other "precautionary" tacking.  I had 3 weeks with NO PAINS MEDS!!!!!  After that I had a few similar pains, but not nearly as bad as presurgery.  I then had abdominoplasty and have had no pain (although I am on Roxicet for the PS), so I am hoping that removing the skin will also help remove the extra room.

I know how annoying constant pain can be and it is not enough to rush to the ER, but for God's sake no one should have to hide in the bathroom while at work so they can sit in the fetal position until the pain passes!  Hang tough!

Lora, I'm sorry you aren't getting the answers you need! I do feel your pain. I am praying for your healing, someway and somehow things will all work themselves out! Trust and keep fighting for what you know!! No-one knows our body the way we do so with that being say stay firm and stay on them!! God bless and I'll keep you in my prayers. You have helped so many people with all kinds of things God will make a way for you out of no way! You must believe that!


Sending you hugs and more hugs,
Omeka

Lora, have a good laugh at the last sentence of this article. You should be able to get it at any medical library. Since it is a review there shold be lots of entries in the bibliography.

Performing your original search, "abdominal pain" "gastric bypass" etiology, in PubMed will retrieve 103 records.

Am J Surg. 2011 Jun;201(6):819-27. Epub 2011 Feb 18.
Abdominal pain after gastric bypass: suspects and solutions.
Greenstein AJ, O'Rourke RW.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gastric bypass remains the mainstay of surgical therapy for obesity. Abdominal pain after gastric bypass is common and accounts for up to half of all postoperative complaints and emergency room visits. This article reviews the most important causes of abdominal pain specific to gastric bypass and discusses management considerations.

METHODS: The current surgical literature was reviewed using PubMed, with a focus on abdominal pain after gastric bypass and the known pathologies that underlie its pathogenesis.

RESULTS: The etiologies of abdominal pain after gastric bypass are diverse. A thorough understanding of their pathogenesis impacts favorably on clinical outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS: The differential diagnosis for abdominal pain after gastric bypass is large and includes benign and life-threatening entities. Its diverse causes require a broad evaluation that should be directed by history and clinical presentation. In the absence of a clear diagnosis, the threshold for surgical exploration in patients with abdominal pain after gastric bypass should be low.

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PMID: 21333269 [PubMed - in process] PMCID: PMC3123682[Available on 2012/6/1]

Ah, geez... ! {shaking head}

Thanks for the article citation... I will definitely see if I can get a copy of it.

Lora

Lora,
You know I would do more if I could, but am sending lots of big HUGS!!!!

Jan

((( Hugs)))  to you Lora.  I don't have any advice, but I'll be hoping someone will help you soon.

I have no answers for you but, if you had my surgeon, he'd do exploratory lap if your toenail hurts!  Kind of scary but kind of reassuring that he is willing to check every avenue without me having to fight for it. I have never needed it done thankfully, but he has offered when he thought it was appropriate.  Keep fighting - someone above said you are your own best advocate and she is right!  You're tough, don't let it wear you down. 

Lora, I wish there was something I could do to help... I hate that you're in this pain all the time.  While I can't make it go away, know that I'm thinking about you and hoping for a resolution.  Keep fighting for your health! Don't take 'no' for an answer...


tori