Exploratory Laparascopy Monday...now I feel as if I made it all up

I crossposted this on the main board and RNY forum since this board is so slow on the weekends, but I'm hoping my TMB family has some words of advice and wisdom...



I'm posting this here because I am hoping some of you have been through something similar and can possibly provide me with your experiences or even just some encouraging words because at this point I'm so frustrated I can't stand it....

The Thursday before last (July 8th), I began having some abdominal pain. I had a similar situation in May which led to emergency surgery where the found and repair an internal hernia and a bowel obstruction.
This pain was very similar to the pain I felt in May...the same area in my abdomen, on both sides, and it really only hurt worse with moving, and at some points walking... I felt like if I held my arms against my abdomen while walking or moving, it felt somewhat better. The pain was not a huge thing, I could almost ignore it if I were laying completely still.

I went in the following Wednesday, the 14th to see the nurse at my WLS office. She sent me down for a ct scan... It came back normal, and they advised I do not have a return hernia in the location.

My surgeon has since called and gotten me scheduled for an exploratory laparascopy on Monday to try to find the source of the problem.  (Adding in here... My surgeon had referred me to the gastroenterologist after the ct came back clean. The gastro doctor has not been able to see me yet and doesn't have me coming in till Tuesday a.m. They did however schedule me to have a HIDA scan for my gallbladder, which the hospital didn't seem to receive the orders and turned me away when I went in to have that done this weekend.)

The thing is, since he has scheduled this procedure, I've noticed that the pain has changed. Sometimes it's not there, which it was constant for the first 8 days straight, and I'm also feeling some pressure/tightness/pains sporadically in different places. And sometimes, I feel nothing at all, no pain, period.

So I'm now at the point where I am freaking out and overanalyzing everything... I'm worried he will open me up and not "find" anything, and I'm worried that they'll think I was making it up, hell, I'm even beginning to think I imagined the pain.

Crap! Someone please tell me they've had this happen to them too....
I know my surgery in May was so unexpected, and I just went into the ER thinking I had a pulled muscle, but wanted to double check. I was so incredulous and in disbelief when my surgeon wanted to open me up... I didn't think he'd find anything, but he did....

 Kim.....I have not had anything like this....but I do have some pain in my lower tummy area ( female organs region every once in a while.   I was checked over royally last fall and they found nothing but my gall badder had gone bad and needed to be removed.   It could be your gall bladder if you still have it.    That gave me lots of pain and I was sick as a dog till it came out.   Go ahead and have the procedure done.   Did the hospital bother trying to call the doctor when the orders were not there for the gall bladder test today???  They should have !!!  That may be one reason he wanted it done to see if your gall bladder was functioning correctly or at all.   Prayers being said for you sweetie.   It will be OK I PROMISE !!!    Pray to God about this and  he will give you peace.   He is in control anyway and there is nothing that we can do.   Love ya and pleased don't stress yourself out over all this.   It will be OK !!!


Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Thanks Viv... The thing I'm stressed about is them opening me up and not finding anything to fix or that explains those pains.

I do still have my gallbladder.... The gastro doc's office was closed today and they are the ones who ordered the test... I'm just going to ask Dr. Nick if he wouldn't mind removing the dang thing while he's in there anyway.... I don't need it for anything! And if it's not what is giving me issues now, it certainly may in the future.

Kim, I'm also dealing with abdominal pain BUT it isn't consistant.  I believe it's my gallbladder, I had an ultrasound on Friday and will get results on Monday.

Call Dr. Nick and get the hidascan done first just for precaution. 

 Dana....sorry you are having abdominal pain.   Get the gallbladder out ASAP !!!  It is a piece of cake...although I think I took more pain meds after that than after my LBL.    Hope you get to feel better soon.   We miss you being on the TMB all the time.


Hugs and blessings ~~~ Vivian

Dr. Nick wasn't too convinced that it was my gallbladder because the initial pain was on both sides, left and right, and I hadn't really been having other symptoms... So he was going to go in there and see if he could find the source.

I'm thinking I should just request he remove it anyway, as a precaution?

(((((Kim)))))

I do feel for you on the bladder obstruction, as I had that to happen to me at 10 months post-op.  My pain was so severe that it was very difficult to breathe through the pain.

Before Don (Lost Txn) had his gallbladder out last October, he would complain at times of his back spasming especially at night.  Are you having any of those symptons.  Since the gallbladder surgery, no spasming.  Is the surgery being done as an out-patient, or do you know yet??  Please let us know what he finds out when you can.

Dear Kim,
        I`m so sorry you are going through all of this, I`t sounds like Gallbladder problems, to me. It`s a good thing they are doing the surgery, pain of any kind should be investigated, and fixed. You will do great sweet girl, I just know it. Please keep us informed about what`s going on and how they fix it. Take care of yourself.

Love, Elaine aka Sunshine Diva

Kim,

This is just protocol! Dr. Barker, my surgeon, is an amazing surgeon who in February had me go into the ER, and then he admitted me for an exploratory laproscopic surgery- where he repaired an internal hernia. The pain that you are experiencing could be from the internal hernia repair you had. If you have done anything to pull the repair. I had similar pain that you were having, and it was not consistent. It was off and on for about a year. I would play off the pain stating that I ate too fast, or it was broccoli that was not cooked right. I would be able to lay down holding my stomach, and not breath and the pain was fine. It would be the worse, serve and persistent pain I had ever imagined. However, know that the laproscopic surgery is routine, and it is needed to make sure that they are not missing anything that is not shown on CT scans, X-rays, and etc. Dr. Barker did the exploratory surgery on me- even when every test (Xrays, CT scans, and labwork, and gallbladder, etc) came back great. I was fortunate to have a doctor who cared and listened to his patients to know that something was not right, and it was actually he who made me to go the ER, because I was trying to tell him it was a piece of chicken that was not moistened right.

This is not in your head, or made up. There is something going on and listen to your body- do not ignore it. If nothing comes up then consider yourself lucky. :)

Prayers and thoughts. Hope this helps.

(((((((((((KIM))))))))))

No advise here from me either......  (just lots and lots of hugss))))))

If you need me - call me  ..