Abdo Pain Update

A BIG THANK YOU.........Especially to "Ginger" and those who shared about their  "abdo pain/ surgical experiences". I am the lady who had WLS in 2000, had no problems until 6 months ago and then started having sudden onset abdo pain and bloating - who had 'passed out' three times (twice at work, which is in a hospital), ending up in the ER with the docs shrugging their shoulders. Just wanted to let you know, thanks to the information I read here, I have just returned home from hospital following a 3 week stay and surgery to reduce a small bowel obstruction (Petersons space) and severing of adhesions.  The constant bloating; abdo pain and nausea caused me to present at the ER where Kaiser bariatric surgeons operate BEFORE passing out again.  The general surgeons admitted me and did every gastroenterology test available over several days - none were abnormal, except the barium liquid was taking 5 HOURS to get through the small bowel instead of 40 mins - and after swallowing SO MUCH stuff in such a short time, I was in agony - that's when the bariatric surgeon took over and decided to do an exploratory lap - and found the hernia and loads of adhesions!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU - without the information I read here, I wouldn't have had a clue and KNOW that the whole process would have been protracted endlessly as an outpatient, (with my quality of life deteriorating) without a clue as to what to look for. I am indebted to you and my colleague to found and directed me to your site.  GOD BLESS YOU!! Gaynor

So very glad to hear you are on the mend - and I'm sure those following your story appreciate your post.   For those who might (in the future) experience your same symptoms, at least they have one more "suggestion" (hey - how about bowel obstruction... or adhesions???)  to throw into the mix!! Be well!!

Gaynor, Thank you for sharing your experience on this form.  I am sorry you went through so much. I hope and pray that you are doing better.  Take care and again Thank you for sharing.

You're very welcome!  I''ve been posting about this for a long time.  I have information on my profile which took A LOT of research!  I ended up having THREE surgeries for adhesions and small bowel obstructions and nearly lost my life the last go around from losing too much blood.  Ginger mentioned that she had me and my story in the back of her mind which is why she continued to push for answers.  It's good to know that someone has been helped and is out of pain because a few of us took time to tell our stories.   Best of everything to you, Vanessa

Thanks Vanessa - yes she did and I followed her directions to read your profile (many times) - it really highlighted how important it was for me to take ACTION, instead of "waiting" for the doctors to "discover" the answers for themselves.......................and the general surgeons never really did - they relied on the technology to give them the answers - which it didn't.  It was the bariatric surgeon who was the TRUE diagnostician.  You all helped me be PRO-ACTIVE and led to resolution of the problem. I will be forever grateful and have been directing other WLS graduates to this great site. Hoping the Butterfly is still fluttering ...... Gaynor

Gaynor, Thank you again!   I had backed off of posting for a while during my turbulent 7+ months of undiagnosed pain. It was VERY DIFFICULT for me -- the person who has ALWAYS advocated to people that they MUST  be their own patient advocate or have someone very close to you who has your best interest in mind and is not afraid to 1) asked a TON of questions to the physician(s) or surgeon(s) and 2) research everything! Unfortunately, most internal hernias (and adhesions surely) do NOT show on any tests that are given:  CT SCAN, MRI, Conoloscopy, Endoscope, etc.   I had a BARIATRIC SURGEON  in HOUSTON (the Medical Mecca of the South) tell me, "There is NOTHING wrong with you Mrs. X.  Get over yourself."  And that was AFTER my WLS had personally contacted him and asked him to see me.  Thankfully, I kept my WLS current on all my tests and labs.  He diagnosed me over the phone but I flew to New Orleans to see him in person.   He booked surgery without seeing me telling me that internal hernias and adhesions are NOT diagnosed in the traditional ways.  Sure enough -- I had an internal hernia and adhesions.   So, when I passed out in September, though I admit it took me a while, I booked an appointment and flight to see my original WLS again.  I saw him in clinic on Thursday and he didn't want me to leave and come back for fear that something would happen and I'd be away from him where no one understands.  We did surgery the next day.  I hand picked Dr. Lavin from every WLS in the USA.  It just so happened he was near my home at the time.  I was confident being in his care.  To this day, I don't like living away from him.  The general surgeons don't want to touch a post-bariatric patient and the bariatric surgeons are *shy* at best.   At any rate, the point was that it's so very difficult to be advocating good healthcare by embracing knowledge so that you can have SOME control over this "art" and "practice" called 'Medicine."  It's still an ART - even though science has given us good information -- medicine remains an ART that is practiced.  And, whomever is performing on you -- drawing you -- cutting on you, etc. should be well versed in thousands of procedures and patients.  I will always maintain that there is NO reason whatsoever to "argue" over who or what physician is BEST among any group; rather, YOU should believe that your physician/surgeon is the BEST in their field.  If you don't, RUN, don't walk, RUN as fast as you can in another direction!!!!! OK -- let me get off my soapbox!  LOL  I do mean well -- and I am THRILLED that you were discovered and treated.  Keep looking out for yourself, your health, and ultimately your safety. Complacency kills!

Hope your insurance paid for that..........otherwise, sounds like you have "negligence" case there!! Unfortunately human beings fill all these roles - and there are good ones, who still care or at least want to solve the problem (think "House") and there are those who are no longer really interested in Health CARE, but just want to write a prescription and collect their paycheck and the "system" won't weed them out, WE have to move on and on until we get the help we need - and hold those who dismiss us accountable........................if we have the energy...................:):):) BTW - did it take a while for your bowels to start functioning properly - I'm 2 and 1/2 weeks post surgery and only having the occasional constipated stool (sorry ladies...:), despite stool softeners and MOM. Today I've had to take pain meds again, cos my stomach is hurting - not tender, just really painful (have a hot wter bottle on it).  My follow-up appointment isn't until 30th and I'm doing plenty of "belching" and "gas passing", but this is the MOST uncomfortable I've been since the surgery???

Ugh!  Call your doctor!!! I did have difficulty but it was around 4 weeks post-op and carried on for several weeks.  It was VERY painful -- the pain meds are a catch-22 because they cause constipation.  In December, I went back to New Orleans for Christmas and made an appointment to see the nurse practicioner as Dr. Lavin was out of town.  She was concerned that I was taking 5-6 Senokat per day in order to have a BM.  (She used to be a Cancer nurse and said that they used to tell the cancer patients they could take up to 16 senokat per day; however, don't try that at home without a professionals guidance and care!)  A doctor who had recently entered into Dr. Lavin's group was there so she asked him to talk to me.  He didn't know what he was doing!!!  LOL  I knew more than HE did!  "NO, Dr. X, you can't give me Zelnorm b/c I have a history of adhesions."    He says, "Oh."   LOL See what I mean about KNOWING this stuff?  Anyway, he prescribed Miralax for me and I wasn't too thrilled with that answer.  To make a long story short, I went home to Texas, and started an at home bowel evacuation under the care of my PCP's nurse practicioner.  I ended up in the ER a few days later in HORRIBLE pain b/c after some soap suds enemas ad senokat not passing it, she prescribed a laxative that was FULL of sugar called LACTALOSE.  I read about it before taking it and warned my husband that it ended in "ose" and that this probably wasn't going to "go" well but I was desperate.  I ended up in the hospital because I could not tolerate the pain (I was already on the Fentanyl Patch and oral pain medication.)  They gave me Demerol, Morphine, Dilaudid, and I was still crying.  Horrible.  My PCPs partner finally showed up to me 18 hours later.  WT&?  She wanted to give me a fleet enema and Miralax but they wanted to keep me downstairs in observation where I'd have to walk 1/2 a hallway down to use a public bathroom.  I said, "NO WAY!"  They refused to give me a room so I checked myself out and treated myself -- b/c remember that I already had the prescription for the Miralax and I could go to the pharmacy for an enema.  So, I treated myself at home.  It was hell. BUT I had been looking like I was 5 months pregnant since my last surgery and when I finally passed it all, it went back down to normal.  My diagnosis?  An impaction from the trauma, lack of fluid intake (when it hurts everytime you eat or drink for a year -- you stop eating and drinking and it's very difficult to get back up to eating again - I just started eating more normally in the last month and I've gained a few pounds -- that I needed anyway), and additional problems due to pain medication, and additional iron because I was also severly anemic!  Ugh!  I still have "fears" of eating - though drinking isn't much of a problem.  I've noticed that I am still staying close to softer foods and need to move on to denser foods.  It's a psychological problem, I believe. So, in short (LOL), YES, call your doctor!!!!!!!! Get well!

YOU WERE RIGHT......AGAIN!!   I was in so much pain that evening, Vicodin wasn't working, ho****er bottle on belly wasn't working and it was beginning to feel like I had appendiciitis in BOTH sides (had it out in 1971).  I called a friend and she took me into ER.  I was doubled up by the time we got there; CT scan showed a blockage and at first I refused the NG tube (my nose is still scared from the last one****il I started vomiting bile and gave in.  Morphine was n't working and stupid nurses just kept saying - "but that's all your written up for" and I had to scream - "well get them to write me up for something else........................!! All the time I'm crying and finally understanding why terminal patients want the freedom to practice euthinasia - given the opportunity I would have done ANYTHING to stop the pain.  Eventually they gave me dilaudid and that did the trick - admitted me, had me on continuous suction for 24hrs and planned to transfer me to South Bay, where I had the surgery, if it didn't resolve.  THANK YOU GOD, it did - after 24 hrs I started to pass gas again and tolerated a clear liquid diet.  I've just got home and plan to STAY on soft bland food/liquids until I go back to my surgeon - and I think afte reading your letter, I'll treat the constipation a little more agressively.  Stool softeners and MOM are just not doing it.  And here's me thinking I was once and for all FIXED.................:)

 

gAYNOR

WOW! I am so glad that you are OK!!!!!!!!!!! I should have been a doctor!  I wonder if I can get an honorary degree and make some cash!  LOL  Stay in touch with me!  You can PM me anytime! Gosh, that's dangerous -- really -- I'm so glad you went to the ER! Dilaudid is a tough medication!  It works -- the problem is that it will drop your blood pressure faster than a speeding bullet.   Then, they become limited on how much they can give you.  So, if you're ever ordered Dilauded make certain that you have a secondary order for morphinne or demerol as well!  Ugh! Glad you're well!