Question:
im 10 days post-op and im am have bad pain

im 10 days post op and having real bad pains in my upper left side of my back and also in my left side just started hurting today bad enough to make me cry hurts worse when i take a breath any help    — chrissy T. (posted on May 21, 2002)

May 20, 2002
Hi. I have similar pain to what you describe only not in the back area. Mine is all on the left side around my rib area. Hurts when I yawn, laugh, burp etc.......kinda like a broken rib or something. I am 4 mos. post op. I asked my dr. about it and he said it is most likely scar tissue. Scar tissue can take from 6 mos. to a year to heal, so I am told. I had a CAT scan a week ago to make sure that it was just scar tissue and apparently that is what it is. I still take pain meds cause it bothers me most when I sleep. Also will really bother me if I do anything strenuous. However, if I were you I would call your doctor and tell him about it. See what he has to say. By the way, I had Lap RNY.
   — Kim B.

May 20, 2002
I had the same pain that you are talking about. But I left the hospital with a drain tube in my upper side. I feel that it was were my pain was originating from. After I had the drain removed all is well. Good luck!
   — Karen M.

May 20, 2002
Do you have any other signs that you may have Pneumonia? To have that kind of pain that brings tears, I would call the Doctor as soon as the office opens, I am so sorry you are in pain, Hugs
   — Jeri P.

May 20, 2002
I had the same EXACT thing.. even the way you describe it. When I took a deep breath it was even worse. It happened right around the same time it is for you. I finally went to the hospital where they did cat scans and everything else under the sun - turned out it was trapped gas. This is very common due to everything being "moved around" during surgery. It went away on its own. Good luck!
   — Jen S.

May 21, 2002
Hey Crissy- Congrats on your surgery. I am 3 weeks out and for the first 2 weeks had a similar pain in my left side right under my rib cage. When I asked my Surgeon about it, he told me that's always the most painful spot and that it will go away. It went away, for me, after 2 weeks. It'll get better. That is also the largest incision I had, so I'm assuming that's where they do quite a bit of work on you during the surgery.
   — Michael N.

May 21, 2002
Hi...first I'd like to say that if it is pain bad enough to make you cry, then your doctor should be consulted. It could be referred pain from the rib spreaders they use during surgery. My back is still killing me 19 days after surgery. I have a lot of pain up under my armpits and referred to the back. I use a heating pad during the day and at night for 20 minutes and it seems to help some. Also Salonpas patches (get at any drugstore) help a lot to ease that pain. But in your case, I would certainly call the doc and discuss it with him/her. Hugs, Joy
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 21, 2002
Hi...first I'd like to say that if it is pain bad enough to make you cry, then your doctor should be consulted. It could be referred pain from the rib spreaders they use during surgery. My back is still killing me 19 days after surgery. I have a lot of pain up under my armpits and referred to the back. I use a heating pad during the day and at night for 20 minutes and it seems to help some. Also Salonpas patches (get at any drugstore) help a lot to ease that pain. But in your case, I would certainly call the doc and discuss it with him/her. Hugs, Joy
   — [Deactivated Member]

May 23, 2002
I had the same pain weeks after my surgery. Sometimes I thought it was just unbearable and worried that I would always have this pain and wondered if there would ever be a day that I would feel pain free. I am pain free now and my doctor said it was gas pockets. They are very painful and tend to move around. I'd say after about 4 weeks the pain went away and I feel great now.
   — Diananana