Vent/Scare - ThinnerTimes

pinklady · 09-16-2008, 07:38 AM

So Monday I wake up and am still feeling like total crap! The other ladies whom underwent the same surgery are doing laundry, back to driving, off their pain medication, and walking up a storm. As for me it takes a lot of effort to get out of a chair, walk from one room to the other, and the pain is horrible, meaning I am still popping the pain medication. This makes me feel awful. After feeling like I am going to pass out in the shower from the pain, I just can't figure out what is different about me. One out of six of my incisions is the one that is hurting the most. It is on the left side and I've been told by everyone (past surgery patients, nurses, and surgeons) that this is the case and not to expect to stop feeling the pain until post op day 10. Well this isn't the 10th day yet so I must just be experiencing normal pain (and I'm a wimp) right??? Anyway after getting out of the shower my husband and I examine that incision. I noticed it was still inflammed with 4-5 cm of redness surrounding it, it was warm to touch and, obviously it was sore, but the kicker as I palpated it I noticed it was hard. Knowing that this was not like any of my other wound and that this sounded like the incision might be infected, I called the surgeons office. They said that yes it probably was infected and moved my appointment up from Wednesday to Tuesday morning and that if it got worse to go directly to the Winchester ER. I was like okay and yeah right on the ER. As the day progressed the pain got worse and worse. I felt miserable. The Vicoden wasn't even touching the pain. A little before 9pm I made myself a cup of tea and set in front of the TV with a blanket and prepared to choke down my 100 pills and supplements. I smelled something and couldn't figure out what it was. I smelled me tea, nope. I smelled my breath, surprising not it. I checked other places and couldn't figure it out, but by now the smell was gone. I settled back into the chair. Then I felt this coldness against my belly. I pulled back my blanket to find my shirt litterly drenched. When I lifted the shirt up brown stuff that can only be described as smelling like bowel was pouring out of me. I called my mom (Hubby was at work) and told her to get right down that we needed to go to the ER right away (hmm might have neglected to point out which ER). Little did I know but I was leaving puddles of this drainage everywhere, it was pouring out so quickly. I grabbed the first pair of sweat pants I could find, a washcloth to hold over the wound, my purse and cellphone, and was out the door. I paged the surgeon (which my wasn't on call so I got his partner instead) and told him the whole story. I kept saying it smells like bowel. He was so carefree about it. He said to come to their ER and he'd take a look at it. My mom came and as we got to the first light I realized she didn't know which ER I was referring to. Don't get me wrong she was more than happy to take me to Winchester, but the smell pouring out of me was making her so sick. Many a time on that 90 minute drive I thought she was going to throw up. All I could think was that they messed up my bowel in some way and therefore I was going to undergo emergancy surgery. I'm a nurse. I did everything I was supposed to. I've washed with the antibactrial soap. I've blown dried my incisions. What is happening? We pull up to the hospital ER and I hobble in to 2 full waiting areas plus people are waiting outside. The set up is bad and the check in is encased behind a double glass and they can't hear what you are telling them unless you yell. So long HIPPA. They were so rude, but they took me right away. Thank goodness I paged Dr. Weidower and he was waiting for me. I get my room and gown (finally I am out of the barn yard smelling clothes). The doctor comes in and say that the wound is just infected and that he has to lance it to drain it (thank goodness it wasn't my bowels!). I ask if it will hurt, he says yet. His honesty surprises me. No numbing agent, no pain medication, he uses a knife and opens my incision back up, including slicing through the stitches. I can feel all this stuff pouring down my side. It's disturbing. There is so much stuff coming out that the nurse has to run and get more supplies. It just keeps coming. Then when it finally stops the doctor starts squeezing more out. They culture the drainage. Finally it's done. He packs the wound and instructs me to do the same twice daily and to see him on Wednesday. I say to him how I've been following all the instructions and he then tells me it isn't my fault?! I was like what?! Well get this... they put the stapler that they use down through your mouth and then pull it back out through this incision! So this wound was infected from the inside out with germs from my mouth! They never discussed this in pre-op education or on the day of surgery. This is just asking for an infection. He says that he'll give me a pain pill and then on Wednesday they'll review the culture and wound and see if I need an antibiotic too. I steal a hospital gown and walk out in my street clothes, change in the parking lot into the hospital gown and toss the clothes at Sheetz. Needless to say it was a much more pleasant drive home. Finally I have nearly no pain and was able to sleep in my bed last night. We got home at 2am, HUbby waited up and cleaned the carpet where I left lots of liquid presents, and my mother, my poor, poor, mother had to get up at 5am to work. So yeah a little pissed over the whole stapler issue, but so relieved that I didn't require a second surgery.

kit60 · 09-16-2008, 09:36 AM

Good grief! all I can say is WOW

Sue0609 · 09-16-2008, 12:13 PM

Amanda,

I hope you are feeling better. As I read your post I was thinking, "she has an infection". Something similar happened to me, but my surgeon didn't blame me. At about 1 week post-op my left incision (same one as yours) wasn't getting better at the same rate as the others. In fact, it felt worse (I wasn't take any painkillers though, I'd rather be in pain than nauseous, but that's me). There was a big, hard lump under the surface, but no redness. On post-op day 11 I called the physician's assistant because I thought it might be an incisional hernia. She didn't think so, but said to come in if it got red or I got a fever (there was no redness at all). That was a Friday. By Sunday night there was a faint, faint bit of redness. I called first thing Monday and they said to come in (I never got a fever, I never do). DH drove me to Boston (we live in Maine). The PA gave me Lidocaine and opened it up. A little seepage came out, but not much. The infection was deep, about 4-5" down by their estimate. The bariatric fellow came in and was more aggressive. Then my surgeon came in and she really opened it up and dug around in there (I was screaming bloody murder, even with the additional Lidocaine). When they finally hit the pocket of infection it stunk to high heaven. But to me it just smelled foul, not like bowel. They poked, prodded and squeezed for over an hour, then packed it and sent me home.

I had to have a visiting nurse for two weeks. I am very big busted, so there was no way I could re-pack it myself (remember, it was 4" deep). Total PITA.

My surgeon never blamed me at all. She said I was doing great, didn't do anything wrong, and infections are just one of those things that happen sometimes. She never mentioned them putting the stapler down my mouth and I have never read that with all the reading I've done about gastric bypass surgery (I looked it up online and apparently that is one way to do it, never heard of it before). I watched my surgeon do a surgery (online), and they didn't do it that way. I would think they'd have told you about that when they described the surgery to you. They should have, IMO.

Get well soon!

pinklady · 09-16-2008, 01:02 PM

Thanks Sue. It feels good to know I am not a freak and that other have experienced this too. I'm actually having my aunt (she is also a nurse) come and packing the wound for me. Mine kinda sits in my abdominal fold and it makes it hard for me to actually see let alone pack. I never asked the depth. I'm going to have to. I truelly beleive that if they are going to put the stapler down your mouth they should let you know. I'm not saying I'd make any other desicion, but it would have made me more at ease that I didn't cause this to happen.

newmemuchbetter · 09-17-2008, 11:11 PM

I had a similar thing happen to me but it opened up at my appointment when the Dr. slit my incision sight. I had horrible pain until the release of the fluid. My husband said it poured out of me. He packed my wound for me. I was too big of a baby. I realized how much he loved me by helping me twice a day. We have a joke now about how I could never leave him who would pack my wound. I am so glad he was there for me at such a difficult recovery. I used to regret the surgery when I felt like I was never going to feel good again. Finally at 8 weeks I could finally do more. I still had to have a nap in the afternoon. It seemed like forever before I could eat food again. I had to do a liquid fast before surgery. The day I was finally able to grind up some real chicken was so wonderfull. Food is much better now that I have to really take time to taste it and nurish my body. Now I don't regret it but think it was the best thing that has happened to my health in 11 years. Take it slow and we are here for you!

pinklady · 09-18-2008, 06:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by newmemuchbetter

I had a similar thing happen to me but it opened up at my appointment when the Dr. slit my incision sight. I had horrible pain until the release of the fluid. My husband said it poured out of me. He packed my wound for me. I was too big of a baby. I realized how much he loved me by helping me twice a day. We have a joke now about how I could never leave him who would pack my wound. I am so glad he was there for me at such a difficult recovery. I used to regret the surgery when I felt like I was never going to feel good again. Finally at 8 weeks I could finally do more. I still had to have a nap in the afternoon. It seemed like forever before I could eat food again. I had to do a liquid fast before surgery. The day I was finally able to grind up some real chicken was so wonderfull. Food is much better now that I have to really take time to taste it and nurish my body. Now I don't regret it but think it was the best thing that has happened to my health in 11 years. Take it slow and we are here for you!

Thank you so much for your response. It makes me feel normal. I've had such a hard time with eating since this whole ordeal began. They started me on Levoquin yesterday and said I'll start to feel a lot better within 3 days. How long did it take for your wound to close? The doctor is guessing 6-8 weeks and says no work until close due to me working in a nursing home.

Sue0609 · 09-18-2008, 10:34 AM

I had almost 3 weeks of visiting nurses. They stopped once it was too small to pack. Then it took another week or so to completely close. So about 4 weeks total. However, remember mine started out really deep. The infection was 4" down and the packing was being pushed in over 2" to start with. Since yours burst I assume it wasn't as deep an infection, so it will probably close up faster. It needs to close from the inside out, that's why it needs to be packed, and packing it inside prevents the exterior (skin) from closing.

How are you feeling? I didn't take an antibiotic. They said it would clear on it's own, and it did. Is the Levaquin making you sick? I was on it a few years ago and it didn't agree with me.

pinklady · 09-18-2008, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sue0609

I had almost 3 weeks of visiting nurses. They stopped once it was too small to pack. Then it took another week or so to completely close. So about 4 weeks total. However, remember mine started out really deep. The infection was 4" down and the packing was being pushed in over 2" to start with. Since yours burst I assume it wasn't as deep an infection, so it will probably close up faster. It needs to close from the inside out, that's why it needs to be packed, and packing it inside prevents the exterior (skin) from closing.

How are you feeling? I didn't take an antibiotic. They said it would clear on it's own, and it did. Is the Levaquin making you sick? I was on it a few years ago and it didn't agree with me.

Feeling slighty better today. The drainage still contains a lot of pus. My family doctor feels that maybe I should go to a wound clinic and have a wound vac put on, since the infection is also effecting my surrounding skin. The doctor measured mine and was able to pack it 2 inches deep. It's so encouraging to hear that your's closed that quickly (where as I say this I am sure it felt like forever to you!) The antibiotic hasn't been messing with my tummy yet. I had an issue with swallowing it the first night, but tonight cut it in half with a knife and it went down so much easier.

rachalrg · 09-19-2008, 02:17 AM

Oh my goodness! You poor poor things! I just can't imagine having that problem. I'm glad to hear you guys are doing alot better!

I didn't exactly have a smooth sailing ride either, I walked around for exactly 2 weeks after surgery with an entire suture needle inside me. It tore me up in there and since being opened up again to get it out there is a huge air bubble in there that won't release....so I'm still popping pain pills every once in a while.

Keep us updated on how you're feeling! smooch!

pinklady · 09-19-2008, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachalrg

Oh my goodness! You poor poor things! I just can't imagine having that problem. I'm glad to hear you guys are doing alot better!

I didn't exactly have a smooth sailing ride either, I walked around for exactly 2 weeks after surgery with an entire suture needle inside me. It tore me up in there and since being opened up again to get it out there is a huge air bubble in there that won't release....so I'm still popping pain pills every once in a while.

Keep us updated on how you're feeling! smooch!

Oh my goodness girl!!! I hope you feel better too!!