Paging Dr. Dyann - Paging Dr. Dyann..... - ThinnerTimes

brookscn · 03-19-2006, 08:55 PM

Dyann:
I have a surgery question and I'm wondering if you can give me an answer (or, if anyone else has some insights).

I had my surgery on Monday (Lap). No gallbladder removal. I got pretty beat up in the procedure, when the Dr. realized that I had some sort of issue causing me to get completely bruised on my left side. I look like I was in a car wreck. I've been a MAJOR bruiser my entire life - it's just something I've gotten used to. After surger, that side hurt for a few days, of course, but Day 6, it hurts like a BEAAOTTCH! Whenever I sit down, I cannot get up because it hurts like hell!

Is this because of the bruising, just standard with the procedure, or is there something else going on here? I talked to my Dr. on Saturday, he didn't seem too concerned, but just today, it's been hurting SO bad when I try to get up. I'm fine when I walk around, it's easier to sit down. I cried like a schoolgirl a few times today just because it hurt so bad.

I'm taking my Lortab at the prescribed intevals, but I'm telling you - if I weren't careful, I would have consumed that whole bottle by now, and I'd be in the Liza Minnelli Wing at Betty Ford right now......

Thank you for your comments, and insights. Everyone else chime in - I just need some reassurance that this is normal.

Signed, Smarting in San Marcos

RAY W · 03-20-2006, 01:00 AM

my left side hurt for a week or so the left side lower scar is where my doctor said he does the most work through so thats why it hurt more.

Mollie · 03-20-2006, 04:16 AM

I was very brused in the naval site and my MD told me that he had some problems with my the liver and he had to work a little harder and thus more brusing. It's enlarged and is a fatty liver. A lot of morbid obese patients have that. That means that trigclerides or the fats move it and cause the liver not function as well. Some physians have gone to putting a lot of pre-op patient on Opt-Fast a couple of weeks prior to surgery to reduce the fats in the liver. I asked my doctor if the liver will go back to normal with the weight reduction and he felt it should. I am going to do a lot more research on that. You need to pin him down on why the brusing, he knows. This issue is if you start to swell, fever increaseing pain, nausea , vomiting, Call HIM. Also I know I had a blood thinner given to me for the two days after surgery to keep blood clots from forming. That a precaution a lot of physicans take for all kinds of surgery and that will definitely add to the brusing. You still are having problems call him. Make him give you answers. Ask if you need an ultra sound, whatever it takes to find out what is going on, or if this is just a lot of bruising. Take care Mollie

JJ Girl · 03-20-2006, 06:56 AM

Carolyn - I had lap and had a huge amount of bruising and it was really swollen and painful across my whole stomach. Two weeks later it occurred to me to put ice on it and it healed up really fast - don't know why I took so long.

Zenomia · 03-20-2006, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brookscn

Dyann:
I have a surgery question and I'm wondering if you can give me an answer (or, if anyone else has some insights).

I had my surgery on Monday (Lap). No gallbladder removal. I got pretty beat up in the procedure, when the Dr. realized that I had some sort of issue causing me to get completely bruised on my left side. I look like I was in a car wreck. I've been a MAJOR bruiser my entire life - it's just something I've gotten used to. After surger, that side hurt for a few days, of course, but Day 6, it hurts like a BEAAOTTCH! Whenever I sit down, I cannot get up because it hurts like hell!

Is this because of the bruising, just standard with the procedure, or is there something else going on here? I talked to my Dr. on Saturday, he didn't seem too concerned, but just today, it's been hurting SO bad when I try to get up. I'm fine when I walk around, it's easier to sit down. I cried like a schoolgirl a few times today just because it hurt so bad.

I'm taking my Lortab at the prescribed intevals, but I'm telling you - if I weren't careful, I would have consumed that whole bottle by now, and I'd be in the Liza Minnelli Wing at Betty Ford right now......

Thank you for your comments, and insights. Everyone else chime in - I just need some reassurance that this is normal.

Signed, Smarting in San Marcos

Did you call your Dr. yet?? Carolyn...you don't get any prizes or awards for dealing with PAIN!! CALL THE DR. AND MAKE THEM LISTEN!!!!! At least get your questions answered...tell them that you need to know for sure what is going on so that you will know what to tell your lawyer!

hahaha...that should light a fire under their arse's!! hehehe

Take care of yourself girlfriend, I will need you in tip-top form soon enough!!

brookscn · 03-20-2006, 11:31 AM

The doc's office told me they'd call me today when I got released, so I'm waiting - they need to tell me what I can eat starting today, etc. Actually, it feels better today, and, I'm taking it a little easier today. Yesterday, I "twisted" weird, and that's when it all started to bug me. Also, I took off the binder for a little while thinking that might be irritating me, too.

I'm thinking that it's true - there was a lot of trauma to that area, and given the blood thinners you get right before surgery, I'm sure that didn't help. I had an MRI in the hospital before I left because the Doc was very concerned - he wanted to make sure I wasn't bleeding internally, but I wasn't - just a bad bruiser. I guess this comes up about once a month.....I probably should have opened my mouth and told them about my brusing problem, but honestly, I didn't think to. When I talked to him on Saturday, he said it's normal, but then it really started to hurt after my little "twist" incident.

I'll let you guys know what I find out - thanks for the support!

Zen: I promise to be ready to roote you on in June!

Dyann · 03-20-2006, 02:20 PM

So sorry... I just saw the post!!!

The left side is the largest incision and get the most stretching and tearing of the muscle because that is where the large stapler device needs to enter the abdomen. If you had any bleeding at the port site in the OR, your surgeon may have placed some big sutures in the incision to stop the bleeding. Those hurt like a MF. I had that at my right upper quadrant incision and on post op day five I was lowering myself onto the toilet and felt a pop there. All my pain went away. I checked for a hernia and there was none, so I was happier.

The bruising is due to bleeding at the abdominal wall. (Trauma, anticoagulants, your tendency to bleed) It will get darker and then yellow and actually spread downward if you are upright during the day.

If you have no fever, tollerating liquids and whatever foods you are allowed, then it is most likely all in the abdominal wall and time will heal it. If you have a fever, intollerance of foods, feel a bulge at the incision or a tender mass (stuck hernia), then it is a different story. An abscess can cause pain, but you would usually have a fever or abnormalities in your blood work and they usually don't start happening until 7 days out.

I hope that answered your questions and if you ever have something that you need a fast answer, PM or email me.

My advice should never replace or delay you checking with your own doctor (cyberspace disclaimer)

Hope you are doing well and smooth sailing from here.

brookscn · 03-22-2006, 03:35 PM

Thanks, Dyann. I had a really hard time of it on Sunday, then Monday - I started getting better. Right now, no real pain at all. The bruises look bad, but that's okay - as long as they don't feel bad.

I have my first post-op appt tomorrow with my doc - hopefully, there will be in incision issues.

Thank you for your advice - I needed some reassurance!