Hi Everyone...

I have been having pain for the past 4 days... and was literally pain free prior to this. I have not had any vomiting other than immediately post-op. I am now having constant discomfort and tenderness in the area just above my belly button. Whenever I eat or drink anything... the pain an bloating increases... I wake up in the morning feeling the same discomfort/ sensation. I guess I am in the hopes that this is a normal post-op (almost 5 wks) problem???

Darcy

Darcy: We as nurses make the worst patients. I know I am a nurse. I think you should go to your primary doc as well. Just think what you would tell a patient of yours if they asked you your opinion? I have to ask myself that same question every time somethign comes up with me.

Call you PCP.

I just tried to eat a SF popsicle...

Didn't you just say in an earlier post that you were putting yourself on warm liquids, because ICE Water wasn't working???

<thunk thunk>

Try a hot popsicle...

It does sound as though gastritis is a possibility, after all the possible culprits you listed.

I have to join the growing crowd... PCP...

If it's gastritis, wouldn't Pepto Bismal help? Something tummy soothing?

Chin up, girl. You probably pulled something doing wild monkey sex like our girl DeLarla.

And I agree with Leatha - what is this?? Make single women cry week???

I'm not technically single, but we're separated by a continent and an ocean... sigh...

BUT... BUT...BUT...

I was hungry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought MAYBE... since I would be eating the popsicle slower than the Water it might be okay... *sigh*... My primary care M.D. will be gone for the day... and I just called my surgeon's office... their phones are to the answering service... so now... I sit here with stabbing pains through my gut everytime I move or breath...

Okay... just sent another call through to my surgeon through the answering service... if they don't call me back I am going to immediate care ..

Called me back... I have to go to the ER... Dammit... can't you all come with me????

Darcy

DARCY, you better not be reading this till you get back from the ER. Maybe it's nothing, but peace of mind is better medicine than all the pretty pills combined!

We'd all be right there with you if we could, and you KNOW that. But stabbing pains of any kind aren't good. Maybe it's related to your fun parts. Although I don't know any girly problems that get worse after you eat (I just read about all the girly problems in Redbook and yours isn't listed.)

Just have it checked, okay?

darcy girl; Come back and tell us what it was. I hope it was nothing but glad that you are going to the ER. That was my next suggestion since the Dr. office wasn't returning your calls.

Darcy, if it is gastritis, stress is making it worse. Hope you're getting some straight answers about now. P. S. You have to be able to eat eventually.

Well... that was a truckload of fun!

It was a very nice ER... however... none of them knew anything about the Lap Band. The took xrays... my band is very attractive on film! THe ER doc couldn't see anything strange causing havoc in my stomach... so... he called my surgeon... and they sent me home. They told me to call the GI doc in the morning and make an appointment for a consult and mentioned a barium study. My question is this... why can't my surgeon order the barium study... and what am I supposed to do to get enough fluids in in the meantime???? Nobody gave me a single clue as to what this might be... and basically told me the do the best I can to get fluids in and have a nice day. You are all coming with me next time!

So... gals... here I sit... hoping it will all go away by the morning and that I can go back to an uneventful recovery.

I've never taken xanax but am thinking this would be an awesome time to try it!

Darcy

Darcy Baby, why didn't they at least put you on an IV for fluids? Francesca got dehydrated and that's what they did for her in the ER. You don't deserve this pain. You've just been too nice. Could it be something like a cyst in your female parts? Does it hurt to move, or feel like it pinches when you do certain things?

Darcy, that would be too simple! And a few doctors might be left out of the loop. But, seriously, hope you are able to get some rest tonight and the pain eases up. Please don't neglect finding out what's going on. You don't want to end up in the E.R. on a busy Friday night and your surgeon will be gone for the weekend.

Darcy, I hope you get some good rest tonight and wake up feeling better. I know you must be scared, I wish I could help somehow. I'll say a prayer for you. Best wishes your way.

I'm glad you went to the EC even though it has left you feeling unsatisfied. I understand how you might feel like you are being shunted from one specialist to another, but in my experience surgeons never want to have anything to do with a situation that is not surgical. Did the EC do anything for you? Blood work? Anything? Did they feel you are still well-hydrated?

I'm so sorry you are still hurting. I think you can see that we are all with you in spirit. I am sending healing energy your way.

Nancy

Well... spent the night wondering why I am such a goof head when I have to get medical care. I am so uncomfortable being a patient that I don't ask questions that I should. They took blood... but never mentioned anything... so I assumed the results must have been within normal limits. I don't feel that I am dehydrated... prior to yesterday I was getting plenty of fluids... it just caused pain when I did drink... yesterday morning... I downed an entire glass of ice-Water before the cramping and bloating and sharp pains started. So... I am assuming... I just need to drink regardless of the pain.

Also... I know the ER Doc didn't know squat about the band... how would he know if it was positioned correctly in the xray??? I am going to call Dr. Chua's office today and hopefully be able to talk further. I do not want barium studies until I know for sure that the band is positioned correctly. I don't know if Dr. Chua asked for the xrays or not. If there is nothing obvious on the xrays... then I would like to try a bland diet for a couple of days and see if it is just gastritis.

Nancy- I am assuming they felt I was hydrated... I told them that I felt that I was not dehydrated yet but was concerned that I would get dehydrated if the pain continued to worsen. Thanks for the healing energy... I think I need it!

Neicy- You're a sweetie... your caring words are more helpful than you know!

Marie- My surgeon is so far away that I feel he is out of town everyday. I also feel that there was a definite language barrier over the phone... Don't worry... I do not want to continue having pain everytime I eat or drink... I will follow-up... just not sure it is time to blast me off to a GI doctor???

Lisa- Unless my female parts have moved to an area approximately 2 inches above my belly button... they are probably innocent of all charges. The pain starts within minutes after eating or drinking. I really do feel that the lining of my stomach is proabably irritated and inflammed do to something that I ate on my newly started REG diet. THe intermittant diarrhea and cramping type of pain strike me as fitting that particular problem. I would like to think it is just something simple like this... yep... I like simple! (((hugs))) Oh... I'm not nice... honest... I'm a big hairy pain in the butt!

Donali- Damn... wish I could blame it on wild monkey sex! I've been a little hesitant to hop on pop of late.... of course.... his diagnosis for my stomach pain is severe acute lackonookie. I'm going with gastritis and calling my surgeon today to let him know. I am also going to call my primary care M.D. I was under the assumption that Dr. Chua would follow-up on any problems associated with my band placement????? Honestly.... my primary care MD didn't put it in... why would he treat any of the complications???? Anyhoo... thanks so much and I'll do a little "toast" to you before I swig back the pepto!

((((hugs))))

Darcy

Darcy, I'm so sorry I missed this thread! Lots of good healthy vibes going out to you from me, lady. I SO hope it's nothing and will be cleared up with a little Prilosec or something.

Take care!!

Thanks Alex! I am already taking Aciphex twice a day... Dr. Rudic put me on that when I went in for my 1 week post-op check. I'll keep taking that and alter my diet and hopefully this will all pass! Everything was going so well before this!

I have to say... it was a wierd feeling to see the band on the xray... the tech looked at my port and said... OOOHHH there's your band! I said... nope... that's the port... up here... on the stomach... that's my beloved band. Soooo... guess it really is in there!

Darcy, I must have been reading upside down cuz I thought the pain was 2 inches below your belly button. I doubt you fun parts moved that high. My primary doc is awesome, because she never heard of the band but took a huge interest in it. She asked for literature and hugs me when I see her because she has a lot of obese patients that want a bypass, and she's totally against the bypass so this gives her a new option. Hopefully primary docs will start becoming more familiar, because I don't see the rate of band surgeries slowing down, do you?

My husband would give the same diagnosis as yours. He'd think some Big Daddy boom boom would loosen up the problem and send it on its merry way. What's so funny is that sometimes it actually works! Like when I have bad cramps before my cycle, a little boom boom is like an internal massage. Have I said too much? Again???