Pain in ribs isn't always "normal"

[B.Annie 290]

Yesterday morning I stated having pretty sharp pain in my left ribs after grocery shopping. It felt like a muscle pull in the back with pain shooting in the front. It was sore to breathe deep like a muscle pull and I spent the night doing stretches and the morning with hot/ice packs and Google. Nothing worked and as it got worse, everything I googled or searched on this forum said it was "normal" after WLS. I took pain meds and took a nap to wake up in excruciating pain. Went to the ER and after a few hours, was informed I had pneumonia. I've never had pneumonia without being sick first so the ER dr explained it can happen from being intubated during WLS. I'm 9 days out of surgery

Note to all - don't wait and assume google knows all. my pain was almost exactly like what everyone was sharing was normal and absolutely nothing like the pneumonias I've experienced before. Heal well!

HW: 328 (02/21/17)

SW: 271 (05/24/17)

CW:

[Berry78 4,259]

Wowsers! Glad you got it taken care of! Did you have a fever?

I think you hit a crucial point.. your pain got to a level of intensity you simply couldn't ignore. "Normal" pain is endurable.

I had pain in my lowest ribs for a few weeks post op, but it wasn't at all severe. It is so hard to judge peoples' experiences, because they frequently use the same words.

Love pain scales with examples. Those things help alot.

[Joann454 1,329]

Did they have you gargle with something before surgery? I had to gargle for 30 seconds with some liquid that was to help prevent pneumonia.

[Apple1 2,572]

I had this plastic thing with balls in it and I had to breath in and try to move all three balls to the top of the tubes. My doc said it was to help clear the lungs and prevent pneumonia. At first I could only get one ball up, but I kept at it and after about three days I could get them all up easily. I think it really helped to use that.

[Newme17 3,444]

2 hours ago, Apple1 said:

I had this plastic thing with balls in it and I had to breath in and try to move all three balls to the top of the tubes. My doc said it was to help clear the lungs and prevent pneumonia. At first I could only get one ball up, but I kept at it and after about three days I could get them all up easily. I think it really helped to use that.

I had that thing too. Hated it but worked it.

[Joann454 1,329]

I think it's called an incentive spirometer?

[Apple1 2,572]

1 hour ago, Joann454 said:

I think it's called an incentive spirometer?

Yes, that is it. I still have mine. I stopped using it once I could easily do it.

[biginjapan 647]

I also got pneumonia about 2 weeks after surgery, but I didn't have any pain like you described. I was given an incentive spirometer in the hospital (although the nurse did not tell me what it was for - he said it was for pain, which I didn't really have, so I didn't use it as much as I should have) but that didn't help in the end. Luckily it wasn't too serious, as I was recovered within 2 weeks - useful, since I went to Germany on a business trip then!

[GBLady41 393]

I had this plastic thing with balls in it and I had to breath in and try to move all three balls to the top of the tubes. My doc said it was to help clear the lungs and prevent pneumonia. At first I could only get one ball up, but I kept at it and after about three days I could get them all up easily. I think it really helped to use that.

Me too. We had the same surgeon, Dr. Illan. Man, I got soooo happy the first time I was able to get all three balls up!!!

[StorminJ 50]

I have my 2 week post op appointment on Tuesday and I've developed this pain in front and back and was going to call tomorrow. I hope it's not pneumonia.

[B.Annie 290]

Wowsers! Glad you got it taken care of! Did you have a fever?
I think you hit a crucial point.. your pain got to a level of intensity you simply couldn't ignore. "Normal" pain is endurable.
I had pain in my lowest ribs for a few weeks post op, but it wasn't at all severe. It is so hard to judge peoples' experiences, because they frequently use the same words.
Love pain scales with examples. Those things help alot.

No fever and no coughing. It was an odd experience


HW: 328 (02/21/17)
SW: 271 (05/24/17)
CW:

[B.Annie 290]

Did they have you gargle with something before surgery? I had to gargle for 30 seconds with some liquid that was to help prevent pneumonia.

Nope, no gargle


HW: 328 (02/21/17)
SW: 271 (05/24/17)
CW:

[B.Annie 290]

I had that thing too. Hated it but worked it.

I rocked the incentive spirometer! I was getting it to my preop line within a few hours. The spirometer doesn't stop the bacteria from spreading once it's introduced to your lungs though.


HW: 328 (02/21/17)
SW: 271 (05/24/17)
CW: