HELP diagnose pain? Bypassers, what's going on?

[MaybeMeow 129]

I've had unexplained pain for over 48 hours. I am 5 weeks post Bypass. I am not constipated. I have had a bowel movement every day for the last 5 days (rocks, but I go). I can eat very small amounts of solid food (like 1 oz moist chicken or ground beef) and while it does usually feel stuck up high and makes me uncomfortable for an hour or so, my body processes it. I can also drink Water and Protein Drinks. I do not have a fever. BUT the pain is center upper stomach. It's always there and it ranges from moderate to extreme. It almost feels like a mix of gas and a sore burning muscle. It's constant but hurts more when I move. In a car the bumps in the road increase it. It hurts in my upper stomach when I take a deep breath. Like my diaphram is hitting whatever is causing the pain. And oddly... I feel air movement. Like maybe a bubble is popping and I would expect to pass gas but it doesn't happen. And that happens a lot. Like an air leak. WHAT IS GOING ON? To go to my surgeon's office and ask for tests seems overkill since I'm not throwing up, no fever and I'm able to take nourishment. But I've been slightly slumped over walking holding my upper stomach for two days and my husband (a physician) thinks I need to go in and be checked out. He asked out the blue "can your detached stomach fill with gas?? I didn't know the answer. Why not? And if it can does the Gas X get there? Any thoughts?

[Recidivist 1,141]

I can't say what is happening, but if your doctor husband says you should get it checked--you should probably pay attention! 🙂. At the very least you should call your surgeon to see what he/she thinks. Don't worry about "overkill"--constant pain that leaves you slumped over when you walk should not be ignored

[Prestonandme 107]

It's probably something else, but I had exactly the same symptoms when I had gallstones. Eventually a surgeon removed my gallbladder and the symptoms went away.

It's never overkill to inform your surgeon about your symptoms so s/he can properly evaluate you and make recommendations about what to do.

[WishMeSmaller 1,270]

Please contact your surgeon, @MaybeMeow. He can order tests if he thinks they are needed, and will not order them if he has an explanation for your symptoms. It is a win for you either way. I am sure your husband does not order unnecessary tests for his patients and your surgeon won’t either. You trusted your surgeon to do your bypass, so it is time to trust him again with your concerns. Please keep us posted.

[Lily66 425]

I agree, MaybeMeow...please call your surgeon. In the meantime, hugs and hopes it’s something minor. 💖 We’ll wait to hear from you.

[MaybeMeow 129]

Thank you for the responses. It was the nudge I needed to call the office. Surgeon's assistant called me back and @Prestonandme he also believes it sounds like potential gall stones. Makes me want to cry. I do NOT want another surgery and I don't want to lose my gall bladder. I've only lost 18 pounds so I wouldn't call it a fast weight loss. I've never had a gallbladder issue. It's upsetting. But better to know. I'm being sent an order for an ultrasound I can schedule with a provider that my insurance covers. Maybe it's something that can be solved with a med instead. Thanks again, friends.

[Prestonandme 107]

Hopefully it won't be a gallbladder problem but if it is, don't panic. Before the surgeon removed my gallbladder, he first performed an easy, quick procedure to remove the stones. This is done via the mouth and throat. In many cases, that resolves the problem, but in some cases like mine it's not enough and surgery has to be performed.

My gallbladder surgery went perfectly well. I recovered quickly and experienced no pain at all.

I hope this might put your mind at ease a little.

Best of luck to you. Please keep us informed about your diagnosis and progress.

[catwoman7 10,846]

2 hours ago, MaybeMeow said:

Thank you for the responses. It was the nudge I needed to call the office. Surgeon's assistant called me back and @Prestonandme he also believes it sounds like potential gall stones. Makes me want to cry. I do NOT want another surgery and I don't want to lose my gall bladder. I've only lost 18 pounds so I wouldn't call it a fast weight loss. I've never had a gallbladder issue. It's upsetting. But better to know. I'm being sent an order for an ultrasound I can schedule with a provider that my insurance covers. Maybe it's something that can be solved with a med instead. Thanks again, friends.

btw = your 18 lb loss since your surgery six weeks ago is fine. You started at a pretty low BMI for a WLS patient, so 18 lbs is about what I would expect. It's not low - it's pretty normal for something with your starting weight.

[MaybeMeow 129]

1 hour ago, catwoman7 said:

btw = your 18 lb loss since your surgery six weeks ago is fine. You started at a pretty low BMI for a WLS patient, so 18 lbs is about what I would expect. It's not low - it's pretty normal for something with your starting weight.

Thank you for that boost, Cat. I've been keeping pretty positive about it. Tho'... one of the ways I was staying positive about being a bit "slower" than most was that it would be easier on my hair and gallbladder. So why is my gallbladder failing?? I think I had a premonition this would happen. It's why I was so hung up on reading the stats of this phenomena after WLS. I'll know more after the ultrasound. Thanks again, everyone! I feel better having the order in my hand.

[MaybeMeow 129]

3 hours ago, Prestonandme said:

Hopefully it won't be a gallbladder problem but if it is, don't panic. Before the surgeon removed my gallbladder, he first performed an easy, quick procedure to remove the stones. This is done via the mouth and throat. In many cases, that resolves the problem, but in some cases like mine it's not enough and surgery has to be performed.

My gallbladder surgery went perfectly well. I recovered quickly and experienced no pain at all.

I hope this might put your mind at ease a little.

Best of luck to you. Please keep us informed about your diagnosis and progress.

This does make me feel better. Thank you. I was pretty nauseous after my bypass and remained in the hospital for 2 days due to it. Even got a little delirious after so many hours riddled with nausea. Really hoping not to relive that.