Pain, Poop, Tingly Arms, & Gas - 3 days post op

[samiaam25 23]

This will be a post full of many TMIs! I’m 3 days post op from VSG and am still experiencing a ton of pain, even with the pain meds. The worst pain is in my chest. My doctor said it’s just from gas but I’ve been passing gas and it isn’t getting any better. I’ve been walking a few times a day and that helped with passing more gas, actually it worked a bit too well because I pooped myself when I thought it was gas coming 🤦🏻‍♀️. Told you, TMI! It was a clear slimy consistency so I don’t think it counts as a real bowl movement. I hope I have one soon because I don’t want to take a laxative.

I also have a few seconds of excruciating pain whenever I sip something. It doesn’t matter what it is, it hurts right in the middle of my chest, I assume that’s where my new stomach begins. It’s making it really difficult to get any liquids down because of this pain.

Last night I noticed both of my hands were swollen. It freaked me out a bit so I called the after hours line for my surgeon. They said it wasn’t anything to worry about.. Today the swelling is down but my arms are tingly for no apparent reason.

A heating pad has been helping with the incision pain, that’s really improved over the last two days.

I know I’m still healing and it’s a process but this is so hard right now!

[The Greater Fool 2,071]

Well, it seems like you are doing the right things, the main one is talking to your Doc/team.

You just had surgery. It's gonna hurt. Some of us hurt more than others, and in different ways. Isn't like just a hoot!

Hang in there, it will get better.

Good Luck,

Tek

[Arabesque 7,590]

First congrats on your surgery.

Diarrhoea & Constipation will become a regular occurrence but constipation more. Yep, I had the same very watery (& smelly) bowel movement on day 3. They had been giving me laxatives in hospital & I got up to pee & whoosh. No warning either so I hear you. My friend’s surgeon told her to wear incontinence knickers for the first week. Wish mine had told me that. Lol!

I also had pain on sipping & had a lot of saliva I’d have to spit out. I carried a vomit bag for days. My surgeon told me it was from swelling from the surgery & it would pass. It did by about day 4.

As with anything that seems odd or painful or persists, contact your medical team.

Try to meet your fluid goals. Take it slowly. It will be sooo worth it.

Good luck.

[2Bsmaller18 437]

Agree with above re contact the Md if the tingling continues. Are you sleeping propped up due to the pain and you could be irritating your neck causing a pinched nerve? Can you try lying with your arms up on pillows to help the swelling and take pressure off your neck from your arms hanging down? You can take a balled up pair of socks and randomly squeeze it to use your arm muscles, that will help the arm muscles push the Fluid and reduce the swelling.

For the gas I found lying on one side for an hour then walking and lying on the other side and walking seemed to help. Not sure if it was just time resolved it or if changing positions actually moved the gas around to be absorbed but it worked for me.

[Jaelzion 1,129]

21 hours ago, samiaam25 said:

This will be a post full of many TMIs! I’m 3 days post op from VSG and am still experiencing a ton of pain, even with the pain meds. The worst pain is in my chest. My doctor said it’s just from gas but I’ve been passing gas and it isn’t getting any better. I’ve been walking a few times a day and that helped with passing more gas, actually it worked a bit too well because I pooped myself when I thought it was gas coming 🤦🏻‍♀️. Told you, TMI! It was a clear slimy consistency so I don’t think it counts as a real bowl movement. I hope I have one soon because I don’t want to take a laxative.

I also have a few seconds of excruciating pain whenever I sip something. It doesn’t matter what it is, it hurts right in the middle of my chest, I assume that’s where my new stomach begins. It’s making it really difficult to get any liquids down because of this pain.

Last night I noticed both of my hands were swollen. It freaked me out a bit so I called the after hours line for my surgeon. They said it wasn’t anything to worry about.. Today the swelling is down but my arms are tingly for no apparent reason.

A heating pad has been helping with the incision pain, that’s really improved over the last two days.

I know I’m still healing and it’s a process but this is so hard right now!

My experience was very much like yours. I had a lot of pain post-op and my surgeon had to up my pain meds to get it under control. I also had that intense pain immediately after drinking something. My pain was a little farther down than yours (lower chest instead of middle) but it hit about 1.5 seconds after taking a sip of anything. I had to take super tiny sips and even then it hurt for about 10 days. Overall, my first couple of weeks were just generally awful - I couldn't eat anything and didn't want to. I basically lived by sipping clear Protein Drinks (not shakes) all day for the first 10-12 days and then I started to rapidly get better. Sorry it's difficult right now, hopefully you will turn the corner soon.