Opinions About Pain

My surgery was 10/18.  The pain on my left side has never completely gone away.  It's mostly a dull pain now, with a sharp pain now and then.  Not better or worse with eating, but definitely worse with activity.  It hasn't been bad enough that I take anything for it.  I had my three month checkup last week so of course I asked about it.  The doctor said he doesn't think it's anything, but ordered a CT Scan.  Nothing showed up on it.  Wondering what you all think.... I heard we're still healing on the inside for up to 6 months?  Would you pu**** and ask for more tests or wait a bit longer?

 I have this problem as well its weird but i get it on my right side lol! They did ct scan everything looked perfect! They gave me pain pills sent me home lol, of course! Anyway  im not sure if you had open or laproscopic but they  said sometime it can be stiches that havent dissolved too! And told me to just monitor it. if it gets to the point that its distracting form your everyday stuff go in to a tummy doctor its gastro something lol! they can put a lil camera down there and look at ya pouch n goodies! :)

 Thanks!  Good to know I'm not alone anyway!  Mine was laproscopic, with robotic assistance, which is fairly new I think?  Wonder if the damn robot went rogue in there?  lol

 You're definately not alone!! I am 3 months post-op and have just recently noticed that same pain has subsided.  The only time it bothered me was when I was turning over in bed.  I never had a scan bur it has pretty much gone away now. I was also told that this pain may last for a few months post-op.  I hope your pain gets better soon. 

I'm curious if you all had drain tubes and if the pain is on the side your drain was on. I'm just curious because I had a lot of discomfort under my ribs and under my shoulder blade on the side my drain was until it was removed. What a relief it was to get it out! I kept thinking the pain (I'm not talking at intense pain) was gas because it seemed to move around but I've had none of it since he removed it.

unfortunately, not all our problems show up on CT scan - actually most do not. IT is very tough for us to get diagnosed post op for things like hernias, adhesions, twisted intestines - these things all tend to be hidden on CT scans and many times can only be found via exploratory surgery.  At about 5 months, I was having terrible pains and had every test in the book over 4 months.  Finally my surgeon said I needed surgery to see what was going on.  I had 4 sets of large adhesions which were causing my intestines to be totally kinked.  He fixed everything and I felt so much better in the recovery room - the pain and burning I had was gone.

Now at a little over 3 years, I have an incisional hernia which I was diagnosed with on my 3 year anniversay appointment with my surgeon.  My CT again was normal.  He examined me and could feel it - now I can feel it, when I cough, sneeze, hiccup, yawn, push during a bowel movement etc, I can feel a huge lump in my abdomen - it is very strange.


If you had a G tube after surgery, you can get scar tissue from that or if you had other abdominal surgeries - it puts you at a higher risk for adhesions.

I also have the left side ache. The pain worsens if I sit hunched forward for a while. I had laproscopic and no drain.

I also had robot assisted lap RNY, a few weeks before you did, and I still have the left side pain.  They said it's an internal bruise from one of the robot arms, not uncommon apparently.  Doc and staff said pain can last past 6 months, but it has decreased dramatically as time passes.  I don't take anything for it, as it is mostly swelling and we can't take NSAIDs so there's no point in taking Tylenol which most likely won't do much, and I'm enjoying not taking any pills anymore, other than my vitamins.  It doesn't hurt all the time anymore, it used to always feel like the pain after a bad muscle cramp.  Now it only hurts after I've been weight lifting, and sometimes at the end of the day when I'm trying to get comfortable in bed.  Hang in there.

Gina :~)

I am 7 mos post-op and i had that pain too for awhile,the dr said its where he did most of the work,eventually it did go away!Good luck to you!