I know there's been posts about this, can't find a topic search on here... shoulder pain
Hi,
Surgery was 10/20. Had some complications. Couple things: Shoulder pain... intensity comes and goes depending on the day. Anything I can do to relieve it besides Tylenol? When does it subside?
2nd thing: Running a fever, just low grade. 99.6. Talked to Dr and he said if I'm not having pain in abdomen or breathing, or wounds then it may just be a bug. I figure I'll go to my primary care dr tomorrow if it doesn't subside. Anyone else have this? Is this just my white blood cells helping my surgery heal?
I appreciate your input.
Jody
For me, the shoulder pain was really intense. It was the worst part of my recovery actually! They told me it is residual gas left over from the laparoscopic surgery. GasX and things like that didn't really help because it was trapped in your body cavity, not inside the organs. They told me moving around as much as you can is the only way to work its way out. It was pretty miserable for me but after about 2 weeks or so it was finally gone.
What type of complications did you have?
Thanks Catalina,
My large intestine closed off due to the trauma of the surgery. They went back in two more times. Once to open the large intestine and the second time to put in a drainage tube to get the fluids to start draining. The fluids were all stuck all around my whole diaphragm, in both shoulders. Right shoulder stopped hurting right after they put drain tube in, left one was better but still very sore, today is one of those days.
It's been an intense experience and I still would do it all over again. I'm down 34 since the pre-op diet and food doesn't have it's hold on me right now.
Recovery is slower than expected. I like to think of myself as one of those ppl that bounces back easily and I'm not experiencing any bounciness right now. LOL!
For you it sounds not only of shoulder gas but the excess fluid and it is going to take some time to absorb. My suggestion is to move as much as possible. A heating pad to your shoulder really helps. You can also try laying on the side that hurts the most or lying flat. All that fluid has defiantly irritated the diaphragm. watch the fever closely and any signs of breathing issues. You can easily get pneumonia after surgery. Atelectasis- fluid in the air spaces of your lungs can cause a fever. Make sure you turn cough and deep breathe 10x an hr while awake.
