Posted , 3 users are following.
i am a little over 3 months post-op and still in a significant amount of pain. several doctors have suggested that i have nerve damage and/or damage to my abdominal wall from the surgery. has anyone experienced this? how was it diagnosed and treated?
0 likes, 6 replies
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lynda20916 ali70806
Posted
Hi, Ali, sorry to learn you're going through this. I'm surprised that none of the doctors has ordered a CT scan for you, with contrast. There could be something happening that they shouldn't be "guessing" at. After all, they can't see inside your body. In my opinion, an ultrasound wouldn't offer the same ability to diagnose. You might also have a stone left in your abdomen that was overlooked. Best of luck to you.
ali70806 lynda20916
Posted
thank you for your response! i have had a post-up ultrasound and bloodwork and everything came back normal. i didn't have gallstones [my gb was very low-functioning] so i don't think an overlooked stone is the problem. i am seeing a new doctor tomorrow morning and am hopeful he will order a CT with contrast, like you suggested.
lynda20916 ali70806
Posted
Good, and just so you know, ultrasounds may not pick up everything. The best bet is a CT scan. I suggest you might want to press to have a CT scan done. If the MD's interested in what's causing you distress he'll order one. If not, you might need to get another MD. Best ot luck!
m80731 ali70806
Posted
What kind of pain are you experiencing? If you feel something is not right with your body, I say keep searching for answers until you're satisfied. After my gallbladder removal, almost exactly one week later I wound up in the ER with what later was determined as a bile leak. I was going septic. And then I had an ERCP to stop the leak and got pancreatitis. Then with continued pain found a cyst about to rupture where my gallbladder was. Then months later had my stint removed and got an unexplainable high fever that was 102 and rising and wouldn't break with medicine. I still experience pain today and have what feel like gallbladder attacks although I no longer have one. I've several gastroinerologists and they all kept telling me this pain was normal. So I would go to a different one. I am finally at a point where I am satisfied with my GI Doctor. I am seeing one now at one of the best hospitals and he was the only GI that told me my pain wasn't normal. He said was the only GI that said lets do an endoscopy and see what we can find. I had an ulcer and gastritis. My removal was in October 2014. And he is still helping me to figure out the rest. You know your body best.... If you know something isn't right and people are telling you it is... Don't settle. Best of luck to you
m80731
Posted
And to clarify- I meant my gallbladder removal was in October 2014. I just found an ulcer and gastritis 2 weeks ago. My Gi also told me that they don't know why, but they find that lots of patients experience this horrible pain after gallbladder removal. He told me they are still researching it. He told me the best explanation he could give me right now is that after this procedure, it's almost like the nerves in the stomach become hyper-sensitive to pain. And what may feel like a small tummy ache to the aver bar person can be horrible, debilitating pain to someone like me. Hope that helps
ali70806 m80731
Posted
wow, you have been through a lot! my surgeon is telling me the pain is normal, but i do not agree. of everyone i've known who's had their gb removed, no one has felt like i am feeling. i still have a lot of pain and tenderness in my gallbladder area. i also have an almost numbing pain that runs along the bottom of my ribcage, even the left side. exercise and tight clothing aggrevates the pain. i am interested in the nerve damage theory, so thank you for sharing what your doctor said. that makes a lot of sense!
i had an endoscopy prior to surgery and was diagnosed with gastritis. i am seeing a new GI tomorrow morning and am hopeful he will help me explore the options. like you said, my body feels like something isn't right. thank you for help and suggestions!