Twisted intestines?
Something happened yesterday that I wanted to share with the group,
and hopefully get some insights. I’m almost 4 months post-op, and
everything had been going great — until yesterday. Yesterday, I was
in the emergency room for 3 hours with horrible, agonizing,
unreasonable pain! It started around 9:00am yesterday. I had a sip
of coffee and it hurt like the dickens. I kept going on with my day,
wincing in pain the whole time. I even visited a new post-op at the
hospital around lunch time, trying not to let her see me hurting.
But the pain persisted.
When I got home around 2:30, I was moaning in agony. It felt like
I’d swallowed some briars or something. My pouch was screaming at
me, and the pain would come in waves that would make me cry out.
When I would get up to walk (which was rare, ’cause it really, really
hurt to move) I walked as if I were 92-years-old. I called my
surgeon, and after carefully describing my symptoms, he was puzzled
as to what it was and suggested that I try some tea. If that didn’t
work, he said to go to the ER (’cause his office is closed on
Wednesday afternoons - jeez). Finally, after frightening my children
with all that moaning, I called my mom and asked her to take me to
the ER (my husband just started a new job, and my mom was in the
area, so…)
The ride to the hospital was hell — far worse than coming home after
the surgery! I felt every bump in the road. After checking in to
the ER, they told me it would be a 2-hour wait. I sat in the waiting
area, freezing and moaning and scaring people. After 3 (yes, three)
hours, I’d had enough. I went to the window and literally begged
someone to see me, ’cause I was sure I was dying. When they said
it’d likely be another few hours, I went off! I’m the type of person
who’d rather chew off a hand than be rude to someone, but enough was
enough! I said that I’d go home and call the ambulance, and without
flinching, the lady said that that was probably a good idea because
I’d likely get seen quicker that way. Amazing! I crept down to the
cafeteria to collect my mom and kids so that I could execute the
ambulance plan.
Remarkably, while walking to the car, I suddenly felt better. It was
the strangest thing. Half-way through the parking lot, I could walk
normally again, and the pain simply vanished! I started crying
again, but this time it was because of joy from the incredible
relief!
My guess is that some of my upper intestine got twisted or pinched or
tweaked or something, and the walking helped it to work the pinch
loose. Or maybe it was a partial bowel obstruction that somehow
righted itself. I don’t know. It wasn’t something that I
ate, ’cause I barely ate anything all day. All I know is, I never
want to experience that pain again. It was far worse than labor. It
was far worse than the “I just woke up from the surgery” feeling. If
I should ever feel that pain again, I will dial “911″ without the
slightest hesitation.
Anyway, I’m back at work today, as if nothing had ever happened. Has
anyone ever gone through this? Thanks for listening.
Felissa
236/183/135 5′4″
RYGB 10/9/01
July 1st, 2003 at 7:30 am
Hello Felissa,
I have not had surgery but what you are describing sounds similar to what
happened to my mother. I don’t want to scare you or any thing with this
but it really happened. She was a diabetic and was having terrible stomach
and back pains and the doctor could not figure out what it was so he put
her in a rehabilitation ctr (Fancy name for Nursing Home) on a Saturday to
monitor her. That evening her stomach pains got as bad as you are
describing and she begged for more pain medicine and for them to call the
doctor when they would not give her any more. Well needless to say that
didn’t call the doctor and they didn’t give her more meds, then as soon as
it stopped she felt totally better and she went to sleep. While she was
sleeping she bled to death. She had had an ulcer that ruptured and they
did not bother to take her blood pressure or anything thru the night,
something they would have done had she been in a regular hospital. Well
they went in at 7:30 am only to find her gone. I could go on but this is a
painful memory only brought up because the pains that you were describing
sound just like hers. So I would see if you have an ulcer? Maybe not but
better safe than sorry.
DeDe Duncan
dadrian.duncan@…
July 2nd, 2003 at 11:35 am
I had a similar experience before surgery. I went to a wedding with my sister
and for some reason had excrutiating pain that required me to go to the car
and lay down for about an hour. I was nauseous, had a terrible headache and
my stomach hurt really bad. My sister kept joking that maybe I was pregnant
but pregnancy never felt like that! Just when I thought I couldn’t take it
any longer I felt better…except for the headache. I made it through the
wedding and felt better the next day and didn’t really stress it. One week
later I had my lap RNY. My surgery took longer than expected because my
bowels were twisted…that’s what had caused the pain! My doc. said that is a
lucky thing they caught it because more pain could have been on the way. Even
though you are feeling better I would suggest that you get that checked out
with your doc. I would not want to repeat that experience for the world!
Shadisha