Post surgery pain -- any suggestions/help???

[momran 0]

I am 17 days post-op and have generally been doing very well. I am on a regular diet and have been for about a week. I have been eating some things that I'm not supposed to but with no restriction, nothing is getting stuck.

My problem started about a day ago. I have some real discomfort/pain in my upper left chest - just above my left breast. At first I thought the pain was from eating the wrong things yesterday but this pain is no where near my port.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Since its the weekend, I hesitate to call the surgeon because I don't want to go to the ER. I would say my pain is currently a 5/10. Anyone else have these symptoms?

I thought about gas pain but if that was it I would've expect it to happen right after surgery and not now. I would appreciate any input anyone has.

Thank you!

[sunny44 7]

I am 17 days post-op and have generally been doing very well. I am on a regular diet and have been for about a week. I have been eating some things that I'm not supposed to but with no restriction, nothing is getting stuck.

My problem started about a day ago. I have some real discomfort/pain in my upper left chest - just above my left breast. At first I thought the pain was from eating the wrong things yesterday but this pain is no where near my port.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Since its the weekend, I hesitate to call the surgeon because I don't want to go to the ER. I would say my pain is currently a 5/10. Anyone else have these symptoms?

I thought about gas pain but if that was it I would've expect it to happen right after surgery and not now. I would appreciate any input anyone has.

Thank you!

i would immediately call the doctor if I were you.

[LIslandGirl 0]

What your feeling is gas pains. Eating the wrong things isn't helping. It also happens if you drink to fast. Check this site for gas pains. Alot of people using Gas-X Strips :thumbup:

[JeweI 2]

I get that feeling if I eat too much. At first I didn't know what it was but one night after a big meal I had to go lie down it hurt so much. It took me awhile to learn but I realized I was eatting too much and stopped.

[BetsyB 9]

At first I thought the pain was from eating the wrong things yesterday but this pain is no where near my port.

Your port is removed from your stomach, so I would not expect to feel pain from eating improperly near your port, necessarily.

That said, my stomach pain is now referred to my back and shoulder--just as it was when I was experiencing the immediate post-op gas pain. (I still feel gas this way, too.)

Our anatomy's been changed a little, so things do feel quite different.

Just because you don't have restriction doesn't mean it's okay to advance your diet beyond what you're supposed to eat in each stage. If you're experiencing pain as a result, it's a sign to STOP. Even foods that are okay from a weight loss perspective may be irritating and/or gas-producing.

I'd get back to basics, eat the way you've been told to eat, and move forward at the rate recommended.

[momran 0]

Thank you for the suggestions. I did call the doctor because I was getting worried. He wasn't overly concerned. He said to take some Gas-X and go back to a soft diet for the next day or so and see how I feel. He said that if the pain continues until Monday that he would see me in the office, but he thought it would probably feel better by then.

I think it is my body warning me to pay attention and be more careful about what I'm eating. Maybe it's the wake up call I needed! Thanks again for the advice and support.