8 days after surgery, still feeling pain...

[dert 17]

Hi, can someone give me some feedback? I had my lap band surgery 8 days ago now and I am wondering if the pain I am feeling is normal or not. The pain is where the port site is. I'm extremely bloated there. It hurts nearly all the time, even when I'm laying down flat. When I bend over (like to sit down, pick something up, etc.) it hurts like a mo-fo.

Is this common after 8 days? I'm almost wondering if the port has flipped or something?? I'm not sure because I don't know what it's supposed to feel like normally!

(All my stitches are healing well. They don't hurt almost at all. I don't see any signs of infection at all....knock on wood. It's just an internal painful feeling.)

Any feedback would be appreciated. I don't know if I should call my doctor to complain or not. My pre-surgery follow-up appointment isn't for another 5 days and my painkillers have already run out (I asked for a refill and they said I shouldn't need it refilled so they refused).

[debbie_7155 0]

remember it takes 6 weeks to heal.. you are going to be swallen some time there & sometimes it can take a few days or more for the bruising/swelling to even start to come out.. so i would say its quite normal what you are going through, but to put your mind at ease call your doc.. they will tell you exactly what it is.. we can only go by what experiences we went through.. im sure you will start to feel better soon... sometimes i cant bend down cos i get a sharp quick pain where my port is..sometimes i dont..

[crzytchr 3]

I was really sore for a while, and didn't bounce back as well as most seem to do, but I didn't run out of pain meds. My port site stayed swollen for a while and tender. Heck, it is still tender at times. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I think they stitch the port to a muscle to keep it in place. That is probably why it still hurts you.

But honestly, if it still hurts you enough to need pain meds, you either have a really low tolerance for pain or something may be wrong. I would definitely call the surgeon's office if you are in enough pain to require something stronger than aleve.

[smiles2 0]

I am 9 days out from surgery and i have the same pain...and was not expecting to be hurting this much for so long... I am also sore in the port site sitting and standing sometimes walking... Yesterday i was able to lay flat and can lay on one side but still am more comfrotable sleeping on the recycliner. I wonder sometime how I will make through work on Monday. I still have pain meds but I stopped talking them about 3 days ago... I have pain but it is toleratable. I think for me I got very stressed and became an emotional wreck 4 days out of surgery when my husband walked out on me.... so dealing with the kids and the stress I think has added to my recovery time... I see the doc this Friday so I am hoping everything is still okay and I am just a slow healer... It is still very swollen in the port area only.

hope this helps you some!

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Ask your surgeon. You may have an infection there. It shouldn't still "hurt like a mo fo" when you bend over. A little soreness, yes. Bad pain...no.

[hakunamatata_ca 0]

I am 9 days out from surgery and i have the same pain...and was not expecting to be hurting this much for so long... I am also sore in the port site sitting and standing sometimes walking... Yesterday i was able to lay flat and can lay on one side but still am more comfrotable sleeping on the recycliner. I wonder sometime how I will make through work on Monday. I still have pain meds but I stopped talking them about 3 days ago... I have pain but it is toleratable. I think for me I got very stressed and became an emotional wreck 4 days out of surgery when my husband walked out on me.... so dealing with the kids and the stress I think has added to my recovery time... I see the doc this Friday so I am hoping everything is still okay and I am just a slow healer... It is still very swollen in the port area only.

hope this helps you some!

OMG what a supportive guy! Not! I am so sorry. Remember this is for you though and your gonna be one hot mama and show him it's what he lost. Not sure how old the kids are but hopefully they will help mom get back on her feet. Mine are kids are better off and it's been 5 yrs. I have not had surgury but am just looking inot it now seriousy but 16,000 wow not sure how I can do that as a single mom. I really want to badly though. You take care of you and make the ex feel sorry to see how wonderful you are! :laugh:

[Pegsinthewoods 8]

The pain in my port area actually increased at about 7 days out. Went to my doc and he said no infection, etc, but did prescribe an elastic abdomin binder. It worked GREAT and I wore it for another two weeks.

[dert 17]

Thank you all very VERY much for your feedback. Your comments are really helpful to me! I'm relieved to know that what I'm feeling is somewhat normal -- that's a relief!!!!

The ab binder idea is a great one. I find that the pain in my side is better if I hold my stomach with my hand, tight. (I look like I'm holding a pregnant belly half the time!) I think I will give the ab binder a try....I think it would help.

(Smiles -- I am SO SORRY to hear about your husband. How terrible!)

[AliNSanDiego 1]

At 8 days post-op my port incision still hurt pretty badly, especially when moving in certain directions. A few times the pain was so severe I dropped to the ground for a moment. It felt like it was ripping open from the inside...

I never had an infection, I guess I am just very sensitive...