Hernia repair and still hurting....

August 25, 2002

Hi everyone -

I had hernia repair on July 17, 2002 and I was doing okay (pain was alot

greater than I had expected) until the evening of August 19. I had it done

laproscopically - had nine stab wounds around the stomach and two incisional

wounds where the instruments went in, etc. I had two hernia's that I knew

about and surgeon found 8 to 10 small ones inside - he also removed scar

tissue along the stomach wall. I was having pain, pain like the intestinal

flu type of pain, and all doctors involved thought it might be the hernia's

causing the pain. Well, that wasn't it. Now I am experiencing a " rope burn "

sensation on the right side where one of the incisional sites is. If I lay

flat on my back, I am okay. If I try to roll on either side, the burning

sensation hurts so bad it makes me cry and I have a high tolerance for pain.

My surgeon took a stitch on that side that is into muscle. He supposidly did

this so that I would not get a hernia from this surgery. I have a desk job

and I am constantly up and down, bending, stretching, reaching, etc. When

after weeks end, I phoned my surgeon on Friday, and was told that this was

" normal " and I could experience this two years later. He said that I would

not always be like this that when this happens to rest. Well, my question

is, it happens anytime I move quickly without thinking and I cannot lay any

other way but on my back. I am up at this time in the early morning hours

because I was partially on my left side and when I had to get up to go to the

bathroom, the burning was so bad I started to cry. Has anyone else

experienced this type of pain? If so, how long will it last and should I

listen to the doctor or should I do something else? I don't know how much

longer I can put up with this pain.....I thought I was supposed to be getting

better after my gastric bypass surgery two years ago and instead, I seem to

be having all these extra difficulties that I did not expect.

Can anyone help me?

Teri Blake

Plattsburgh, NY

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