Hope, I was also in recovery for 3 hours (vs. the expected 1 hr) for precisely the same reason.

Some pain at one week about can certainly be normal. It was for me. You also may have inadvertantly stretched an area with internal stiching, but this is pure speculation - I don't really know. Keep in mind that there is a broad range of 'normal' pain following surgery - a few lucky people have almost none. I was not so lucky but the worst was over in about 9-10 days.

Is everything else OK? - i.e. are you getting in your water and protein? Are you keeping stuff down? Are you walking regularly? Are both your temperature and your pulse normal? And is the pain at leats getting slightly better each day? Are you experiencing any other other symptoms?

If things are getting slowly better each day and there are no other indications of trouble, I suspect you're fine - If the pain does not get better, or if it gets worse, call your doctor and let them know.

This surgery is traumatic and you do have to give your body a chance to heal.

Thanks Jerry
Everything else seems to be going well.
Everyday gets a little better but for me ...it may be awhile.
It's just that one incision point is very very sore (the rest are fine)
I am also very weak,
Not tired really but weak.
I am just speculating (about the muscle) as well but something is very different there as opposed to the other 5 points.
I think it will get better but I would like to know why it causes me so much pain.

Weak is also VERY normal at 1 week out. It does get better. I was especially weak the first 2 weeks. But it took 2 more weeks after that to really get back in the swing and not be totally exhausted at the end of the day. But each of us is different. Keep us posted on how you are doing!

Hope,
I'm guessing that the painful area you are speaking of is on the left side. This is the site of much discomfort for many of us. Yes, it may be some gas, but like you, I had a good deal of pain, and came home on the same meds I had in the hospita, and remained on them for 3 1/2 weeks !

I knew that wasn't the norm, compared to what others wrote here at DS. I visited the surgeon about a week earlier than I was scheduled to, as the pain wasn't improving and the meds put me back to sleep...and after nearly a month, that was getting old. Plus i was concerned I was ok.

I learned from the doc that sometimes because it's the area they do the most work for the bypass, that fluid builds up...a natural reaction for the body at a site of "irritation;" and that the fluids were pressing on a nerve, causing the pain. As the fluids reabsorbed into my body, that pain would go away...he said between 3-4 weeks. Seemed like by the next week it was less, and finally gone...along with the pain meds, by a month.

I found I wanted to hold my left side when I walked, and he said that was normal too.

I would check and be sure everything else is going as you were told to expect. Be sure you aren't dehydrating...which means endless sipping all day at this stage, but it's so important. Don't think twice about contacting the doctor, even earlier than you are scheduled if you have any questions.

Yup the left side pain is what I experienced the most. The weakness lasted me several weeks.
I would get some sharp pains on that left side off and on for quite a few weeks, I put it up to the internal stitches healing and pulling. The weakness is what I thought was most bothersome for me.
I'd go to the bathroom, do a couple little laps of walking, and felt like I'd climbed Mt. Everest. Then others on here were up and out walking almost a mile.......crazy to me.

Yes Flmom52 it is exactly as you say.
Thanks for posting that explanation.
I do get lots of water however this has contributed to another big problem... Diarrhea and the gas :(
I will say no more except I am using Immodium as sparingly as I can.
I push myself to get out there and move around which in my world means shopping.
I am able to go this by relying heavily on my cart.
I am getting lots of rest too.
But as kfletcher says, everything is an effort.
Oh BTW, I am 50, 51 tomorrow actually.
Perhaps if I were 25 I would bounce back a little better.

Water would not typically cause diarreah and gas. What else are you taking in right now? Some people become lactose intolerant immediately after surgery. Some cannot handle artificial sweeteners. Make sure your surgeon is cool with the Imodium. I am glad to see you are paying attention to symptoms and using us for a reality check - no need to suffer in fear and silence.

Hope, happy early birthday. What an incredible gift you have given yourself!

I hurt for a good week after surgery. Go with what your gut tells you and if that is to contact your surgeon's office, go for it.

I know water doesn't case Diarrhea but the water feels like it is just running through me.
I will check out the Lactose Intolerance thing but after googling it I don't really think so.
Another strange thing is the antibiotics I am taking for the UTI I got from surgery do not seem to be working very well.
I wonder if that could be an absorption issue.
I am seeing my GP tomorrow however he knows nothing about GBS.
I think I will call my surgeons office tomorrow as well.
I just hope I don't have to go see him because that is another 10 hour (round)trip.

Hey ... just remember that they go throw the muscles in your tummy to get to your organs .... my yummy felt like i i was run over by a truck over and over again ..... i had one hole that was a little biger then the others as they had to move around a little bit more in that area and this muscle that they went throw was more painfull then the others .... just hang in there things will get better ....

I think you may be right about age and recovery time, Hope...! I am 53, (52 when i had the surgery), and i definitely felt I recovered more slowly than some of our younger counterparts here on DS. I am seldom sick, and was very prepared for this surgery. It went well, and other than that side pain, I felt pretty good...just tired. (My iron reserves are still down, so I'm on iron twice a day, and that may continue for a long while...but i've always sat in "low iron land"...so not really new for me!)

I am really grateful for the good luck I have had with this surgery.
I am sure everything will work itself out.
I knew there were going to be different things I have to get used to or deal with.
It's just so wonderful to be able to come to this board and get help anytime of the day or night.
I truly feel like I have found a treasure here.

If you had it done laproscopically it's a lot like getting stabbed 6 times in the abdomen. The surgeon cuts through several layers of skin, muscle and fat and moves a lot of tissue in the process of completing this surgery. The hole where they do the most work is to the upper left and the way it was explained to me the tissue around it takes awhile to recover from the trauma. I ripped a seam in the arm of my couch because it hurt so much to use my abdominal muscles to sit up in the recliner without using my arms.

If you're not too squeamish look up video of the surgery on youtube. It's interesting.

Hi Hope,

Just had surgery on the 18th and am not feeling so great either. I have to choose between having the pain where the largest incision is and general pain in my belly or the burning sensation and heartburn of my liquid pain meds. Sometimes I choose the pain. I also walk around holding the incision site and feel like my guts are going to fall out. Forget coughing...ouch!!!

Like others have posted, please do not hesitate to talk to your surgeon and make sure you are okay. Better to know for sure.

I hope you feel better soon!!!
Janet

Like I said, for me recovery was slowwwwwwwww. I had just turned 42 prior to my surgery, and I do have a neuro-muscular disease, but this surgery really kicked my ass.
Of course I had that UTI that took almost 2 months after my surgery to be found out. So the infection had spread to the kidneys..........ugh!!!
So, I would have to honestly say, it was close to 3 months before I was really feeling like a person again.