You bring up some great points! Diet for us is a huge thing. It can help or hinder and it doesn't take much to hinder. I have had great success going gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. It is easier than it sounds. I am a carnivore at heart so still include some meat in my diet. Lots of fish, some chicken but very little beef. Vegetables and fresh fruit are my mainstay. I found tropical fruit was an irritant but berries cause me no grief. Since changing my diet I feel so much better. I started walking as soon as I was able and have graduated to pilates; albeit in a controlled and moderate way, and it is working really well for me. I am learning to use my whole body when I move or even stand, rather than relying on my back and abs.
Acupuncture has been teriffice for pain relief and I find I am now pain free. If we keep looking there is relief out there and we can help each other. So if there is anything I can do for you just ask. ;-)

Wow....I thought I was all alone. I had my abdominal muscle removed 1 year ago and they put mesh in its place. The recovery has been challenging...to say the least. I have notice that eating certain foods made my abdomen hurt or swell....if it is something frothy...it swells even more in my stomach and my stomach pushes against the mesh and I really hurt. I am trying to get my life back on track. I lost my job, my health insurance when I had this surgery. I had a tumor growing inside my abdominal muscle and they thought it was cancer, so they took out the entire muscle. Thank God it was not cancer. I am so glad I found this support group. I am worried about all the information out there about the problems mesh is causing, so I am going to contact my surgeon and find out what type of mesh is in me and see if that may be some of my problem. If you have any questions for me or suggestions, please feel free to write to me. Thanks again for helping me feel not so alone.

Any newer update with any of you?
I had my ab muscles removed because of a hernia surgery that went horribly wrong.
I hate the fact that I look 6 months pregnant! I was forbidden to exercise my mid section by the doctors.
But, lately I feel that I am actually able to move my stomach..... Not sure why this is happening? I am thrilled but I thought that these muscles could not grow back after being removed. Im not complaining, just wondering'
Cheri

reets, Wow. You are the first person I have found with similar ab experience. Let's chat.

Founded this group as I found self alone with abdominal muscles taken away in 2002. To locate others whom are living with this and experiencing similar pain, limits, etc. is helpful!

It is smart to talk to doctors and attorney on type of mesh used in surgery, as there have been lawsuits and side effects.

Coping with the daily pain of walking, talking, sitting etc when having no ab muscles is very trying and exhausting, I find. I wish they'd grow back. I wish that I could exercise, lift over 5 pounds, be more active again, climb stairs, enjoy events, etc.

I had keyhole surgery to repair a hernia but during surgery my bowel was punctured several time without them knowing,emergency surgery followed where my all my abdominal muscle was removed,i have difficulty lifting and suffer pain in my stomach and my back muscle do all the the work now leaving me with constant back pain,the thing that really bugs me is i have stomach that looks as if i'm 9ths pregnant (imagine that pose that Demi Moore did when pregnant).I have to wear abdominal supports to keep everything in but it is still very noticeable .i would love to find out if there is any type of exercise or other means of getting rid of this.

I have a Desmoid Tumour formed from my upper right abdominal muscle. It's growing aggressively and I will be getting surgery to remove it in a couple days. Because this tumour has grown into a huge portion of my upper and lower abdominal muscles I will be getting a mesh sewn it it's place. There is very little information out there on this and I have no idea what to expect in terms of the length of my recovery, what physiotherapy I might be able to do, or what my physical limitations will be after I am fully recovered. If anyone has any answers to these questions I would greatly appreciate it.

I'm sorry you are also going through this but am also regrettably relieved to not be alone in this. All of my abdominal muscles were removed in 2006 to save my life from flesh eating disease. I had numerous surgeries in the three years prior to that but find thinking about that time to be too negative. Thinking positively and believing in my bodies ability to overcome anything has allowed me to thrive.

In the three years following the amputation I struggled with chronic infections, pain, and difficulty doing anything without assistance. I was bed ridden, gained 150 pounds and needed a walker to get around my home. Then I found out I was going to be a grandma...

I tried to get a referral for physio, nobody felt specialized enough to help me. I tried to join a gym but when I explained my condition to the trainer I was escorted to the door (YMCA) I waa told if o wanted to use their restroom I'd need a doctors more releasing them from responsibility.

I developed my own physio which I still do at least two hours a day. I have lost 120 pounds and haven't needed my walker for over three years now. I've had consultations with many surgeons trying to find someone to help me reclaim my life.

The difficulty with having no abdominal muscles is firstly limited protection for my internal organs say for instance if my seatbelt tightens up when I have to slam on the brakes, or an overzealous shopper bumps into me racing for the checkout. I will still quite often use the scooter or wheelchair in the stores just to ensure my safety. I can easily walk ten miles now but standing two minutes in the bank lineup is quite painful and leaves me very short of breath...

I digress, the lack of abdominal muscles also concern the surgeon's as the muscle protects your internal organs from the scalpel. As well skin will continually stretch so a sagging belly perpetuates the problem.

One surgeon suggested taking a muscle from my leg to cover the bottom part of the "defect", one from my back to cover the top of the "defect" then cutting slits in my obliques kind of like the binding on a book to stretch out like a fan over the entire area. He would also use a mesh to reinforce it all. I've since been told this is science fiction and not possible although this was before my weight loss and I find them to be more willing to help after I've taken steps to help myself. I used the parentheses on "defect" because that's the term they use and I find out offensive, doesn't defect imply I came this way?

I will be happy to share more of what I've found works I just have to run