Swollen stomach

I am getting really frustrated with the way my stomach looks. I had a TAH last Wed so I'm 8 days post op. My stomach is still swollen and it's starting to depress me. I went into surgery with a pretty flat stomach and I come out looking 3 months pregnant. I have had problems with gas and not being able to get rid of it and I've also not had a bm since Saturday. The nurse from my dr office called to check on me today and I mentioned that to her. She said because I was so small I shouldn't still be swollen. She told me to take a laxative to see if that's where the swelling is coming from. Surely this swelling will go away....right??? When I went to the dr Monday for my staple removal I weighed 8 pounds less than a few weeks ago. I haven't been able to eat much because of nausea, but I want to be reassured that this pouch I developed is going to go away. I don't mean to vent but this worry is keeping me up at night.

I am 4 1/2 weeks post op and I am still swollen. Some say it can last 6 months to a year (I sure hope not). I lost 43 lbs this past year and was very proud of my pre op body. I too have not added any weight to the scale, so I am taking as just a bump in the road to recovery ( no pun intended). Everyone including my Dr says with time our bodies will get back to it old self. Hope you have a great recovery. And make sure you get lots of rest.

Hi! It will get better. I am five weeks out and I am a pretty small woman too. My stomach is getting better. You just had surgery and because of the gas they pump into you and also not having a bm since last week you will be swollen for a while. My dr told me to take GasX with breakfas,lunch,dinner and at bedtime. Once i started that I hardly had any gas. Drink lots of water and try to walk as much as you can. Do you take stool softner? I took one 100mg morning and night. Plus if you rally can't go I took miralax in the morning with my coffee. Can't taste it and it works. it took me awhile to get my appitite back so don't stress too much over that. Just rest and take it easy. It will get better!! __________________ LAVH/BSO due to Adeno and Cronic Endometritis

The swelly belly is part of your healing. Don't worry so much about it. And you need to eat. Eating will generate the gas and BMs that will help things move. And drink lots of fluid.

There is a binder that helps, but the swelly belly is just par for the course given this type of major surgery.

And walk. Walking helps with the gas, as does Gas X.

You'll be fine. Hang in there. It has been such a short while since you had major surgery.

Thanks ya'll. I am looking forward to spend lots of time at the beach this summer so I'm sure hoping the 6 months to a year thing is not in my future.

I am four and a half months post-op and just now I feel like I do not have any swelling. I had very minimal swelling to the point I wondered if I had swelly belly but now I realize that I did. Just give it time. Walk a little, rest and drink a lot and eat healthily. The best thing is for you to listen to your body! You will get your tummy back!

I understand what you are going through. I've started having some what regular BM's, however, the swelly belly seems to go from my tummy and a bit around my back and to the tops of my thighs or so it seems.

I weighed myself earlier this week and am down 2lbs, but my weight went up 5lbs post op. I had been working on losing some weight prior to the surgery but nothing was moving. Kinda made sense once they removed the 800g fibroid in my body.

Sorry to overtake your thread, I was just beginning to think it was just me that was having issues with the weight.

I'm really hoping that mine will become softer and flatten as well.

Hugs and good luck to you in your healing.

Point to remember. Mine was down considerably by 2 weeks but then it seemed in the morning it would be down and by the end of the day back up. Then when I thought it was gone for good it reared it's ugly head yesterday. I'm 1 month post op. This surgery as I'm sure with many others requires patience.