TAH Are all swelly bellies alike?

When I first got home from the hospital - more than a month ago now! - my belly, thighs and everything downwards were swollen with fluid. While I was lying flat and sleeping that night, the fluid redistributed itself. When I woke up the next morning, my eyes were swollen shut! However, over the next few days, my body flushed itself of the excess fluid.

Fast forward four weeks. By this point, I'd been going for long walks, I'd cautiously reintroduced some exercises and I'd gone back to work. My sister was coming up to visit for a couple of days. Wanting Sis to feel comfortable, I did a lot of scrubbing and sweeping around the apartment.

I noticed that evening that my stomach muscles were definitely more swollen than they had been in previous days. The pattern of swelling was quite different than the fluid retention of my first few days out of the hospital. It was clearly concentrated in my abdominal muscles, which also felt slightly sore, although a "good sore," such as one might get from a workout. I figured, okay, I've heard about this, this is "swelly belly."

However, two other posts this evening caught my eye. One sister described what sounded to me like the fluid retention I had in the first few days: "The last time I was this swollen was preg with my daughter 7 years ago... my feet, ankles, legs, arms, hands, and swelly belly." [Surgery date: 01-Jul-2013]

The other described what might like either fluid retention or possibly lymph edema? "I had so many lymph nodes removed but today is the first day it's actually happened. It's adding a lot of presure to my tummy and also the tops of my legs are awful swollen." [Surgery date: 13-Jun-2013]

I have to wonder if we're using the term "swelly belly" to refer to different things which occur at different points in recovery, have different causes and thus probably have different treatments.

In the meantime, now that my sister's been and gone - we had a great visit! - I'm going to go back to ignoring housework.

I too have been confused by the term. I know somedays I have a swell in my lower abdomen, and I consider that a swelly belly, but then I come on here and read about everyone else's and think hmm maybe I am mistaken.

When I do too much I get the poofy "roll" around my belly button horizontally, and if I'm a doofus and do way too much I get the rounded pregnant belly. I haven't swelled up anywhere else that I've noticed!

I am 3 weeks post op and have found that as the day progresses my belly is more swollen- especially if I have been up and about and active. On days I have probably overdone it I look about 5 months pregnant by the time I go to bed- along with the swelling comes this deep inner ache, probably my bodies way of reminding me to slow down

I am lucky and don't swell much. When I do feel "fluffy" it definitely is from under my upper abdomen or say around my belly button. I've even had my belly button look stretched out. Weird.
I found these adorable cotton dresses at Belk (bought 2). They just are loose that come above the knee. The tie is at the waist but you can make it as loose or tight as you need through the day. Love 'em. Sorta like camouflage.

My abdomen swells as the day progresses (I'm just shy of 2 weeks post op LAVH). Sometimes, at the end of the evening, my belly is pregnant looking & tight.