swelly belly, cramping, and pain

It has been 16 weeks since my surgery. This past week the lifting restriction was lifted so I went to gym and did pretty much a regular work out. Basically that is 10 - 20 minutes on bicycle and same on elliptical. about 5 sets of knee extensions (lifting 20 pounds) and about 5 sets of seated rows, lifting about 20-30 pounds. That all went very well - I did that Tuesday and Thursday this week.

Yesterday my swelly belly was awful! All day, I felt very swollen, more than usual. But I also have noticed (even before yesterday) that sometimes I have a feeling of a hard knot inside my belly. This morning I'm having really bad cramping. I've gone to the bathroom a couple of times... but I feel like there's gas inside.

I've been regular through out entire recovery. Has anyone else experienced this. I'm calling doctor if this isn't better soon!

u should call the doc. maybe u did too much. i don't know but if you have a lump that u can feel in there u better get it checked. (lumps can be hernia, or adhesions as i know anyway)

I noticed you are 16 weeks post op, I am 4 years post op and still have the SWELLY BELLY SERIOUSLY !!when does this ever go away?????

I really don't think it ever goes away. I am 3 months out went to the mall yesterday for the first time. I knew was I was walking I would pay for that walk that night and I did. Today I am still swollen. 3 months out my Dr told me a year but at this point I am finding someway to live with it. I have tried everything, nothing worked.

I am concerned for my swelly belly as well. I am 5 1/2 wks p-op and it seems to just be getting bigger rather than smaller. I am hoping that it is just swelling and not 'the weight gain' that they associate with menopause. I had endo therefore a TAH/BSO but using an estrogen patch 0.1mg -which doesn't want to stick. But, is this swelling going to continue to get worse??? I can't wear any of my work clothes and it is time to go back to work! Can anyone confirm that this is swelling and not weight gain. I was hopeful that I would be losing weight after stopping the progesterone that I was on prior to surgery to stop menstrual cycle.

There was another post about this awhile ago this is how I know this information. It is not weight gain, it is air and fluid I believe. I am 3 months out and have lost 8lbs but am wearing clothes 2 sizes to big for me. It all takes time, I hope.

Janet TAH BSO

Thanks for your comments. I was just skeptical about it being air because it is up and down. Fluid maybe...but it still is upsetting and I worry that it will never go down. I hope you are right. Thanks.

We are different in how our bodies respond to injury. Our brains planned the surgery but our bodies didn't know what was going to happen. So the body experienced this massive trauma and all the body can do is call for more blood to the area. As blood brings oxygen and takes away the bad stuff. So, that is why some become light headed longer after surgery and some (lucky gals) have swelly belly for longer period of time. Hopefully if we do as we are told, not only by our docs, nurses and Hsisters, but by our own bodies -- sometimes disregarding the brains input -- we will heal okay. We have to hang tough - just not be tough and try to do everything we once did in one day.

{{{HUGS to all}}}

I am wondering now if mine is actually swelly belly or the fact that I can not seem to hold in my gut? When I try to suck it in it just hangs there and looks the same. Oh well.

Thanks for helping me try to deal with the changes that are going on. I was just so hoping to be slimming down after all of the ups and downs with drug therapy for endo that having it all out, I would be able to start shedding some of the 60 pounds that I gained over 11 yrs....I don't think it is biscuits this time that is putting the weight on as i haven't had much of an appetite yet, but I haven't had any activity either and BMs are sometimes few and far between since surgery. Everything is just not 'shaping up ' as I had hoped ;(