puffiness above wound - abdominal hysterectomy

I am 6 weeks post-op and I am starting to feel a lot better. After almost 4 weeks of status quo, I actually now feel day-to-day improvement.
I still have a swollen patch about the size of a sausage or finger above the left hand side of my wound. It has a kind of knot feeling at the center. I feel bad complaining about a cosmetic issue, but it makes me feel depressed to see my belly looking so ugly (and it is all lopsided and ugly looking). I had the same thing since about 1 week post-op although it has shrunk a lot over the last 5 weeks, it was very big at first. Does anyone know if it will go away completely? It also rubs because it sticks out, so it is sensitive and painful.

The doctor said it had something to do with the sewing up of the wound, the sewing of the various layes of tissue.

Hoping it will go away, I miss my old tummy.

There is the chance it will go away on its own. Does ice help?

I haven't tried. I will do so now.

I assume from your response that for some people this goes away but for others it doesn't?

I had two spots like that. One went away totally, one shrank a lot but is still sorta there.

I'll be honest. I'm overweight and that most likely has a lot to do with the one that didn't go away like it should have.

Thanks so much for getting back to me lrmctexxas. It helps so much to be able to discuss these issues, big and small, with others.

I will try the ice and I will be patient and see. I'm not skinny minny nor am I a big gal, so who knows. Maybe also with time I will get used to seeing my new tummy and it will distress me less, even if the puffiness doesn't go away.

xoxoxo

I have one side that has more of a roll than the other. I also believe that it is the way I was cut and sewn up. It has gone down a lot in the four and a half months post-op but it is nowhere near disappearing completely. I am walking every day 10 km or so trying to lose 10 lbs to see if it will make a difference.

The look of your tummy will improve as time goes by. I was freaking about the way mine looked right after the surgery and I am a lot happier with it now. Not completely happy but I can stand looking at it now. Don't feel it is a minor issue because it is your body and you are the one that has to look at it!

Thanks Danni3113,

All this support really helps!

xo

theshuffler - The support really does help doesn't it? I too asked the questions and researched many sites to reassure me that I wasn't going to keep looking the way I did after surgery. The ladies here made me feel so much better about the future. The support here is incredible!

It just takes time for that to go down...for some it goes away pretty quick, for others not so quick....the soreness and tenderness is normal too...hang in there! ... you will get your tummy back!