SKIN PAIN ABOVE BIKINI INCISION?

HI LADIES,
I WANTED TO KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE WAS EXPERIENCING ANY PAIN IN THEIR SKIN ABOVE THE INCISION? MINE RUNS TO MY BELLY BUTTON AND ALL THE WAY ACROSS MY TUMMY. IT HURTS TO JUST HAVE THE BLANKETS LAY ON IT AT NIGHT. IT ALMOST FEELS LIKE I'M BEING POKED WITH TINY LITTLE NEEDLES WHEN SOMETHING RUBS ME THERE.
THANKS

I just signed on to ask a similar question when I found your post. I'm 3 weeks post-op. I'm having less internal pain and my incision (bikini-cut) is less tender than it was. However, I'm very tender, mostly in a straight line from the middle of my bikini cut incision up to my belly button. It pulls and really hurts to stand straight and any contact (clothes, covers) is painful. Is this common and/or normal?

Thanks,
Renny

Hi ladies,
I don't know if I would call mine pain or just a weird feeling. When I rub the area of my bikini incision, and a little above and below it, it's almost like the feeling (or lack of) you get from the novocaine at the dentist. I know I'm touching the area but can't quite feel it. It can't be totally numb because when I lean against something or sometimes my clothing or blanket hurts. Actually it's more like pins and needles. Maybe it's the nerves and muscles coming back to life. Who knows! There are so many different and strange things happening at this point, it could be anything.

Happy New Year!

I posted yesterday on what may be the same thing you are writing about. I have this tingling sensation that is uncomfortable. I won't repeat it all here but you can read what I wrote. Check it out as it seems to be what you are sharing. It is above ......as I write this but may be below by time you read this. Entitles.......nerves regenerate?

At my 4-week post-op visit, my doc said that the incision area will remain numb for months due to cutting through nerves. Also, the burning, slightly painful sensations around the incision (on the right side for me) are where nerves have been damaged or irritated from being clamped with retractors during surgery. All "normal", according to him. This might be causing the pain you all are describing up your belly, if you imagine the incisions being held open?
Take care,
Jo

THANK YOU AL FOR YOUR INPUT. SOUNDS TO ME LIKE A NORMAL PART OF HEALING. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ONE TO WORRY ABOUT EVERY LITTLE THING I FEEL AND ITS NICE TO BE ABLE TO COME HERE AND SEE THAT THINGS ARE RIGHT OR MAYBE IT ISNT AND I SHOULD CALL THE DOC, THIS IS A GREAT PLACE, FULL OF INFORMATION. IM GOING TO SEE IF MY DOCTOR WILL POST THE ADDRESS FOR IT IN HIS OFFICE FOR LADIES TO COME TO. IT HAS BEEN A REAL LIFE SAVER FOR ME AT TIMES. IM SURE ANY WOMAN WHO IS TAKING ON THE TASK OF MAKING THE DECISION OR JUST BEEN TOLD SHE NEEDS A HYST WOULD LOVE TO BE HERE FOR THE SUPPORT AND INFO YOU ALL OFFER. YOU ARE TRULY A GREAT BUNCH OF LADIES AND I DONT KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO WITHOUT THIS SITE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!

I had TAH/BSO 2.5 weeks ago. My incision is still numb. Most of my discomfort comes from the area about two inches above my incision and an inch below my belly button. If I accidentally brush my swelly belly against the counter or something, oh my gosh, it hurts so bad!! I've been convinced the past few days that I have something else wrong with me and the surgery didn't fix my problems. But, now that I know I'm not the only one...I'm a little more calm. I'm going to the dr. for my first post-op visit tomorrow and I'm going to ask him. I'm also going to ask him about the right side of my incision. I still have extremely sharp, stop-you-in-your-tracks pain on the right side if I walk too much, bend over, stretch just little too far etc. Perhaps it's the nerve damage, irritation as you described. I'll let you all know what he tells me!! Take care!

Hi All - I think all the horizontal incision ladies are feeling the same pains. I am too! My doctor told me that there is a trunk of nerves in the area that is cut and it takes quite awhile for the feeling to come back totally. She also said that the pain I sometimes feel on the right side(and it can stop you in your tracks) is from the retractors pulling the muscles. There is a muscle(can't remember the name) that she prefers not to cut if she doesn't have to and just stretches the living day lights out of it instead!ouch! And this will be painful from this stretching but better than if it was cut!

This is such a great place to come and share aches, pains, info, smiles and cyberhugs!!!!

Take care, blessings, Marsha

Hi Ladies,

I went to the dr today and asked him about all the strange pain sensations. First of all, the pain that I am having horizontally above my bikini line and below my belly button is from blood "pooling" under the skin and around the ab muscles. He said this is a common occurrence. His suggestion was to take ibuprofen 600 mg 3 times a day and put a heat pad on my stomach as often as possible. This will help to break up the blood so the body can reabsorb it.

Second, I've been having that stop you in your tracks pain in the right side of my incision. His first comment was that the right side was almost always worse for all women but they really don't know why. But, the sharp pains are from the nerves. Once the nerves are cut, they will regrow and make new connections. Until that happens they are rather spastic and that causes a lot of the pain. He also felt that some of my pain was from the internal stitches in that side pulling as I moved. Again he said, "right side is always the worst, don't know why".

Those are two of the answers that I got to the belly pain problems. Have any of you received different responses from your drs?

Well...whenever women go through life-altering changes, we have a tendency to feel that we are all alone. I came across this site by accident (or rather by way of divine intervention).
I was having the same navel-to-bikini sensation...and thought that I needed to call the doctor to find out what he did that MUST have been wrong...LOL...oh well...now I know that it is probably the healing process...
I would not have had a CLUE (until my follow-up), if I had not found you ladies...thanks eversomuch...
You know...when you are on "lock-down"...every little thing seems VERY important...now I can find something else to worry about...
Thanks alot,
Cindy