After 6 mos. Belly still hard & swollen

and painful pressure like a pulled muscle. I go see surgeon tomorrow, anything I should ask?This is getting quite old
sue

"Why?" would be the obvious question and don't be fobbed off, maybe take someone with you if you feel you may be intimidated by the surgeon. I'm 12 weeks post op from TAH and I don't have these issues. Good Luck.

Yes that will be my first.then my ortho dr sent me here because he feels it is pulling on my back.and a few more
sue

He looked at it said "HMM yes it is still hard & swollen,and you have a hernia here from where I had to reclose it. probly from lifting too much too soon. Any general surgeons you don't like?" I told him, I then said that's not why I came I came for the hard rock swollen gut. he said you need to have that hernia fixed.I said you did it don't you fix it? he said nope.. that was it basically.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I hate surgeries, I don''t do anesthesia well, and more cutting, scarring, worse pain you know the fun stuff
sue

Hi Sue,

I had the same issues as you, hard swollen stomach not feeling well etc and knew it from the start, my gyn wouldnt even admit there was a problem and told me that "when I do my Jane Fondas that it will soon go away". I was then told by my gp that it was the healing process and that it would resolve itself in time. But it got bigger and bigger, my dh who is a trainee nurse was home at christmas and commented on it. I made an appointment with my GP after christmas, she then said it might be IBS and referred me to a consultant surgeon who once he examined me said it is an incisional hernia and has to be repaired and that he would do the repair the following week. .when he told me the first thing was at least now I knew there was a problem and then the shock of more surgery. I had a TAH and then had a wound infection so I was not looking forward to the thought of all that again. He said that he would attempt to do it by keyhole but warned me that the position of the hernia was not where you would expect it and that he might have to revert to reopening me.

He is a lovely gentle man and i immediately felt at ease with him as against the ignorant pig that performed my hyster. I am glad to tell you that i had the surgery 10 days ago and he was able to do it without having to reopening me. I have strict restrictions but I feel a hell of a lot better than i did since my hyster. You will be sore for a few days but pain meds are great and again you will have to pamper yourself again, not a bad thing. I know I have had surgery but it is much different this time.

Have you been referred to anyone yet and if so when are they going to do your surgery? let us know how you get on.

Hugs to you

No just a referral to the guy who did my gallbller bout 7years back. will call Monday. we had sat there so long waiting By the time we saw dr it was after normal office hours. Your belly stayed swollen & hard? may I ask for how long after surgery?did your dr say if swelling & hardness would go down?Mine GYN said nothing.The hernia is at the part he had to keep closing & finally sewed back shut right at bottom of incision(vertical) right where I would have a roll of belly fat if it were a roll & not a rock. I have known it didn't seem right. ortho told me to go ask him why, and I was gonna give it 6 mos
thanks so much
sue

Kerrylady, how did the surgeon know it was a hernia? Just by pressing the stomach? When you say you feel better, did your belly stop swelling? And is the pain you were experiencing a whole lot less or gone? I ask because I've had almost continual pain since my hyst. -- complicated by cancer treatments, but I shouldn't still be in pain. In fact, I just had about two months mostly pain-free, and then last month it came back, no one knows why of course. There's also discharge. thank, and good luck to you, Sue.

thanks & I hope you get answers too!
sue

Hi ladies,

When the dr examined me he asked me to cough and then he felt it, then asked me to stand and of course it was clearly visable then. My swelling was on my left hand side low down near my hip and above my vertigal incision and was far more swollen than on my right, now he did say at the consultation that it could be a number of different things and that he would not be able to make a definate diagnosis until surgery. he did not do a scan becuase it would not give him enough information and did a laparascopy with a view to repairing what ever he found.

I am a bit swollen now but it is still early days after surgery. The lump is gone. I am not to lift anthing heavier than a glass for six weeks and not to get constipated, i am not sure what the story is after that. but i will say the pain that and discomfort that i had since my hyster is gone. It is sore where the repair was done but that was to be expected, but in myself i feel much better than i have done since sept. I have not returned to work since and I dont know when i can. As we said during our hyst recovery we only have one chance.

Keep in touch and let me know how the two of you get on.

Kind regards

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! mine was in August sounds alot alike
sue