Complication of latest surgery
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Marion and Cathy….thank you for your posts in response to my problems with post op pain and the mixed reading of CT scans, etc. It was my GP who wanted me to hand carry my CT scan to the surgeon at Mayo, so I definitely give her credit for that. As of right now, the huge pain I had in December has stayed gone. I still have a small area under that incision which occasionally gives me a “tug” that doesn’t feel great, but I can’t even say it hurts. It’s just a very mild tug of momentary discomfort which I suspect is from the part of the muscle that was cut during surgery…..still healing.
Julie T.
Julie, I just had the same expierence with my liver abcess. My interventional radiologist, thought it was getting worse but my liver doctors didn’t agree!! After several conferences with all my doctors, they believe it is better because the ultrasound is a better scan for fluids than a CT. The ultrasound showed very little fluid and my drain should be removed in 2 weeks!!
Lots of prayers for healing and less confusion! CathyJulie……even physicians with similar experience can disagree, but the odds favor the surgeon performing the original surgery.
There is an inherent and well recognized problem with patients treated at other facilities and then are released to local physician’s care. We learned that as well.
In the next few days I will be attending a cancer survivorship conference focused on collaborative oncology care. I quote: “Critical problems identified by the Institute of Medicine have led to fractured care experienced by many cancer survivors include the lack of communication between oncologist specialists and primary care physicians”. Kevin C. Oeffinger, MD. Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Although this conference focuses on oncology and PC physicians, I expect much of it to pertain to general post surgery care as well. I will keep everyone posted.
Hugs,
MarionMarion,
Interesting….thank you for that info on your home town docs and scans. I am so glad that my GP insisted that we get a CD copy of the CT scan to take with us up to Mayo. Since I don’t hurt much now, it isn’t that important for right now, but I’d hate to have something done based on what was misread. Yikes!
Julie T.
Julie…..so glad you are on the upswing and feeling much better. We had similar experience with misreading of scans by various physicians in our home town. This then prompted us to forward everything and anything to the surgeon for review.
Hugs,
MarionJulie, If only we could see inside ourselves but since we can’t guess you have to go with the one you trust most. Life is not easy. Or I should say if it was not for the bad we would never appreciate the good. In this case it is good that the pain is leaving. Just think soon you will be able to carry the little men again!
CHANGE of DIAGNOSIS?
I have just returned from Mayo Rochester today. I went for my 4 week post op checkup. My local GP had me hand carry a CD copy of the CT scan that was done here in my hometown. I was diagnosed the SEROMA fluid collection post surgery.
My Mayo surgeon looked at the scan…..and told us that he did not see what they were looking at. HUH? I told him that they even gave us the neurology report, showing that it was 3.5 cm in one direction (how do you miss that?) He looked at it again and again, he did not see a Seroma. There were some areas that might have been misread as a Seroma, but they weren’t anything of consequence.
So, now the question: Did my local radiologist misread the CT THAT BADLY? My GP had asked them to look for a possible hernia starting or kidney stone, but the local radiologist came up with this Seroma.
The Mayo surgeon suggested that the problem may have been due to inflammation in the muscle in the area of the one laproscopic port incision, but otherwise, we don’t know. The pain is almost 100% gone after using hot packs very often for about 5 days and less frequently the past several days. All I have left is a little pinching feeling now and then, when medications have worn off. I’m trying to wean off the pain meds as soon as possible since I’ve been on them since surgery.
When all is said and done…..the pain is almost gone, so normally, I’d say the subject is closed, except it makes me wonder what is the point to ever having another local CT scan if they can’t really read them accurately? Guess I will discuss this with my local GP.
Seems like always something.
I will be posting other news from the check up under “What’s Working” either later today or tomorrow.Julie T.
Julie, I’m glad you are feeling better. Your story is so close to my wife Diane’s. After her surgery taking out 40% of liver, gallbladder and lyn node. She had bad pain and they called it leaking of bile. They inserted drain , then her incision opened up and was infected, so they had to pack it. I forgot to mention they put in a stent and then took it out. She went thru a period of time after surgery like you and she fought thru too. These types of surgerys are very dificult and the location they consider dirty area. Diane is feeling pretty good now. Her results of last CT scan shows new lynth node in stomach at 1.9 . First sign of cancer moving. They stopped her chemo because she got bad infection. We see Doc. on 19th to see what is next.
Keep fight…we are !
Best Regards
JackJulie, sorry about all your problems! Thank God for the internet! I am curious why they don’t use an external drain. I have had fluid build up for 6 weeks and have an external drain, hopefully will be removed tomorrow!
Prayers for answers and good news from the Mayo!
CathyJulie,
Glad you have gotten control of the pain. Hope it all gets sorted out soon and you are back to normal, what ever that is.
Hugs,
DarlaGreat news Julie so I will join Lainy in doing her yippee dance as well for you!
Gentle hug for you tonight!
Gavin
Yea! Julie, persistence does pay off. So glad for you and soon you will be holding those little boys again! I would do one of my cartwheels but not sure where I will land!!! So a BIG YIPPEE will have to do for now.
Right after the post surgical SEROMA was diagnosed, I surfed the web for more info. Some websites suggested putting hot packs on it to help reduce the size /fluid amount and pain . So, I started putting hot packs on it off and on all day and evening. By the end of the full second day, I was sure that the pain was far less and by day three, I could once again stand up and dress myself (except socks) without help. In three days time, I went from crying a lot because of the pain to being able to get up and move around without using a cane or walker. It has taken a few more days, but this morning, I was finally also able to lie on my right side, though the left side (where the SEROMA is located is still uncomfortable, but not really hurting badly. I’m wearing myself back off of the pain meds. Such a difference for something so simple as a hot pack and being persistent.
Julie T.
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