Liver Resection-Twinges and Tightness..

I had my liver surgery in April 2014.   Later that year, in October, when I was in England and doing allot of walking, I noticed twinges where the surgery had been.  I was absolutely pertirfied, to say the least.   At that point, I was in Wales, with one of my long-time friends, who is a nurse.  She told me that it was probably scar tissue forming. 

I get the 'twinges' on a regular basis now. I notice they happen at certain times, or when I have been doing certain things. One of them is vacuuming or sweeping. That motion with my arm and body, sets it off.  It is also set off when I have eaten too much, or have eaten foods that bloat me.  It happens when I eat too much salt or sugar.  It is an almost constant reminder that I am a Cancer patient; but you know somthing - that does not bother me at all. I need that reminder, or else I just get lax and go back to my 'old ways' the ways that got me Cancer in the first place, no doubt. 

Well, that was a long answer to a short question, wasn't it  .

Tru

SandiaBuddy said:

Stitchiness

I did not have the same surgery, but I think I know the feeling you are describing.  After the surgery healed, I used to call it "stitchiness," because it was variously a tugging or outright pain.  It continues a bit to this day.  I think the feeling receeds with time.  There are supposed to be multiple layers of muscle in the abdomen, and initially, the scars tie them all together.  I have been told that over time the layers seperate a bit (which may cause pain) but allows more flexibility.

The sensation that I experience definitely comes from the liver itself.  Because I had an ablation, the tumour itself is fried to a ball, and the liver seals up around it.  Not sure about Mojo's twinge, as she had a full resection, which is totally different. 

Now, the stitchiness that you have, is also what I have in and around the several other abdominal surgeries I have gone though. I get it especially around the horizonal incision that was used twice in one year, to get inside. Lots of scar tissue built up and muscle damage. 

Aye, what we all go through to make life work.  It can be a constant reminder. 

Had them as well after Hemi-colectomy and resection, I just figured the remaining intestines were spreading out and enjoying all the new room they had lol.

SandiaBuddy said:

Uncharted territory

I found it odd how the surgeon just shrugged off my questions about the internal adjustments the surgery.  I mean, heck, my colon is being held together by titanium staples.  It there risk of tearing the wound with too much exercise or over-eating (I certainly have felt some strain when I over-ate, so I avoid doing that now)?  What grows (if anything) in the space that was vacated?

What happens to the blood vessels, nerves and muscles that were cut during the surgery?

For me, these are unanswered questions.

By now, your colon has healed and your staples are just floating hardwear.  Well, I think they are caught up in a mesh of tissue. But the colon heals like any wound that has staples or stitches. 

I had a sigmoidoscopy with no anesthesia, so I watched the screen. At one point I saw these weird metal things, so I had the Doc go back and show me them. They were laying on their side, in random places.  He told me they were my staples. 

Also, when I have one of those wonderful, smooth, real perfect bowel movements, there is a distinct line down the side. It is where the BM has passed down one of those staples, leaving the groove. 

What I found weird was knowing that a staple gun had been inserted up my anus and into my rectum.  Of course, I am visualizing a regular staple gun, like we use on paper. I'm kinda hoping its allot smaller than that - but still, I get a kick out of thinking it was up there. 

Tru

SandiaBuddy said:

Uncharted territory

I found it odd how the surgeon just shrugged off my questions about the internal adjustments the surgery.  I mean, heck, my colon is being held together by titanium staples.  It there risk of tearing the wound with too much exercise or over-eating (I certainly have felt some strain when I over-ate, so I avoid doing that now)?  What grows (if anything) in the space that was vacated?

What happens to the blood vessels, nerves and muscles that were cut during the surgery?

For me, these are unanswered questions.

I had many of the same questions--I did request the surgical report and it  helped,  one of the concerns I had was B12 absorption as my Ileo-cecal valve was removed with the distal ileum (small intestine where it joins the large). While B12 binds with Intrinsic factor in the stomach it is absorbed primarily in this area that I had removed. It is a famous "trick" questoin on nursing exam lol. I could not get ONE single practitioner to express concern--Oncologists, surgeon, dietician etc. So I just take sublingual mega supplements. And if I eat raw cauliflower I swear I can feel it getting pushed along the entire way lol.

Trubrit said:

Staples

By now, your colon has healed and your staples are just floating hardwear.  Well, I think they are caught up in a mesh of tissue. But the colon heals like any wound that has staples or stitches. 

I had a sigmoidoscopy with no anesthesia, so I watched the screen. At one point I saw these weird metal things, so I had the Doc go back and show me them. They were laying on their side, in random places.  He told me they were my staples. 

Also, when I have one of those wonderful, smooth, real perfect bowel movements, there is a distinct line down the side. It is where the BM has passed down one of those staples, leaving the groove. 

What I found weird was knowing that a staple gun had been inserted up my anus and into my rectum.  Of course, I am visualizing a regular staple gun, like we use on paper. I'm kinda hoping its allot smaller than that - but still, I get a kick out of thinking it was up there. 

Tru

Gosh, the staples issue makes me laugh, is that good or bad?  I thought they would stay in the same place and that the colon tissue would never grow together.  Now it is even weirder to think that they are floating around in goodness knows what location in my colon.  Ack!  Maybe my surgeon was smart to leave me uninformed.  She never even mentioned the staples, I had to find out about them myself.

Actually, the last CT I saw showed the staples in a rather orderly pattern, but that was probably about a year ago, so who knows where they are now.  Great, I have a new issue to grill the surgeon about next time I see her.  They already "love" me and my list of questions!