Hello!

I've been lurking here since I came home from the hospital two weeks ago.

I had an open bowel resection done on 5/30. While I am feeling alot better, I now have super sensitive skin, not just on the incision area (26 staples were removed on Monday), but the entire abdomenal area is sensitive as well. I can't stand to have any clothing touch me. My surgeon said this could happen, but at the time it wasn't a concern, so I didn't really ask about it. Have any of you had this happen? If so, how long does this last? Thank you all and I'm really happy that I found this board! ;)

Regards,

Mary

Could be all those nerve endings cut during surgery coming back to life.
I felt all sorts of strange twinges and remember wearing loose clothing for a while because it was uncomfortable having anything touching my belly.

Good luck,
Linda

I too had open resection. My skin did feel weird for a while, and I wore loose fitting clothing for about the first month or so. Then I had to purchase a bunch of pants that sit way down low (ultra low rise) even though I hate them because the surgeon accidentally cut through my stomach muscles and left me with a permanent bulge! Now the scar itself is without feeling but the skin is much thicker, stronger and back to normal (8 months post). I have been putting aloe vera gel and cocoa butter/vitamin e cream on the scar and it helps to keep the skin softer. The top inch and a half or so has already faded to normal skin color (albeit a little shinier) and there is much improvement.

Good luck, hope you are feeling better soon!

It will get better, eventually. You're only 3 weeks out, so you have a ways to go yet. You sound like me, trying to rush it along, and the doctor says to just give it time to improve. I don't have the patience!! :D I'm 5 weeks post-op and still have a little bit of pain that's NOT where the incision was, but it's actually on the inside where the colon was stapled back together. I also have a large area that's still got that numb feeling. Both are bearable though, because I can finally do more than just sit around here resting. I can actually put on a pair of jeans and not be in pain!

Redneon, you say at 8 months out you're still numb or is it just the scar itself? I keep wondering how long this will last but the doc just says it could take several months to get the feeling back. The other thing that really bothers me is that where my colostomy was, I now have an indentation. I joke that it's like having a second belly button! My sister had a similar indent (from a different surgery) and said hers took years to look normal again. I hope I don't have to wait that long....

Zima (I love those!!), I don't have any numbness other than the actual scar itself. I have feeling all around the scar so if someone touches it, I know they're doing it but I can't actually feel it on the scar itself. Other than that, and the (annoying) bulge, everything else is back to normal. I do occasionally have some pain but 99% of the time it's because I ate something I shouldn't have (spicy, hot, cheesy). My appetite is huge and I have put on 12 pounds!

I dodn't have a colostomy so can't help you there. But we're not visually the same as before, but we feel much better, don't we!

I dodn't have a colostomy so can't help you there. But we're not visually the same as before, but we feel much better, don't we!

You're right, it ain't real pretty, but it feels good to be normal again!

Thanks, everyone! I know I have to just be patient. Things are getting better, and most of the time it's my skin that bothers me, now. I am going to call my surgeon tomorrow, though. I am having problems with constipation, even while taking Colace 3x a day. I'm afraid of straining to hard, and there is a LITTLE bleeding now. I'm so afraid of injuring my resection. I don't know if I actually am constipated or if it's just the way I'm to 'go' now. Better to be safe than sorry, and quite frankly, I don't want to ever have surgery again.

I'll get some Cocoa butter ...thanks, Redneon82...great idea. ;)

I had a bowel resection done 2 years ago, and I am still protective of the scar. THe soreness went away eventually, but I still don't like anything to push hard on it.

Lori

Skates, go to the top of the Bowel Disorders forum list and read the Information Archive sticky. Harry and others have posted a lot of info, especially about using fiber to get your bowels working properly again. You need both soluble and nonsoluble fiber, and drink lots of water. A stool softener alone is not going to cut it and you will only feel worse as the days go by. I was going nuts after the first week home because I was so uncomfortable, then my doctor got me moving in the right direction, and I finally found the HealthBoards with so much info that I could use.

Good luck and hang in there. It's going to get better!