Post Rplnd Stomach Ache

[Ken Fried]

My son just returned home following his RPLND. He had an I/O prior. He is eating very little and feels full and uncomfortable. He appears to be afraid to eat because he does not want to throw up. (He did in the hospital and had to stay an extra week.) Is this fullness/discomfort normal? Any suggestions. Thanks.

[nzsteve]

Hi,

When was the surgery, and how long has he been out of hospital?

I was kept in for 10 days after mine. I had some bowel problems, which made me feel very full and bloated. At one point they took me for an xray to see what was going on, and they had to retake it as my insides didnt fit on the plate It was about a week until I felt like eating, and even then it was slow going for a while.

It's not unnormal to feel full and bloated, but its a matter of time - the bowels should be woken up and gurgling within a couple of days. Can you hear 'gurgles' from his stomach? Is he passing gas? any sign of bowel movements? If the answer to the first two is no it might be worth getting a follow up appointment with the doctors. The bowel movements wont happen until he's eating, but if he has been eating for more than a few of days and nothing is happening then Id see the docs aswell.

Steve

[dadmo]

Ken:
It's quiter normal for some patients to lose their appetite. When the intestine are handle they go into shock and it takes some time for those nerves to recover. In my son's case he was about 3 weeks before he could, or wanted to, eat a full meal.

[Ken Fried]

Poor appetite/fullness

Thank you for your responses. My son's surgery was July 7 and came home on the 22. He was kept that long because he threw up his first meal (which was quite substancial) Several xrays confirmed that he was doing ok. After eating a bit, he was released. Now home, he is eating just ounces a day and complains of fullness, but NOT nausea. He has an app't July 26. We'll see how today goes. Again, thanks.

[Scott]

Is his abdomen looking distended at all? The way he feels sounds just like I did after RPLND surgery when I had chylous ascites, collection of lymphatic fluid in the abdomen. It may well be that he's just still recovering from surgery and will feel more like eating soon, but I would check in with the surgeon's office.

[Kev332]

Sorry to hear about your sons problems post RPLND. Like nzsteve, I too had bowel issues after my RPLND and had to be in the hospital for additional week after i was initially released. Not fun. I had severe abdominal pain and it got to the point where i was brought to the ER.

Has your son been going to walks on a daily basis? Is he in any pain or more just the fact that he has no appitite?

-Kevin

[Mizu]

Sorry to hear about your son's trouble. I had the same issues as Kevin and nzsteve - another 3 days at the hospital after I had been released for 2 days. I had my RPLND at sloan and they have a fairly strict dietary protocol to avoid the chylous ascites Scott mentioned. That meant low fat (at most 5g per day) for two weeks, no corn or nuts for 6 months. Walking helps to work up the appetite, and not eating large portions, but instead small snacks distributed throughout the day. I was a pretty cranky customer for my wife's cooking at first but that settles after a short while.

[Ken Fried]

Feeling Better

What a difference a few hours make! Yesterday he couldn't look at food, and today he's got an appetite. He's eating small portions often and does not feel that fullness. He shaved and actually went out to the mall. Amazing. He has an app't Thursday in NYC as a regular follow-up. It's been good day!

[Scott]

That's great news, Ken. I'm really glad to hear things are looking up!

[dadmo]

Just as a precaution you may want to have your son take a stool softener. He certainly doesn't need to be pushing too hard.