Having some anxiety and dealing with almost constant burping

**Illuminated** · 08-07-2012 12:27 PM

Hi All,

I had my surgery on Aug 2nd. and everything seems to be going okay, except I am having anxiety that I may have a leak. Last night I think I may have taken a few sips of water too many and got a pain on my left side in the area of where the stomach should be. I am just worried I may have caused a leak by doing that. Up until then I have only had pain on my right side. It was a slight pain but none the less, still a pain. I tend to be overly paranoid and a bit of a hypochondriac by nature. I know it is probably nothing at all but I wanted to see if anyone else has experience something similar.

I have also had to deal with A LOT of burping and tightening in my abdomen and chest since day one of the surgery. I will even wake up after sleeping and go through a barrage of burping. I have talked and heard from a few people and they never mentioned having this burping problem. I am hoping I am not the only one.

Thanks for your time,
R

**joshgellis** · 08-07-2012 12:34 PM

If you had a leak, you would know. My surgeon told me that the pain in severe and will be accompanied by a lot of nausea and high fever. When I am full, I burp. I didn't really start doing this until I was on real foods, but maybe it is just your stomach saying you are drinking too much too fast.

**Grace** · 08-07-2012 01:54 PM

Hi - That left side pain is common.
Couple of possibilities -
A stitch they in a muscle being moved a bit or just the normal healing process of things shrinking back from being swollen from surgery.
Your insides moving around just a little... there is now space in there and sometimes there's a little readjustment I'm thinking. Burping is good. It means the gas is not being trapped and/or rolling around in there causing you pain.
The fact that you may have simply had enough to drink to fill your new stomach and have it drain out at a faster rate than it would if it were not full, leading to a little spasm in your upper intestine.
In other words, I wouldn't worry too much... as Josh said you'd have pretty definite indicators if you had a leak.
These things will happen for a long time as you relearn to eat and drink.
Be Well.

**4thefuture** · 08-07-2012 05:06 PM

I think you are ok, My Dr said you would know if you had a leak, pain and fever. I tend to get a little bloated especially eating protein. I think what you are feeling is normal!

**SECRETSLEEVE** · 08-07-2012 05:25 PM

Yes if you had a leak you would most def. be running a high fever! Everything you describe is all normal, you are very fresh out of surgery, remember it takes 3 months for your stomach to totally heal from surgery.