[swimangel72]

Hi Tricia - I'm sorry you've been having issues with your abdomen. My problems started (I believe) when my PS removed my drains too soon (about 12 days after surgery). I ended up with an abdominal staph infection in the fluid build-up - and my stomach incision re-opened, requiring packing twice-a-day for over 3 months. I hope you don't have to worry about THAT! I also have a large bulge in my lower right abdomen. In the beginning, the PS kept saying it was fluid, but I really didn't believe him. I had to see a lymphedema therapist for cording in my right arm - and she felt my abdomen and said it didn't feel like fluid to her (it's very hard - feels like a pregnancy.) After a couple of months of this - I went to my family doctor who ordered a cat scan - it didn't show a hernia, only the abdominal wall defect from my "muscle-sparing free tram." With that as proof, my PS had to admit it wasn't just "swelling" in my abdomen but an actual defect that he would have to repair during Stage 2. I've since lost trust in my PS - went to visit a surgeon who repaired a small hernia for me 7 years ago - and when he looked at the cat scan on his computer then felt my stomach he said I DO have a hernia - that my abdominal muscle on the right side is nearly gone. I said how is that possible when the surgeon only took 1cm of tissue? He said a staph infection (especially MRSA) can eat away at the internal tissues - also he said when they do a cat scan, you're laying down so the hernia isn't as obvious.

I'm so happy I went for a second opinion - and to a surgeon who's speciality is fixing abdominal wall defects and hernias (he's worked on many tram-flap patients - his before and after pictures were amazing!) I have to wait until next January when I can switch insurance companies since he's out-of-network - but I can't wait to get my stomach repaired.

I hope my story helps you and doesn't frighten you. I just wanted to let you know you're not alone. I'm assuming you had a pedicle Tram - where they tunneled your muscle up to create the new breasts? A teacher I work with had that surgery ten years ago and she still has a bulge just beneath her breast above her navel - she said it's actually the muscle that is bulging as it was bent and twisted. Do you think that's what your bulge is?