Have no clue what to do..

December 1999 I had emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix.  the infection was so bad it collapsed my frontal lobes and spread throughout my abdomin (abdomen).  It took four litres of saline solution to clean out and my intestines had to be cleaned outside of my abdominal cavity.  A week or so after surgery I became reinfected and had to have my stitches removed so I got to watch my the hole in my stomach slowly healed.  Ever since then I've had a lot of pain and was diagnosed with IBS.  This September I had a laporoscopy to remove scar tissue on my right ovarie and fallopian tube and my bowl.  I tried going back to work recently but am in constant pain.  Eating, physical activity and stress seem to make my symptoms worse.  I work as a health care aide right now but I believe that the shift work and extreme physical nature of the job will not be good for my health.  I don't know what to do or what specialist I should see.  I want my life back and I want to feel good for once.  What are my options?

[Ratnakar Kini, MD]

Hi,
There are two possibilities - Pain due to scar inside ( adhesions) and IBS.
Though scar tissue was removed in a previous surgery, they can recur due to the second surgery.
Consult a Gastroenterologist for evaluation.
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The information provided is for patients’ education only and is not a medical advice. Always consult your personal physician for complete evaluation of your health problem.

- Ratnakar Kini M.D.