Did anyone else here develop a second 'belly button' from an incision?

[stircrazy]

I know, I know . . . I'm way impatient, but it's a week and a half after surgery and incisions seem to look worse than when I was released from the hospital.  Especially that lump over one of my midline incisions, which protrudes so much over the incision that it looks like a second belly button.  Given its odd shape and size, I'm hoping it's not a hernia or something.

Has anyone else experienced this?  Thanks in advance for any responses or suggestions.

And thanks most of all for my Cysters for hosting the virtual parties, which help take our minds off of all of this business!

[stircrazy]

I can so relate to what you say here, Sonie!  I, too, have reached the point at which I dare not call my doctor or ask questions because I'm tired of being made to feel like I'm nuts or hypersensitive.  Never mind that my body is accurate 99% of the time in telling me something is amiss.  

Luckily, I was able to get an appointment tomorrow morning, so I won't have to wait until next Monday to see what's going on with this incision.  Hurray!  Thanks again for your kind words, sharing of info, and encouragement for me to ask - again - for an appointment this week.  I'll keep you posted and will be sending you good thoughts for your infection to clear up FAST!

[soniek]

my docs office is the same way...he totally blew me off right befor i got admitted.i went into his office,running a fever,so sick to my stoach i had iost 7 pounds in 2 weeks from not eating,couldnt ven it up on the table,my mom had her jacket under my head,and i was laying down...he was so blazay blazayyy about it..thats why,when the nasty green **** started cmoing out,i didnt go in right away,but i was scared of being just blown off again..when they asked me at the er why i didnt come sooner,i flat out old them,im sick of being blown off like theres nothing going on..the doctor then assured me,any moron with eyes can look at the stuff coming out and tell theres for ure a problem..but once you do get blown off,you get scared to go back and have them think your just nuts...honestly,if i were you,id just go to the er...skip the middle man all together.alot can happen in a week if it is a infection popping up.if you can get it under control,maybe it wouldnt be as bad as mine is/was......please consider the er...and please let me know...lots of love..sonie

[stircrazy]

Oh my goodness, Sonie!  What a turmoil you went through, and what a testimony to how strong you are to have pulled through with such grace and courage.  

The lump over my "second belly button" does sound like yours in its early stage, although it doesn't go all the way up to my real button, it only goes up about an inch or so.  I did call my doc but they're saying they don't have anything until next Monday - I only talked to the receptionist, though, so I will keep bugging them for something sooner.  I don't know why I'm surprised that they're so dismissive, since they also ignored obvious signs of a UTI after surgery.  I'll definitely keep you posted.

Thanks again, and have a wonderful day today! :)

[soniek]

i started with a small lump several days after syrgery(i had a laparotomy)..it grew and grew and grew to the point it was the whole legnth of my incision,and went up to my belly button..then,it started to wrinkle up,and when i felt that,i had ben look at it,and he said,oh wow,it looks like another belly button..i went to the er,the lady triaging me in,actually THOUGHT it was my belly button!!untill i showed her..lol..at that time,the dx me with a very large seroma,gav me antibiotics,and sent me on my way...within 2 weeks of being at the er,a tiny little hole opened up,and fluid started coming out(gushing actually)..they told me it was draining,and that was a good sign..then,the clear fluid turned very very thick,and green,and it smell HORRID!..i actually didnt go to the hospital when i should have,and the infection got worse...when i did finally go to the hospital,i was immediatly admitted,put on iv antibiotics,and kept for 5 days..they did surgery on the 4 day,opened part of the incision,drained it.left it open,and sent me home being packed 2 times a day..the infection didnt go away,an in fact strted aking a tunnel through my stomach,which is why i had the 3 surgery on the 24,they opened the whol incision,cut out dead tissue again,cut as much of the tunnel out as they could,and drained more infection..once again left the whole incision open,and im still being packed 2 times a day..sorry this is so ling winded,but when i read your post,it just reminded me of when i postd and askd why it would look like i had a second belly button,and had no lcue what was to come ahead..pleeeease call your doc..this may totally not even be whats going on with you,but better be safe than sorry...please let me know what they say...sonie

[stircrazy]

Hi, Sonie - you are so wonderful to help out here while you have so much going on with yourself!  Thanks for responding to this thread, especially since it sounds like you posted one almost exactly like it awhile back.  

I can't say for sure whether the incision is infected, although it definitely is redder than the others and hurts to the point at which I need to take pain meds for it (and I have a really high threshold for pain).  It also hurts quite a bit when I sit up or stand up, which is something I didn't encounter the last time I had this surgery.  I'll definitely call for an appointment tomorrow to be safe.

Sonie, how soon after your surgery did your lump appear?

[Bananie22]

Ok...the stitch working it's way out didn't hurt though...it itched some and then oozed.  Once the stitch came out (it was green...how fancy!) the little hole healed up (till the next stitch worked itself out years later).  The hernia felt like a hot dog...or maybe a little shorter...like an Italian sausage?  LOL  I don't know it was longish and hard and it hurt.  I went to the doctor and he wanted to remove it...or push it in...or something (I'm sorry, this was a long time ago!), I asked if it could go away and he said "maybe".  So I waited and in time it did...it just went back in?  It's never bothered me again.  I hope your situation is something like that.  Just don't ignore it though...just in case.  =)  Good luck!  (cute screen name by the way)

[Bananie22]

I also developed an incisional hernia, it didn't develop for about six months though and the bump was totally different from the "stitch bump" that formed.  I didn't need surgery on the hernia as it went away on it's own (or whatever it is that hernias do when they don't require surgery).  So are you going to require another surgery to fix the hernia?

[stircrazy]

Thanks, everyone!  Bananie22, I think I did have internal stitches or staples on this particular incision, because I can't see any externally (unlike my real belly button, where I can see stitches).  Did you require any surgery for that stitch working itself out from your body?  This particular incision hurts like heck and is pretty red, aside from its other lovely features.  

Bananie22 and Fungirl, what did your incisional hernias look and feel like?  I had no idea they could go away on their own - that would be nice!

Anyway, I am sure this will turn out to be nothing. Hopefully I can confirm that tomorrow or in the near future!  Thanks again for sharing your experiences with me. :)

[fungirl]

I went to the doctor on Friday because I was having pain around my belly button  and I am being refered to the general surgeon who assisted with my surgery (The scar going verticaly was from my surgery last May, and he found a hernia on it and removed it),because my gyn is afraid that I have an incisional hernia.  Please get this checked asap!!  It is probably nothing, but you need to know.  Kasie

[stircrazy]

Great descriptions!  In particular, your descripton of your hernia made me laugh really hard. Thanks for that.  :)

[fungirl]

I am not sure I have an incisional hernia yet.  I am just having a lot of pain where they took the other hernia (I did not know I had the first one, the general surgeon who assisted in my ovary removal found it during surgery).  On the referal paper, my gyn put possible surgery consult.  I see him on May 23.  Hopefully, I will find out more then.  Kasie

[soniek]

do you think its red just from normal healing,or could it be infected??i only ask this because,as some of you remember,when i started my whole saga with my infection,i posted and said i had the huge lump right above my incision,and it looked like a second belly button had developed....please for peace of mind(yours and mine..lol),call your doc and be seen....sonie

[Bananie22]

Yes, that happened to me.  What mine ended up being was a little bump due to a stitch that was working it's way out.  I'm wondering if you had any internal stitches?  My surgery was over 20 years ago and I actually had a stitch work it's way out in 1994 too.  I guess my body didn't want them in there!  I have no idea if that's what yours is though, I would give a call to the doctor's office Monday morning just to be sure.

[LitDoc]

Glad to know you're following the advice of the wise ladies on this site. Definitely you should have that incision checked!

I had trouble with weeping, imcomplete closure, and bumps/knots as well. Silver nitrate sealed the wound and speeded healing nicely in my case. However, only a physician can judge whether that would be an appropriate course of action for YOU.

Let us know how things go tomorrow after you've seen the doc.
Annette

[Gatsby]

Yes, please call your dr ASAP.  There should be an answering service that will get him for you.  Do not let anymore time pass, please call.  You are in my thoughts and prayers.
~Tascha

[stircrazy]

Thanks for the responses and good cheer, friends!  I will definitely call my doctor tomorrow; hopefully he will have returned from his vacation by then, as I detest the doctor assisting in his absence (this is the one that was insisting on sending me home from the hospital despite a UTI and no pee for a long time after surgery.  Even though she swore I had no infection when I was in the hospital, when I saw her a few days after release, she looked at my lab results and said my test came back positive.  Thanks, Einstein.  Nice to know she really poured over my chart when I was in the hospital!).

More importantly, glad the lemondrop martinis were a hit!  I was sad to leave the party - last night was kind of a hard night painwise.  I should have used that pain to continue my correspondence with the Jesuits. >:(  

You have a great day, too!

[RavenLady]

Hey Cysters!
     I agree with Hudson, your first Cyster as I recall!  I had my incision checked at about five weeks too because it was still weeping, better to be safe than sorry!  I had a lap years ago for tubiligation and had no lumps, I don't think that's normal either Stircrazy!  (The lemondrop martinis were asked for often after you left the Party!)
     I also heard you had a little coorespondence with the Jesuits StirCrazy!  You Go Girl!!!  Have a great day you two!  MV