Excessive Bloating Is Becoming a Big Problem
I have had IBS for almost three decades now, and I am used to bloating. However, the amount of bloating I have had as of late is excessive.
I recently had my gallbladder removed. Since the surgery, the amount of bloating I have had has been unreal. Combining IBS with this has made me fairly miserable. I am beyond tired of being bloated.
Bloating worse than normal after surgery
Before I had my gallbladder removed, I had a fair amount of bloating. Certain foods made it worse, and the presence and severity of a flare also affected it. Sometimes it was better. Sometimes it was worse. It always happened to some degree.
It also seems I bloat in more places more often. Most of my bloating was confined to my mid and lower abdomen before. I am not saying I never bloated beyond that, but that was generally the extent of it. Now I bloat all the way up into my chest every single time I bloat.
Excessive bloating is a real pain
While I was still in the early stages of healing, the bloat was severe enough that I felt like it was tugging at my incisions. It would burn and sting at my incision sites during the worst of it.
I was told to expect some digestive issues when I had surgery. However, I was also told it was likely that I would not really notice any changes because of my experience with IBS. Nobody warned me about excessive bloating. This nonsense is for the birds.
Tightness in my chest
I am not used to having a bunch of bloating in my chest and sometimes it feels heavy. It feels like it is a tad bit harder to breathe. Don’t get me wrong. I am not being dramatic and saying I cannot breathe. What I am saying is my chest feels tight.
When I bloat like this, it is quite obvious. It is very visible. I am a small person and even the slightest change stands out. Sometimes I look like I am pregnant and due at any time. I am not exaggerating. It very much resembles how I looked when I was that far along in pregnancy.
Bloating makes my clothes too tight
I have a ridiculous amount of bloating. I could quite easily go up 2 pant sizes after eating. Thank goodness for elastic because jeans are out of the question if I am going to eat anything.
Some of the pants with stiff elastic are quite uncomfortable as well so it has to be the loose elastic-like in most pajama pants. Perhaps I will spend the rest of my life walking around in pajama pants. If you happen to see me out in public wearing some, shush it and mind your business.
When bloating becomes an issue once more
If you have IBS, you are all too familiar with bloating. You are annoyed by it. It affects your wardrobe choices. Perhaps you are so accustomed to it by now that you do not think about it. It becomes routine and normal over time. That is exactly how I was until recently. When the bloating increased, I started paying attention again.
Have you dealt with bloating? How do you deal with bloating? I would love to hear about your experience.
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