Stomach like a beer belly after colon cancer surgery

Posted by nannytart @nannytart, Sep 8, 2016

in november i had 12" of my colon removed.my stomach is like a beer belly. is this normal

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I had the right side of my colon removed in February of this year. My stomach just seems to be getting bigger and shaped like an egg (as I call it). It looks like I’m pregnant. I am over weighted but this doesn’t look normal?

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@alamicday

I had the right side of my colon removed in February of this year. My stomach just seems to be getting bigger and shaped like an egg (as I call it). It looks like I’m pregnant. I am over weighted but this doesn’t look normal?

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Welcome to Connect, @alamicday. I'm afraid there doesn't appear to be a definitive answer to this question. Have you spoken to you surgeon about your concerns? If something doesn't seem right, I encourage you to ask questions.

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@alamicday Welcome to connect. And to answer your question. My tummy after I had a foot of my colon removed is a bit bigger than before. It has been almost 3 yrs now since my surgery. Between gaining 15 pds and the loss of my muscle tone in that area, I have a small belly. Tomorrow starts another diet...Hoping in a few weeks i see a difference?
As long as you have no pain or strange feelings I think it is a bit normal. Others have posted about this before. But do check with your Dr just make sure it is not anything else?
Wishing you the best..
Jackie

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Hi! I had 3 surgeries this year, one to remove a tumor from my ileon and colon, one to have an ileostomy and one to reverse it. My belly suffered a great deal of scaring and healing. This holiday season I gained weight, but the form of my belly is strange, I look like I'm pregnant with a lower belly. If I touch it, it feels stiff in some areas and soft on others. Is this normal? If I lose weight and exercise will it have a more normal shape? should I worry about the stiff areas? thanks for your input!

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@calite

Hi! I had 3 surgeries this year, one to remove a tumor from my ileon and colon, one to have an ileostomy and one to reverse it. My belly suffered a great deal of scaring and healing. This holiday season I gained weight, but the form of my belly is strange, I look like I'm pregnant with a lower belly. If I touch it, it feels stiff in some areas and soft on others. Is this normal? If I lose weight and exercise will it have a more normal shape? should I worry about the stiff areas? thanks for your input!

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Hi @calite, You'll notice that I moved your message about surgery scarring and belly shape post colorectal cancer surgery to this existing discussion:
- Stomach like a beer belly after colon cancer surgery https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/colon-cancer-22c04d/

I did this so you can meet @nannytart @travelgirl @starrlight @maroney @alamicday and others talking about post surgical effects.

Calite, how long ago were your surgeries? Have you talked with your surgical team about what to expect and recommended exercises or physical activities?

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@calite

Hi! I had 3 surgeries this year, one to remove a tumor from my ileon and colon, one to have an ileostomy and one to reverse it. My belly suffered a great deal of scaring and healing. This holiday season I gained weight, but the form of my belly is strange, I look like I'm pregnant with a lower belly. If I touch it, it feels stiff in some areas and soft on others. Is this normal? If I lose weight and exercise will it have a more normal shape? should I worry about the stiff areas? thanks for your input!

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@calite Welcome to connect.. I had 2 surgeries 3 yrs apart and i also have a lower belly. I never had. i used to be like a toothpick. I think some of mine now has been over protecting area and not using the muscles like I used too. Plus I gained weight too. I do not do a few hundred sit ups a week like I did prior either. So that has something to do with it too.
Now, Have you asked your Dr about stiff and soft areas? It could be some scar tissue you are feeling too.
I wish you the Best
Jackie

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@travelgirl

@nannytart welcome ...

I also had a foot of my colon removed in January due to having stage 1 cecum cancer. I wonder if some of that is scare tissue? I noticed my right ride is tad bigger than my left side. I was always super thin. But since my surgergy I gained about 10 pounds. My stomach is no longer flat .. I think some of that has to do with my body adjusting to the new and improved plumbing systems. It has been 8 months since my surgery, for four of those months I couldn't do a thing. So I gained weight.

Then I started very slowly to exercise again. And I feel a great deal of pulling on my right side. My surgeon says that is scar tissue. Plus I been babying my stomach. Which doesn't help it at all. I noticed I seem to retain extra water too. Exercising seems to help. I started swimming and doing exercises in a pool. That seems to help a great deal. Not sure if you have access to a pool? But try exercising in a pool. It has helped a lot to getting over babying of that area.

Hope this helps? Wish you the best..

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I had a tumor removed from the colon in July 2018, I now have the beer belly and the bulge on the right side of my mid-section Can you please tell me what exercises to do? I need help with this.

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@travelgirl

@nannytart welcome ...

I also had a foot of my colon removed in January due to having stage 1 cecum cancer. I wonder if some of that is scare tissue? I noticed my right ride is tad bigger than my left side. I was always super thin. But since my surgergy I gained about 10 pounds. My stomach is no longer flat .. I think some of that has to do with my body adjusting to the new and improved plumbing systems. It has been 8 months since my surgery, for four of those months I couldn't do a thing. So I gained weight.

Then I started very slowly to exercise again. And I feel a great deal of pulling on my right side. My surgeon says that is scar tissue. Plus I been babying my stomach. Which doesn't help it at all. I noticed I seem to retain extra water too. Exercising seems to help. I started swimming and doing exercises in a pool. That seems to help a great deal. Not sure if you have access to a pool? But try exercising in a pool. It has helped a lot to getting over babying of that area.

Hope this helps? Wish you the best..

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I also had colon surgery to remove a tumor and here 8 months later I find that I have that beer belly going on and a right sided bump. Have you done anything other than swimming, I would love to hear about it because I need to get rid of this. Im happy to hear you are doing so well.

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@chicagolinda

I also had colon surgery to remove a tumor and here 8 months later I find that I have that beer belly going on and a right sided bump. Have you done anything other than swimming, I would love to hear about it because I need to get rid of this. Im happy to hear you are doing so well.

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Hi @chicagolinda, welcome to Connect. I believe that you were directing your question about exercise after colon surgery was directed at @travelgirl. I've tagged her on this message to make sure she sees your question.

Have you talked to your surgeon about your concerns of the extended stomach? Swimming or aquatic exercises are a gentle way to get back into physical activity. Do you like getting into a pool? Or are you looking for different options?

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@chicagolinda @colleenyoung Hi ladies sorry for the delayed response. I been moving and still am. Just decided to take a break and catch up on connect.

@chicagolinda My right side feels a bit larger than before too. I seriously think it is cause i babied my stomach too much. I do have that round tummy now. I used to hike the beach but stopped doing that cause of red tide. Ya wonder how of this is age? Plus my stomach muscles are so weak now, from having 3 surgeries in that over the last 14 years. @colleenyoung we just purchased a house with a pool so I will let you know if swimming makes a difference? It is even hard since the surgery to do sit ups like I used too. A combination of age and surgeries plays a number on our bodies.

Being in my mid 50's, it is not as easy to loose weight like I once did. Plus I think we tend to sit more than we did in our 40's. At least I do.. It starts to catch up with you that sluggish metabolism.

Long walks is another good exercise to work the core.. Or using an exercise ball. There are many core exercises on that. Planks may help too...

Linda I am also originally from the suburbs of Chicago..

I wish you the best
Jackie

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