Weird symptoms after surgery, petrified

[Marni]

Hey everyone :) I have been a long time on looker of the forum and decided too sign up today.
I have suffered with ha for almost 5 years, the first time lasted for 1 year and then little things bothered me but I learnt too cope. Then 13 months ago it all started again.

I began to get really sick. Bad stomach pains, upper middle and right side. I was just taking quick eze and mylanta but it didnt help most nights. I went to the drs and they told me stress. So after another month of pain waking me 4x a week I went back. Was told gastritis. Put on nexium. After another month there was no change and back I went. Medication was changed. After a few more months and no change I had blood work. Everything was perfect and I was told too stop worrying.
My old fears started too return, lymphoma :( I battled with that for for a year and then short lived panic attacks over it aswell. I have heaps of palpable nodes in my neck, back shoulder blade, groin and collar bone. I'm told its nothing because they go up and down and never get big enough too worry about and because I have pretty much no body fat.
I started losing weight with these attacks and not being able to eat and had a fear of eating. Had a camera down my throat and was told I had gastritis. Started nexium again but no change. Finally after 10 months I had a scan and was diagnosed with acute cholyscititis, a stone was lodged in the neck of the gall and a few mobile.
It took till now, 13 months all up to have surgery and I'm 1 week post op.
My issue now is. The first 3 days I had has pains and incision pain, completely normal but I googled about it heaps & kept worrying. It stopped. But then I started getting hot flushes and chills, nausea and lightheaded.
I went too sleep and woke up with broken vessels over my temple, left side. I went drs and my bp was 149/90! I'm 23 and never had an issue with my no before. No temp so the dr was concerned about an infection. He told me I need to calm down. I do have post nasal drop and coughing up phlegm. I'm wondering if this could be a sinus issue? I'm scared I'm going to have a stroke!
I had blood work done and get the results in a few days but one of the tests was for inflammation markers. Now I'm scared that's going to be sky high and will confirm my lymphoma fear.
Is there a simple reason for how I'm feeling? Could stress and anxiety do this? And or a sinus infection?
Thanks for reading and appreciate any replies, thankyou :)

[Freaked]

Hi, Marni; unfortunately you're in my boat of having HA and actual health issues, and it can be very difficult to tell what's what sometimes. I wouldn't worry overly about the blood pressure; I'm 21 and four months ago I had low pressure, then a few months later it was once as high as 147. You only need to be concerned if it's persistently high most of the time.

There could be many simple explanations for how you're feeling, but obviously the main concern would be post-op infection, so do keep an eye on your temp. If that's not raised, then like the doc said it isn't so likely. Some of your icky feelings could just be the normal after-effects of your body recovering from surgery. The broken veins thing is a little odd, but I can't say I've ever really heard of clotting being a major risk after gastro surgery, and if it didn't occur to the docs then it probably isn't.

A simple sinus or chest infection, which it sounds like you have if you're coughing up phlegm, could certainly explain your fluish symptoms. As for lymphoma, there seem to be a lot of people on these boards who suffer from generally enlarged lymph nodes and I've yet (touch wood) to hear of any of them actually get diagnosed with lymphoma. My mom had lymphoma, and by the time she developed a large lump in her neck, it was far from her only symptom. She'd been sick for months beforehand. I can't say the disease follows the same course in everyone, but generally enlarged lymph nodes seem to be benign more often than not, if these boards are anything to go by at least. Still something to get checked, but try not to worry.

But if you do start feeling really crap, don't hesitate to go back to a doc since you are only a week post-op. Even if it's just a regular cold, docs would understand your concern.

[Marni]

Thankyou very much for your reply :)
I completely understand about it being difficult and I guess that's what's making me anxious.
The dr told me stress,my family tell me stress but its the fact I just had a surgery and I am at risk of infection. So I can just say oh yep it's stress.
I do think my bp would have been raised, but it definetly went up as I started talking too the dr.

I do not understand the broken veins on my temple, it's still there and I've had pressure behind my eye and foggy jess in my eye since which has bits of sticky stuff. To me I feel it's sinus related but how can that burst veins?? The dr said my blood pressure did it and he was not worried about it at all

I get my blood results on Saturday and I will be explaining I still feel the same. I'm having the hot flushes right now and excess saliva with nausea. I kinda feel if it was an infection if eel sick all day and night and be getting worse but it isn't the case.im tempted to get on some medication to control my panic attacks ect but is hate to cover up a problem if I have one.

[joelhall]

I'll admit, the broken blood vessels is new to me without trauma, unless there is an infection in the skin. I don't think cancer is very likely however, with infection sounding a much better fit to your symptoms. I can say that none of these symptoms resemble those of anxiety however.
I also wouldn't worry about a stroke unless you have chronic hypertension and risk factors. My mum personally took my BP and obs in A&E once while I was having an attack (my bad luck she was on duty that day hehe), and it was 190/110. Transient hypertensive episodes are common for all sorts of reasons (panic, exercise, illness, etc), and are rarely dangerous.

[Marni]

Thankyou for your reply :) the temple bruising has stumped me. I 100% didn't knock my head, just had bad tension type pain there.
I've calmed down alot. Stroke is more of a right sided thing and migraines are left side, so I'm thinking its some sort of headache/migraine.

I know the eye pain and all that doesn't fit anxiety but I did think dizziness and racing heart ect did. I'll find out tomorrow if I have any sort if infection, I'm scared but can't wait too find out.