September 11, 2007 - 

Wow, so much has happened since I have posted last.  My ulcer progressively became worse and my pouch ruptured.  I was admitted  to Lourdes because Dr. Argotte was going to do an EGD because of my excessive nausea. I have had and EGD monthly up to May.  When he did the EGD, he found that my pouch had ruptured and attached itself to my liver. He woke me up from the EGD and told me that he had to take me to surgery to repair the pouch.  I asked him when he would be doing this, thinking maybe the next day and he told me "NOW".  This was at about 1:00 PM.  So, he gave me 2mg of Dilaudid and I passed out!Anyway, I woke up at about 9:30 PM on a ventilator.  I was in surgery for approximately 6 hours.  He repaired my pouch with only a 1.5 ounce capacity after removing my ulcer.  He removed the remaining stomach that just sits in your abdomen and produces gastric juices and he clipped my vagus nerve which tells the digestive system to produce more digestive juices.  I had a central line in my chest, and On-Q catheter in my incision with numbing medication, two JP drains in my abdomen and a tube down my throat.  But I made it and Dr. Argotte had saved me.  I remained in the hospital for about 7 days.  So basically, I was a new post-op gastric bypass patient.  I had to start everything over, with the liquids for 10 days and progressively move my diet along.  I kept having pain around my incision and Cleo and I thought maybe it was a neuritis from the surgery. It was so painful but I just kept going. In July, I went to Ohio to visit my parents and family and my abdomen began to swell under the incision, the pain was almost unbearable.  It was hot to the touch.  I called Dr.Argotte's office and spoke with Cleo and she advised me to come to the office when I got in on the 19th from Ohio. Thank goodness my aunt had a bottle of Vicodin (pain meds) from a previous surgery.  That is was got me through my visit.  It did not make all of the pain go away but it helped.  I got off the plane in St. Louis and my daughter and son-in-law drove me to Dr. Argotte's office.  He admitted me immediately to Lourdes hospital.  A lab person came in my room to draw blood, could not get it, sent someone else in to try but my veins are not too good from all the IV's and surgery that I have had in the past 9 months. So, she said, we will leave it to the midnight shift to try.  In the meantime, my fever was 101.5 and on the rise.  My nurse came in and I had a high speed come apart and told her that I hurt so she gives me 50mg of Demerol which would usually knock anyone out.  All it did was make me feel drunk and it did not help my pain.  So a different nurse came in and I was furious.  I told him that I was hurting so bad and was so sick.  The pain meds were not working, they have not drawn blood and Dr. Argotte was waiting on my bloodwork to see what my white count was.  By this time I was crying.  So, he got on the phone to Dr. Argotte who ordered me a Dilaudid PCA pain pump and immediately someone came in and drew my blood.  At last, my pain was under control.  Dr. Argotte came in and told me he was going to aspirate (remove the fluid from my abdomen).  So, I said okay, go for it.  I withdrew about 160cc's of pus from my abdomen and then ordered 6mg of Dilaudid.  He told me that he had to open my abdomen and clean it out.  The pain medication was given and by that time I didn't care about anything.  He injected my abdomen with Lidocaine to numb it and cut open my incision.  He totally cleaned out my infection which thank god was only in the subcutaneous tissues, not in the abdominal cavity.  Well,with this infection, the incision cannot be closed so it was packed with a wet to dry dressing which is gauze soaked in saline and then pack it in the open wound, then placing dry gauze over that and tape it down.  I was in the hospital for 9 days, on Vancomycin ( which by the way blows your veins and makes everything smell like crap) and another type of IV antibiotic. I was so lonely in the hospital and was going stir crazy.  I am thankful for Dr. Argotte's skills.  He said that this infection was bizarre, his words, because they do not know how I got this.  Beats me buckwheat.  So, I am sent home with the instructions of how to pack this wound.  Home health came 2x a week and the rest of the time, I was packing this wound 2x a day.  Well, it is finally closed.  However, it is swelling back up again and sore.  I had a follow-up CT scan this past Thursday and I am seeing Dr. Argotte on this Thursday.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the abscess is back.  I don't know why I am getting this.  I am a germaphobe.  I use dial soap to bath with and wash my hands a gazillion times a day.  As Dr. Argotte says - "It's bizarre".  

Anyway, on a lighter note, I have gone from 278 to 163.  I'm loving it.  I am stuck right now and not losing but I believe it is because I am not getting enough protein in and not exercising at the health club.  I hope to be able to get back and lose another 30 pounds.  Lots of loose skin but that can be dealt with in another year.  I need to get healthy first.  I can honestly say that I don't regret my surgery.  I would have never been able to lose the weight without it.  Unfortunately, there is that small percentage of patients that have postoperative complications.  But I will make it through it and get well.  I love the fact that my husband tells me how pretty I am and that I look so much healthier.  I am looking forward to going back to work and buying lots of new clothes.  I love the fact that I don't have to go to the plus size department anymore.  I no longer have diabetes or hypertension either.    So, that's what has been going on with me.  I'll update after my visit to Dr. Argotte on Thursday.  115 pounds lost so far -