A 'Blip' on my journey
During the past month or so, I've had some problems with getting enough food in my stomach... it always caused debilitating nausea. Then even liquids wouldn't stay down comfortably.
I had an appointment with my Surgeon, Dr. Birch on Monday March 21 (thank God). After speaking with me, he booked me for an emergency Endoscope and he booked a bed in the hospital for me.
They were able to do the endoscope in the early afternoon and found my lower pouch opening to be completely occluded by a stricture. They did the dialation but it didn't seem to work very well. I was so dehydrated that I had to stay in hospital. It seemed to get very much worse after that. NOTHING would stay down.
Thank goodness for the IV! even though they had to put in another twice a day. (my veins would collapse). 5 days in hoptial and 17 IV pokes.. lol.. talk about a pin cushion.
They had to do another Endoscope on the Thursday... this one worked!!!! They finally sent me home on Friday... 16 lbs heavier than when I went in... lol.. lots of water in me... I almost sloshed.. lol!!
By Sunday, I was feeling back to normal... almost liberated!!! I could eat the full amount I was before... about 1/2 to 3/4 cup... wow!!!! does it ever feel good!!!
Anyway, I just wanted to share some of my signs (that I didn't know before) of the stricture.
Slowely loose some space in your pouch.
Major Nausea, getting increasingly worse.
Pain when eating food.
Vomiting food you had eaten two hours ago.
Vomiting food a short time after eating.
Vomiting liquids.
That's kind of the progression of it. I wish I had known when the pouch felt like it was full all the time...
I feel like a Million bucks right now... and I'm armed with the knowledge of what to look out for. I just hope I can prevent someone else going through all of this...
Melody
First off Melody, I am so happy you are doing much better now. That sounds a bit scary but at least you were able to have it looked after and able to get back to normal.
Thank you for the information about this, I had never heard of it before. Do you know the percentage of probability for others with VSG going through the same thing?
I am so happy your "blip" is over with and you can go on to live a long happy healthy life.
Sheila
Surgery: July 27 Surgery Weight: 245 Current Weight: 137 Total weight lost: 1112lbs
AT GOAL! WOOHOO!!!
Actually, I've never heard of it happening with the VSG / sleeve. I believe it can only happen with the RNY because they actually have to create the bottom opening of the stomach.
Dr. Birch explained it like this.... they have to create the opening / connection to the small bowel so the body sometimes thinks that it's foreign and needs to heal it... so it over heals the parts that the Doc's create. In essence, the body tries to correct the new parts and builds up scar tissue around the opening causing it to constrict.
With the VSG there are no new 'parts' or connections so this shouldn't be a problem for that type of surgery...
I can only hope to help someone else with the warning signs... I never knew them before... or I would have gone to hospital long before I did...
Melody
When did you have your sleeve surgery, if you don't mind me asking.
Kee.
HW:274 SW:238 CW: 150.0 1St goal: 199.8 2nd goal:174 (100 pound lost)
My Persoanl Goal: (HIgh)150 (Low)140
1st goal acheived December 27th/2010. 1 week after my 3rd month surgery anniversary.
2nd goal acheived June 4th/2011. 2 weeks after my 8th Month Surgiversary.
Gall Bladder surgery April 12,2012
You can either believe it will happen.....or believe it won't. Both are self fulfilled prophesies. For Me it has happened. My Surgery was September 21/2010
Kathy S. · 0 replies · 786 views
