CidGrad -- Leak Update
Good morning folks,
I pray that all is well with you and that things are progressing nicely at whatever stage of the process you're in. Many thanks to all of you who have sent me good wishes, and prayers, and vibes ... you cannot begin to imagine how much they help. God bless and thank you.
I wanted to provide a quick status:
1. VSG on 12/6 ... really felt sick from day one but no leak was detected. My theory is that the swelling actually blocke the leak initially. As the swelling went down the leak actually presented itself fully.
2. 2/17 -- leak confirmed ... I was vomiting multiple times a day for two-three weeks. I know ... I know ... I know ... I should have gone sooner but I tried to tough it out. I was in the hospital for ten days. I got a PICC line placed and have been NPO (no food by mouth) since then ... 76 days now. I'm on TPN for 10 hours at night. I've also had a JP drain inserted into my abdomen since then. Funny how one gets accustomed to things.
3. 2/17 - Now
a. My leak was huge ... started out at 8mm ... I would sip water and see it pour directly into the JP drain.
b. My primary surgeon, Dr. Averbach, has been very aggressive in treating me and I appreciate that. I've had 9 surgical procedures since 2/17. He referred me to one of the best endoscopic therapist in the country -- Sergey Kantsevoy at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. Both surgeons have been excellent in treating me.
c. The fistula (leak) reduced from 8mm to 5mm to 2mm ... I had my 9th procedure on Monday to close it fully and I think it worked. I have been drinking water like a camel and nothing is coming out of the JP drain. Keep sending prayers up for me ... I think we've got this thing completely closed.
d. One of the keys was Dr. A pulling the drain further and further out each week. This allowed my body to do the heavy lifting of healing itself.
I go back to see Dr. A on Friday ... if things hold up he will remove the JP drain completely ... I can advance my diet next week ... then ween off of TPN and have the PICC line removed over the next several days.
Like I said from my very first post ... through it all God is still in control. I hope this helps anyone out there struggling with a complication. Feel free to ask questions or hit me with a private message.
Best,
CidGrad
I pray that all is well with you and that things are progressing nicely at whatever stage of the process you're in. Many thanks to all of you who have sent me good wishes, and prayers, and vibes ... you cannot begin to imagine how much they help. God bless and thank you.
I wanted to provide a quick status:
1. VSG on 12/6 ... really felt sick from day one but no leak was detected. My theory is that the swelling actually blocke the leak initially. As the swelling went down the leak actually presented itself fully.
2. 2/17 -- leak confirmed ... I was vomiting multiple times a day for two-three weeks. I know ... I know ... I know ... I should have gone sooner but I tried to tough it out. I was in the hospital for ten days. I got a PICC line placed and have been NPO (no food by mouth) since then ... 76 days now. I'm on TPN for 10 hours at night. I've also had a JP drain inserted into my abdomen since then. Funny how one gets accustomed to things.
3. 2/17 - Now
a. My leak was huge ... started out at 8mm ... I would sip water and see it pour directly into the JP drain.
b. My primary surgeon, Dr. Averbach, has been very aggressive in treating me and I appreciate that. I've had 9 surgical procedures since 2/17. He referred me to one of the best endoscopic therapist in the country -- Sergey Kantsevoy at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore. Both surgeons have been excellent in treating me.
c. The fistula (leak) reduced from 8mm to 5mm to 2mm ... I had my 9th procedure on Monday to close it fully and I think it worked. I have been drinking water like a camel and nothing is coming out of the JP drain. Keep sending prayers up for me ... I think we've got this thing completely closed.
d. One of the keys was Dr. A pulling the drain further and further out each week. This allowed my body to do the heavy lifting of healing itself.
I go back to see Dr. A on Friday ... if things hold up he will remove the JP drain completely ... I can advance my diet next week ... then ween off of TPN and have the PICC line removed over the next several days.
Like I said from my very first post ... through it all God is still in control. I hope this helps anyone out there struggling with a complication. Feel free to ask questions or hit me with a private message.
Best,
CidGrad
)) 
It is so ironic that you posted this today - I was thinking last night that I should do a search on you b/c I realized I had not seen any posts in a long while. So glad to hear things are improving!!! Congrats on the weight loss...what a bummer way to do it though! At least you're on the mend now! I'll bet you're looking forward to being able to EAT!!! ;-)
Sue
So good to hear from you. I pray that you are done with your leak issues & can get on with living your life. Happy to hear you've lost so much! Let us know how your Fri. appt. goes.
Current weight: 170 lbs.
Once I reach goal, this cow will be killed & eaten... 2 ounces at a time.
Total includes 56 lbs. lost on 2-month low carb pre-op diet. Start date 9/13/10.
Nice to hear from you, CidGrad. We had surgery on the same day and our paths have been so very different. For me, this brings the seriousness of this surgery to light. My prayer for you is complete healing and continual wt loss right on down to your goal. Please keep us updated. Hugs......Jennifer
hi there. pleased to meet you. ~jennifer
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