RMO1972
Stricture or No Stricture - that is the question...
Sep 18, 2008
My cold is getting better but I am wondering if all the coughing could cause my esophogus to swell near my stomach. I am able to get down the liquid diet items (pudding, popsickles) without a problem but when I try to eat something with a bit more consistency (tuna, soup) I get that stuck feeling. So I am playing it out for a few days. Of course I will call Dr. English if it gets worse. I am trying to make sure I stop drinking water a half hour before I eat. I am also trying to make sure I take smaller bites and chew/mash things thoroughly.
I am back to work now, seeing clients part-time this week and next. Glad to be easing into it. Especially with all the crisis calls already this week. I can tell there was a full moon recently
I am back to work now, seeing clients part-time this week and next. Glad to be easing into it. Especially with all the crisis calls already this week. I can tell there was a full moon recently
Cold or Flu Virus Getting Me Down
Sep 15, 2008
I was feeling stronger each day last week so I decided to work part-time on Friday, September 12th. I am a master's degreed psychologist in private practice, for those of you that do not know that already. The day went well and I looked forward to going to a few garage sales Saturday morning to look for some good deals on smaller clothes.
My daughter and I went to two sales and I was beat. We stopped at home to refresh and went out to one more. That is when I realized...I am getting sick! I caught some kind of a bug from a family member that had spent a fair amount of time with me while I was off of work recovering from surgery. That just makes me nuts! I am back to bed rest and feeling drained.
I did not work today. Tried to sleep as much as I could. Sorry that I had to run to town (17 miles away) to do some banking, and get some cough medication and prescriptions. Hopefully I can return to work tomorrow. I will need to start earning an income again soon!
Two Week Check - Up
Sep 15, 2008
On Thursday, September 11th, I checked in at Dr. English's office at the same minute that we were observing the 7th anniversary of "9-11" and the first plan crash into the twin towers in NY. It was the 15th day after RNY and I was feeling good. The visit went well. I had lost 12 pounds according to their scale (weigh in at home without clothes showed a 14 pounds loss). My heart rate had stabilized, blood pressure was fine, temperature was good, and Michelle (PA-C) said that my incisions were healing nicely. She was real pleased with my progress at home! She is so nice
Did not get to see our beloved Dr. English, as he had to
go to surgery
While meeting with Monica (Dietitian) she was pleased with the progress I had made with eating cottage cheese and tuna or chicken from a can. She felt that I would be able to decrease my protein drinks since I was able to tolerate other sources of protein. In addition, she explained that the best protein supplement is Whey Protein. I had brought some samples of other types that I had bought from Bariatric Advantage to try pre-surgery, but they did not have directions on them. I return on October 9th for my 6 week check-up. Hopefully I can get my two week photos uploaded before then.
Did not get to see our beloved Dr. English, as he had to
go to surgery
While meeting with Monica (Dietitian) she was pleased with the progress I had made with eating cottage cheese and tuna or chicken from a can. She felt that I would be able to decrease my protein drinks since I was able to tolerate other sources of protein. In addition, she explained that the best protein supplement is Whey Protein. I had brought some samples of other types that I had bought from Bariatric Advantage to try pre-surgery, but they did not have directions on them. I return on October 9th for my 6 week check-up. Hopefully I can get my two week photos uploaded before then.
Summary of the past 12 days...
Sep 07, 2008
I stayed in the hospital for a full week after my surgery. ..
My RYN surgery went great!
While removing my gallbladder afterwards I started to bleed out, apparently my body did not like the blood thinner given to me via shot pre-surgery. Dr. English was able to get the bleeding to stop and complete the surgery by using some glue type substance that causes the bleeding to slow down. All appeared fine for the next 24 hours.
Then, the Upper G.I. testing they do they day after surgery, which includes drinking barium and tracking it as it goes through your system to be sure you do not have any leaks in your new GI track, ended up causing an intestinal blockage. Not extremely unusual. I gues a number of factors can contribute to such a blockage, such as: the anesthsia and/or pain medicine causing your systems to function much more slowly, your intestines being swollen from surgery, and there being a kink in your intestines after they settle back into place in your body.
The blockage had to get out of there somehow. The worst case scenario was to have it surgically removed. First, Dr. English wanted to try "less invasive" methods. Therefore, I had to get a NG tube down my nose to try to help break up the blockage, or at least relieve some pressure. As awful as this was, it did help. Pumping in the IV fluids, medicines and nutrients also helped get things flowing. Speaking of which, during all of this I had two IV lines "blow" so I ended up having to get a PICC line ( I would recommend it for anyone having to have a lot of medical work done after a surgery). I had to have suppositories too. Dr. English's way of tackling that blockage from both ends. Needless to say, I have never been so happy to discuss my gas and bowel habits
On August 31st I was able to have my first official meal at lunchtime. I never thought broth could taste so good! I was also very excited to try Propel Fitness Water...something besides ice chips. Yeah!
I ended up staying in the hospital until the evening of September 2nd. It took that long to completely work out that barium blockage, run the Upper GI again, and see the barium go completely through again. Dr. English was even hesitant to let me go then though because my pulse had been running high since surgery. There was concern, though no leaks showed up in the numerous x-rays I had to have done, that something was not right inside. However, since everything else was finally stable, we decided to try out the theory that other factors were causing the high pulse, such as: anxiety, body treating that glue like substance as a foreign object, or not taking enough pain medicine. I have had to monitor my vital signs closely at home and will not hesitate to call Dr. English's office if something seems really out of whack. I was able to cancel my 2-day post hospital follow-up since the vitals have been better at home. Now I pray that all is well when I go for my 2-week check-up on September 11th.
I have lost 12 pounds so far, one pound per day.
That's my RNY story!
My RYN surgery went great!
While removing my gallbladder afterwards I started to bleed out, apparently my body did not like the blood thinner given to me via shot pre-surgery. Dr. English was able to get the bleeding to stop and complete the surgery by using some glue type substance that causes the bleeding to slow down. All appeared fine for the next 24 hours.
Then, the Upper G.I. testing they do they day after surgery, which includes drinking barium and tracking it as it goes through your system to be sure you do not have any leaks in your new GI track, ended up causing an intestinal blockage. Not extremely unusual. I gues a number of factors can contribute to such a blockage, such as: the anesthsia and/or pain medicine causing your systems to function much more slowly, your intestines being swollen from surgery, and there being a kink in your intestines after they settle back into place in your body.
The blockage had to get out of there somehow. The worst case scenario was to have it surgically removed. First, Dr. English wanted to try "less invasive" methods. Therefore, I had to get a NG tube down my nose to try to help break up the blockage, or at least relieve some pressure. As awful as this was, it did help. Pumping in the IV fluids, medicines and nutrients also helped get things flowing. Speaking of which, during all of this I had two IV lines "blow" so I ended up having to get a PICC line ( I would recommend it for anyone having to have a lot of medical work done after a surgery). I had to have suppositories too. Dr. English's way of tackling that blockage from both ends. Needless to say, I have never been so happy to discuss my gas and bowel habits
On August 31st I was able to have my first official meal at lunchtime. I never thought broth could taste so good! I was also very excited to try Propel Fitness Water...something besides ice chips. Yeah!
I ended up staying in the hospital until the evening of September 2nd. It took that long to completely work out that barium blockage, run the Upper GI again, and see the barium go completely through again. Dr. English was even hesitant to let me go then though because my pulse had been running high since surgery. There was concern, though no leaks showed up in the numerous x-rays I had to have done, that something was not right inside. However, since everything else was finally stable, we decided to try out the theory that other factors were causing the high pulse, such as: anxiety, body treating that glue like substance as a foreign object, or not taking enough pain medicine. I have had to monitor my vital signs closely at home and will not hesitate to call Dr. English's office if something seems really out of whack. I was able to cancel my 2-day post hospital follow-up since the vitals have been better at home. Now I pray that all is well when I go for my 2-week check-up on September 11th.
I have lost 12 pounds so far, one pound per day.
That's my RNY story!
About Me
Wilson, MI
Location
28.3
BMI
Surgery
08/27/2008
Surgery Date
May 04, 2008
Member Since
