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I was diagnosed over a year ago with kidney disease IgAN. It is a type of disease that basically causes your immune system to attack you kidneys as foreign objects in your body. It is progressive and there is no cure. My disease has been progressing rapidly and we realized that more than likely, I would need a transplant in the next 2 years. My current other co-morbidities were going to put and keep me at the bottom of the transplant list. I have Type II diabetes, obesity, high BP, and metobolic syndrome. According the the information and research, gastric sleeve surgery was suppose to help all of these. So I decided to move forward so that when the time came for a new kidney, I would be eligible for a good place on the list. My kidney function was stable and the team decided I could have the sleeve done. My surgery was 10-11-11. I struggled those first few days like we all do. But as the weeks progressed, I just wasn't feeling good and I had a lot of stomach pain. (my kidneys were doing fine). I developed an infection on my main surgical site and was started on antibiotics. Then on Oct 27th I drank too much supplement at one time (about 1-2 oz too much) and had a VIOLENT vomitting session. It got really bad from there.The next week was spent in misery. My surgeons office just kept telling me to "sip, sip, sip". They didn't take my concerns seriously. Finally, they ordered a CBC blood test to see if I had an infection. The next morning the surgeons office called and said that the CBC was normal so the exhaustion (like to a point of I practically couldn't stand up from the toilet), the dizziness, the nausea, the pain in my stomach that radiated to the left, the dangerously low body temp and BP were not related to my surgery. HA - they were dead wrong. My kidney doc called a few hours later to let me know my results from my kidney panel (which had suddenly tanked), he heard my voice and immediately direct admitted me to the hospital. WHen I got there my body was shutting down and I was in real trouble. The speculation was that I had the leak all along and the vomitting made it worse. I was not septic because after the vomitting episode I was too sick to eat much. and I kept my drinking to Water only. I think I had every test known to man done in the hospital - 2 Swallow tests, x-rays, CT scans, enough blood tests for a small army. At one point I had 4 IV's running. They ended up putting in a main line IV (in my neck) and then a port in my arm. I went home after a week and had home nursing care. For 4 weeks, I had IV nutrients 24 hours a day and 9 hours of saline per day. I was on IV antibiotics to prevent sepsis. I had 3 different IV push meds also available. BP and stats had to be checked every 3-4 hours and I wasn't allowed to be left alone at all. I spent 4 weeks without eating or drinking. I'm now trying to teach my body how to eat again and its rough. I didn't expect any of this. I feel like the docs need to explain more about the complications and what they involve. I read recently that 1 out of 100 will experience a leak. That's not good odds. I think that further education is mandatory so that we can make educated decisions. I thought I had but I made the mistake of trusting my MD. I trusted he had told me everything and not just the candy-coated stuff we want to hear. He did breeze over the complications but downplayed them as being a freak thing. So, that's my experience. I will try to update. Thanks, Jenny

I beg to differ with the insistance of a fever. I did NOT have one. I was not septic when I was admitted but was in kidney failure. I had a very low BP and a low body temp. Docs said it can go that way too. So, please DO NOT rely on a fever as being your only guideline.

Hi All - I had my surgery on 10/11/11. 3 weeks later I was miserable with stomach discomfort, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, pain radiating to the left of my stomach. I had NO FEVER, NO elevated blood count. I had a leak without an infection. I had a higher heart rate and a low blood pressure. I had kidney failure starting and was a mess. I spent 7 days in the hospital and the last 4 weeks on home IV therapy. So, don't rely on a fever, just follow you instincts. If you feel like poop and have NO energy with stomach pain, get help right away. My family MD said I was "24 hours from a different outcome". I had been in touch with the surgeons office who said since I didn't have an increase blood cell count I wasn't leaking - boy were they wrong!!

The only way to definately see a leak is with a Swallow test. You drink a fluid while they are taking xrays. The fluid shows up on the film and if there is a leak, it shows up where it shouldn't. A CT will only show an absess. I had a lead without an absess. Good luck