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At about 5 weeks on TPN I did tell the doctor I was about ready to take a syringe of Tequilla and add it to my TPN....I'm not even a drinker! But what I wouldn't give to calm the nerves at that point! She laughed at me and said "well technically, it is sterile"......

My insurance paid $64,000 for the surgery, out patient. It's crazy to me how there are 2 different costs, especially since the numbers are no where close! Then with the leak....so far it has been over $150,000 but it is still coming in.....

Okay, I am ready to join the Sept 2012 Sleevers! I was sleeved on September 27th and 15 days later they found a leak. Needless to say I am WAY behind you all........I have been on TPN with PICC line since Oct 12th and nothing to eat or drink. This ended last week and I am now on all liquids and excited about finally dropping some lbs! Lost 11 lbs since removal of TPN. Having a hard time getting enough in though. I am only getting about 32 oz of liquids, but I add protein to EVERYTHING so I am getting my 50-60 grams. I don't remember having such a hard time "liking" water before the leak but now, can't stand the taste of a lot of things!

Good news, last test showed no leak....they took my PICC line out and I am on all liquids now. Can't believe how long this healing takes, after not eating or drinking for 6 weeks, I feel like my taste buds have changed. Having a hard time getting enough fluids just like after my surgery but hopefully this will pass quickly?? I am excited to be off the TPN! Surgery Sept 27th and on TPN was maintaining my weight, I've lost 11 lbs since they took it out!

So I am at Dr Office for follow up on my latest cat scan...currently have a low fever and my picc line is oozing yellow fluid but not stinky so no one seems to know what it is. Anyone with picc line had this happen? Keeping fingers crosses for good news but my "happy thoughts" are dwindling fast! Wish he'd hurry up already!

What is jpeg? I feel bad bitching about my little leak after reading yours! So glad you are doing better, not sure how you did it..........

Today is hard, I have been home from the hospital for 3 days and everyone in my house still needs to eat. I understand that but I am soooo hungry! Not having food or liquids is so much easier in the hospital....you don't have to smell the food.....this picc line SUX.....the TPN SUX.......I am tired of the smell, your urine and fecal (if you can call it that) has a horrible smell that makes me want to vomit! (Sorry) TPN is down to 16 hrs a day so I get weak and wobbly after about noon. I need to stop reading the posts on food and what people are eating I think.....it makes me grumpy I sure hope this is over soon! I have another catscan on Monday or Tuesday to see if leak has healed yet. God I hope so! I have already had 2 and on the 2nd one I did puke up the contrast on my last sip, I know I'm not going to be able to keep it down on this next one. I don't understand why they can't make it taste better? It's not the barium stuff or the water type stuff, it is thick and oily and tastes like what I imagine engine oil mixed with kaster oil and some Lysol would taste like. I am nervouse about it because you have to take large gulps and swallow as they take the images and it ends up being a whole 8 oz. Anyway, thanks for putting up with my rant! I am thankful to be home (minus the food) and thankful it doesn't seem to be a "horrible" leak but just fed up and having a hard time today!

I found this article on early plateaus.......hope it helps....... Dsfacts.com Weight Loss Stall or Plateau A weight loss stall or plateau is an extended period of time during reducing efforts where is there is no weight loss according to the scale and no loss of inches according to the tape measure. This is why it is so important to take your body measurements before surgery, so you'll have a reference as your weight loss progresses post-op. We suggest you take measurements of your chest, waist and hip, neck, upper arm, thigh and calf. Be aware it is very common for your weight loss to "stall" shortly after surgery. Diana explains the reason for this below. The Inevitable Stall By Diana C. A "stall" a few weeks out is inevitable, and here's why. Our bodies use glycogen for short term energy storage. Glycogen is not very soluble, but it is stored in our muscles for quick energy -- one pound of glycogen requires 4 lbs of water to keep it soluble, and the average glycogen storage capacity is about 2 lbs. So, when you are not getting in enough food, your body turns first to stored glycogen, which is easy to break down for energy. And when you use up 2 lbs of glycogen, you also lose 8 lbs of water that was used to store it -- voila -- the "easy" 10 lbs that most people lose in the first week of a diet. As you stay in caloric deficit, however, your body starts to realize that this is not a short term problem. You start mobilizing fat from your adipose tissue and burning fat for energy. But your body also realizes that fat can't be used for short bursts of energy -- like, to outrun a saber tooth tiger. So, it starts converting some of the fat into glycogen, and rebuilding the glycogen stores. And as it puts back the 2 lbs of glycogen into the muscle, 8 lbs of water has to be stored with it to keep it soluble. So, even though you might still be LOSING energy content to your body, your weight will not go down or you might even GAIN for a while as you retain water to dissolve the glycogen that is being reformed and stored. Breathe, and fuggedaboudit for a few days. What You Can Do About a Stall or Plateau If you are experiencing a post-op weight loss stall or plateau further out there are a few possible causes. First, check that are you really in a stall. If the scale has stopped moving you may be losing inches, so check your measurements. Too Many Carbs? Carbohydrates can start sneaking into your foods without you being aware of how quickly they are adding up. For more information on carbs, see our section on Carbohydrates. If you are struggling with your weight loss you may want to examine your daily carb count. You can try to keep your carbs under 50g a day and see if that makes a difference in your weight loss. Do not eat carbs before bedtime as it triggers insulin and initiates fat storage. There are some great web site resources you can use to keep track of what you are eating. Fit Day Spark People - If you join Spark People also join the DS group. The Daily Plate Calorie King For more tips on keeping a food journal see the Personal Nutrition Guide. Eating Enough? If you are under-eating or go more than 4-5 hours without eating, your body will shift into fasting mode, slow your metabolism and conserve your stored energy (fat). This can contribute to a weight loss stall or plateau. Make sure you are eating small meals or small snacks throughout the day and also ensure you meet your daily protein requirements. Try eating some protein with every meal or snack. For more information on protein requirements see our section on Protein. Drinking Enough? An adequate level of water in your body aids in the effective breakdown of fat. The daily minimum recommendation is 64 fluid oz of water a day. If you are in ketosis you will need to drink even more water to ensure the ketones are flushed out of your system. You may also need more than the minimum amount of water if you are exercising or live in a warmer or dry environment. Exercising? Exercise can increase your metabolism and burn fat. Strength training will build muscles and will boost fat burning. In a stall you can try increasing your volume of exercise or changing up your routine to overcome a weight loss stall or plateau. If you have been doing mainly aerobic activity, try doing a bit of strength training, and if you have been doing mainly strength training, try an aerobic work-out. The High Fat - High Calorie Stall Buster Many DSers swear by the fat/calorie shock as an effective weight loss stall or plateau buster. Having a day of higher fat and calorie eating followed by a returning to consistent low carb eating can sometimes "shock" your body back into weight loss mode.

Good news from Dr! The test showed more improvement than they had expected so he is letting me go home tomorrow with my picc line and continued IV nutrition for a couple weeks. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, doc says if there was a leak to choose from this is the one you want....I have to say tho I am really tired of listening to and feeling my stomach growl.....

Heading down for another test to see if there are any signs of healing! Fingers crossed, if there is some healing, doc says I can maybe go home this weekend with a feeding tube installed......... Never in my life did I think I'd be wishing for that!

I think it depends, ive been reading a lot about it since being in the hospital and while they are rare, the doctor says they don't know why they seem to happen, I guess the ones up high are more common.

U will know! According to the dr there are two definite things that eventually happen, a fever and high heart rate.

That is the next step if the Catscan shows no improvement, going in thru the mouth and placing a stent or clamp on the leak..........

I have a leak, the lucky portion so far is that an air or gas bubble has formed outside the leak. So far...fingers crossed...the stuff going into the stomach leak out into the bubble and "seem" to be going back into the stomach. Hopefully it remains that way until it heals. It's amazing how hungery you get when not eating for 4 days. You'd think the nutrition being pumped in would al least help curb some hunger!!!!!!!!

No idea yet...they are doing another catscan on M or T so hopefully will kno more by them. I have no idea why it happened, it may have been there all along and it just wasn't bothering me until I started really pushing the water???