JennyBeth

The amount of food/liquid I could consume all of a sudden starting to decrease rather than increase. I was 5 weeks post-op and was cleared for a regular diet, but I told my surgeon I wanted to stick to soft foods. I also asked him to switch my PPI prescription from Protonix to nexium because I felt like it wasn't working anymore because I always had the sensation something was "stuck" in my throat. Pretty soon every time I ate something with substance to it or swallowed a pill I would vomit. Then I started vomiting anything other than plain water. Needless to say I became very dehydrated and malnourished.

How is your progress going? I have very similar issues and actually had a PICC line put in so I can do PTN nutrition at home because I can't keep anything down either. I'm SO frustrated and just want to get better. I was sleeved on 3-20 and would be happy if I could eat ANYTHING at all! I'm afraid that when it is time to have the stent removed it is only going to get worse! I'm stressed and constantly exhausted. I feel like I've been sick for so long that I just don't see any end in sight. HELP!

Due to my stricture I had a PICC line put in and am getting PTN nutrition through the PICC line until my stomach's swelling can go down. Then hopefully the stent can do it's job. After a few weeks everything should be better and I can eat again! Then when I look back on the past 5 weeks I'll just remember it as a bump in the road! I'll feel great, be healthy and loving my sleeve!!!

Still feeling discouraged. Have gotten the PTN nutrition for 5 days and I expected to start feeling better now that I'm getting nutrition, but I still feel weak and have no energy. I left the hospital last night and I regret leaving. The Zofran and pain meds they give you through the IV work SO much better than the ones you take orally. I feel nauseous all the time and have NO energy! I hate this whole process!

It's ok Laura. Most strictures are easy to fix (although it is still uncomfortable) but for some reason mine isn't! It's very frustrating. Thank you for your good thoughts and words of encouragement! I know I'll get better eventually and hope to be in the same place as everyone else-loving my sleeve!

I'm actually back in the hospital due to dehydration and they are putting in a pic line tomorrow so I can do IV fluids and PTN nutrition through it. I've lost 55 pounds in 10 weeks and my body is in poor shape nutritionally. The surgeon does not want to remove the stent just yet because he's afraid the stricture will just close back up. I also have to have an upper GI in the morning. He's pretty sure that all the vomiting and nausea has everything swollen and it is swollen around the stent which is why I can only get little amounts of water in. I hope that things begin to turn around for me. I was not prepared for all of this!

Thank you. I did also have a hiatal hernia repaired at the time of my sleeve. I'm hoping this stent will take care of the stricture so that when it is removed my esophagus remains open and I can eat again. I'm also wondering if my surgeon made my sleeve too narrow.

Strictures are not easily fixed. I found I had one at about 6 weeks post-op and had a dialation done by endoscopy and it closed back up within 2 days! I was hospitalized for 6 days last week at which time my surgeon put a metal stent in my esophagus. At first I could drink, but now I survive on plain water. I haven't had anything to eat in almost 4 weeks. I vomit all the time and the stent is very uncomfortable and constantly hurts. It constantly feels like something is "stuck" in my throat and I would give anything to eat something!

I was sleeved on 3-20 and was progressing ok until about 3-4 weeks ago. I developed a stricture but I waited almost a week before I went to the doctor because I thought it was my reflux no longer responding to my medication. My surgeon did an endoscopy and dialated my esophagus with a balloon, but 2 days later it had closed back up! I retuned to the doctor a few days later and I was admitted to the hospital for dehydration and to have an emergency endoscopy with stent placement. I spent 5 days in the hospital and even though I'm home I feel miserable. I'm constantly nauseous and everything hurts from the pressure of the stent. Is there anyone that has been through this or something similar? I wanted to lose weight, but not like this. There's a big part of me that regrets the surgery as much as I try not to. Please someone tell me it gets easier!

I've had a few pretzel twists from time to time. I never even eat a full serving and I'm not worried about it at all. It's a couple of pretzels not a couple of donuts!

So I developed a stricture that was dialated on Thursday and by Saturday it had closed back up. My surgeon admitted me today because I'm severely dehydrated and he'll do another endoscopy and put a stent in. I haven't been able to eat any food for the past 2 weeks. I'm hoping this does the trick and I can actually eat again. (I'm 8 weeks tomorrow.) I'm losing weight, but this isn't the way I wanted to do it! Has anyone else had a stent put in for a stricture? How was it? How long were you able to have it in? I'm feeling really scared and so frustrated. I'm thankful that I did not develop a leak, but I never anticipated this type of complication. It sucks! I have not been able to reach the point of being happy I got my sleeve because of all of this. I would kill to eat a salad!

The surgeon gives you a time frame, but they don't make it mandatory because every patient is different. My surgeon said 3-4 weeks and at first I planned on 2 weeks and he said that would be doable. For some stupid reason I decided since my surgery was on a Wednesday that I would take that end of the week and be off for a full week after. It wasn't enough time. I ended up having to do half days my first week back. You're better off taking longer than you might need because you can always return to work sooner.

I had a upper endoscopy done last Thursday and my surgeon did a dialation of my esophagus with a balloon. However, by Saturday my throat closed back up! So since I can't eat and my fluid intake was very low (I vomited up anything other than plain water and even that I could only take very small sips) my surgeon admitted me to the hospital yesterday to rehydrate me and today he will be doing another upper endoscopy with stent placement. It's been a very uncomfortable and frustrating process. I really like my surgeon and I trust him completely. I just want to feel better so I can eat again! I wasn't prepared for this setback so it's been difficult, but I'm ready to be well! When my stricture started I thought my PPI was no longer working and food felt "stuck", but then it soon became where I vomited frequently after eating until I could no longer eat or swallow meds. That's why I encourage anyone who starts vomiting regularly to contact their surgeon right away! I waited thinking it was "normal" and it's been 2 weeks of a lot of discomfort so DON'T wait!

I tried the listerine breath strips, but they were WAY too strong for me. I prefer a sugar free mint. Lifesavers makes a small bag of them and I like them. I haven't had gum just because I think I would swallow too much air which would lead to discomfort.

I had really bad heartburn and gastritis about 12 years ago, but since then (other than when pregnant) had no issues. As soon as I was sleeved it was back with a vengeance!

Do you have the feeling like something is stuck all of the time? Keep an eye on it because it could be a stricture. You start to show symptoms between 3-6 weeks generally. I have one and that was how it started for me but then it got to the point that the "stuck" feeling never went away and I could eat and drink less and less.

That is good news! How far out are you from surgery? If you continue to vomit you might want to let your surgeon know.

I never asked either. It really makes no difference because anything is smaller than your original stomach!

Thank you! I hope someone that has gone through something similar posts, too. I don't know where else to get advice from. No one I know has had WLS.

This is very normal. You tend to see an increase in acid reflux for the first 3-4 months and then you should see it taper off. Start on a PPI immediately and it will help! My surgeon gives a prescription for the PPI but there are a ton that are OTC. Good luck!

I stayed 3 nights/4 days. I stayed an extra night because I couldn't get my fluids and meds down. Once I could I was discharged.

I plan on calling my surgeon first thing tomorrow, but unless it's plain water everything else comes back up! I'm really not even that hungry, but I do struggle with the fact that I can't eat how I used to. I got the sleeve as a tool that would keep my portions under control, but to literally eat NOTHING starts to wear you down. I feel weak and light headed all the time. I know the beginning is hard (I'll be 8 weeks on Wednesday) but I wasn't expecting or prepared for anything like this. I'm crabby and feel depressed all the time. My surgeon did an endoscopy on Thursday and found a stricture. He did a dilation of my esophagus and other than a sore throat I felt better on Friday. But by Saturday it felt the same way as before and I've been unable to eat for 2 days now. I wanted to lose weight, but not by literally starving myself! I feel miserable!

I was sleeved on 3/20 and am down 40 pounds. Surgery weight was 215 and today I'm at 175. I have been having some complications for the last 3 weeks so I have to focus on the weight going down or I'd never make it through!

I will be seeing my surgeon tomorrow and having an emergency endoscopy on Wednesday with stent placement.