MYW

Thanks Erica. I have been almost 9 months out. Also - I feel like such a nut - Trying to update my ticker since I last updated it in Feb.

I have repeated and chronic aspiration pneumonias and pneumonitis from GERD and reflux since my procedure in Oct-12. If anyone has information on aspiration pneumonias following VSG please let me know. There is not much in the literature since VSG was originally a two part procedure and not a one. I am taking nexium + Dexilant, and sleeping in a chair almost upright - and still aspirating. My Dr told me the fix on my Hiatal Hernia would get rid of my need for nexium - and I should try to come off it - a month after surgery I tried and was in the hospital with pneumonia coughinh up blood within 2 or 3 weeks. The aspiration is chemical burn to the lungs from aspiration of stomach acids in the wee hours of the morning for me each time - always on an empty stomach. I don't eat 3 hrs before bed. I sit up - I take my meds. I am on an inhaler up to 5 times a day now - and desperate. If you see or hear anything I can learn please contact me.

If asking me, the nexium was a wonder drug until after my procedure. Now I take 2 of the strongest ones on the market but am getting worse.

Figured it out thanks - next one will be right!

I was taking Nexium for years before my sleeve for GERD. Dr fixed my Hiatal Hernia and told me the Nexium would probably not be necessary - but now I am taking Dexilant and Nexium, + tums and gaviscon for burning esophagus and throat a -- and I have had multiple aspiration pneumonias (hospitalizations), cases of pneumonitis, nodules on mu vocal cords from acid reflux, erosive esophagitis, and am taking my meds dilligently and sleeping upright in a chair! Go figure - it just keeps getting worse - like the body makes the same amount of acid in an "itty bitty space." If any of you hear of other cases of aspiration pneumonia following Vertical Sleeve, please contact me. I am desperate to learn. My surgeon acts like he never heard of it before. My stomach dr acts like the vertical sleeve is some not something he is familiar with. My family doctor is working hard on it and is concerned but unfamiliar. Not much in the literature since using the sleeve as a one part procedure is new.

That throat pain is reflux - mine is so bad I cannot sleep. Get a primary care physician or stomach doctor to look at your stomach and perhaps get something to protect your esophogial and tracheal lining from ongoing damage. Be well. Good luck.

I apologies for the many typos - I typed to fast. The words "before my mother did" should be "before my mother died". She died. I meant in latter paragraphs to ask your doctor if this is something that might be a complication for you - My bariatric surgeon insists he has still never heard of this until me. He really wants me to disappear into the woodwork - I would if I could. Be well people. Eat healthy. Make wise decisions. Love long. Be Happy - MYW

@Krunchy KittenI had a Sleeve Oct 8-2013. My surgeon also repaired my Hiatal Hernia. He told me I would probably not need my Nexium after the surgery and plan to try discontinuing. I had my GERD well controlled for years. I tried coming off the Nexium in November but I could not. #1 By December I had aspiration pneumonia - woke up at 4am coughing up blood and having asthma type symptoms and crackling lungs and breathing though a straw. Was admitted at the hospital that morning with a temp over 102. Had my Internist and a Pulmonologist come lecture me on how to eat - and support groups - and properly chewing my feed. I was clueless - but after the 2nd day of hospitalization, it dawned on me that I never eat after 430P anyway. I think I eat properly (as a nutritionist would recommend). I had gone to bed at 730P because I had to get up at 420A. #2 By January I was back in the hospital and got lectured again on aspiration pneumonia. Ditto from the previous paragraph (#1). #3 I had another case of walking pneumonia - aspiration pneumonia again, but my internist understands the issue and is supportive. #4 I had another case of aspiration pneumonia (April?) and the radiologist did not send reports to my doctor for almost a week so I walked around with fever and wheezing - ongoing horror. #5 & #6 - have been diagnosed with two cases of pneumonitis in addition which is due to aspirating in my sleep. Went to see the GastroEnterologist and had a scope. He saw bad reflux, erossive esophagitis, but a normal pouch. He never met with me after the scope, but left a note with my husband to stay on my Nexium in the morning, add Dexilant at an early dinner time, and sleep semi upright in a recliner. I went to see the ENT to see what she saw in case there was something that was missed. She scoped my throat which was sore and my looked at my ears which now are sore, and told me I had moderate to large nodules that had developed on my vocal cords. Where do they come from you ask? ... Chronic acid running over them. Since that time I went to see the surgeon who did not have my test results - no progress. He said we would see how I was doing when I saw him next. My next appointment he set in the October (I just want help - I am worried he thinks I am going to sue so is not wanting me to see him before then. I have no plans to do that so I just made a more recent appointment. I would like to go in with names of other physicians he can contact to get more information to help me - some with more experience with patients with ongoing aspiration and treatment and outcomes). I now have Chronic Bronchitis - I aspirate even sitting up while I sleep. Every morning I awake with a sore throat and during the wee hours I feel it as it gets more irritated and I cough and use an inhaler (now with my doctor's advice up to 5+ times a day and a nebulizer. I used to have an inhaler and used it once a year. I awake and cough and wheeze. It scares my husband who runs down and sleeps to watch me. He thinks I will keel over. I do not there this anything that can be done to fix this surgically. I am seeing my Primary Care Internist Monday morning. Then I am going to see the GastroEnterologist and ask questions. I am wish I had the films of my pouch and reflux filling my entire esophogus - I will try to share them later when I see the Gastro MD. I know if this is not resolved (at age 50 and previously relatively healthy and at a weight of 256). I am not at a weight in the mid 190s. Soungs great, but if this continues I will succumb to pneumonia, COPD, even Esophagial or Stomach cancer in my pouch. Not to mention that I may go crazy sleeping in a chair for the remainder of my life. If anyone has advice, please post - please know am not a smoker or drinker. I do not eat spicy food as I cannot do so anymore. No peppers. I eat high Protein, egg white omelets, cheese (low fat), non fat milk products and cottage cheese, nonfat greek yogurts, lowfat chicken and ground turkey. I gave up sauces and tomatoes and most fruit. If someone has advice please send it. I worked so hard to have this procedure so I could live longer and suffer less. I did not want to die the way I saw my mother die and suffer when I hospiced her. I wanted to avoid the estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer that runs in my family. I told my mother I wanted to do this before she did. I worked since 2008 to have this procedure and qualify - I worry I have made such a mistake. I am so happy for so many people whose lives have been improved - I dont want to scare anyone away - just make them ask more questions. If your doctor says this is not a possible complication, get another. My doctor told me he never heard of this (my continual aspiration of stomach acid - yes it is the acid that causes a chemical process and eats at the lung tissue - not food in stomach contents). Talk to your doctor talk to him and consider another procedure if you have GERD or a Hiatal Hernia if advised by a gastroenterologist - see a couple doctors first. . Remember, getting the hernia fixed (as I did) may not stop the GERD. Feel free to email me. I am so worried and want as much info as possible to learn and research. There is little in the current periodicals since the use of the sleeve is quite new as a single part procedure (it used to be used as a part 1 of a 2 part procedure in the super morbidly obese).

My Dr.'s office talked with me on the bleeding from my stomach and I was told the complication was not serious as long as it improved instead of got worse. So far today, I have to say it has been improving a bit, so as long as that continues, I am not going to have to worry about it. I just have to watch it carefully.

Also - when I said I recently added the turkey and chicken I did not mean now. I am on the controlled fluids diet. I just moved to full fluids from clear and have the okay for the yogurt, puddings, real jello, creamed soups, etc... but all I want is my Greek Yogurt. I am supposed to do the Unjury 2X a day, and last night put 8 oz of fluid with a scoop and ran it in the blender and consumed half. Within a few minutes, I had the clear liquid stool with the "moving fast through" tiny liquid stool with that red orange brick pasty color. I understand high up blood is supposed to be black and tarry, but this is blood when it moves fast (i.e., there is nothing ahead of it in the intestines and it is on a rocket ship out); you never see red steaks in this as this would be low like from a hemorrhiod.

Based on your statement - I have 2 questions - all about - you guessed it -- poo! I had my VSG October 8, and last night October 16 (on full liquids and having eaten nonfat greek plain yogurt for almost 2 full days), I end up with diarrhea. I can't figure it. I added Protein powder earlier and milk and such with no trouble the morning before (so milk 3 times and feeling wonderful on that until last night, so probably not lactose intolerance). I was up all night with liquid and tiny bits of that nasty red pasty stool that means I still have stomach bleeding. For you guys also that noticed your initial post-surgical bleeding (reddish stools for stools passing quickly though but no clear blood streaks if from that high up), how long did it last. Everything that went in on my last protein "snack" last night came out last night, all night, and into this am. Also - has anyone noticed that the unjury Protein as a snack contains more calories than what I can consume for a meal (I won't, I am even a vegetarian-Pescatarian/Lacto-Ovo-Vegatarian but recently added ground turkey and chicken) to accommodate my protein needs. I already live on Greek yogurt, and soy;-) Sorry to rattle on. And sorry for the bad picture, I couldn't find the good one of my cat (I am serious - not making fun - really true. My cat will appear shortly. Thanks ahead guys.