Beckyyb93

My name is Becky and I just turned 21, I'm a nursing student and am engaged to the love of my life. I started my WLS journey in November of 2012 and got the gastric sleeve at the end of December 2012. My starting weight was 260. From the moment I woke up, I had a stricture and had pain with swallowing. We decided as I healed this would calm down and eating would become less painful. Well, that never happened..I've had roughly 10 endoscopy's and they have dilated the stricture each time hoping to help ease the pain. I've been hospitalized for pain and malnutrition roughly 5-6 times and it's been a tough journey. Now it's July of 2014 and I haven't eaten solid food since my surgery in 2012. I am in constant pain and have been taking the liquid Vicodin on and off this whole time. Living life has been a real struggle because I can't get in enough Protein or Water to stay energized or hydrated so I sleep a lot. I was a relatively healthy (besides some comorbitities) full time nursing student and now I'm barely staying afloat in school. I've pushed back my clinicals which pushes back my graduation date because I just don't have the energy to start them; plus I'm in the hospital so often that I miss class which is not allowed once I start working in the hospital. I went back to my surgeon two months ago and they ran all sorts of tests, he told me if I didn't get this fixed I was heading in the direction of Barret's and esophageal cancer which scared the crap out of me at 21. He said the only way to fix the severe esophageal spasms and the swollen inflamed stricture is to revise to a bypass which would stop the bile reflux and change the anatomy of the stomach which will hopefully help the irregular pressures in my esophagus and let the stricture heal. I agreed since that seemed to be the only option AND I haven't lost any weight...ZERO. It's because I can't eat what I'm supposed to eat, I can barely get down pudding and ice cream much less vegetables or protein so my metabolism is basically shut down and I'm stuck. We are hoping the bypass fixes my pain but it would also be an added bonus to lose the weight like I originally planned. We had set a date of 7/11/2014 which is today but I got a call on Wednesday saying the insurance retracted my approval because they want another EGD done. He did the EGD on that same Wednesday and came back out to talk to me about what he found. He said it's significantly worse than it was two months ago, my esophagus is eroding from the bile that keeps irritating the already swollen stricture. I asked about Barret's and he said not YET...so scary! My surgeon himself called the medical director of the insurance company to tell him how badly I need this surgery. He said he would be very surprised if we didn't get it approved and set a new date for next Friday. Here's to hoping I suppose. I will keep you guys informed when I have a date and I will update on how I'm feeling. Hopefully in a couple of months this will be another success thread, I'm crossing my fingers and toes! I already have all of my Vitamins and Protein shakes from the last go around and have tried a ton of stuff and have a ton of experience with all things bariatric that are soft. I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has and am thankful for all of the support that you guys provide. My current weight is the same as my starting weight at 260 but like I said, I'm more concerned with the pain stopping than the weight gain although I'm hopeful that this will help me with both. My surgeon wants to keep me 2 nights in the hospital and saying the surgery will take 2-3 hours. I'll post pictures soon and update the title with the date we select..hopefully it will be 7/18. Pictures: Pre-Sleeve 2012: Pre-Bypass 2014: Recent Face Shot 2014: UPDATE: Surgery is approved but won't happen until August 1st because my surgeon is out of town I'm keeping my head up and am thankful that it is approved at all even if the date is farther out than I had been hoping. I will keep everyone updated and am on a cancellation list so maybe I'll get in sooner.

Hey guys, I'm Becky and I'm new here. I have been stalking the forums for a couple days and decided to start a post. I'll be keeping an updated log of my progress with pictures, weight, and measurements so be sure to check back! Here's my story: I'm 19 and have been morbidly obese since middle school. I was extremely athletic when I was young, gymnastics and competitive cheer along with riding horses since I was 5. I was always bigger than other kids but mostly it was muscle. My parents got divorced when I was 8 and it ripped my world apart, I had issues with depression and ended up going on Zyprexa which is now I believe off the market due to the insane weight gain. I gained 100 lbs over 4 months, it was CRAZY! I stopped cheering shortly after because I was too heavy to be wearing a skimpy uniform. So, that just made me gain more weight and lose muscle. I was heavy in high school and it just kept getting worse. I have dieted and can get down to 200 lbs but it all comes right back when you stop the diet. My weight really holds me back emotionally and I'm starting to get high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, etc. I'm now in college to get my BSN (nursing school) and am in a sorority. I have been with my boyfriend for over a year and he is my other half, we live together and are really happy. He is also overweight and is trying dieting, he supports me 100% and is right there cheering me on with every step I take. I'm extremely lucky to have him with me and he promises to take good care of me after I get out of surgery. My mom is also a huge part of my life and support system, she is my best friend and my own personal cheerleader. Between her and Matt, I'll be in great hands post-op. So, my life pretty much rocks and losing weight would just be the icing on the cake so I can't wait until I slim back down! Maybe, I could even cheer in college...that would be a dream come true! So far my journey has been wonderful, I became interested in the sleeve after my most recent weight loss fail and am at my highest weight ever! I started calling around early November looking for a surgeon who could get me in before the end of the year. I found Dr. Ricks in St. Louis and his nurses said it'd be tight but was possible. I went in the next week for my first appointment and good goly gosh is he just the sweetest guy you will ever meet. He's got a bedside manner that rivals any doctor I've ever worked with, I instantly felt comforted. We chatted for about an hour and he answered all of my questions, he set up some tests for the next week and off I went. I went in for testing and to meet with the nutritionist which all went smooth as can be and then I awaited a call letting me know about insurance. After 2 weeks, I got that magical call letting me know that I'm approved for surgery! We set up a date, December 19th which is the week after finals. I go in for my nutrition class and my blood work Monday then surgery the next week. Luckily I'm only on clears and shakes for 3 days prior to surgery...so no dying of hunger for weeks like others have to endure! Starting weight: 260 Starting measurements: Arm: 18” Forearm: 12.5” Hips: 54.5” Waist: 44” Bust: 48.5” Thigh” 30” Calf: 17.5” Shoulders: 52” Neck: 16” Here are my before pictures: I'll be sure to keep you guys updated as the days fly by!

Hey guys, sorry I haven't given you an update in a while. I'm struggling pretty badly, I use the word struggling a lot lately because I think it sounds better than dying which is honestly what I feel like is happening. As you guys know from my previous post, the spasms are back and I've been hospitalized SO many times since the bypass 8/1. I was taking an extremely difficult science class that I need to start clinicals and I had to drop it because I missed so many of the labs that I wouldn't be able to keep up, luckily the rest of my classes were online because that was only the start to the difficult times. It's now almost Christmas which means I'm almost at my 2 year sleeve surgiversary and I'm in pretty bad shape. I just had another manometry which is where they put the tube down your nose and measure your swallowing pressure, I saw the surgeon and he said we have improved since the bypass but still have a long way to go. Before the bypass I had 10% normal swallows and 90% abnormal, now I had 45% normal swallows and 55% abnormal but my swallow is getting weaker which means my achalasia is getting worse. The next step is a Botox injection to my esophagus where the spasms are taking place but he wants to do one last endoscopy before scheduling that to check for ulcers/strictures. That's scheduled for Monday the 22nd but at this point I'm not sure if I'm going to make it that long before being hospitalized. I'm really really struggling with the pain right now and I'm not getting enough fluids much less Protein down to be safe or hydrated. I'm on Norco pills 4x daily to help with the pain and it helps but isn't nearly enough to feel normal. So, I'll probably end up heading to the ER tomorrow sometime if I don't feel any better soon because I'm 99% sure I have an ulcer on top of the spasms which is causing pain with the medicine I take for spasms so the two issues are working against each other. I'm usually hospitalized 2x a month for fluids, potassium, and pain medicine then they send me home and I struggle until I give in and go back to the hospital. I'm on so much medicine that it's just sad, I take more than 6 different medications for just my stomach alone and that doesn't account for my kidney problems that I've always had but are becoming more severe since surgery because of my Fluid intake. I'm also struggling with depression because the pain just wears me down, I sometimes wonder how I'm ever going to get through this and if it will ever stop. I try to tell myself that the Botox injection will help but some days my optimism waivers By the grace of God I managed to pull off B's across the board in school this semester which is pretty impressive considering how much I have been in the hospital and how sick I have been. I've finally resigned to taking the next semester off to hopefully heal because I can't keep putting myself through this, it kills me to do it but I feel like I need to focus on my health and feeling better before I can really take on school again. I don't know what else to tell you guys except please pray for me, I'm trying my best to stay strong but it's extremely difficult. I'm still fighting but it's getting harder to do as the bad days keep coming, I try to focus on the good parts of life like my family, my fiance, and my friends which helps but like I said at the beginning I'm really struggling and I feel like I'm getting worse which frightens me for my future.

Hey guys, sorry I haven't given you an update in a while. I'm struggling pretty badly, I use the word struggling a lot lately because I think it sounds better than dying which is honestly what I feel like is happening. As you guys know from my previous post, the spasms are back and I've been hospitalized SO many times since the bypass 8/1. I was taking an extremely difficult science class that I need to start clinicals and I had to drop it because I missed so many of the labs that I wouldn't be able to keep up, luckily the rest of my classes were online because that was only the start to the difficult times. It's now almost Christmas which means I'm almost at my 2 year sleeve surgiversary and I'm in pretty bad shape. I just had another manometry which is where they put the tube down your nose and measure your swallowing pressure, I saw the surgeon and he said we have improved since the bypass but still have a long way to go. Before the bypass I had 10% normal swallows and 90% abnormal, now I had 45% normal swallows and 55% abnormal but my swallow is getting weaker which means my achalasia is getting worse. The next step is a Botox injection to my esophagus where the spasms are taking place but he wants to do one last endoscopy before scheduling that to check for ulcers/strictures. That's scheduled for Monday the 22nd but at this point I'm not sure if I'm going to make it that long before being hospitalized. I'm really really struggling with the pain right now and I'm not getting enough fluids much less Protein down to be safe or hydrated. I'm on Norco pills 4x daily to help with the pain and it helps but isn't nearly enough to feel normal. So, I'll probably end up heading to the ER tomorrow sometime if I don't feel any better soon because I'm 99% sure I have an ulcer on top of the spasms which is causing pain with the medicine I take for spasms so the two issues are working against each other. I'm usually hospitalized 2x a month for fluids, potassium, and pain medicine then they send me home and I struggle until I give in and go back to the hospital. I'm on so much medicine that it's just sad, I take more than 6 different medications for just my stomach alone and that doesn't account for my kidney problems that I've always had but are becoming more severe since surgery because of my Fluid intake. I'm also struggling with depression because the pain just wears me down, I sometimes wonder how I'm ever going to get through this and if it will ever stop. I try to tell myself that the Botox injection will help but some days my optimism waivers By the grace of God I managed to pull off B's across the board in school this semester which is pretty impressive considering how much I have been in the hospital and how sick I have been. I've finally resigned to taking the next semester off to hopefully heal because I can't keep putting myself through this, it kills me to do it but I feel like I need to focus on my health and feeling better before I can really take on school again. I don't know what else to tell you guys except please pray for me, I'm trying my best to stay strong but it's extremely difficult. I'm still fighting but it's getting harder to do as the bad days keep coming, I try to focus on the good parts of life like my family, my fiance, and my friends which helps but like I said at the beginning I'm really struggling and I feel like I'm getting worse which frightens me for my future.

This is where I'm having the most trouble, I've had to be on fluids a lot longer due to complications and am/was just getting so tired of plain Water. I started drinking juice which I know is bad because of the empty calories but the most important thing for me right now is to drink drink drink to stay hydrated otherwise they will admit me back to the hospital again. I've spent a lot of the last few weeks there because I just can't get enough down to stay hydrated so I'm trying really really hard. I used to drink Vitamin Water Zero in the Lemonade flavor but it's just not tasting right to me right now. I've done the little concentrated bottles that you squeeze into water and that's helped a little. I've tried a little bit of tea but it's not usually my favorite thing to drink. So, what are you guys drinking? I have to stop drinking all this juice but I'm struggling with anything sounding good because everything hurts and this sounds silly but if it doesn't taste good it's hard to convince myself to drink it because it hurts so much. My doctor and I are working on fixing the pain with swallowing but I'm just trying to get some other ideas in the meantime.

You have to be more careful girlie! You need to baby your tummy and your incisions while they are still this fresh. No getting down on the floor because like you said getting up is nearly impossible! I support the pillow idea, I actually slept in a reclining chair for the first three weeks because the bed wasn't comfortable, it pulled on my tummy and I didn't want to flip over so the chair was perfect. You don't want to end up back in the hospitals with ripped incisions so please please be careful!! Your kids will understand if you have to rest for a little bit and like everyone else has told you, it will be worth it in the end!

Yeah, I did! I wasn't paying close enough attention when I responded to this and didn't see it was you..woops! I know we talked a little before surgery and have nursing in common. I'm so sorry you are having a rough time, to me it sounds like a stricture because they normally come on quick and have the symptoms that you are describing. I'd give it a few more days and if it's not any better I'd call the doc again and tell them that something is wrong and they need to do some tests. They can usually tell from a Barium swallow if you have a stricture and then they can go in through an EGD and dilate. Hopefully that's not what it is and you are just having a rough couple of days but it will get better one way or another! Hang in there and keep us updated

Thank you guys so much for all the responses, you are the best! I'll have to try some of your suggestions, I like chai tea hot with a little bit of splenda but I haven't had it in a while so I may try to alternate with a cup of that. I also have some Crystal Light so I can try some different flavors and see what works, I really used to like their regular tea flavors so I may try that again too. I've never had any hot tea other than the cinnamon chai I get from Teavanna which is a total comfort drink that I used a lot right after surgery. I have found very hot liquids and very cold liquids go down easiest for me and I really like chewing on crushed ice in my cold drinks. I'll have to venture out and try some new things, all the suggestions are great!

Yeah, staying hydrated is EXTREMELY important when you are doing liquids. If you get dehydrated, the headaches will get worse so push push push those fluids! It also helps you stay a little more full which is an added bonus. It will get easier as you go along and you will lose a lot of weight pretty quickly but remember to not stress about the scale at all until you are at least one week post op because you gain in the hospital and that's totally normal so it's better to not even look at the beginning.

The liquid diet is hard but you will get through it! Make sure to take medicine for the symptoms, I know as a fellow nursing student and from nurses all throughout my family that sometimes we just "deal with it" as far as pain goes and that isn't the right thing to do here. If you have heartburn take Tums or Zantac, take Tylenol for the headache, and if you are having a lot of trouble with nausea, let your surgeon know and ask for medicine to help with that. My two favorites (I've had a lot of experience with nausea as you probably know from reading my thread) are sublingual Zofran and Phenergen suppositories, the Phenergen is far more effective but it makes you sleepy and usually isn't used unless your nausea is pretty bad. (Okay I wrote this and then remembered you are a nurse so I really don't have to explain these medications lol!) I did my due diligence in researching and I'm sure you have as well since that's what us nurses as patients do so I know you are going to do great! As far as your heartburn, it will be 100% magically gone when you wake up from surgery..totally amazing. There are a dozen different hypothesized reasons for the spasms we get and for some if they are from bile reflux, the surgery significantly reduces them. I didn't have spasms at all before I had the sleeve though so they were brought on by that surgery and are still causing me grief even after revising to the bypass which we thought would help because we thought they were due to bile reflux. Since you bypass the portion of the stomach that has the bile ducts, you have no bile or acid reflux coming up your throat which significantly helps the pain. I'm hoping that your Nutcracker Esophagus will get better with surgery but it's hard to tell. Try not to think about the OR too much because you will work yourself up over nothing. As you know, we nurses and even the doctors don't judge people too harshly on being on full display in the OR because we realize that they are doing something drastic to get healthy and we can respect that. Hopefully you aren't having this done at the hospital you work at because that just seems like it may be a little awkward but as I said before it's really no big deal unless you let it bother you. You will get through this and become more healthy on the other end and just think, you have an edge over others being a nurse because you know exactly what to do to win. Plus, you have all of us now!! I'm rooting for you and you will be in my thoughts throughout this pre-op diet and throughout your whole post-op journey!

I agree that you need to contact your surgeon, it's probably nothing but I always prefer to be on the safe side! Let us know what they say and good luck

I'm a revision from a sleeve to a bypass and haven't been able to eat solid food in over two years without throwing up so I definitely know what you are feeling. First off, it will get better..what's going on with me is a freak accident and it's perfectly normal to have some difficulty tolerating things in the beginning. Second, you need to get on some better meds. Zofran isn't meant to last for more than 4-6 hours so I'm not exactly sure why they aren't letting you have it more often. I swore by Zofran until I took Phenergen and now I won't use anything else. I'd call your surgeon or if you did surgery in Mexico, I'd call your primary care physician and tell them what's going on and stress to them that you need something that will control your nausea more effectively. If you want to keep taking Zofran, I'd get the ones that dissolve under your tongue because they work a little quicker and you are less likely to throw them up. I take suppository Phenergen and while it's odd, it's so much more effective for me because I can't throw it up before it starts working! You just need to find something that controls your nausea for now and in no time you will feel better! I'd also ask your surgeon about the possibility of a stricture because that can cause some of these symptoms and is relatively easy to fix. Hang in there and make the doctors help you..that's their job!!

Well, I'm still on the Nitro cream and it wasn't doing a whole lot so they put me on Levsin as needed and Levbid twice a day for spasms as well. I'm getting soft food and Fluid down with taking all these medications but they make me really sleepy and I know there is no way I can stay on all of this long term. I went to see the surgeon last Friday and he said we are going to do another manometry and then do a botox injection to the place that is spasming which will hopefully paralyze the are so it can't spasm. After that he wants to look at doing a heller manotomy. It's all a little scary but I'm glad he isn't giving up on me quite yet. I'll know more after my manometry which will probably be early next week and in the meantime I'm just going to keep taking all these medications and keep trying to get in fluids and some Protein in between all of my medically induced naps! He doesn't think the manometry will be much different than the last time where is was extremely abnormal and if that is the case we will go about getting the insurance to cover the botox injection which he doesn't think will be too hard. I'll try to keep you all updated! And @@layknee the manometry is a pretty nasty test, it's just extremely uncomfortable and it's so hard not to swallow constantly which is what your body wants to do to get the tube out of your throat but as you probably know, they have to start over if you swallow at the wrong time..yuck!

Yes, especially the low thyroid can keep you from losing. You need to see your PCP and go to your surgeon for follow up blood work because there can be other things that a Cardiologist wouldn't check for that could be causing you to have trouble losing weight. When you go on medicine for your thyroid, you will see a huge improvement in the weight loss. Good luck!

After surgery I prefer everything as cold as possible. I even dilute juice by chewing on ice..it just helps me have less pain and can help soothe the inflammation you have post op. I haven't tried EAS, I have tried Premier Protein and I didn't like it..I'm the odd man out on that one I know! A friend suggested Six Star shakes from Walmart (it's their own brand) and the chocolate is so good, tastes like chocolate milk and occasionally if I'm having trouble tolerating something, I'll mix it with a little bit of milk or chocolate syrup just to change it up a bit. Those by far have been the best tasting pre-mades I have ever had. Also, I HATE Isopure..ick!

I agree that the bypass completely gets rid of GERD and if you understand the anatomy you would know that in theory there would be no way to have acid after the RNY so everyone who has the surgery should have zero reflux. I had the surgery to also get rid of my esophageal spasms and it didn't work for that but I have had no trouble at all with reflux since I had surgery 8/1.

Alright guys, I have some really bad news I went in on Friday morning to get a Barium swallow test and as I watched the contrast go down I saw it..spasms! I felt it and saw it and just couldn't believe it because the whole point of the bypass was to stop the powerful spasms that were giving me so much pain and not allowing me to eat solid food for 2 years. I almost cried, my doc wanted to do another EGD to make sure there was no stricture so he sent me straight to the endoscopy center and took a look. After, I just expected to go home since I just came in for a visit but he directly admitted me to the med/surg floor which was surprising for me. I had my fiance bring me some clothes from home and awaited the reason for the admit. A GI came in later that afternoon and we talked for a while, I gave him my whole long story and he was really nice. He said since I had been and am still on a calcium channel blocker (Cartia) for spasms that we should try something else and his suggestion was Nitroglycerin cream which is better known as "heart cream" it is a vasodilator and is used for spasms and lowers blood pressure. They had admitted me so they could monitor me on that medication and make sure my blood pressure didn't drop too low since it isn't high to begin with and make sure I didn't have headaches which are the most common side effect. We are slowly raising the dose and I'm not having any adverse reactions to it which is great. I'm not up to the full dose yet so am not positive how it is working yet although with the Lortab, Phenergen and the Nitro cream I've been tolerating soft food and Fluid pretty well which is good! I'm sad because I feel like we are starting over with the spasms and I wonder if doing the bypass was the right move but then I remember how bad the acid reflux was and how it's gone now and that has tremendously helped with the pain so I'm trying to tell myself it was worth it because now I'm not at a risk for Barrets which is good too. Now we have to do another manometry to check the function of my esophagus because last time we did this test it was extremely abnormal and we were in the beginning stages of achalysia which is bad and contributed to the surgeon's decision to do the bypass. If it is still abnormal which the surgeon is worried about, we will have to treat that along with the spasms so it doesn't get any worse. I'm crossing my fingers that it got better with surgery but somehow doubt it since I still have the spasms. He doesn't have any idea why the spasms came back but now the only option is to play with different medications to try to treat the symptoms of the regurgitation, nausea, and major pain. He has a few more ideas for different medications to try if the Nitro doesn't help enough but it's very depressing to look forward to the future of only soft foods again I'm trying to stay as positive as possible and try to let the medications do their job and hope that they will control it well going forward and allow me to eat more normal food. It's so hard to be patient but that's my only option right now so I'm doing my best. Obviously I won't be able to rely on the Lortab and the Phenergen forever so we will have to tweak the medications enough to get off of those on a regular basis although there is no problem using Phenergen on an as needed basis. That's about all for now, I'm trying so hard to keep my head up but each time I feel the spasms and throw up I just cry because I just want all of this pain to stop and I'm just so young. Also, if the achalysia gets bad I'm at a risk for other problems and it just seems like I'm too young and was too healthy to be worrying about the long term health of my esophagus. This surgery ruined my life and I'm attempting to put the pieces back together but it's so hard. The GI said my esophageal anatomy is just so abnormal and the surgery put the icing on the cake for the spasms and trouble swallowing. I'll try to keep you guys updated, I need to catch up in my classes since I've been hospitalized 3 times in the last 2 weeks. I have a lot of work to do and it's all a little daunting especially with only being able to tolerate a little bit of food and Water and being on two medications that lower blood pressure for spasms which just makes me a little light headed and groggy along with the pain meds and the Phenergen which are both known for that as well. I'm hoping I can get everything together this semester so I can finally start clinicals, I know you guys are all praying for me and I know I'll get through this somehow. Thank you for all the kind words and positive thoughts during this hard time for me, I really do appreciate each and every one of you who have helped me through this whole journey!

Alright guys, I have some really bad news I went in on Friday morning to get a Barium swallow test and as I watched the contrast go down I saw it..spasms! I felt it and saw it and just couldn't believe it because the whole point of the bypass was to stop the powerful spasms that were giving me so much pain and not allowing me to eat solid food for 2 years. I almost cried, my doc wanted to do another EGD to make sure there was no stricture so he sent me straight to the endoscopy center and took a look. After, I just expected to go home since I just came in for a visit but he directly admitted me to the med/surg floor which was surprising for me. I had my fiance bring me some clothes from home and awaited the reason for the admit. A GI came in later that afternoon and we talked for a while, I gave him my whole long story and he was really nice. He said since I had been and am still on a Calcium channel blocker (Cartia) for spasms that we should try something else and his suggestion was Nitroglycerin cream which is better known as "heart cream" it is a vasodilator and is used for spasms and lowers blood pressure. They had admitted me so they could monitor me on that medication and make sure my blood pressure didn't drop too low since it isn't high to begin with and make sure I didn't have headaches which are the most common side effect. We are slowly raising the dose and I'm not having any adverse reactions to it which is great. I'm not up to the full dose yet so am not positive how it is working yet although with the Lortab, Phenergen and the Nitro cream I've been tolerating soft food and Fluid pretty well which is good! I'm sad because I feel like we are starting over with the spasms and I wonder if doing the bypass was the right move but then I remember how bad the acid reflux was and how it's gone now and that has tremendously helped with the pain so I'm trying to tell myself it was worth it because now I'm not at a risk for Barrets which is good too. Now we have to do another manometry to check the function of my esophagus because last time we did this test it was extremely abnormal and we were in the beginning stages of achalysia which is bad and contributed to the surgeon's decision to do the bypass. If it is still abnormal which the surgeon is worried about, we will have to treat that along with the spasms so it doesn't get any worse. I'm crossing my fingers that it got better with surgery but somehow doubt it since I still have the spasms. He doesn't have any idea why the spasms came back but now the only option is to play with different medications to try to treat the symptoms of the regurgitation, nausea, and major pain. He has a few more ideas for different medications to try if the Nitro doesn't help enough but it's very depressing to look forward to the future of only soft foods again I'm trying to stay as positive as possible and try to let the medications do their job and hope that they will control it well going forward and allow me to eat more normal food. It's so hard to be patient but that's my only option right now so I'm doing my best. Obviously I won't be able to rely on the Lortab and the Phenergen forever so we will have to tweak the medications enough to get off of those on a regular basis although there is no problem using Phenergen on an as needed basis. That's about all for now, I'm trying so hard to keep my head up but each time I feel the spasms and throw up I just cry because I just want all of this pain to stop and I'm just so young. Also, if the achalysia gets bad I'm at a risk for other problems and it just seems like I'm too young and was too healthy to be worrying about the long term health of my esophagus. This surgery ruined my life and I'm attempting to put the pieces back together but it's so hard. The GI said my esophageal anatomy is just so abnormal and the surgery put the icing on the cake for the spasms and trouble swallowing. I'll try to keep you guys updated, I need to catch up in my classes since I've been hospitalized 3 times in the last 2 weeks. I have a lot of work to do and it's all a little daunting especially with only being able to tolerate a little bit of food and Water and being on two medications that lower blood pressure for spasms which just makes me a little light headed and groggy along with the pain meds and the Phenergen which are both known for that as well. I'm hoping I can get everything together this semester so I can finally start clinicals, I know you guys are all praying for me and I know I'll get through this somehow. Thank you for all the kind words and positive thoughts during this hard time for me, I really do appreciate each and every one of you who have helped me through this whole journey!

I have some bad news I was doing really well until about 3 weeks post-op when I started having this very strange pain when eating. I immediately panicked and thought that the spasms were back. I had been off my calcium channel blocker for spasms since surgery and I started taking it again the first night I felt the pain. The next day I started throwing up foam and undigested food so called my surgeon and the nurse said I probably have a stricture. I'm like OMG, not again!! That was a Friday and he couldn't do the endoscopy to look for the stricture until later in the week. Over the weekend anything that went down including water came right back up within seconds, I called his exchange and he told me to come in Monday and he would fit me in. I started a new job as a nanny on Monday though and was spending the whole day with the newborn's mom so we made sure I was a good fit, I was so dehydrated that my hands were shaking and I was super pale, she noticed I didn't eat anything and was really worried about me (she is my fiance's sister so my well being is also important to her as family) so she decided that I was too sick to be a nanny and I needed to spend my time outside of school resting. She is probably right, holding a 13 pound baby and keeping up with him for eight hours a day is probably too much for only being 3 weeks out but never the less I was sad. On my way home, I felt terrible and I looked at my hands and the skin was nearly transparent, I could see hundreds of veins in my hand and fingers so at that point I know I was too dehydrated. I turned the car around and headed straight for the ER. When I got there they ran blood work and as I already knew I was extremely dehydrated and my potassium was dangerously low which I've had issues with before and have been on a cardiac floor on heart monitors while they replenished it. So, they admitted me right away NPO and first ran a pure potassium drip then pushed fluids as fast as they would go for a few hours. In the morning my surgeon did the EGD and saw that I have a marginal ulcer which is basically on the staple line between our pouch and the intestines. He kept me another night and started me on all kinds of medication for ulcers and pain then sent me home the following day. On Thursday I went in to see his PA and she admitted me back to the floor again because I still couldn't keep anything down and they are worried about my potassium/heart. I was on a saline potassium mix the whole time I was there and given lots of pain medicine and was basically told to just wait it out. I finally got to come home on Sunday and have been on bed rest not allowed to drive or lift over 10 pounds because of the severe dehydration and pain medicine. This is all pretty depressing for me because this was supposed to fix everything for me and I was due some good luck but instead it just feels like problem after problem keeps occurring and I'm drowning in so much pain I have cried a lot this week just because I have to get fluids down to stay out of the hospital and it's so painful to swallow anything. I saw the doc again yesterday (Wednesday) and he gave me Phenergen instead of Zofran and upped my Amitriptiline to 75mg twice a day which knocks me out cold. He just wants me to be as comfortable as possible for a few days while my body heals and gave me the option of doing it at home or in the hospital. I obviously chose home because it's much more peaceful and I can actually rest. So, I'm on 3 different medications just for the ulcer, Lortab for pain, Phenergen for nausea, and Amitriptiline which is supposed to help me heal and let me get some sleep. I'm going back to see him tomorrow so they can do a Barium swallow to make sure everything is working properly and that the ulcer is the only problem. The Phenergen is amazing, so so much better than Zofran. I have the suppositories which is awkward but really helpful because I can't throw it up which is what I am/was doing with some of my other meds. I wasn't even able to tolerate water or juice without severe pain previously and today I've been drinking juice and even had some mashed potatoes with very minimal pain which is wonderful! It feels so good to be able to eat food, I know that I still have to be really careful though and let the ulcer heal because I won't be able to take Phenergen for the rest of my life lol! I'm trying to stay as positive as possible and tell myself that ulcers heal and then I'll be right back on the road to recovery but it's hard to believe that the pain will actually ever stop because it seems like I have a kick me sign on my back and just get every single complication imaginable. Also, these ulcers are just a side effect of surgery and usually aren't influenced by what you are eating which is nice to know so I don't blame myself, not that I ate anything remotely spicy or strayed from the diet at all. All of your prayers and good thoughts are greatly appreciated while I get through yet another complication, hopefully it will heal soon and I can continue progressing!

I have some bad news I was doing really well until about 3 weeks post-op when I started having this very strange pain when eating. I immediately panicked and thought that the spasms were back. I had been off my Calcium channel blocker for spasms since surgery and I started taking it again the first night I felt the pain. The next day I started throwing up foam and undigested food so called my surgeon and the nurse said I probably have a stricture. I'm like OMG, not again!! That was a Friday and he couldn't do the endoscopy to look for the stricture until later in the week. Over the weekend anything that went down including Water came right back up within seconds, I called his exchange and he told me to come in Monday and he would fit me in. I started a new job as a nanny on Monday though and was spending the whole day with the newborn's mom so we made sure I was a good fit, I was so dehydrated that my hands were shaking and I was super pale, she noticed I didn't eat anything and was really worried about me (she is my fiance's sister so my well being is also important to her as family) so she decided that I was too sick to be a nanny and I needed to spend my time outside of school resting. She is probably right, holding a 13 pound baby and keeping up with him for eight hours a day is probably too much for only being 3 weeks out but never the less I was sad. On my way home, I felt terrible and I looked at my hands and the skin was nearly transparent, I could see hundreds of veins in my hand and fingers so at that point I know I was too dehydrated. I turned the car around and headed straight for the ER. When I got there they ran blood work and as I already knew I was extremely dehydrated and my potassium was dangerously low which I've had issues with before and have been on a cardiac floor on heart monitors while they replenished it. So, they admitted me right away NPO and first ran a pure potassium drip then pushed fluids as fast as they would go for a few hours. In the morning my surgeon did the EGD and saw that I have a marginal ulcer which is basically on the staple line between our pouch and the intestines. He kept me another night and started me on all kinds of medication for ulcers and pain then sent me home the following day. On Thursday I went in to see his PA and she admitted me back to the floor again because I still couldn't keep anything down and they are worried about my potassium/heart. I was on a saline potassium mix the whole time I was there and given lots of pain medicine and was basically told to just wait it out. I finally got to come home on Sunday and have been on bed rest not allowed to drive or lift over 10 pounds because of the severe dehydration and pain medicine. This is all pretty depressing for me because this was supposed to fix everything for me and I was due some good luck but instead it just feels like problem after problem keeps occurring and I'm drowning in so much pain I have cried a lot this week just because I have to get fluids down to stay out of the hospital and it's so painful to swallow anything. I saw the doc again yesterday (Wednesday) and he gave me Phenergen instead of Zofran and upped my Amitriptiline to 75mg twice a day which knocks me out cold. He just wants me to be as comfortable as possible for a few days while my body heals and gave me the option of doing it at home or in the hospital. I obviously chose home because it's much more peaceful and I can actually rest. So, I'm on 3 different medications just for the ulcer, Lortab for pain, Phenergen for nausea, and Amitriptiline which is supposed to help me heal and let me get some sleep. I'm going back to see him tomorrow so they can do a Barium swallow to make sure everything is working properly and that the ulcer is the only problem. The Phenergen is amazing, so so much better than Zofran. I have the suppositories which is awkward but really helpful because I can't throw it up which is what I am/was doing with some of my other meds. I wasn't even able to tolerate water or juice without severe pain previously and today I've been drinking juice and even had some mashed potatoes with very minimal pain which is wonderful! It feels so good to be able to eat food, I know that I still have to be really careful though and let the ulcer heal because I won't be able to take Phenergen for the rest of my life lol! I'm trying to stay as positive as possible and tell myself that ulcers heal and then I'll be right back on the road to recovery but it's hard to believe that the pain will actually ever stop because it seems like I have a kick me sign on my back and just get every single complication imaginable. Also, these ulcers are just a side effect of surgery and usually aren't influenced by what you are eating which is nice to know so I don't blame myself, not that I ate anything remotely spicy or strayed from the diet at all. All of your prayers and good thoughts are greatly appreciated while I get through yet another complication, hopefully it will heal soon and I can continue progressing!

What brand is the vanilla chai vegan Protein powder? I never thought of blending them seperately, I wonder if that would reduce the froth that is usually there when I blend them..I'm going to have to try that! Thank you guys for the awesome videos, I'm going to go watch some of your other ones

Awh, now you guys are going to make me cry!! It's the most wonderful feeling knowing that people who have never met me are so caring and supportive. I didn't feel scared and alone on surgery day because I have all of you guys who know what it feels like and have been with me from the beginning. I'm not a very religious person but I know that all of your prayers and positive thoughts helped my surgeon fix me! I also don't understand how they could have missed the stomach herniating THROUGH my diaphragm into my chest cavity, it seems like that would have showed up on one of the scans! I also had a diverticulum which is a little hard to explain, it's kind of like a hole on the inside of your body where things can get stuck. So, I had a stricture that the acid had been eroding at for two years right where my esophagus met the cardiac "top" sphincter of my stomach, then a little further down I had a hole where food was getting stuck, and then the rest of my already small (sleeved) stomach went through my diaphragm and was in my chest cavity. HOW THE HECK DID THEY MISS THAT?!?!?! Lol, I don't blame them though because I do believe that they didn't know which isn't necessarily their fault even though they probably should have believed me and taken my pain more seriously, it's not like that's a normal occurrence. But, just like you said..I'm making up for lost time now and I feel AMAZING! I'm so happy to be able to live my life now..the hope I feel for my future now is so strong

..alright I know, yuck but I think it's something that needs to be addressed. Before I had surgery I was petrified of throwing up post-op, I had tons of Zofran and worried about it a lot. After having both a sleeve then a revision to bypass I just wanted to let people know my experience with it and have a place to talk about other's experiences to hopefully alleviate some pre-op worries! So, it's not fun but it's not life-ending like I thought it would be. If you eat too much, it actually feels better to get it out..please try to avoid this and never ever ever make yourself throw up on purpose to get rid of pain. Your body will tell you if you messed up and if you have to throw up, take some deep breaths and just let your body naturally get rid of whatever it needs to. I fought my body a dozen times, tried to take Zofran when I just needed to relax and let myself throw up and once I did it, I felt so much better. It's not any worse than throwing up from the flu and in fact, USUALLY you only throw up for a few minutes and then it's over. So, be very very careful not to eat too much but if you mess up (which will happen) just try to calmly let your body decide how to fix it. In my experience, I got way too worked up and scared over how bad it would hurt to throw up when really it's not so scary and is really no different post-op then it is pre-op. Now, as a disclaimer..if you are throwing up regularly or if you are throwing up and you know it wasn't because you did something wrong (ate too fast, had too much, didn't chew well enough, had too big of a bite, etc.) you NEED to call your doctor..right away! Throwing up is not something that should be happening very often and if it is, something could be wrong and you must let your doctor know ASAP! I'd love for others to post their experiences as well because I think it would have helped me to read something like this before I had surgery because most of the time..mental fears are WAY worse than reality!

That makes perfect sense and is a very smart idea! If you know about all of the risks before you have surgery, you will be able to make a more informed decision and know what to expect both best and worse case after surgery. I don't mind explaining at all, the drain is very common in WLS patients post-op. It's put in while you are under and is basically a long tube that drains excess Fluid from your tummy. Not everyone has it but if you do, you generally don't even feel it until it's time to come out although some people dislike them if they have to stay in when they go home because it makes simple things like changing, sleeping, and walking around a little more difficult. So, the tube comes out of another small "incision" and has a little bag connected to it that get's emptied regularly to drain away all the fluid. When it comes out it's a tad bit painful but more gross/fascinating depending on your outlook of medical stuff it's a pretty long tube so when they pull it out it takes 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on your nurse and then it's over. I had them give me my last iv pain dose right before they took it out and didn't really feel anything painful, just a little weird. So, drains suck but they have an important purpose and the pain is over quick, not anything to fret about really since it's not something you can control and it's not THAT big of a deal. The pain ball is something specific that my surgeon uses, I know a few surgeons use them around here and it looks kind of like a jellyfish. It's a ball with long skinny "tendrils" coming out if it, it's also placed while you are under and the "tendrils" have little holes in them that release numbing medicine. They lay them over your abdominal muscles under the skin and then you wear the little ball in a fanny pack. The idea is that the numbing medication (think lidocaine) will help with the muscle pains you have when recovering from surgery. I'm not sure how much it helped, I've heard people say they love them and others say they didn't do anything at all. I was pretty sore for the first two days then got better very quickly so it's hard to say how much the ball helped versus other factors. Taking that out is not painful at all though, they just pull on the ball and all the little "tendrils" (tubes) come out quickly and they basically numb everything on their way out so all you feel is a little tingling. Neither the drain nor the pain ball are too scary though, I promise! Kudos to you for being well informed and keep lurking the forums, you'll find tons of interesting information to help you along your journey! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask..I'm a nursing student so can probably get as technical and detailed as you'd like or can try to break it down a little and give you the most important information only. Good luck!!

I wrote a response in the original thread I posted, I'm doing so good that I'm not on as much! I'm just out living my life again, I got a little teary-eyed writing that post in the other thread because I'm finally starting to believe that the nightmare is really over and I can actually live a happy, healthy, pain-free life.