Starlight2574

This is the end of a loooonnnggg recovery road. I've had 3 or 4 stretches done, and had a stent placed in December. The stent failed within 24 hours and had to be removed. I am lactose intolerant, but that causes...other... issues. I pretty much just avoid milk products and I'm fine. I can feel the food getting caught. I can pinpoint the exact place, and barium xrays have confirmed it. The problem is, they can't fix it. I am so tired of all this.

I'm six months post op, and still throwing up quite regularly. I have a doctor's appointment on Monday, but based on past conversations we will be discussing the option of a full bypass because I can't keep food down with any regularity. Has anyone else gone through this? I NEVER wanted a gastric bypass. I still don't. I would like to eat and not worry about how close a bathroom is. Help?

I am 6 months out, and my story isn't that different. What does your doctor say? I have some scar tissue as well, and am now facing a full gastro bypass. It's the only "cure", from my understanding. Vomitting every day is no fun. I also have 2 small kids and HATE them seeing it and thinking it's normal. Normal mommies do not run to the bathroom after meals, or suddenly pull off the road to throw up out the window. It's awful. I wish I had words of wisdom. All I can offer is empathy. I would be curious what your doc says, and if it's the same thing I'm being told.

Today is December 10, and the first time I have had solid food since September 12. I've lost over 50 pounds, but my husband says I'm a nutritional trainwreck - and he's right. My 4 year old daughter hears everyone tell mommy how great she looks, and then listens to me throw up after every meal. She confided to her preschool teacher about how worried she is about her mommy. :/ I'm a 37 year old stay at home mom with 2 kids - a 4 year old girl and an 18 month old boy. My journey started well. I had an easy surgery and was up and moving immediately. I caught up on my TV viewing courtesy of Netflix as I wandered the halls of the surgical center that first night. Things seemed to go pretty well, although I struggled to get fluids in. Within a few days, severe diarreha set in. After a few days, the surgeon had me come in for IV fluids. A consult with nutrition suggested the Protein shakes were disagreeing with me. I switched to a lactose free brand, and things improved for a while. Then they would start to go downhill and I would repeat the cycle of dehydration, IV fluids, a few Vitamin shots, etc over the course of the next several weeks. I knew when it was time for more fluids because I literally couldn't find the energy to get out of bed. Remember the 2 kids under 5? Not a good thing for mommy to be nonfunctioning. By my one month check up I've dropped 25 pounds. Nutrition is now concerned because I'm averaging 250 calories a day. The only things that stay down are Doritos (which I've always hated), Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Spagetti-O;s (blech). I can't drink the Protein Shakes without throwing up. I can't drink anything without throwing up. More IVs, and a barium xray to check for strictures. Low and behold, there is one. The surgeon wants to hold off on dialations until 6- 8 weeks out so we are sure all healing is done. Sounds reasonable to me. 7 weeks post op I show up for my first dilation, and am assured that this will solve my problems. I've now lost 40 pounds and nutrition is on me to eat more. (Irony, thy name is WLS) Only once has the dialation process failed in the surgical center's experience. Four dialations later, and a cranky husband for having to take off so much work, nothing has changed. I still can't eat. I still throw up all the time. I'm still dehydrated. The surgeon refers me to a specialist at the major hospital near my house. Specialist MD recommends immediate stent placement. Thursday (12/6) morning I was admitted to the hosptial for stent placement. After I woke up from the sedation, I spent a miserable day throwing up, despite the chemo-level anti-nausea drugs they gave me. I couldn't eat or drink anything. Since I was already an inpatient, they hooked up an IV drip to keep me hydrated. I threw up so much I sprained my back. Friday they took me for another barium xray to check placement, which everyone was pretty sure wasn't right. Sure enough, the stent had slipped. I was prepped for another procedure to go in and lift it back into place. I called my husband and said I would in the hosptial another night. By this point on Friday, it's been 48 hours since I ate or drank anything. I'm starting to get a little hungry, but mostly I'm tired, cranky and by the time I'm taken to the procedure room, I'm in terrible pain. My stomach feels like a thousand tiny wires are poking at me. It burned and hurt like the dickens to breath. My BP was skyrocketing, so they gave me the first of the sedation drugs early to help me deal with the pain. When I cared enough to remember anything, the doctor told me they had to take the stent out, but hey - I could go home now. Hubby and the kids came to pick me up around 8pm that night. I made it home and crashed immediately. The weekend was pretty much the same as I've been dealing with, and now I'm once again waiting. From what I understand, I'm out of options. Since the stent failed, my only other choice is a full gastric bypass. I never wanted that - it's why I chose the sleeve in the first place. I'm now not quite 12 weeks out, and am down over 50 pounds. Has it been worth it? So far, the verdict is still out.

Not sure if you have it done now or not, but I just had this last week. (12/6) MIne failed, and the stent was removed within 24 hours. Ihope you have better luck!