Risky1

Been a while, Thought i would update. 9 months out now. I feel fantastic! down 160 lbs, can eat any food i want, no issues, just not very much. No, I don't eat any food I want to, i stick to Protein and high nutrient foods. I have seriously no desire for Pasta or breads... Items i lived on before. i also have very little desire for fried foods. they do not sit well at all. Anyway, All told I spent 30 days in the hospital, 4 different occasions, 2 leaks, 4 surgeries, an unsuccessful stent placement and because of that 2.5 months of NPO absolutely nothing by mouth, no Water no food, nothing. TPN via IV. Surgeons and staff were awesome! very patient with me and my wife who at times were blaming them for what was happening. Time, Time was what i needed. the first 6 months sucked in a big way. I looked terrible, malnourished, grey, gross. then like a switch being turned on everything was different. it was amazing. one day i went from not being able to eat anything and having no desire to eat at all, to actually having a desire to eat and being able too! my energy level did a 180 degree turn and i haven't looked back. I eat nuts, lots of nuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios. I also drink lots of milk, milk was a life saver I could not tolerate water or sugar free gatoraid, etc. but 2% milk was wonderful, it was cold, had nutrition and filled me up. I lived on it for about a month while I was transitioning from TPN to eating. water just doesn't taste the same any more and is hard to swallow for some (i am sure psychological) reason. typical daily diet now might include the following in any combination, oat meal string cheese meat ( steak, chicken, turkey, ham etc. Nuts broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, squash, etc tuna or salmon other fish Milk 1% or 2% water Protein Bar I will also have a cookie or candy on occasion. I find that eating these items or similar, i have to really try hard to get to 2000 calories a day because i am very full all day long. I look at pictures from last Christmas and I almost cry i was so big and gross. My wife, who is not big, is just happy to have the man she married back... she cant get enough touch and amazement that she can actually get her arms all the way around me again after 21 years.. They said i would, and they were right. Even after all the complications. I am so glad I did this and have no regrets. had told me that 5 months ago i would have said you were insane.

I had my surgery last march, so just a hair over 9 months. went from a tight 48... ok 50 waist, and an now at a 36 waist. xxxl shirts and now in a comfortable large. 380 lbs down to 220. it happened so fast... i had some complications, but man in 9 months i am back to where i was when i got married 21 years ago...

My reflux is not a problem any more. However, the last few months have been rough. I have had another leak, a stent placed and then removed. And had a blood infection because if the pic line. Was put on a pic line and TPN because the surgeon had me NPO for the last 5weeks. No Water, no food. Period. He wants my stomach to heal completely before anything goes in it and that means no food or water. It reduces the enzymes and stomach acid so leaks and fissures can heal. I was a statistic as well. The 1% that had an issue, I just happen to have all of them. The last 4 months have been Very difficult. I have never had ulcers or reflux before. Was relatively healthy except for the weight. So the last 4 months have been very difficult. I have spent a total of 30 days in the hospital. However the last two weeks I have ft better than I have in months. So I am encouraged that I will be fine. I have lost a total of 130 pounds in 4 months. Insane.

Yes scary for me and my family. officially 110 pounds in 9 weeks 3 days. Surgery weight the morning of surgery was 368 now weigh 260, up a about 6 pounds due to being on TPN nutrition and I am sure Water weight. I literally was unable to eat anything substantial, Protein drinks wouldn't stay down. Could not eat anything more than a spoonful of Soup. its been a rough ride. Surgeons said that kind of weight loss is close to being impossible without serious side effects. So as much as I wanted the sleeve to work for me...( well I guess technically its working like gang busters). I think I am going to have to convert to the full bypass, my stomach just won't cooperate and I don't have time to wait for to see if its going to get better. This has been going on too long.

My dr has decided that the saliva and hiccups are a symptom of my stomach telling me I am full. The issue is I have it all day long. Even when I haven't eaten a thing. He is dong and endoscopy to look for a narrowing or possible stricture that would trigger that response. If they find one they will ballon it. If not or if th find my stomach is to narrow again do to stenosis he said h would have no choice but to convert to full By-pass. They have done everything they could to save the sleeve, but I am no in TPN nutrition via a PIC line because I literally cannot not eat or drink enough to not starve to death. Boy loosing 110 pounds in 9 weeks without being hungry at all is crazy, but I feel like crap all the time. The TPN has made a world of difference in my energy and attitude though.

I have had similar issues, although after my myotomy my acid problems have pretty much gone away, I am 9 weeks from original sleeve surgery and 5 weeks from the second surgery,( myotomy). I am down 102 lbs in 9 weeks. But that is because I cannot eat anything, even in small amounts. They. Are considering that bypass revision is where I need to go due to constant stomach pain and nausea. They said insurance would not be an issue for the revision because of the medical need. I don't know. I guess we'll see.

Well, 9 weeks out down 102 lbs. stomach pain and discomfort still hanging on, but not as severe and not as constant. I am Still unable to eat solid dense Protein food in any amount, even if I chew it to mush, stomach just wants to reject it. liquid are tough, any time something enters my stomach, it makes me so nauseated and uncomfortable. not stuck like srticture, it goes down ok, just once its there, until it moves out of my stomach, i an just so nauseated and crampy. They did discuss TPN with me today as my weight loss is too fast and I can't get enough nutrients. I am so happy for my weight loss, but at this point am ready to surrender the sleeve and convert to the full bypass. It is depressing. i have a few friends who had the sleeve and they had zero complications, the way it was supposed to be. now i am almost embarrassed to discuss it because I feel like I failed at this. Even though, I know it's not my fault. I just get to be the lucky rare one that gets to play stump the surgeons.

All, I have a question, I understand the "slimies" when you eat to much or too fast. But I am having a problem with just lots is saliva production and burping even when I haven't eaten in hours. Part of me thinks it might be a acid issue? But I am not having reflux or anything, part o me thinks it might be my spastic esophagus possibly triggering some type of reponse... And it can't decide if I am eating or not. It get very old, sitting at work and having to basically have a spit cup like some one who chews tobacco. Any idea?

Ok so does anyone else have any stories of constant stomach pain/ache? Dr does not know why I would be having the discomfort. It is steady all day long, drinking a Protein shake does not stop it. As sometimes it feels like very severe hunger pains? Anyway, at night I take a pain reliever to get the pain to go away so I can drink and hold stuff down. Dr thinks that the answer may just be that I have to convert to a full bypass. I am very upset about this. But it's weird because I don't regret having the surgery, heck I lost sang near 90 lbs in two months! I guess I could have done that stranded on a desert island as well.... But at least this way I wasn't hungry!?

So long story short, had sleeve on march 21, all seemed to go well, was loosing a lot of weight, moving through the diet phases, about 4 weeks out was starting soft foods, took a trip for work while I was out there developed a problem that prevented me from eating or drinking, stomach pain, nausea constantly, by day 4 I flew back from Dallas to California, dr admitted me to hospital directly from airport, after some tests, it was determined that I has some stenosis develop, and a kink in my stomach. the pressure in my stomach forced a small leak up toward the esophageal sphincter, small so no fevers and such YET. Had surgery the next day. The had multiple options but decided the best was to cut some of the stomach muscle tissue to relieve the pressure and allow the kink in my stomach to relax. Thus relieving the pressure and this would allow the leak to heal obits own. The day I after surgery I felt great, was able to eat and drink. It was great. Fast forward 8 days since that repair. I am constantly nauseated. I can eat without taking a Ativan first to relax muscles, I want to rip my stomach out as it just hurts all day long. Went and had upper GI yesterday and no sign of leak but did show that my stomach was very inflamed and irritated, motility is slowed and they don't quite now why. They said treatment at this point is to stay on soft full liquids, pain reliever, Ativan for a few more weeks, see if it resolves on its own, otherwise it's convert to a full bypass. They said they would have to wait that long anyway because there is nothing like a leak or anything lid threatening, at this point. I am just one of the few that is having a hard time with the healing process.... I am happy for the 80 lbs I have lost, but am so upset with feeling like **** all the time. I should have just had them convert to the full bypass when they went in the second time, that was an option, but I wanted to save the sleeve... Hindsight....

So, I have a question, all I can seem to stomach is liquid at this point, any solid food, no matter how much I chew. Leaves my feeling nauseated and ill. I am 5-6 weeks out, I do have to have a second surgery about 2 weeks ago. I have resorted to living on low carb high protein ensure drinks blended with ice and a banana. Takes about two hours to drink, as this all that I can tolerate. Anyone else seem to be stucK on a full liquid stage? Even the thought of trying to eat something solid makes me nauseated. I do find that sometime taking a Ativan(lorazepam) before I try to eat something allows me to stomach a few bits of solids.

So, first time posting. I was sleeved march 21 2013, a little over 5 weeks ago. Pre-op weight was 368, today 296. In a little over 5 freakin weeks! Down 72 freakin pounds! Still have 100 to go. Now, it has not been pleasant at all, I had problems with a leak and stenosis and sticture had to have that surgically repaired, so I spent another 4 days in the hospital. I struggle to get enough Water and oh how I crave water! I have 6 kids and a loving wife with a scathing sense of humor as seen in the picture I took of the shirt she wore while chilling with me at the bariatric surgery center for a few days. I posted it below. Anyway, it has been very difficult so far, but it is getting better, and I can see the light... Still can't even think about swallowing any type of solid food, it just churns my stomach... But as my dr said "holy cow, this is almost physiologically impossible to loose that much weight so quickly, but we'll take it!" I guess having some pretty good muscle mass under the fat helped a lot. I am just waiting for the stall to set in. There were many days, in fact most days where I would have gladly switched back, until the problems were discovered and fixed. No that I am beginning to feel Better and getting some, even a little, energy back I am beginning to love this choice.