EMSJen

Has anyone dealt with, dealing with phrenic nerve pain? Its a SEVERE stabbing pain in the right shoulder/neck/arm due to damage or scarring on your diaphragm. It feels like someone is stabbing me with a piece of rebar (the metal poles in concrete) and just keep moving around in there for hours on end. I had a cyst and my spleen taken out and they think that is what is causing it. I didn't have the pain until 2 months after my last surgery and have been in the ER multiple times just for pain relief. I swear it hurts worse than the pain I was in for my 3 week stay in the ICU. I am DESPERATE for relief. OTC meds don't work, the lortab elixer I was sent home with is gone, it didn't get rid of the pain but made it so I could function. I even bought some diabetic nerve pain topical stuff that had great reviews. Again nothing... my surgeon pretty much told me to toughen up and now waiting to hear back from my pcp. Has anyone dealt with this and have you found anything that helps?

I was self pay and 3 weeks post op complications began. I have an individual plan thru bcbs (bought directly thru their website). It didn't cover WLS but has covered all my complications... about 3 months in the hosp, 3 ICU stays... 3 more surgeries including a sleeve to bypass (reconstruction). My plan was a temp plan that expired while I was in icu the first time... luckily a friend found a claus that said if it expires while ur in the hosp you get a 90 day ext. If you don't have insurance look into a temp plan to cover you for at least the first 3 months. I would have over a million dollars in medical bills I'd I didn't have mine!

Congrats! So happy you are headed back to being "normal"! As others have said, listen to your body! If you feel something isn't right go get checked out! I "knew" I was having an issue a couple weeks after surgery but waited until the fever started (at about 3 1/2 weeks post op) to go in fear I would be laughed of with "gas pains". I know this section of VST scares pre-oppers... but remember, leak rates are 1% of surgeries done no matter where you go. For every one of us sharing our ordeal we have gone thru and continue to go thru, there are 99 other people with great recoveries and doing well. Risks are there but odds are in everyone's favor. I joke and tell people I should have played the lotto instead of getting surgery =P

Where did Dr luna go? He called me almost every day when I had to go into the hospital!

Definitely get it checked out... that was the first sign of my leak... the second was EVERYTHING I tried to eat or drink made me nauseous. I hope its just a gas pocket for your sake... leaks are traumatic to say the least!

Im stilln having complications n. I was sleeved by Garcia n his team 4/11. I wss good for about 3 weeks. I've been in the hosp almost 3 months with abscesses, they had to convert my sleeve to a RNY after no success with a stent being placed for 6 weeks. During the conversion surgery (not done by garcia) my spleen had to be removed and I lost a lot of blood. They went back in 2 days later I honestly don't remember why. I still have a leak at the base of my esophagus... just out of ICU tonite for 3rd time. I'm not trying to deter anyone's dicisions but you need so have a plan whwn u get home as to what if something didn't go right. I would def recommend looking local

So I spent a month in the hospital... got sent home with the stent, picc line, iv meds and tpn... my first follow up with the surgeon was weds... first real discussion on what was going on, that I can recall anyways. He said I have a tare in my esophagus plus the leak and abscesses. I still have the jp drain, and surgeon is discouraged that its still draining a month later even tho its cleared up significantly. So here's where sh*t got real REAL quick... RNY to fix... ok I've accepted that... then said that the tissue of my esophagus and top of my sleeve are so badly compromised that he will most likely have to TAKE MY ENTIRE STOMACH OUT! He said he would attach my small intestine straight to my esophagus. I cannot for the life of me wrap my head around this. I got up the courage to google it yesterday and only cases I could find were people with a rare stomach cancer. This is certainly not what I signed up for!

I'm sorry you are going through this. I am in the middle of dealing with a leak and stricture. I have a stent now. I know how you feel about rather being fat. Regret is the basis of my life now. I hope you get well soon!

I'm not sure where NY came in... I'm in houston originally from maine. I am having my stents put in in a few hours.

But here I am, writing from my hospital bed. Was sleeved 4/11, I had a "revivision" surgery as I had gastric fundoplasty as a teen for GERD. I came to ER almost 2 weeks ago, they found an abscess, so they went in and cleaned it out and put bilateral JP drains. I got discharged after a week in the hospital. Day 2 after being discharged I could barely keep anything down, Started running a low fever again. Called the surgeon told me to wait until am. So that night I had a popcicle and was going to call it a night. 30 mins later I went to empty my left jp drain and that thing was cherry red! Next morning surgeon finally said to go back to ER. Had to wait till yesterday to get my upper GI done but they found the leak and told me that my sleeve looks like a gastric bypass pouch on top a small sleeve. My surgeon (not sleeve surgeon) and upper GI dr came in seperately and told me about the stents and a few other options. I was scheduled for the stents this am but something just didn't feel right and have asked for 2nd opinion. Both drs were not confident that they would be able to properly place the stents, that they wouldn't move elsewhere and that they would even work since my "sleeve" is so mis shapen. My leak is in the upper pouch part and I don't ser how a stent would work. I asked about a resleeving as they call it to get rid of the pouch and they said eveything is too enflammed right now. I would just like others opinions that have had leaks or any other experience with stents. They said I would have it for 3 weeks only

Its called a gastric fundoplasty or "nissan". I had this procedure 15 years ago for GERD. I lost 40 pounds just because I couldn't eat. But, obviously since I'm on here as a VSG post-op its not a long term weight loss surgery by any means. And my surgeon that did my VSG told me that the nissan is only good for 10 years max. He said my previous surgery was almost undone and had a mess of scar tissue he had to remove. Another adversity with that surgery is that I haven't been able to throw up in 15 years. (Super fun with morning sickness & dry heaving) so now that its been undone hopefully my body can do what its gotta do.

the sx was 4700 but i had to pay 500 extra because of a surgery for GERD i had 15 yrs ago that he had to undo.. so $5200 + airfare. EVERYTHING else was included. 2 nights in a decent hospital with a great staff, and 3 nights at the marriot.

I went to dr. Garcia in mexico... demonstrates our awesome health care system here in the US.. I live litterally behind north cypress hospital and am a paramedic, yet I don't even have the option of getting health insurance so everything has been out of poket. I am not sure about a meet up group but I'd definately be interested if people are looking to start one. Keep me posted! Denn, who is your surgeon? I went to Tijuana, it was definately an awesome experience!!! Pm me your email if u want to join a mexico sleevers group on fb

it went well, thank you! I'm feeling exhausted and kinda sore still. I am sure its because I having a really hard time getting in my protein and fluids!

I totally know how you feel! I had been having "a bad feeling" since saturday and was second guessing my trip, then a stabbing spree happened at my school the day before I flew out. It triggered my anxiety like crazy but I am pretty confident in my dicision as I sit here in the tijuana Marriott waiting to go to florence in a matter of hours! I hope they can give me something for anxiety or my pre op ekg may not pass the test as I get palpitations. *crosses fingers* I have spoke to one lady here who just came back from mi doctor and she is doing great besides the gas pain. "Just keep walking" was her advice to me. I also have lots of "I don't know why" and "your crazy" people that tried to get me to change my mind. Trust your dicisions and do what is best for YOU not everyone else! Good luck and hope to see you on the losers bench =}