SK71

Thanks so much for sharing the information with me. I hope you are doing better now and that those tough days are over for you. Say a little prayer for the hubs that this procedure will work and that we won't have to go through additional procedures. Have a good evening!

No, this is not normal. As someone above mentioned, go to the "strictures, anyone" thread under complications and you will see what some of us have experienced. Be careful that you don't let this go on too long and become dehydrated or malnourished. My husband was back in the hospital 2 times for 6 days each during the first 3 weeks b/c he couldn't get any nutrition or fluids to stay down. He was in there so he could be re-hydrated and got nutrition through IV. The rest of the story is on the other thread. Good luck and like I said, don't wait too long.

JennyBeth - did the stent hurt when they put it in and is that why you wanted it gone from day one? I just wonder b/c the gastroenterologist said to us today that he knows the dilation procedures may only be temporary and would require multiple tries. I'm just wondering if worse-case scenario happens and the stricture comes back after this next dilation if the stent is something worth considering. Did the stent require them to open you back up for surgery or was it done through the endoscopy scope? If I'm prying too much, feel free to tell me to bug off. I'm just wondering what to prepare for. Thanks!!

My husband and I were sleeved the same day (4-10-13) and I'm progressing better than him (though I can still only eat about 1 1/2 oz at a time). We discovered this morning after another upper GI that he has a stricture and has horrible GERD. They did a dilation on him at week 3 b/c he couldn't keep anything down and that worked for a while (they tried to insert a feeding tube and it wouldn't stay in the stomach so they did the dilation while they were trying the tube; insurance didn't approve a PIC line). He is going to have another dilation next week. All he can keep down is 1 protein shake in the morning and 2 pieces of cheese a day. He is frustrated and ticked off at the doctor and regrets doing this procedure. I don't necessarily regret it, but I'm not very happy. I think his problems overshadow any joy I might have. We were supposed to go into this together to have a better life and long-term joy that would keep us healthier for the rest of our lives. What we got is a lot of heartache and trouble. We hope the dilation next week works. So, we certainly know your troubles and frustrations and hope you all get better soon.

Pickle juice? Dill or sweet juice? I've got horrible reflux, something I've had since a child (also of the 70's when I called it "grease burps")

My husband and I were both sleeved on 4-10-13. I have progressed pretty well and am on track with healing. However, my husband has not been able to keep much down. His swallow test was "slow" in the hospital and now that we are 5 days out he is having difficulty with drinking more than a couple of ounces and what he does take in sits in his "pipe" and he'll spit it up every 15 mins or so. Very little is actually going in. We called the hospital and they just told him that they understand his frustration but that it will pass in time as the swelling goes down. Is there anyone else out there that has suffered like this? He just wants reassurance that he isn't going to die. The second issue is that his eyesight seems to be getting fuzzier every day. During the surgery, they pulled the tape off of his eyes and tore the cornea in his left eye. That seems to be healing but now he's noticing changes in his vision where he's blurry (he was 20/20 on the day of surgery). He isn't on any pain meds so it isn't that. He has an eye doctor appointment tomorrow, but again, he's worried to death. Thoughts?

UPDATE: Finally convinced him to go to ER and they have admitted him, thankfully. Basically, it's a wait and see game and he will likely be there for several days, but they think the problem is that his stomach is so swollen, it's not letting anything in. Because of that, all fluids are backing up into his esophagus and throat. They naturally got him on IV fluids immediately. They believe that the swelling is just going to have to go down from the surgery to allow it to open up and accept fluids. After another swallow test and a CT scan they see no obstructions or areas of concern and see no leakage, so that's good. While he isn't happy about a lengthy hospital stay, they have told us that it is "fixable" with time and not anything "life threatening" (though it would be if he wasn't there getting fluids). Nothing yet on the eye situation and they are puzzled, but we need to deal with one thing at a time. Thanks everyone for your concerns. We are plugging through. They keep calling me a "superstar" because I've done so well and I thank God for that because I need to be there to help with him. But, I know that I just had major surgery too and I need to be mindful of resting and getting in my liquids and Proteins. Oh boy, what a journey....

Hmmmm...no on the anti-spasm meds. We will keep that in mind when we talk to the doctor. I feel like another call is coming on. I'm worried that we'll become the trouble makers, but I think we deserve answers. They told us today that there isn't really anything they can do right now until the swelling goes down. So hope it gets better...and soon.

Thanks everyone. When do you know if you are dehydrated? He's able to get in about 12 oz of liquids a day and the pinch test is ok too (we've checked that several times in the last couple of days). He's being pretty stubborn right now, but I'm wondering at what point I need to be the bully and carry his butt to the ER.

He is taking Zofran for nausea and Prilosec in case of acid issues, but they aren't seeming to really do anything. It's just so frustrating because he feels like he's in the minority with having major problems and he's nervous about what to do. Being told to just wait it out didn't sit well with him either.