Please Do Not Ignore Signs From Your Body!

[Happy Camper 266]

i had my surgery on November 1. I was so happy and excited to get through recovery and begin to walk, eat healthy and get back to work. I just knew all would be fine.....until I had my drain removed from my belly on day 9. We live 3.5 hours from the doctor so it is a huge undertaking plus it is starting to snow in our part of the us (near Reno Nevada ). We went it and my stomach had some pain and I thought it was because of the drain. That was November 11. We stayed the night and did some Christmas shopping, a lot of walking and the next day I felt super tired and my tummy hurt more. I thought it was because I was in and out of the car, more walking than in the prior two weeks and I over did it. The site where the drain was happened to be leaking so we went and got a large band aid for it. That night it really became irritated so we went home and I left it open, but the next day I had a low grade fever. Thinking it was night and trying to catch up with everything we let it be until Tuesday my first day back at work. I sat up all day in a chair behind a computer and on the phone. My stomach got super hot to the touch and hard. It was not right. I called the surgeon's office and after 3 more calls their advise was to get to the EMERGENCY ROOM right away. So we immediately left and arrived Tuesday at 7:30 in the ER.

It took another 5 hours before they could do my CT scan because it was a trauma hospital and that night there had been 4 trauma flights come in. Each time I was pushed back which if it were me I would hope I got pushed to the front too, so no worries there I was in pain and just wanted to find out what was going on. I was in the ER until 5:30am when they finally had a bed for me and the doctor told me I had a deep infection at the port site. It went all the way down to my stomach and an abscess had formed. More than likely I would have to undergo another surgery .

At 7:45 yesterday morning the surgeon came in and pushed on my tummy and said he wanted one final upper GI and then I would have surgery. The doctor has written books on obesity and I really trusted his knowledge . He did not see a leak it looked like the infection stayed in the partineum (sp?) cavity. He left the opening in my stomach open it is not sutured closed but is packed with growth materials the heal and stimulate tissue growth. The healing must come from the inside therefore they can't close it.

I go back on the 28th until then no changing the dressing at all - EEKKK

Anyway I am now back to taking loratab and suspension antibiotics plus all the Vitamins, proposed, potassium seems my goal was to reduce medication, this is more than I ever took before. I know it will be short lived but....

The CT scan also picked up something in my breast and I just had a mammogram so now need to follow up with that as well. I really did think I was healthy, just ran into a bit of bad luck. It will get better I am sure.

Please fellow sleevers, listen to your body and don't make excuses if things are not right for you!

Sandy

[Happy Camper 266]

Sorry it was supposed to say do NOT ignore your body....touch pads

[favoredone 590]

WOW... I'm so sorry this is happening to you.. And you are definitely right in your advice.. Our bodies will let us know when we need to slow down and pay attention..

Please take care of yourself and keep up updated.. I'm definitely praying for you!!

[MrsBurn 3]

Gosh...I'm so sorry to hear about your problem. I hope you get better very soon.

[mocha 22]

Sending healing prayers your way. Feel better soon.

[Soon2BMiniMommy 92]

Oh, Sandy......stay strong and get healthy! Just a setback...in a month you'll look back and be grateful you're on the other side of this!! Sending tons of healing hugs your way...

[Lissa 2,631]

Sandy,

Prayers and good thoughts going out to you! Do they know why you got infected or is it just "one of those things that happen sometimes"? I know I worried about my drain site for a while because it kept draining for a few days. My doc actually put a wound care bandage on mine and told me to leave it on for 3 days after he pulled the drain (which I had for 8 days post-op).

Also, I'm praying that the breast image was just a shadow. If not, then thank goodness for this mild complication if it leads to early detection of a problem! (((Sandy)))

Good luck and best wishes for fast healing!!

[Happy Camper 266]

Thank you all very much for the well wishes, prayers and hugs. I just never thought it would be me with a complication. The abscess was large and trust me I am a germ fob, I take Lysol when we travel for the hotel room etc. It must have been brewing during the surgery. The other thing is when they did the CT scan they also found a node in my breast that needs to be checked so, we will see what plan GOD has for me.

Just hoping folks listen to their bodies and do not justify away symptoms like I did.

Take care.

[MeMeMEEE 206]

I am so glad you shared!! What a nightmare, huh? For 2 months they pushed me to eat more and I told them I couldn't, I had shoulder pain off and on as well as side pain - which of course was never when I had a surgeon appointment. I did mention the shoulder pain to my reg Dr and he suggested I see my surgeon thinking it was acid reflux related. I just came to think of it all as the new normal. Finally when I had a funky blood test come back they referred me to a hematologist and he did a CT scan and spotted the abscess. Unfortunately before they got in to put a drain in I got full blown pneumonia. When they sent me home I did good for a week or so - then they found the leak so put me on tube feedings. Thought that was going ok until I started having trouble breathing - now I didn't admit this to myself but my daughter was freaked out and called home health while I was waiting for the Dr to call back - needless to say direct admit. Surprise - I have a plural effusion in my left lung! From the nasty buggers leaking from my stomach. I paid attention but probably should have voiced my thoughts alot louder as my only real symptom was my shoulder pain.

[thinoneday 445]

Hugs to you! I'm so sorry this has happened to you! Hope you get to feeling better and stronger with every day from hereon forward! Keep us posted!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

DOS 12/6/11

do the drains hurt especially when removed? what does it feel like? how long did you have drains.

i was so excited about surgery, but now i'm hearing a few too many horror stories.

don't worry i'm still very excited about WLS, but a little more concerned now that i could be one of the exceptions to the rules, and have problems, maybe severe. :blush5: kathy

[Happy Camper 266]

Libbe,

Wow I remember your excitement for the surgery. Now your lungs are involved, what is the long term diagnosis did doc say? I had a friend who had RNY, developed a leak, ended up at UCSF where they saved his life. Through all of it he would do it again because of the huge amount of weight he has lost.

For me, those are the things I look at, where would my fatty liver and enlarged heart be in a few more years if I did not do this.

Kathy, there are risks. However many people do just fine. I think Tiffykins is one who had shared lots of research information that helped me. But you have to rely on your body and your surgeon. The drain does not hurt at all and not all doctors use them. I liked the thought that if I had a leak you could see it in the drain (my doc said eat a pop cycle if the color changes we have an issue...no color change). Unlike RNY you can develop a leak later in your healing. Or like Libbe they miss it at first but they did find it which was fortunate. She has definitely had a rough time and my prayers and positive thoughts go to her. She listened to her body, it is difficult because you are not quite sure what the norm is post surgery but eventually you get there.

These are bumps in the road. We must remain optimistic and we will heal

[Happy Camper 266]

CAUTION this may be TMI!!!!

Just wanted to share update after seeing the surgeon for the first time since the abscess surgery. Basically he went in above the site where the drain was located and extracted tissue. He said the site of the drain was the culprit, as the involved tissue went all the way to the pareteneial layer. He could see it all the way where the drain was located. Essentially about 4 to 5 inches into my stomach, he said it was deep.

So they extracted the tissue and left the wound open (my initial surgery was laproscopic, now I will have large scar in midldle of stomach) from there they sprinkle in special cell growth stimulating powder and repack it with special guaze, cover it and I have to take it easy. I go back in another week (they are located 3 hours away- one way), but thatnis what I get for living remote.

Interesting note he said he saw another woman just last week who had the same thing but bigger and she did not have a drain, only an open spot on her stomach. I asked if we knew the bacterial or how it happened and he said no. Just about impossible to determine. I questioned the natural anti-bacterial soap and my well Water, ultimately he said just have no idea how or why it happened to me.

[Pegsinthewoods 8]

Sandyd - thanks again, for sharing and keeping us updated. From your posts, I take it you didn't have a leak, you had an infection at the drain site? I'm still pre-op (revision from lapband) and trying to gain as much knowledge as I can. thanks

[Happy Camper 266]

Hi Pegsinthewoods,

Yes you are correct no leak, they did CT scan to confirm but it was a complication from the sleeve surgery. So other things can happen and I just want to help folks realize the importance of listening to their bodies. At my lowest point, alone in the ER and exhausted there was a moment I asked myself what have I done. But it did not last long, God has a plan for me and I am on the road to recovery.

Please do not let this "scare" you. I was scared when my doctor said eventually I could die from my obesity and related conditions. Now I am excited and continue to look forward to good health.

Good luck to you and keep us informed on your journey.