Leak Survivors - A Little Help!

[NORCALRN 60]

My "leak" was never visualized..but due to abcesses on spleen -fistula to the liver-plus pneumonina, fever, effusin, thoracentecis that drained 2+ containers of pus that grew out strep, empynema, etc.....38 days in patient, one explor lap, jpeg feeding tube, interventional radiology - they even put TPA in them to promot drainage. - without enough meds. god how i hate chest tubes and drains!!!!!!!!!!!i am! Unfortunately, for the last 3 weeks i cannot keep any food down and liquids either shoot right out or i urp them up. will have endoscopy this coming week. likely stenosis. I WILL NOT EAT at all now. so done with living with my face in barf bowl! hope no leak. feel cruddy and i so scared to find out something that keeps me in the the hospital. outpatient - no problem. i would even go back on feeding tube which requires OR general surgery. i am THAT desperate to feel better. SO i hope that you all are on the mend. I sympathize so much with you. Hope 2013 brings health to everyone!!!!!!!!!!

[iggychic 1,405]

Hard to believe that I could feel "lucky" with my leak.

I'm so sorry you two have been through and are still fighting so much after your surgeries. I hope that 2013 brings you closure...of your leaks that is And that this nightmare can end!

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

My heart goes out to all of you who have suffered and/or are currently suffering.

Thank you for being here on VST

[Paigers 67]

What are the different symptoms for a leak?

[atushee 1]

#40Hi lessofmeismore

Hi LessOfMeIsMore

My mother is slowly getting better. For her age + Diabetese, it is not easy to get better fast and above all she was not prepared for it. I encouraged her and did not do my homework. Wanted to get gastric balloon but got this instead per doc's recommendation.

Anyhow, I like to speak to someone and assure my mother that she will get better soon.

I am specially curious to understand what is coming from drain? is it the food or internal wound's pus? The color of drain is like dark chocolate.

It will be nice if I can communicate over phone but do not know if I can give my phone no on line. I am desperate enought to do anything.

Lila: Since you have gone through same, can you comment on the color of drain?

Atul

[atushee 1]

crazyunique

Just pretend that you got sleeve and then leak. then follow the diet given to people with leak (protien shake) for a month then you will close to your target without spending money or going through suffering.

I lost 10 pounds just in sympathy (could not see my mother in pain and suffering, lost the appetite) when i did not have much extra weight at the first place.

There are other less invasive procedures, eg. gastric balloon (though I heard someone got Water in lungs due to blockage in the digestive path due to balloon) lap band etc.

If you can still not loose appetite and don't loose weight, just go to hospital and see all the mess, I am sure you can find someone with this case.

Atul

[MeMeMEEE 206]

I'm a year out from my leak now, had a feeding tube for 4 months and off work the whole time. A couple fistulas, abscess. Oh the joy. But it is a distant memory now. I am at goal - no way was I not going to get here after everything I went through! Sometimes I wonder if having RNY instead would have saved me all the complications - but they just have different ones at different times.

[Kaila312 19]

Do you know what caused your leaks to start? I am so worried about getting one!

[RawrrAshleex3 137]

No idea with mine. A staple at the top came out for one reason or another

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

Atul,

I am unsure of the drain color...as far as I was told it should be clear or go to the ER

If you can message these people they may have more help for you as they suffered from leaks:

4aLongerLife

jasleeve

RawrrAshleex3

I'm hoping you find out as much information as possible.

You and your mother need support and we are here for you.

Sometimes you just have to keep posting til you get the person you need...

As far as I have seen, most patients with leaks stop taking liquid and food by mouth and have TPN.

I pray someone sees our post and will contact you!!

Please continue to reach out here..I will try my best to help you find answers!

-Lisa

[Kapoorvilla 117]

Iggy

I really believe the " you will breeze right through" is the kiss of death! If I am every in a pre op waiting room and some one says those words to me I will run screaming through the halls gown flapping wildly for all to see!

Of course if they ever get me back to OR it will be because I am to sick to crawl away from them.

[Kapoorvilla 117]

My question to all of u would u change the decision to have a sleeve or would u do it again! Would u inform and encourage people like myself who are still in the beginning stages not to go through it with the surgery

I didn't have a leak but let me say after a bowel being cut, No if I was on the other side and understood how I could own one of those rare complications NO!, I would not do this to myself or family. I beg anyone considering this surgery consider the real possibility you may not make it and then all those years they promise to add to your life is gone along with all the years you would of had if you did not do the surgery.

[4ALongerLife 329]

I didn't have a leak but let me say after a bowel being cut, No if I was on the other side and understood how I could own one of those rare complications NO!, I would not do this to myself or family. I beg anyone considering this surgery consider the real possibility you may not make it and then all those years they promise to add to your life is gone along with all the years you would of had if you did not do the surgery.

OR........... you can think of the years that obesity is adding cancer possibilities to your death sheet or a heart attack or stroke.

IDK what is the right "choice." I am a food addict. And having open heart surgery scares me more to this day than anything I've been through yet. That and cancer. I have a high prevalence of both in my genetic history. Obesity is related to both.

Everyone should read the "worst" threads. Feel free to inbox me if you have questions regarding my story. I totally left out about the chest tubes that I had.... slipped my mind, there was so much in such a short time. But this experience or say, a heart attack? I would chose this experience. But we all have our choices to make and I cannot undo mine. If I could undo it, perhaps I would choose differently... IDK.

[Lissa_S 787]

#40Hi lessofmeismore

Hi LessOfMeIsMore

My mother is slowly getting better. For her age + Diabetese, it is not easy to get better fast and above all she was not prepared for it. I encouraged her and did not do my homework. Wanted to get gastric balloon but got this instead per doc's recommendation.

Anyhow, I like to speak to someone and assure my mother that she will get better soon.

I am specially curious to understand what is coming from drain? is it the food or internal wound's pus? The color of drain is like dark chocolate.

It will be nice if I can communicate over phone but do not know if I can give my phone no on line. I am desperate enought to do anything.

Lila: Since you have gone through same, can you comment on the color of drain?

Atul

I am sorry to hear about your mum. My drains were coloured, mostly yellow and green, some had blood in it at one point. It was never dark brown that I remember. But after reading some of the responses here, wow, mine perhaps wasn't too bad. I spent 56 days in hospital but haven't been back. I have been eating normal food for a while now and things seem to be getting back to normal. I have even started exercising. I've lost over 100 pounds since my operation in September 2012. A leak sucks and it's a really hard road to recovery and way longer than I ever expected. If I could turn back time there is no way I would do this again however now I am here, healthy and loosing the weight, I am really glad it's done. Every day I see new benefits from it - I will post a before and now photo (I still have about 100 pounds to loose) - and there is no way I could have lost this amount of weight in 3 months without this op. People used to tell me it would get better - I thought they were lying lol. But it does and it really has been worth it for me (now I am well I can say that lol).

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

Lila, you look so good! I'm glad you are doing better!

Hugs!