strictures anyone?

[merade123 2]

Long story short...sleeved march 5th 2013...12 weeks out, 55 lb lost, and I'm in agony dang near EVERY day. Going for my 4th egd with dilation Tuesday...have stomach strictures, now gerd and ulcers from the constant vomiting. Have been hospitalized 4 times since surgery for dehydration because my stricture won't allure anything to stay down...no food...no liquid...i haven't eaten in weeks...i want my life back...dr. talking splint or revision surgery...i regret having this sleeve done every day. I'd rather be fat. That just the honest truth.

[serenity1959 67]

I am so sorry. I hope this gets resolved for you soon.

[tigerbelle 328]

praying that you are healed soon

[CocoCocoon 6]

You poor dear! I'm sure that this will eventually get resolved. Find the best doctor possible if it doesn't happen soon to get a second opinion. It will be worth it!

[phantompouch 19]

Soooooo sorry to hear of your struggles....I hope that you get to feel much better soon.....hope that you consult another doctor to obtain a second opinion...... all the best.....always....

[EMSJen 6]

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!

[JennyBeth 127]

How is your progress going? I have very similar issues and actually had a PICC line put in so I can do PTN nutrition at home because I can't keep anything down either. I'm SO frustrated and just want to get better. I was sleeved on 3-20 and would be happy if I could eat ANYTHING at all! I'm afraid that when it is time to have the stent removed it is only going to get worse! I'm stressed and constantly exhausted. I feel like I've been sick for so long that I just don't see any end in sight. HELP!

[HatheryOnHerWay 603]

How did you know you had a stricture? What were the symptoms?

[JennyBeth 127]

The amount of food/liquid I could consume all of a sudden starting to decrease rather than increase. I was 5 weeks post-op and was cleared for a regular diet, but I told my surgeon I wanted to stick to soft foods. I also asked him to switch my PPI prescription from Protonix to nexium because I felt like it wasn't working anymore because I always had the sensation something was "stuck" in my throat. Pretty soon every time I ate something with substance to it or swallowed a pill I would vomit. Then I started vomiting anything other than plain Water. Needless to say I became very dehydrated and malnourished.

[HatheryOnHerWay 603]

The amount of food/liquid I could consume all of a sudden starting to decrease rather than increase. I was 5 weeks post-op and was cleared for a regular diet, but I told my surgeon I wanted to stick to soft foods. I also asked him to switch my PPI prescription from Protonix to nexium because I felt like it wasn't working anymore because I always had the sensation something was "stuck" in my throat. Pretty soon every time I ate something with substance to it or swallowed a pill I would vomit. Then I started vomiting anything other than plain Water. Needless to say I became very dehydrated and malnourished.

Thank you. It's always good to know the signs to look out for. I truly hope things get better for you soon!

[happytohavethesleeve 9]

Sorry to hear you are struggling. I had a stricture as well. Mine had a twist in it as well. I had to eventually have strictureplasty to fix fit. But they did Sooo many procedures on me before to try to fix it. Nothing else worked. You will get past this.

[SK71 3]

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.

[JennyBeth 127]

What finally did the trick for me was when they placed a metal stent in my stomach. It was awful and I couldn't wait to get it removed from the minute it was put in. I still continued to vomit EVERY time I ate something! That's when they did the PICC line and I started doing IV nutrition. But after 7 VERY LONG weeks I was finally able to get the stent removed and that worked! My stomach remained open!! Very slowly I was able to eat again and although I'm still eating very small amounts-I AM eating again! (Going for 10 weeks not eating really messes with your head!)

I understand the frustration you are going through and the feelings of regret. I felt the same way and felt like I would've been better off remaining fat but able to eat! Maybe your insurance would cover the stent. My dilation closed back up after only 2 days so my surgeon didn't even waste the time to try it a second time. I've heard that some people need multiple dilations so try to not be too discouraged. I will tell you that now that I can eat again I am realizing just how sick/malnourished I really was. Doing the IVs wasn't enjoyable at all and I was nauseous all the time from the stent in my stomach, but now that it is (hopefully) all behind me I will tell you that it gets better once you get well. I'm 4 months out from my surgery (3-20-13) and I don't have feelings of regret and constant sadness all of the time. My energy is still somewhat low because I've just been able to eat for a few weeks and my meals are still quite small, however after living off just some sips of Water I will take whatever I can get! I hope your husband gets better soon and you both start to enjoy the benefits of the sleeve! It DOES get better!

[JennyBeth 127]

My stent was just removed on 7-1-13 so it has just been within the last week or two that I started to feel better and not be so scared to try eating. (The vomiting was extremely painful!) But up until then I felt the same way you do. I was filled with regret, sadness and depression. Again, it will get better!!

[jolynch64 0]

I feel worse than ever after reading such great success stories...I had St 2 months ago & haven't lost 1 pound!! I am always hungry & still unable 2 control appetite!! I get counseling for food issues, but feel no difference at all...feeling quite alone & can't believe that I am only 1 who feels this way...feel hopeless & a failure...so depressed...