Life after a leak...

[mattuti86 23]

Im so sorry you're going through this, it is def not what I signed up for either. How are the stents treating you? My dr didn't want to do stents, he wanted my stomach to hopefully heal on its own, it seems like it did but it's been 6 months. Being npo, having a drain, a picc, and 2 groshongs now due to infections is not fun. I really hope the stents work for you and your recovery is a lot quicker than mine.

[RJ'S/beginning 5,358]

I had my sleeve done 8/13. On 8/24 I started throwing up blood. I was in ICU for two weeks. I had a two inch tear in the staples. I have no idea how that happened - I was following the liquid diet and was having trouble getting all the liquid Protein required each day. I have two stents in my stomach holding the wall together and the leak has gone down, but still a trace. I was in the hospital over three weeks. I've been home 10 days and I go back to the hospital Monday to get the stents removed. I'm NPO and have a j-tube for how long I don't know. This was not the journey I signed up for.

I was 5 months in the hospital due to complications with sleeve surgery. I had a leak as well...But I went septic....after they did surgery to clean up the infection they put me in an induced coma.because the pain was out of this world...i was supposed to be in it for a few days but ended up 19 days..When I woke up all my muscle mass was gone and I had a Trachea....I went on to have 11 surgeries with 2 of them being stents put in to try to save my sleeve...then they decided to try clamps..that did not work....So at the end I have a combination by pass and sleeve...I had not eaten for 5 and a half months...had to learn to walk again, talk again and even eat again..I lost all my hair and ended up with a category 5 bed sore on my butt...!0 months later I have finally been released from medical care for the bed sore....I was in bed forever, it was the loneliest time in my life....

I would do it all again in a second...10 months and 160 lbs off...I am a new woman and a very active one...Life was not worth living anymore before my sleeve as I was just existing.....chin up girl...at least it isn't 5 months yet...Hope you get better soon and can finally be on your way to a successful new you......

[Kindle 8,667]

A_jap21... Gotta agree with madam r. Most post -op diets are several weeks on clear and full liquids only. Can only imagine crackers and cheese are extremely irritating and stressful on a fresh incision to say the least.

OP - congrats on your light at the end of the tunnel. I'm having surgery in Mexico, too (dr. Ortiz) but am very worried about what will happen if I have complications. Since you live in San Diego, did you go back to your original surgeon for your complications or did you stay in the US? If the latter, How did you deal with getting treatment for your complications from your US doctors? Did you get any support/consultations from your original surgeon?

[mattuti86 23]

@kindle I did go back to my original surgeon, several times. I had my surgery on December, maybe 3 weeks later I was having trouble eating anything and feeling sick, weak, vomiting so I went to see him, got admitted for a couple of days, he did an endoscopy and said I had gastritis, gave me meds and i went home ok, same thing happened a couple of weeks later, had a leak test, passed but threw up on the drs shoes lol more meds, a few weeks later again, was in hospital like 5 days. This time no leak test, j went home ok, then it happened again, this time he blamed me, said i wasn't trying hard enough but i was. It had gotten to the point where i couldn't even get up to pee, my mom had to help me. So when he discharged me the third time, i was still very sick but he claimed 5 days of Vitamin shots would bring me right back up, btw this time i had anemia. Everytime i went i was dehydrated. I came home a few days and couldn't keep anything down at all, i was very, very weak, reflux was horrible, i called him and he said to go in for an antibiotic on Monday, it was Sunday morning. He even tried putting me on anxiety meds, that just made me sleep for days but he wouldn't check for a leak again. I had a really bad pain on my left shoulder and he told me it was the way i was sleeping. He made me cry one day cos i felt so sick and it seemed like he didn't believe me when i said i was trying really hard. Anyway that Sunday i called my mom said that's it, we're going to a hospital here. That was march 23, i got admitted into Scripps mercy and fortunately fell info th hands of an awesome medical team, they found out about my leak right away. I had no problems getting a dr here, might have been because of how sick i was. I called my original surgeon the day i found out i had a leak, he said i should be fine in no time and i never talked to him again. Sorry for the super long answer. Any questions, let me know. Btw I'm super happy about my light at the end of the tunnel, but it's funny that I've been feeling kinda sad about not being in the hospital and not seeing the staff anymore. I've been in there a little over 2 months in th last 6 months.

[Wags 549]

That is such a frightening story. I cannot believe your original doctor!!! I'm so glad you are doing better and I wish you the best.

[mattuti86 23]

Thank you :-) I think my original dr is a great surgeon but really dropped the ball when the complications started, don't tell my mom I said that, she gets mad when I do lol

[Kindle 8,667]

Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you were able to finally get the attention you needed with your complications. That's my biggest concern since I will be so far away from my surgeon if problems should arise. I'm going to meet with my PCP one of these days and see if he will be comfortable dealing with my post-op concerns. I'm a little nervous about telling him because besides being my doctor, I'm friends with him and his wife. I'm not sure if I'll get support or judgement. The latter would be weird for our friendship.

Glad you're healing and feeling better.

[mattuti86 23]

I really hope you'll get nothing but support from him. My pcp seems to have no clue about the surgery, I had another pcp before surgery but due to insurance changes ended up with him, I need to change him but I've been dealing with so many things I keep putting it off. Plus when I see him I basically just give him an update. The gi surgeon is the dr I've been dealing with this whole time, he's so awesome, I'm gonna miss him once I stop seeing him.

[nyorker 67]

Many get diahrea. I had it for maybe 4 days. Wr are drinking not eating si we get diahrea. If you have a leak you will get very sick. Pain on the right side is normal. Thats the biggest incision if your Dr pulled the stomach out from there. Otherwise it would be left. Pain will be in abdomen for at least 3 weeks if not longer.

[carisa2j 0]

Omg!!! I have had the gastric sleeve journey from hell. Your posts give me some comfort that i am not the only one. I had the sleeve done in may 2013. The dr. Said there was a leak and did surgery again the next day. I was in the hospital 8 days. I was sick with nausea and vomiting all summer. I had an endoscopy in july and all looked good. By august 29 i was admitted to the hospital with severe anemia, pneumonia, and a bladder infection. I had an upper gi and they told me i had a leak that had been leaking into my lung since may. I have had lung surgery where they said my lung will never be the same. I had stents in my esophagus and stomach for over a month being only on Clear Liquids during that time. I have had chest tubes, jp drain, 7 units of blood, and several hospital stays. The leak has finally closed but i still have severe nausea and vomiting. I have lost about 100 pounds since may 24 but not the way i would have liked to lose it. Does anyone else still have nausea and vomiting 5 months after surgery? I am still recovering from all this. I am extremely weak.

[freespirit63 112]

I am looking for info on how ppl were preated with a leak. Mine wants to remove my stomach