Left side pain, CT negative for leaks - inflammation?

[for-my-love 0]

Hello, sleevers! I'm here to post what my fiancée has been going through, so that I can get some feedback and hopefully provide some information for anyone who ends up searching on the same topic.

My fiancée was sleeved laparoscopically just over a month ago and had a difficult recovery - almost 5 days in hospital. She's had some difficulty getting back to normal eating as well - she was put on a schedule of 1 week Clear liquids, 1 week liquid/purée, 1 week mushy food, then solids. I feel as though she rushed in getting to the mushy food and the solids, because she always tries her damnedest to get in her Protein without needing to drink shakes. I've tried everything to make them more appealing but it's a psychological thing now I guess; she hates them no matter which flavor and despite the fact that she liked the flavors at first.

Three days ago, she started feeling some heaviness in her chest and pain in the left side/back. She has a history of pleurisy and so originally thought that it was coming back, especially since she had no fever and the pain wasn't unmanageable. This feeling has gradually led to pain when eating, drinking, or taking deep breaths, and a feeling of weakness and pressure in her chest. Today she saw her primary care doctor had a series of CT scans done, which were sent down to her bariatric doc as well. Everything came out negative for leaks, abscesses, etc. but we have no answers now. Her primary care doc thinks the cause may be inflammation-related and has prescribed a medicine to coat the stomach and hopefully allow the inflammation to go down. She has a follow-up with the bariatric doc in three days.

Has anyone had a similar type of experience? If it wasn't a leak, what did it turn out to be, and how was it treated? If it was a leak, how did you catch it after the negative CT scan? Can this kind of inflammation come from moving on to too difficult of foods too quickly? I know I'm asking a lot of questions and you (most likely) aren't medical professionals, but I would really like to see if anyone has dealt with something similar. I am so scared for her, and I want to know everything I can so that I can be the most supportive possible.

Thank you so much for listening.

[NORCALRN 60]

I, too had those symptoms. had 4 upper GI - all negative for leaks although I presented as if I did. i also have had pleurisy.... this was different. High fever ended me in expLoratory surgery with nothing found - spent 4 days inpt. At home the same day 104 temp - back to the ER. I spent 7 weeks there with a myriad of problems. Just to let you know, make sure if symptoms persist - you persist on anWsers. The bariatric surgeons said no leak bu tmy local surgeon, at my local hospital told me I was too sick not to have a lead.."subclinical leak" iswhat she said. I ended up with abcesses on spleen, lover and had a spLenic infarct. hospital acquired pneumonIa, chest tube, jp drains 5 antibiotics was in CT all the time, interventional radiology all th time. PUSH FOR ANSWERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Supposedly, my body just did not like the procedure. think things turned bad from exploratory surgerybut who knows. I still have a J tube for feeding, but have made huge strides just in the last month. (sleeved 7-2012). HHmm. I know there are other things but cannot recall right now. First, monitor for temp, second head to the ER if you are not able to get into a position of comfort. Remember how amazing your support system and you are. please ask me anything.......keep us posted

Trish

[Catherine707 253]

You are quite the supportive fiancé! Your fiancé is very lucky to have someone so committed to helping her!

I personally didn't have this type of complication, so I can't help from personal experience. I think the Dr's suggestion of an anti-inflammatory is a good one. Likewise I would go back to a 100% liquid diet to help the stomach in every way possible. Yes, one gets tired of the Protein shakes and other mushy food, but the pain is an indication that there is a problem and it is best to dial down the need for stomach motion to help digest the food. Has she been on an acid reducing medication since surgery too? Prilosec seems to help with the post surgery abundance of acid while the stomach heals.

Good luck to you both!

[for-my-love 0]

Thank you both for your replies. This is really scary! She has been on Dexilant since surgery (she took it for GERD pre-surgery as well). Still having pain and weakness when swallowing food/water, but no fever at all. I guess the Rx she got is more aimed at reducing stomach pain than inflammation, but I'm not sure how well it works yet because the pharmacy didn't get it in until this morning and now I'm at work. She feels really stuck because she is allergic to Prednisone/steroids, but can't take NSAIDs now after surgery. I think she is planning to have liquids only today, and hopefully that will help it. I'm still very afraid of something happening between now and her follow-up, or of damage being caused while trying to figure out the problem. She was already feeling down and unstable because of the hormone changes, but this has made her extremely depressed. Could these be signs of an ulcer? I am able to go to the follow-up with her and will ask her bariatric doctor.

[Catherine707 253]

VGS surgery is a major trauma to the body, and it takes a while to heal completely. This could just be a set back in the healing process, so focus on the easier and more common causes than spending a lot of time worrying about the less common complications. Feeling emotionally down is common to. Most of us are food addicts and this surgery takes away our ability to use food to cope with emotions. It is a rough time while you figure out how to handle food related cravings and other issues. Some of what she is experiencing is normal post surgery. I'm hopeful that the new medication will make a difference and that the pain was just doing solid foods too soon!

[for-my-love 0]

I'm back. The medication she was prescribed at her primary care doctor was carafate. Hopefully if it is inflammation or an ulcer that will help to resolve it.

I am beyond angry with her bariatric surgeon and his office (and so is she). Her followup appointment was set for 7:30 this morning because she had to be at work at 9:30 and we live almost an hour away. They kept us waiting until 8:20 to see anybody because the doctor was in an "administrative meeting". I would be a lot more forgiving of this if it didn't seem to happen every single time and they didn't keep assuring us beforehand that we'd be able to be seen on time. We spent 10 minutes talking to the nurse, found out there were still two patients ahead of us to see the doctor, and had to leave before seeing him. No answers.

Before surgery, their office was much more caring, even though they are always extremely busy. After surgery, though, it feels like my fiancée is an obligation rather than a patient there - especially since her experience has been difficult. It feels like a bait and switch, a rejection, like they only want to hold up their complication-free patients for others to look at. I'm depressed because I can't help her, and she's depressed because she feels like she's thrown her life away to lose ten pounds (all she's lost since the surgery a month ago).

[for-my-love 0]

I don't even think I am going to be able to convince her to see the surgeon's office again for follow-ups, she is so angry with them. She does have a very knowledgeable and caring primary care doctor, but he is not a bariatric specialist.

The little scrap of silver lining is that she was able to eat a little bit (nowhere near her Protein requirements though) and drink at least 60oz of Water yesterday. She still has left shoulder pain that worsens when she eats, and she feels weak just after eating. I'm hoping that she won't end up in the hospital again.

[Catherine707 253]

I just saw your update. Has it gotten any better in the past 5 days? I understand how frustrating it can be dealing with the doctor's office. Please don't make any drastic decisions about not going back to the surgeon. I'll bet if you talked to the Dr he wouldn't even be aware that people were waiting such long times and that there is a problem with the front office promising and not delivering on his behalf.

If you have a surgery complication you will have the best luck following up with the surgeon unless there is gross negligence in his work. No other doctor knows what your surgeon knows about your specific surgery. I know it is hard to balance it all with work and "real life".

[for-my-love 0]

It has gotten a fair bit better, physically. I think a combination of the carafate (which she is still taking as per her primary care doctor's orders) and the fact that the weather has been a little less humid have really been helping. For some reason, high ambient humidity seems to give her a lot of pain and difficulty eating (not so great when you live in Florida). She is back to being able to eat and drink again, although not quite back to her full Protein and hydration goals. She's still depressed, which I think will last until she starts seeing some more weight come off.

I do want her to go back to the surgeon, and she may do so given time, but I think it's going to take a little while before she warms up to the idea. I think that the surgeon does know these things about his practice and sees them as something that you just have to be willing to deal with. It seems like he and his whole staff expect that you will be so pleased and grateful for the procedure that you'll put up with anything they pull on you (including small random charges that, when pressed, they can't explain).

[brazos2425 34]

I hope this will help some, I had a lot of pressure and pain after my surgery due to the gas they blow you up with. Unfortunately the only remedy is heating pads and walking. I am 9 months out and I still get gas regularly so I take bean gas-x. I was also blessed with a "sensitive" band...cold outside..tight, PMS...tight..stress..tight...dehydrated..tight. You have to listen very carefully, if you feel even a little pressure eat mushies that day. You might try Protein shots too they are smaller two swigs gone. Good luck and best wishes SHE CAN DO THIS!!

Edited February 19, 2014 by brazos2425

[kristalmartin 1]

My daughter is post op 8 weeks and is have a very hard time. She can barely keep liquids down. She has been to the ER 4 or 5 times and has had a cat scan, two swallow tests to test for leaks. Her blood work revels that her potassium and glucose is low. She has a lot of pain in her abdominal area and she is nauseated all the time and throws everything up which is not much. She is only getting about 200 calories a day. She lives 50 miles from her surgeon's office (because it was performed at Travis AFB) and 100 miles from me. When we go to the hospital ER (non socialized medicine care facility) she gets better care. Her surgeon and the nurse is dismissive of what is going on and tells her she just has a low tolerance level. But we are being persistent.

The heaviness in the chest your partner is experiencing sounds like the need to go to the ER or at the least follow up with her surgeon. My daughter has not been able to progress to anything but Clear Liquids so I'm not sure if she is experiencing her heaviness in chest area due to progression of diet.

Im sorry to hear about your partner I hope she starts feeling better.