My very long story...August 1st surgery!

[Beckyyb93 225]

Becky...happy to hear you are doing so much here! Loved reading about your experience. I am still waiting for RNY but am on this forum to hear what REAL people experience..not just what the textbooks say...if that makes sense!?! You referred to a drain and a pain ball that had to cone out. Do you mind explaining more? If it is not something you are comfortable with...no worries! Keep up the posts...keeps me hopeful for the change I want!

That makes perfect sense and is a very smart idea! If you know about all of the risks before you have surgery, you will be able to make a more informed decision and know what to expect both best and worse case after surgery.

I don't mind explaining at all, the drain is very common in WLS patients post-op. It's put in while you are under and is basically a long tube that drains excess Fluid from your tummy. Not everyone has it but if you do, you generally don't even feel it until it's time to come out although some people dislike them if they have to stay in when they go home because it makes simple things like changing, sleeping, and walking around a little more difficult. So, the tube comes out of another small "incision" and has a little bag connected to it that get's emptied regularly to drain away all the Fluid. When it comes out it's a tad bit painful but more gross/fascinating depending on your outlook of medical stuff it's a pretty long tube so when they pull it out it takes 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on your nurse and then it's over. I had them give me my last iv pain dose right before they took it out and didn't really feel anything painful, just a little weird. So, drains suck but they have an important purpose and the pain is over quick, not anything to fret about really since it's not something you can control and it's not THAT big of a deal. The pain ball is something specific that my surgeon uses, I know a few surgeons use them around here and it looks kind of like a jellyfish. It's a ball with long skinny "tendrils" coming out if it, it's also placed while you are under and the "tendrils" have little holes in them that release numbing medicine. They lay them over your abdominal muscles under the skin and then you wear the little ball in a fanny pack. The idea is that the numbing medication (think lidocaine) will help with the muscle pains you have when recovering from surgery. I'm not sure how much it helped, I've heard people say they love them and others say they didn't do anything at all. I was pretty sore for the first two days then got better very quickly so it's hard to say how much the ball helped versus other factors. Taking that out is not painful at all though, they just pull on the ball and all the little "tendrils" (tubes) come out quickly and they basically numb everything on their way out so all you feel is a little tingling.

Neither the drain nor the pain ball are too scary though, I promise! Kudos to you for being well informed and keep lurking the forums, you'll find tons of interesting information to help you along your journey! If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask..I'm a nursing student so can probably get as technical and detailed as you'd like or can try to break it down a little and give you the most important information only. Good luck!!

[Beckyyb93 225]

I have some bad news I was doing really well until about 3 weeks post-op when I started having this very strange pain when eating. I immediately panicked and thought that the spasms were back. I had been off my Calcium channel blocker for spasms since surgery and I started taking it again the first night I felt the pain. The next day I started throwing up foam and undigested food so called my surgeon and the nurse said I probably have a stricture. I'm like OMG, not again!! That was a Friday and he couldn't do the endoscopy to look for the stricture until later in the week. Over the weekend anything that went down including Water came right back up within seconds, I called his exchange and he told me to come in Monday and he would fit me in. I started a new job as a nanny on Monday though and was spending the whole day with the newborn's mom so we made sure I was a good fit, I was so dehydrated that my hands were shaking and I was super pale, she noticed I didn't eat anything and was really worried about me (she is my fiance's sister so my well being is also important to her as family) so she decided that I was too sick to be a nanny and I needed to spend my time outside of school resting. She is probably right, holding a 13 pound baby and keeping up with him for eight hours a day is probably too much for only being 3 weeks out but never the less I was sad. On my way home, I felt terrible and I looked at my hands and the skin was nearly transparent, I could see hundreds of veins in my hand and fingers so at that point I know I was too dehydrated. I turned the car around and headed straight for the ER. When I got there they ran blood work and as I already knew I was extremely dehydrated and my potassium was dangerously low which I've had issues with before and have been on a cardiac floor on heart monitors while they replenished it. So, they admitted me right away NPO and first ran a pure potassium drip then pushed fluids as fast as they would go for a few hours. In the morning my surgeon did the EGD and saw that I have a marginal ulcer which is basically on the staple line between our pouch and the intestines. He kept me another night and started me on all kinds of medication for ulcers and pain then sent me home the following day. On Thursday I went in to see his PA and she admitted me back to the floor again because I still couldn't keep anything down and they are worried about my potassium/heart. I was on a saline potassium mix the whole time I was there and given lots of pain medicine and was basically told to just wait it out. I finally got to come home on Sunday and have been on bed rest not allowed to drive or lift over 10 pounds because of the severe dehydration and pain medicine.

This is all pretty depressing for me because this was supposed to fix everything for me and I was due some good luck but instead it just feels like problem after problem keeps occurring and I'm drowning in so much pain I have cried a lot this week just because I have to get fluids down to stay out of the hospital and it's so painful to swallow anything. I saw the doc again yesterday (Wednesday) and he gave me Phenergen instead of Zofran and upped my Amitriptiline to 75mg twice a day which knocks me out cold. He just wants me to be as comfortable as possible for a few days while my body heals and gave me the option of doing it at home or in the hospital. I obviously chose home because it's much more peaceful and I can actually rest. So, I'm on 3 different medications just for the ulcer, Lortab for pain, Phenergen for nausea, and Amitriptiline which is supposed to help me heal and let me get some sleep. I'm going back to see him tomorrow so they can do a Barium swallow to make sure everything is working properly and that the ulcer is the only problem.

The Phenergen is amazing, so so much better than Zofran. I have the suppositories which is awkward but really helpful because I can't throw it up which is what I am/was doing with some of my other meds. I wasn't even able to tolerate Water or juice without severe pain previously and today I've been drinking juice and even had some mashed potatoes with very minimal pain which is wonderful! It feels so good to be able to eat food, I know that I still have to be really careful though and let the ulcer heal because I won't be able to take Phenergen for the rest of my life lol!

I'm trying to stay as positive as possible and tell myself that ulcers heal and then I'll be right back on the road to recovery but it's hard to believe that the pain will actually ever stop because it seems like I have a kick me sign on my back and just get every single complication imaginable. Also, these ulcers are just a side effect of surgery and usually aren't influenced by what you are eating which is nice to know so I don't blame myself, not that I ate anything remotely spicy or strayed from the diet at all. All of your prayers and good thoughts are greatly appreciated while I get through yet another complication, hopefully it will heal soon and I can continue progressing!

[CrashNCamsMom 58]

:-( I'm so sorry you're going through yet another complication. It doesn't seem fair. Some people don't do anything right and have no issues and yet others will do everything right and have nothing but problems! I just try to think about something I heard...that God (or life, or whatever you believe in) doesn't give you more than you can handle. Though it may seem hopeless, you will get through this and be stronger for it. I'll be praying for you!

[barbb3 115]

Hope you are on the mend and feeling better!

[layknee 357]

Praying for you Becky.

[Angelyaya5 16]

Hi Becky,

I sincerely hope that the by-pass is your miracle. I must say you remind me of my granddaughter who is 22 and lives in Florida. She's a beautiful girl, so smart, but discriminated against because of her weight.

Wish I could convince her to have this surgery. I am five days post- op myself and almost seventy-one. I am also a retired nurse, so you've chosen a great profession. What an example you'll be to your future patients.

Will be keeping fingers crossed for your success, which I know you'll achieve.

Huge hugs

[Beckyyb93 225]

Alright guys, I have some really bad news I went in on Friday morning to get a Barium swallow test and as I watched the contrast go down I saw it..spasms! I felt it and saw it and just couldn't believe it because the whole point of the bypass was to stop the powerful spasms that were giving me so much pain and not allowing me to eat solid food for 2 years. I almost cried, my doc wanted to do another EGD to make sure there was no stricture so he sent me straight to the endoscopy center and took a look. After, I just expected to go home since I just came in for a visit but he directly admitted me to the med/surg floor which was surprising for me. I had my fiance bring me some clothes from home and awaited the reason for the admit. A GI came in later that afternoon and we talked for a while, I gave him my whole long story and he was really nice. He said since I had been and am still on a Calcium channel blocker (Cartia) for spasms that we should try something else and his suggestion was Nitroglycerin cream which is better known as "heart cream" it is a vasodilator and is used for spasms and lowers blood pressure. They had admitted me so they could monitor me on that medication and make sure my blood pressure didn't drop too low since it isn't high to begin with and make sure I didn't have headaches which are the most common side effect. We are slowly raising the dose and I'm not having any adverse reactions to it which is great. I'm not up to the full dose yet so am not positive how it is working yet although with the Lortab, Phenergen and the Nitro cream I've been tolerating soft food and Fluid pretty well which is good!

I'm sad because I feel like we are starting over with the spasms and I wonder if doing the bypass was the right move but then I remember how bad the acid reflux was and how it's gone now and that has tremendously helped with the pain so I'm trying to tell myself it was worth it because now I'm not at a risk for Barrets which is good too. Now we have to do another manometry to check the function of my esophagus because last time we did this test it was extremely abnormal and we were in the beginning stages of achalysia which is bad and contributed to the surgeon's decision to do the bypass. If it is still abnormal which the surgeon is worried about, we will have to treat that along with the spasms so it doesn't get any worse. I'm crossing my fingers that it got better with surgery but somehow doubt it since I still have the spasms. He doesn't have any idea why the spasms came back but now the only option is to play with different medications to try to treat the symptoms of the regurgitation, nausea, and major pain. He has a few more ideas for different medications to try if the Nitro doesn't help enough but it's very depressing to look forward to the future of only soft foods again I'm trying to stay as positive as possible and try to let the medications do their job and hope that they will control it well going forward and allow me to eat more normal food. It's so hard to be patient but that's my only option right now so I'm doing my best. Obviously I won't be able to rely on the Lortab and the Phenergen forever so we will have to tweak the medications enough to get off of those on a regular basis although there is no problem using Phenergen on an as needed basis.

That's about all for now, I'm trying so hard to keep my head up but each time I feel the spasms and throw up I just cry because I just want all of this pain to stop and I'm just so young. Also, if the achalysia gets bad I'm at a risk for other problems and it just seems like I'm too young and was too healthy to be worrying about the long term health of my esophagus. This surgery ruined my life and I'm attempting to put the pieces back together but it's so hard. The GI said my esophageal anatomy is just so abnormal and the surgery put the icing on the cake for the spasms and trouble swallowing.

I'll try to keep you guys updated, I need to catch up in my classes since I've been hospitalized 3 times in the last 2 weeks. I have a lot of work to do and it's all a little daunting especially with only being able to tolerate a little bit of food and Water and being on two medications that lower blood pressure for spasms which just makes me a little light headed and groggy along with the pain meds and the Phenergen which are both known for that as well. I'm hoping I can get everything together this semester so I can finally start clinicals, I know you guys are all praying for me and I know I'll get through this somehow. Thank you for all the kind words and positive thoughts during this hard time for me, I really do appreciate each and every one of you who have helped me through this whole journey!

[layknee 357]

Alright guys, I have some really bad news I went in on Friday morning to get a Barium swallow test and as I watched the contrast go down I saw it..spasms! I felt it and saw it and just couldn't believe it because the whole point of the bypass was to stop the powerful spasms that were giving me so much pain and not allowing me to eat solid food for 2 years. I almost cried, my doc wanted to do another EGD to make sure there was no stricture so he sent me straight to the endoscopy center and took a look. After, I just expected to go home since I just came in for a visit but he directly admitted me to the med/surg floor which was surprising for me. I had my fiance bring me some clothes from home and awaited the reason for the admit. A GI came in later that afternoon and we talked for a while, I gave him my whole long story and he was really nice. He said since I had been and am still on a Calcium channel blocker (Cartia) for spasms that we should try something else and his suggestion was Nitroglycerin cream which is better known as "heart cream" it is a vasodilator and is used for spasms and lowers blood pressure. They had admitted me so they could monitor me on that medication and make sure my blood pressure didn't drop too low since it isn't high to begin with and make sure I didn't have headaches which are the most common side effect. We are slowly raising the dose and I'm not having any adverse reactions to it which is great. I'm not up to the full dose yet so am not positive how it is working yet although with the Lortab, Phenergen and the Nitro cream I've been tolerating soft food and Fluid pretty well which is good!

I'm sad because I feel like we are starting over with the spasms and I wonder if doing the bypass was the right move but then I remember how bad the acid reflux was and how it's gone now and that has tremendously helped with the pain so I'm trying to tell myself it was worth it because now I'm not at a risk for Barrets which is good too. Now we have to do another manometry to check the function of my esophagus because last time we did this test it was extremely abnormal and we were in the beginning stages of achalysia which is bad and contributed to the surgeon's decision to do the bypass. If it is still abnormal which the surgeon is worried about, we will have to treat that along with the spasms so it doesn't get any worse. I'm crossing my fingers that it got better with surgery but somehow doubt it since I still have the spasms. He doesn't have any idea why the spasms came back but now the only option is to play with different medications to try to treat the symptoms of the regurgitation, nausea, and major pain. He has a few more ideas for different medications to try if the Nitro doesn't help enough but it's very depressing to look forward to the future of only soft foods again I'm trying to stay as positive as possible and try to let the medications do their job and hope that they will control it well going forward and allow me to eat more normal food. It's so hard to be patient but that's my only option right now so I'm doing my best. Obviously I won't be able to rely on the Lortab and the Phenergen forever so we will have to tweak the medications enough to get off of those on a regular basis although there is no problem using Phenergen on an as needed basis.

That's about all for now, I'm trying so hard to keep my head up but each time I feel the spasms and throw up I just cry because I just want all of this pain to stop and I'm just so young. Also, if the achalysia gets bad I'm at a risk for other problems and it just seems like I'm too young and was too healthy to be worrying about the long term health of my esophagus. This surgery ruined my life and I'm attempting to put the pieces back together but it's so hard. The GI said my esophageal anatomy is just so abnormal and the surgery put the icing on the cake for the spasms and trouble swallowing.

I'll try to keep you guys updated, I need to catch up in my classes since I've been hospitalized 3 times in the last 2 weeks. I have a lot of work to do and it's all a little daunting especially with only being able to tolerate a little bit of food and Water and being on two medications that lower blood pressure for spasms which just makes me a little light headed and groggy along with the pain meds and the Phenergen which are both known for that as well. I'm hoping I can get everything together this semester so I can finally start clinicals, I know you guys are all praying for me and I know I'll get through this somehow. Thank you for all the kind words and positive thoughts during this hard time for me, I really do appreciate each and every one of you who have helped me through this whole journey!

becky we haven't heard from you in a bit. Is everything getting better? I hope it is. I'm praying for you. I have nutcracker esophagus and that's the reason I couldn't have anything but the RNY.

I totally understand about the manometry test it was one of the worst test I think I've ever had to do in the hospital, so you have my sympathies. Get well soon.

[Beckyyb93 225]

Well, I'm still on the Nitro cream and it wasn't doing a whole lot so they put me on Levsin as needed and Levbid twice a day for spasms as well. I'm getting soft food and Fluid down with taking all these medications but they make me really sleepy and I know there is no way I can stay on all of this long term.

I went to see the surgeon last Friday and he said we are going to do another manometry and then do a botox injection to the place that is spasming which will hopefully paralyze the are so it can't spasm. After that he wants to look at doing a heller manotomy. It's all a little scary but I'm glad he isn't giving up on me quite yet.

I'll know more after my manometry which will probably be early next week and in the meantime I'm just going to keep taking all these medications and keep trying to get in fluids and some Protein in between all of my medically induced naps! He doesn't think the manometry will be much different than the last time where is was extremely abnormal and if that is the case we will go about getting the insurance to cover the botox injection which he doesn't think will be too hard.

I'll try to keep you all updated! And @@layknee the manometry is a pretty nasty test, it's just extremely uncomfortable and it's so hard not to swallow constantly which is what your body wants to do to get the tube out of your throat but as you probably know, they have to start over if you swallow at the wrong time..yuck!

[Beckyyb93 225]

Hey guys, sorry I haven't given you an update in a while. I'm struggling pretty badly, I use the word struggling a lot lately because I think it sounds better than dying which is honestly what I feel like is happening. As you guys know from my previous post, the spasms are back and I've been hospitalized SO many times since the bypass 8/1. I was taking an extremely difficult science class that I need to start clinicals and I had to drop it because I missed so many of the labs that I wouldn't be able to keep up, luckily the rest of my classes were online because that was only the start to the difficult times. It's now almost Christmas which means I'm almost at my 2 year sleeve surgiversary and I'm in pretty bad shape. I just had another manometry which is where they put the tube down your nose and measure your swallowing pressure, I saw the surgeon and he said we have improved since the bypass but still have a long way to go. Before the bypass I had 10% normal swallows and 90% abnormal, now I had 45% normal swallows and 55% abnormal but my swallow is getting weaker which means my achalasia is getting worse. The next step is a Botox injection to my esophagus where the spasms are taking place but he wants to do one last endoscopy before scheduling that to check for ulcers/strictures. That's scheduled for Monday the 22nd but at this point I'm not sure if I'm going to make it that long before being hospitalized. I'm really really struggling with the pain right now and I'm not getting enough fluids much less Protein down to be safe or hydrated. I'm on Norco pills 4x daily to help with the pain and it helps but isn't nearly enough to feel normal. So, I'll probably end up heading to the ER tomorrow sometime if I don't feel any better soon because I'm 99% sure I have an ulcer on top of the spasms which is causing pain with the medicine I take for spasms so the two issues are working against each other. I'm usually hospitalized 2x a month for fluids, potassium, and pain medicine then they send me home and I struggle until I give in and go back to the hospital. I'm on so much medicine that it's just sad, I take more than 6 different medications for just my stomach alone and that doesn't account for my kidney problems that I've always had but are becoming more severe since surgery because of my Fluid intake. I'm also struggling with depression because the pain just wears me down, I sometimes wonder how I'm ever going to get through this and if it will ever stop. I try to tell myself that the Botox injection will help but some days my optimism waivers By the grace of God I managed to pull off B's across the board in school this semester which is pretty impressive considering how much I have been in the hospital and how sick I have been. I've finally resigned to taking the next semester off to hopefully heal because I can't keep putting myself through this, it kills me to do it but I feel like I need to focus on my health and feeling better before I can really take on school again.

I don't know what else to tell you guys except please pray for me, I'm trying my best to stay strong but it's extremely difficult. I'm still fighting but it's getting harder to do as the bad days keep coming, I try to focus on the good parts of life like my family, my fiance, and my friends which helps but like I said at the beginning I'm really struggling and I feel like I'm getting worse which frightens me for my future.

[green*eyed*girl 170]

Oh Becky my dear, I see you are very desperate, I honestly say I wish I could take some of your pain and carry it for you but unfortunatly I can not do that for you and you have to walk this walk.

DO NOT GIVE UP FOR A SECOND!!! You hear me? It will get all better and you have to believe in it!

It was a good decision to drop the next semester. School can wait you have a whole lot of time to do that, most important is your health. You need rest, and you need to relax. I am glad your doctor seems compatent and you are in good hands.

Please keep us updated, I know you are tired but more regular updates please I have you in my mind and sending you healing vibes across the ocean! xxx

[green*eyed*girl 170]

Becky I wish you would check in with us and let us know how you are doing? xxx

Have you in my thoughts!

[layknee 357]

Where are you Becky?

[bangbangbarbie 52]

Really hoping to hear something from you Becky.

[Mybeela 0]

Beckyy did you have a esophageal mamometry done before you had sleeve surgery? My surgery is set for July 14th but they wanna do bypass not the sleeve because I have some esophagus issues.