Re: Looking for shared experiences

[Guest guest]

Dear SC,

I wish I could be more help to you.. just know that I pray for your

recovery and I have true faith you will be well soon.

Love, Sue.

> Hi all -

>

> I had DS June 25, and thus am about 14 weeks out. I had no

co-morbids but

> pursued the surgery due to lack of stamina and physical agility/lack

of

> mobility. I have had no prior medical problems, and no past GI

problems --

> including no reflux disease, no IBS, etc.

>

> Unfortunately, my recovery has been kinda rocky. I had severe

diarrhea,

> nausea and vomiting immediately after surgery, and was in the hosp 9

days

> post-op. That resolved to a degree, and I went home. Unable to eat

much or

> keep fluids down for days, and with continued nausea, vomiting and

diarrhea,

> I was readmitted to the hosp for an EGD and fluids, IV meds for

nausea, etc

> at about 4 weeks out. The EGD was reported as normal.

>

> Since then, my diarrhea has finally resolved, and I've had fairly

normal

> stools for the past 4 weeks. The intense fatigue is much better

these days,

> but still present occasionally. I'm finally back at work, but it

took me 10

> weeks to get back rather than the expected 4. So far, I've lost

about 75-80

> pounds.

>

> My problem, which I would like to hear from others about, regards my

> continued nausea and vomiting. First, it *has* improved

tremendously! I am

> no longer spending literally hours a day hanging my head over a

bucket

> dry-heaving, and I'm no longer requiring daily anti-emetics.

However, I

> *still* am quite nauseated a few times a day, and now usually vomit

1-2

> times a day. This occurs NOT after eating, but between meals. Emesis

is a

> thick, viscous, clear mucus. I have *never* vomited food. It's not

painful

> and I feel better afterwards. It does not seem to be nausea related

to

> hunger, from my experiments. This has been kinda steady the past 4

weeks,

> and no longer seems to be improving.

>

> After eating or drinking *anything* - even a sip or two of water -

I am

> plagued by constant gurgling of air in my throat and stomach. After

gurgling

> a few minutes, I will become exceedingly nauseated, then retch and

dry

> heave, with eventual expulsion of air only. After this, I can take

my next

> bite of food or sip of water. It's all very dramatic and certainly

socially

> unacceptable, so I have to eat in private and even have to *drink

water* in

> private so I can do the associated retching afterwards without

freaking

> people out around me. It's physically uncomfortable and very

embarassing.

>

> I am also troubled by a continued abnormal sense of smell. *Every*

strong

> odor makes me suddenly nauseated - the smell from almost any food,

from car

> exhaust, soaps, cleansers, anything! I've never experienced this

before, but

> was told by my surgeon's nurse that this sometimes happens to folks

after DS

> surgery....she stated it is " as if the person were pregnant. " She

also

> stated it's always gone away by 3 months or so out, but in my case,

it's

> still here.

>

> Last, I am troubled by continued severe GERD symptoms. I have acid

reflux

> almost constantly, despite being on proton pump inhibitors, a

zillion Tums

> per day, propping up in bed at night, etc. I'm often hoarse, and

it's really

> uncomfortable.

>

> Daily, I seem to be able to eat less and less. Today I've been able

to eat

> only a hard-boiled egg, a 4 oz container of yogurt and a popsicle.

My desire

> to eat lessens every day, and when I do eat, my stomach feels more

and more

> uncomfortable rather than less and less...takes fewer bites to fill

me up

> rather than more, and the uncomfortable feeling tips over into pain

on some

> occasions. At this rate, it's hard for me to keep up with protein,

but I am

> drinking the no-carb protein drinks to help with it and think I'm

managing

> at least 60 gms/day. I take vitamins (which I occasionally vomit

back up),

> Protonix and my calcium is all coming from Tums. I am very active at

work,

> and exercise via walking and/or swimming on my days off. My 3 month

labs

> were mostly normal...only mild abnormalities. A discussion with my

surgeon

> about my symptoms was not revealing, and he was rather

disinterested,

> frankly - a good thing that he didn't find any of it

serious-sounding, but a

> bad thing in that he had no suggestions for me regarding how to

manage this.

>

> Emotionally, I go up and down. Because of my initial difficulties, I

was a

> bit down about the surgery at first, wondering if I'd done the right

thing,

> etc. However, as I finally started to improve and got back to work,

my

> outlook improved and I got my optimism back. However, now I'm

starting to

> wonder again. I seem to be " plateauing " not on weight loss, but on

symptom

> improvement, and it's once again really frustrating! I am so

constantly

> uncomfortable due to the above problems that I've not been able to

enjoy

> much about my weight loss. Socializing and even performing my job is

> affected by this continued nausea and retching/vomiting.

>

> My questions to the group, please, are: Has anyone else had a

similar course

> of recovery? Anyone with similar symptoms, and if so, how did they

resolve -

> if they did? Has anyone out there developed strictures in the

stomach, and

> if so, what were your symptoms? Anyone have suggestions for me?

>

> Thanks so much for the opportunity to appeal to the common wisdom

out there,

> and thanks in advance, VERY MUCH, to anyone who could please take

the time

> to write me back with ideas, etc. Muchos gracias!

>

> - SC

[Guest guest]

Hey Girlfriend,

I am so sorry to hear you are still having problems. I will mention

one thing, and that is as you experience problems eating and

drinking, it becomes more and more frightening to eat, you eat less,

and the problem seems to increase with hunger. It has become kind of

viscious cycle for you. Hunger, nausea, eat, discomfort, eat less

more hunger nausea etc. It seems that somehow the cycle needs to be

broken.

what is really concerning me is that I have heard now from 3 people

about their surgeon's disinterest in their quality of life. This to

me is criminal. Your care does not end at the surgery, but when the

process of weight loss and then maintenance have completed, which is

never! I would be seriously tempted to contact another DS surgeon

just to see if you can get some alternate experience and advice. I

wish I had some magical answers for you, and I am assuming my

observations about your sickness cycle are consclusions you have

already come to. All I can offer is my prayers for a recovery from

your symptoms and the strength to handle them until, hopefully they

resolve.

Huge hugs,

Theresa

> Hi all -

>

> I had DS June 25, and thus am about 14 weeks out. I had no co-

morbids but

> pursued the surgery due to lack of stamina and physical

agility/lack of

> mobility. I have had no prior medical problems, and no past GI

problems --

> including no reflux disease, no IBS, etc.

>

> Unfortunately, my recovery has been kinda rocky. I had severe

diarrhea,

> nausea and vomiting immediately after surgery, and was in the hosp

9 days

> post-op. That resolved to a degree, and I went home. Unable to eat

much or

> keep fluids down for days, and with continued nausea, vomiting and

diarrhea,

> I was readmitted to the hosp for an EGD and fluids, IV meds for

nausea, etc

> at about 4 weeks out. The EGD was reported as normal.

>

> Since then, my diarrhea has finally resolved, and I've had fairly

normal

> stools for the past 4 weeks. The intense fatigue is much better

these days,

> but still present occasionally. I'm finally back at work, but it

took me 10

> weeks to get back rather than the expected 4. So far, I've lost

about 75-80

> pounds.

>

> My problem, which I would like to hear from others about, regards my

> continued nausea and vomiting. First, it *has* improved

tremendously! I am

> no longer spending literally hours a day hanging my head over a

bucket

> dry-heaving, and I'm no longer requiring daily anti-emetics.

However, I

> *still* am quite nauseated a few times a day, and now usually vomit

1-2

> times a day. This occurs NOT after eating, but between meals.

Emesis is a

> thick, viscous, clear mucus. I have *never* vomited food. It's not

painful

> and I feel better afterwards. It does not seem to be nausea related

to

> hunger, from my experiments. This has been kinda steady the past 4

weeks,

> and no longer seems to be improving.

>

> After eating or drinking *anything* - even a sip or two of water -

I am

> plagued by constant gurgling of air in my throat and stomach. After

gurgling

> a few minutes, I will become exceedingly nauseated, then retch and

dry

> heave, with eventual expulsion of air only. After this, I can take

my next

> bite of food or sip of water. It's all very dramatic and certainly

socially

> unacceptable, so I have to eat in private and even have to *drink

water* in

> private so I can do the associated retching afterwards without

freaking

> people out around me. It's physically uncomfortable and very

embarassing.

>

> I am also troubled by a continued abnormal sense of smell. *Every*

strong

> odor makes me suddenly nauseated - the smell from almost any food,

from car

> exhaust, soaps, cleansers, anything! I've never experienced this

before, but

> was told by my surgeon's nurse that this sometimes happens to folks

after DS

> surgery....she stated it is " as if the person were pregnant. " She

also

> stated it's always gone away by 3 months or so out, but in my case,

it's

> still here.

>

> Last, I am troubled by continued severe GERD symptoms. I have acid

reflux

> almost constantly, despite being on proton pump inhibitors, a

zillion Tums

> per day, propping up in bed at night, etc. I'm often hoarse, and

it's really

> uncomfortable.

>

> Daily, I seem to be able to eat less and less. Today I've been able

to eat

> only a hard-boiled egg, a 4 oz container of yogurt and a popsicle.

My desire

> to eat lessens every day, and when I do eat, my stomach feels more

and more

> uncomfortable rather than less and less...takes fewer bites to fill

me up

> rather than more, and the uncomfortable feeling tips over into pain

on some

> occasions. At this rate, it's hard for me to keep up with protein,

but I am

> drinking the no-carb protein drinks to help with it and think I'm

managing

> at least 60 gms/day. I take vitamins (which I occasionally vomit

back up),

> Protonix and my calcium is all coming from Tums. I am very active

at work,

> and exercise via walking and/or swimming on my days off. My 3 month

labs

> were mostly normal...only mild abnormalities. A discussion with my

surgeon

> about my symptoms was not revealing, and he was rather

disinterested,

> frankly - a good thing that he didn't find any of it serious-

sounding, but a

> bad thing in that he had no suggestions for me regarding how to

manage this.

>

> Emotionally, I go up and down. Because of my initial difficulties,

I was a

> bit down about the surgery at first, wondering if I'd done the

right thing,

> etc. However, as I finally started to improve and got back to work,

my

> outlook improved and I got my optimism back. However, now I'm

starting to

> wonder again. I seem to be " plateauing " not on weight loss, but on

symptom

> improvement, and it's once again really frustrating! I am so

constantly

> uncomfortable due to the above problems that I've not been able to

enjoy

> much about my weight loss. Socializing and even performing my job is

> affected by this continued nausea and retching/vomiting.

>

> My questions to the group, please, are: Has anyone else had a

similar course

> of recovery? Anyone with similar symptoms, and if so, how did they

resolve -

> if they did? Has anyone out there developed strictures in the

stomach, and

> if so, what were your symptoms? Anyone have suggestions for me?

>

> Thanks so much for the opportunity to appeal to the common wisdom

out there,

> and thanks in advance, VERY MUCH, to anyone who could please take

the time

> to write me back with ideas, etc. Muchos gracias!

>

> - SC