5DogMa

Wow, touching story. You've had a challenging life, but you are strong, stronger than you know. Be proud of your accomplishments and your decision to help yourself have a healthier life.

My mother grew up in many ways like you, but during the depression in a home with a alcoholic father and 8 kids who never had enough to eat. Her dad would go off for weeks and leave them all without money or food. The children would eat whatever neighbors or the church would drop off and sometimes there wasn't any food and they ate walnuts from a walnut orchard they lived next door to. Her Mom took in laundry to try and earn money to buy food. My Mom would tell me they would be so hungry and they would pull out this big wooden box of walnuts and cry and eat them. She married at 17 to get out of the house and be one less mouth to feed. Because of her past Mom became a addicted to food which is understandable, but she passed that addiction on to her children. We use to go to the store and get foods, especially sweets and gobble them up before my Dad would come home from work. Sneek binge eating was normal. She would hide the box or wrappers in the neighbors trash cans so Dad wouldn't find out. A couple of weeks ago Mom said to me "but what will you have to look forward to" when I was talking about eating after the surgery. How about a healthier life Mom? She didn't get it. In her adult life Mom became heavy from the binge eating. Now that she's almost 80 she has lost some weight but she still has her addiction.

So I understand how our life experiences can lead to food addiction, although sometimes understanding that doesn't change it. I did this surgery in hopes this tool will force me to get a handle on binge eating and my food addiction. I'm only 11 days post-op and I've wondered what the heck have I done! Will I ever eat again?? I'm scared of changing my relationship with food and if I can do it. Going into this I felt strong telling myself I can do this and that I was ready. I took a long time to think about it and research it knowing it was the right decision for me. This hasn't been a cake walk physically for me and I"ve had some problems and set backs. I knew this wouldn't be easy, but I didn't think it would be this hard either. I haven't had solid foods since December 4th and I watch others eat and smell the food cooking in my house and I can't eat it. I am grateful not to be hungry.

Good luck in your life saving, life changing journey.

I haven't had real food in 12 days. My last solid food was Sunday, December 3rd. Today I'm drinking some chicken broth, Protein drink, non-fat milk and deluted apple juice. Wouldn't consider trying anything solid yet. I can start of soft foods mashed up on the 22nd. Planning on some mashed up yams and mashed potatoes for Christmas dinner. It's not that bad since I am not hungry but I am struggling to drink enough calories to give me some energy. I am so tired all I want to do is sit or sleep. Plus I am freezing all the time and can't get warm.

Jello is considered Clear Liquids so go for it. It melts when it gets warm. Swelling is expected but keep an eye out for red and hot because if that happens you could have an infection.

This sucks out loud huh? Can't wait for this part to be over. I

I agree with Lissa that luke warm or room temp is better than cold. Everyone is different. Warm chicken broth is like heaven!

For me getting the acid under control is helping the spasms but probably as much as that time and healing from the trama of this surgery is making things a little better everyday. Now if I can just get in enough calories to stop the dizzy spells and overall weakness from not enough calories for so long I'll be even happier. I'd like to get in at least 500 calories today.

Nexium IS a PPI - Proton Pump Inhibitor. PPI's prevent the forming of the acid in your stomach, kinda stops the acid making pumps in your stomach from working to a degree. You still need some acid in your stomach to digest foods. The liquid Mylanta that I was trying to take after surgery only treats the existing acid, it is supose to neutralize it. For me I need to stop the acid from even forming in my stomach or the acid will back up into my esophagus and causing me all kinds of problems. Since I was told not to take pills or capsuls for a week or so after surgery I was only attempting the Mylanta which I could not swallow because of the swelling and inflimation the acid was already causing. Yikes what a mess! Acid for me causes pain that can radiate to the back, burning and the feeling of being hungry like I need to put something in my stomach to stop the pain the acid is causing. Give that acid something to do other than burn up my stomach and esophagus.

I am not hungry since my acid is getting under control. Now if the spasms will stop I'll be doing a lot better.

Did you doctor let you take pills right after surgery? Are you taking the Nexium or ?

I was in the hospital this week for 2 nights for dehydration. Google symptoms of dehydration. My major symptoms were headache, tired/weak, and nausea. In 3 days I hadn't had 3 cups of liquid because I couldn't swallow caused by swelling from severe acid relfux.

How much liquid have you been able to take in? Don't let it get worse or go untreated you don't want your recovery and health to suffer.

I also have been on Nexium for years because I have really bad acid reflux. In fact I am taking 40 mg twice a day. Make sure you are treating it with a PPI because untreated that acid will cause you all kinds of problems after this surgery. Also, it will make you think you're hungry. My surgery was on Dec 7th and I learn this the hard way. Now I open a Nexium cap and sprinkle the contents on applesauce or pudding. I went without a PPI for just 3-4 days after surgery and I'm still suffering the consequences. You might not think it's acid reflux, but since you are already prone to it make sure you continue with your PPI and not just something that treats the acid once it's already there. They told me to take Mylanta until I could start my meds again. That did not work because the acid caused swelling that prevented me from drinking and staying hydrated.

Good luck in your recovery. Keep hydrated and take your PPI.

Yes, me too! My surgery was Dec 7th. It feels like my esophagus/stomach/diaphram are having spasms. My left back hurts and the pain goes from the front left where the esophagus goes thru the diaphram and around to the back. I found out the hard way that most of my problem is acid reflux! Now that I'm getting that under control it's getting better, but its still there. I wake up with the pain from these spasms. Gee, it's 3:30 am and I'm up. Also, standing or laying down is better than sitting. Sitting seems to crimp something and it's hard to drink sitting; when I stand everything goes down better. I also still have a lot of burping and hiccups every time I drink.

Because of the surgery I could not take my regular Nexium and I couldn't drink enough of the liquid anti-acid to control my severe acid reflux problem. Plus this acid caused additional swelling that kept me from drinking enough to stay hydrated. I spent 2 nights back in the hospital on IV fluids and they pushed a PPI. I am now opening the Nexium cap and sprinkling the powder on applesauce or pudding because I need a PPI not just something that treats the acid that's there. I need to stop it from being there in the first place.

So do you have acid reflux or are you treating it?

Me too, freaked out I'll never eat again! I'm 9 days out from surgery. I got this surgery hoping I would eventrually be able to eat normal things in very small quantities. Like 1/4 of a BBQ chicken breast sandwich or half a taco and then be satisfied. I don't want to ever pig out again!

Although I had a set back, I'm much better and today ate some runny cream of wheat w/non fat milk about 1/2 cup total that took most of the day, maybe 4 oz of apple juice, 6 oz of Protein drink and Water. Wow, this sucks, but I am not hungry!

I hate watching TV because the commercials make my crazy. I feel like I'll never eat again! I am so tired from lack of food I just want to sleep most of the time and also maybe like you a little depressed thinking I'll never eat again.

It's gotta get better because people seem way to happy that they've had this surgery. We have to switch our minds and believe that happiness does not equal food. Happiness equals feeling better, healthy, lighter, stronger, preventing type II diabetes, avoiding high blood pressure, hip and knee surgeries, fitting into a booth at a resturant without your belly rubbing against the table and not worrying if your going to break one of those darn plastic white folding chairs at parties or events. Oh and my favorite - one day fit in an airline seat and be able to put down the tray table!!

This is tough, but I keep reading these forums and I keep hoping eventually I'll be happy I had this done. We're all in this together, hang in there and know it's gonna get better because that's what they keep telling us.

PSuggs - Probably an adhesion popping and when they do - they hurt. Adhesions happen a lot when you have any type of surgery.

I had a CT Scan this week to check for a leak and they also put some contrast dye in my IV. So since that's what my doctor said, he did a CT to check for a leak, so it must work for that. I also had an upper GI to check for blockage, not a leak the next day.

I am 7 days post-op. Just in the last couple of days I've gotten my acid reflux under control. Since I can't take my Nexium that I've taken for years I couldn't drink enough of the liquid Mylanta to do the job my Nexium does. This caused me a lot of pain and inability to swallow or drink anything but a few drops here and there. Big problems and a lot of pain! So if you have acid reflux issues this could be the cause of a lot of your pain and problems. They gave me a PPI thru an IV for a couple of days along with fluids and today I can actually drink a lot of sips and had about 6 oz of Protein drink in the last 8 hours. I had to get come calories in my system since I was light headed and shakey from lack of food. I am crushing Zantac twice a day in apple juice until I can take my Nexium again. Acid reflux right after this surgery must be controlled.

Hope you feel better soon.

Okay, I'm home. Feel like I've been to hell and back.

CT Scan and Upper GI show no blockage and the sleeve is perfect. Just swelling and irritation.

My simple conclusion - my CPAP irritated my esophagus and encouraged more gas and swelling. My acid reflux that I have pretty bad was not being treated because I couldn't swallow enough of the liquid Mylanta to do the job my Nexium usually does. These two things caused additional swelling and irritation that also resulted in spasms of my espohagus and stomach - that I'm still having. He's not sure what's really causing that but those things prevented me from drinking enough to keep me hydrated resulting in 2 nights in the hospital hooked up to and IV. I think they gave me 5-6 bags of fluids and 1 bag antibiotic and then my vein blew last night around 6 pm. YAY because that made them take it out and it was hurting like a you know what. The Fluid was just going into my arm that started to swell. Oh gee, that kinda hurt! When I was admitted hey put the IV in my right arm inside bend at the elbow that turned me into a lefty with only 1 arm. Could hardly pull up my panties! I had to keep my arm out straight because if I bent it the IV machine would go off because it was being blocked. What a pain!

I'm exhaused! Dr said stay on Clear liquids for a couple more days before I start trying Protein drinks. Gave me a perscription for an antiacid that desolves under your tongue. I can drink more now so something is better. They also pushed some kind of PPI in my IV 3 different times. I think they said Protonics? I haven't had my CPAP for 2 nights so maybe that has something to do with it?? They kept my bed a 45 degree angle since I didn't have my CPAP and my arm out straight because of the IV. Gee, do you think I got any sleep???? Add a Chatty Cathy room mate who has everything under the sun wrong with her and has to tell you every detail about her condition.

I am so glad to be home! I think I'll get better every day and I really think it was my untreated acid reflux and the CPAP that caused this. Oh, I did get my drain out when I went to the Dr on Monday YAY that feels so much better! I took a shower at 3 am this morning at the hospital YAY that felt good too!

Thanks for all your concerns and comments. You all are great!

Thanks for everyone's support!! I can go home tomorrow if I can prove I can drink enough to keep hydrated . I feel I've turned a corner and am better. Will write when I get home. Paula

This drain is coming out tomorrow if I have to pull it out myself. I'm calling the doctors office first thing and will be dressed and ready to go right then. The on call doctor had suggested me calling my doctor to see if he would take it out early since it was hurting me. Duh! I was hoping for a better answer. I have taken pain meds all day today and they help although hard to swallow. All of this mess will be taken care of tomorrow if not by my doctor by somebody because I'm not living like this another day.

Other than the drain tube and not being able to swallow very well the rest of me seems to be healing good. I can get in and out of bed, deep breaths only hurt where the drain is in my left back and side, the other incisions don't hurt and are starting to itch meaning they are healing. I don't know what he'll say about the difficulty swallowing. I tried another tablespoon of Protein drink, it tasted so good but my esophagus didn't like it. I was only taking drops at a time and they hurt. Water is about it and I'm not drinking 8 ounces of that.

I don't care what it takes even if I have to go back into the hospital tomorrow to get fluids I'm getting taken care of tomorrow!

Pegsinthewoods, Thanks! Glad to know I'm not the only one that the drain tube hurt. I told them 3 times in the hospital it hurt and they looked at me like I was crazy and told me NO ONE had ever said their drain tube hurt. So does that mean you don't believe me so you're gonna leave it in anyway?? Guess so! It doesn't hurt at the entry site at all. The pain is in the length inside all the way up into my left side. I am going to take pain meds just before I leave because I am expecting major pain when they pull it out.

Thanks everyone for your support.

My surgery was 5 days ago on Dec 7th at 7:30 am, I didn't get off IV fluids until Thrusday around 4pm when they discharged me. So really I've had the benefit of some of the IV fluids. It's been all day Friday and Saturday and so far today that I haven't had 8 oz of fluids per day. I will go to the ER if I start feeling like I should but right now I just want to go take a nap since I took some pain meds.

Thanks for all your care and support. I love this forum it's been a great help to me. I'll post if interested what happens with my doctor tomorrow or if I end up getting fluids at the ER.

My doctor was not on call so another doctor called me who couldn't be any less interested in what I had to say. I imagine he asked the most important questions. Do I have a fever or difficulty breathing which I don't have either. My blood pressure is good and so is my heart rate. I have a cuff here since my elderly mother lives with me and we keep an eye on hers. I told him I was probably getting less than 8 oz of liquid a day since I got out of hospital and was having difficulty swallowing. Bottom line he said if I felt I could benefit to go to the ER and get a couple IV's of fluids and call my doctor in the morning. Thanks, but no thanks.

I'll just call my doctor in the morning and see if I can come in a day early and get this darn drain out and have him give me a go over and decided what we need to do if anything. If I start to have dehydration symptoms I'll go to ER and get some fluids. So far I don't think I have bad dehydration symptoms as I am reading about it on the internet.

I have acid reflux and have only had sips of Mylanta since I'm having a hard time swallowing and I"m sure that's adding to my problem. I can't take my regular Nexium for a couple more weeks. My daughter went and got me some Gas X strips and it has helped the air/gas in my esophagus some. I sipped 2 tbsp of Protein drink and that didn't sit well. I'm currently sipping on some pain meds mixed with juice but only 1/2 dose since the pain meds burn my esophagus and I can't take them straight.

One thing I got to thinking about is I use a CPAP and I wonder if the air it blows, blows into my esophagus causing me extra air/gas in there contributing to my problem. Any thoughts on that?

Okay, I'm calling the doctor.

I can't take a full dose of the liquid pain meds, it's too much to drink and it burns like crazy and sits in the bottom of my esophagus waiting to be let into my stomach. I have to mix it with Water or a tablespoon of sports drink to help dilute it and that helps some. It takes me 30 minutes just to sip it down. I have to wait a few minutes between sips.

Sorry Doc to call you on a Sunday, but I guess that's why he makes the big bucks!

Still can't drink hardly anything but a little Water. Tiny sips go down, sits at the bottom of my esophagus causes pain, lots of burping and gurgling finally sphinster opens a little just enough to let small trickle go into my stomach. Lot's of stomach noise and gas. JP drain still hurts. I hate to empty it and re-apply the suction because it hurts all the way up to my back, like a pain trail where the tube is running across my body inside. Can't sit for long because of pain again where I think the esophageal sphincter is located and the pain radiates to my back. Deep breaths also hurt across diaphram. No fever and puls and blood pressure okay.

I'm 57 and thinking maybe since I'm older it's taking longer to heal and the swelling to go down. I am not getting in a fraction of the liquid I should. Got down 2 tablespoons of Protein thin liquid last night around 2 am. Big mistake lot's of dissagreement and gas even though it took me almost a hour to get it down taking very small sips.

Anyone else experience this? I am debating on calling the doctor this morning.

Thanks for your input.

Things are a little better today. Still can only take the smallest sips and then have to wait for a few minutes for them to go all the way into my stomach. Lot's of burping sometimes painful burping. So much time to take in the smallest amount of things. When everything you're doing is liquid. The pain med burns going down so I deluted it with juice, but it takes me 15 minutes to drink it all. I walk between sips to try to help it along. I think this JP drain is causing most of my pain. I can feel it going across my body from my lower right side up to my upper left side. The suction hurts and I don't milk the line because that pain is so bad I think I'm gonna pass out. It comes out on Tuesday and I bet it's gonna hurt like crazy.

I wish it was a month from now and all this was behind me.

Sorry about all your problems and I hope your feeling much better soon.

I had surgery 3 days ago and my drain tube hurts so bad. That's the only thing that hurts. I can feel it going from my lower right side where the exit tube and bulb are over to my left side under my ribs next to my sleeve. When I empty the bulb and squeeze it to get the suction going again it hurts so bad it takes my breath away. I don't milk the line like they said to because that hurts really bad. I get the drain out on Tuesday if I can wait that long. I bet that's going to hurt really bad also. I feel like this drain is slowing down my healing process. It hurts to sit the pain goes around to my back and I'm only comfortable standing or laying down.

Is this anything like you experienced?

Oh Girl, I hear ya! My surgery was Wednesday morning. My throat was so sore from the breathing tubes plus the bougie tube. Worst sore throat of my life! I can hardly drink even Water hurts. I'm scared because I know I am not drinking even 16 oz of Fluid a day. liquid gets stuck at the bottom of my esophagus until finally something triggerts the esophagus sphinster to open just a little to let the water trickle into my stomach. In the meantime my esophagus is gurgling and burping. Funny noises come out my mouth and it hurts waiting for the sphinster to open. I need to stand up when attempting drinking. I know I'd be doing a lot better if I didn't have this drain tube. I can feel it inside and it's making me real uncomfortable. When I clean it the suction puts me in great pain. It doesn't come out until next Tuesday. I think all we can do is keep trying to drink just the smallest sips and wait for it to get better like they say it will. I'm also coughing up stuff from my lungs are you? That hurts a lot also. Hang in there and believe what they say it will get better.

My stomach will barely let liquid trickle in. When I take a sip it sits at the end of the esophagus where gurgling and burping start and then it's like a door opens and it filters into my stomach. It's kinda painful and I can take only the smallest sip. I can feel it trickle in and it makes me nauseated. So I'm thinking the lower esophagus sphincter is swollen of sluggish from the trama. If you have had this happen how long does it last? Don't know how I can get in all my liquids under these circumstances. Appreciate feed back.

I had surgery yesterday and yes I got one and it will stay in for a week. The doctor will remove it then. I kinda hurts when you mess with it and you can feel it when you "milk" the tube attached to it. It hurts me anyway. After surgery yesterday afternoon they had me drink this nasty blue stuff in a little apple juice and if blue came into the drain that would indicate a leak.

I sip Water or anything it's acting like it gets half way down and stops. Then all of a sudden it makes this funny noise kinda like a burp and girgle and I can feel the sip go into my stomach. I'm on Clear Liquids for the next week. Anyone else experience this?

Ah, thanks! Just 5 more days!

Thanks, I just read your post about your experience in TJ. You came all the way from where to get this surgery?