NoMoreFatGuy

Very similar but a much more involved surgery and since a bypass leaves some stomach still being used you have more nutritional deficiencies. I am coming up on 2 years with my stomach removed (it's called a total gastrectomy). My life is pretty fantastic. Feel free to add me or message me on Facebook. I spend a lot of time helping people through the process. My name is Tim Bretthauer. My pic is a minion. I would be glad to help.

Very similar but a much more involved surgery and since a bypass leaves some stomach still being used you have more nutritional deficiencies. I am coming up on 2 years with my stomach removed (it's called a total gastrectomy). My life is pretty fantastic. Feel free to add me or message me on Facebook. I spend a lot of time helping people through the process. My name is Tim Bretthauer. My pic is a minion. I would be glad to help.

Very similar but a much more involved surgery and since a bypass leaves some stomach still being used you have more nutritional deficiencies. I am coming up on 2 years with my stomach removed (it's called a total gastrectomy). My life is pretty fantastic. Feel free to add me or message me on Facebook. I spend a lot of time helping people through the process. My name is Tim Bretthauer. My pic is a minion. I would be glad to help.

Little backstory I was sleeved on March 30th of 2015. I woke with excruciating pain from the start. They did not do a swallow study and sent me home the next day. The pain did not subside over the next few days and I felt I was a wimp for being in so much pain. I had no other problems like fever or BP or heart rate issues. By April 9th I was still in pain and was told to go to the ER. I did and it was there that they discovered a 9cm abscess/leak. I was rushed to ICU and put on antibiotics. In less than a day I went in to 100% renal failure and was put on dialysis. I was in the ICU for 5.5 weeks and went through a number of procedures to fix collapsed lungs, plural effusion and installing various drains. I left the hospital after a total of 6 weeks with a pic line for TPN and a drain. I have gone back in twice for lung issues due to sympathetic effusion. Now I still have a 1cm leak. It isn't closing and the doctors want to play a wait and see game still. I have a mesh stent in my esophagus that hurts like hell and I am on two kinds of pain killers just to get through each day. I feel like I am never going to heal. When looking through the Internet it seems so few have had leaks that I can't tell if this experience is normal or if I am worse than others. I just feel like I am never going to get better. Not only does the stent hurt every day (something I can't figure out if everybody hurts from or just me) but the drain bag keeps ripping stitches out and so it fees like a knife is on my side all the time. I am so depressed and frustrated and feel like I am in this alone. Sorry to rant but nobody seems to understand what I am going through and I thought maybe somebody here would.

I am doing great. Down 145. Very active life. It was hell but I am good now.

As Christina noted it is the removal of the stomach and attachment of intestine to the esophagus. Known as a Total Gastrectomy or TG. That was 18 months ago. I am well now and leading a normal life. I had pain. Severe pain. Nothing helped. Trust me, if you had a leak for a month with no treatment, you would be dead.

My doc tried glue. It did nothing. He said stitching won't work. I had a drain for four months and then when it didn't heal they removed my stomach.

Well I had some of the worst nightmares you can have getting here but I have finally gotten back to health in just over a year. This is me.

Thanks. Yes. Just in the last couple weeks I have started to feel normal again

Sorry. Don't know why it posted the pic twice.

Some may know my story some not. Long story short I was sleeved March 30 2015. It went bad. I had a leak, than an infection and nearly died. 6 months of torture, surgeries and hospital visits and I ended up having a total stomach removal. I was doing great until two weeks ago when they found two hernias from the incision. I go back in tomorrow to have them repaired. My 32 surgery in 11 months. I am scared and nervous and worried and over the pain and suffering. I hope this is the last one. It's tough to keep fighting some days but I know it's my only option. Thanks for those who have supported me this far.

If any are still following. I have stabilized at around 134 pounds lost. It fluctuated up and down a bit. I was doing fine until two weeks ago when they found a couple hernias. Going back in for surgery on them tomorrow. It will be surgery number 32 in 11 months. Hopefully the last.

So I have had a leak for 6 months. They put in a stent and a drain and a swallow study yesterday showed the leak was WORSE!!! My doctor has decided to do a complete gastrectomy. I am terrified but it seems like I have no other option if I want a normal life back. I doubt anyone on here has had this happen but anyone who has, support would be great.

That's what we are here for. Hope it helped

After stomach removal people told me I was grey. I lost 12 pounds the first week but that is because I had a leak from the stomach removal. I was NPO for three weeks. Don't panic! Leaks from the stomach removal are not nearly as bad as with weight loss and they heal quickly!!

I won't kid you it is a major surgery but life after is pretty much exactly the same as someone who had a gastric by pass. Like I said the surgery is very painful but after about two months you will be ecstatic you did it. It was absolutely the right choice for me. I went through pretty much everything you describe. I was in and out of the ICU and the step down unit. It was a nightmare. Now I feel soooooo much better and feel like I have a life again.

Celeste, I had my stomach removed for a leak. It ended all my issue, all my pain and life has become almost normal again. It is a painful surgery but I am so glad I did it.

I had a leak for 6 months. I was on TPN the whole time. I had massive issues the whole time. I went through several lung infection that had to be drained, heart issues and kidney issues. I had my sleeve done March 30, 2015. On Sept 18th 2015 I had a total gastrectomy. It took me a couple months to recover from it but now I feel great. I am living a fairly active lifestyle and I am down 132 pounds.

Awesome news. I know the feeling of being sick and not seeing the light. I went through my ordeal for about 7 months and over 30 procedures culminating in a total stomach removal. I felt like it would never end. But now I am down 130 pounds, eating fairly well, bike riding, exercising and living a life better than before the surgery. So glad you came through the other side!

Rayjun Just for informational purposes not all leaks heal. Mine never did and I ended up having my whole stomach removed.

If it keeps hurting go in. It is always better to be safe. I was embarrassed to go in and it almost cost me my life.

Hellcat I had shoulder pain and thought it was gas and doc told me it was nothing. I ended up septic and in the ICU from a leak. Being paranoid is not a bad thing. Better safe than sorry.

Hoping for the best. Glad they are taking precautions.

Not really. Just chugging along. I have been able to eat most food but in small increments. My weight has leveled off which is good since my doc wants me to stop losing by eating healthy. I don't have much pain anymore. I still get cramps occasionally but not too often and not as bad. My goal now is to start building back muscle since I pretty much lost it all from all my time in the hospital. I plan on starting to swim and then transition to a stationary bike and some light lifting. All and all I am doing pretty well all things considered.

Thanks wannabthinsoon. I won't kid you it was hell going through it but I knew that getting down about it wasn't going to make me any better. I won't kid you there were days I broke down. Even had days I thought about giving up but I have too much in my life to not get better. Right now I am the best I have been in almost 8 months so I have nothing to complain about. I am eating most types of food, albeit in small portions and very slowly. I am able to get around well. The cramping has diminished tremendously. So I have a lot to be thankful for. When I went in for the leak the first time I was so sick the doc said I should have died so every day is a blessing for me.