NoMoreFatGuy

Where my leak is the bypass pouch would leave the leak still there. What my doctor said is that they remove your stomach and form a new stomach with your small intestine and attach that to your esophagus. It can be done laparoscopically. It is his "last resort" option. I totally understand the feeling comfort in others going through it. You are the first I have talked to who seems to get what it is like to go through this misery. It is comforting to have someone understand me. As for avoiding people with the "I told ya so" attitude, it is tough to do when you live with one of them. Keep I touch and let me know how things progress for you.

I also want to say I feel the same about being in this situation because of a choice I made. It doesn't help that my family won't let me forget it either. They all told me not to do this surgery beforehand and now play the "I told you so" game over and over. It doesn't help my emotional issues. I really appreciate your response. It really helps believe it or not. I mean I don't want the two year thing like you are going through but it helps to know that I am not the only one who has felt like this. I actually was told the day before yesterday that the doc won't let it go two years and will instead do a surgery to rebuild a stomach before that happens. I don't know if that is something I would want to do either. Again. Thanks man. Really appreciate it.

Sir, thank you. You have echoed all the feelings I am having. The depression is big. I have been suicidal at times. I just feel like it won't ever end. I am on percosets and fentynal patches. The third day in the patch is a nightmare as it is the least effective day before I change them. I have dealt with the junkie accusations as well. Both from nurses and pharmacists. I tried not taking pain meds for a bit but I can't function when I do that. It has been exactly as you describe only a shorter time frame. I pray I don't go as long as you have. I don't know that I could make it. Thanks for the info on stent pain. I was worried it was just me. Please keep me posted on your progress.

By alone I just mean I haven't found anybody who understands what I am going through.

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 was sleeved on March 30th. Went back into the hospital with a 9cm leak on April 8th. Spent 6 weeks in ICU. Doc said I came as close to dying as you can come. I spent another week in a general care ward and went home with a drain and a pic line with a mesh stent in my esophagus. The stent hurts like hell. I am allowed to eat mushy foods like cottage cheese and yogurt but swallowing hurts so I rarely eat. I get TPN at home every night. I did a swallow study last week and I have a less than 1cm leak still. Doc says each person is different and heals differently. The most time to heal he has heard of is two years. I have lost 92 pounds which is good considering TPn is high in calories and sugar. I am in a wait and see mode at this point. I take four percosets a day and am on a 150 microgram fentynal patch that we change out every three days. Life pretty much sucks right now but I know when the leak heals and the stent comes out I will be much better. Don't try to compare heal times with others because it will just frustrate you. It will be a rough time but be as patient as you can and you will get through.

I am home but have oxygen for the pneumonia and the stent is still in and painful. Stent comes out next week supposedly. Ready for this to be over.

As some are aware I had a rather large leak followed by a 9cm abscess. My surgery was 3/30. On 4/9 I went to the ER in pain. I am still in the hospital. They did a procedure yesterday to check on the stent and leak. It seems that the leak is healed but they want the stent in for one more week. Stent caused quite a bit of pain so I really want that out. Allowed clear liquids but 4 oz in an hour makes me feel to full. Almost there but still a touch more to power through.

Just lucky I guess.

Well as you may know I went back in on Thursday with an abscess and a leak. I still don't have a release date but found out I am not allowed back to work for minimum of two more weeks. I have been in for three laparoscopic procedures in three days. Still in lots of pain too. Thoughts and prayers appreciated. I hope to start feeling better tomorrow.

Thanks everybody. Just to update, I had laparoscopic surgery las night to clean the abscess out and install four or five drain lines. Today they plan on putting in a stent in my stomach to relieve pressure off the leak so it can heal. Tomorrow they will install an IV pic line for antibiotics. I will be in the hospital til at least Sunday. I am in ICU right now. Not out of the woods but moving towards the edge of them.

I mentioned the pain I was in last week. Well it got worse on Monday and has been progressively worse this week. I went to the ER today. I have a 9 cm abscess and a leak. I am about to go in to have drains put in for the abscess. Tomorrow we will be dealing with the leak. Not the odds I wanted to beat!!!

Thanks everybody. Texaslady that is what I am looking for. I ordered the ones you linked today. Will let you know how they are.

So preop I went to GNC and got "their best men's health vitamin". Started taking it preop and while disgusting tasting, it was fine. Now, I can't swallow them without gagging and choking. And that is AFTER cutting them in four pieces. These things are horse pills and I have taken to not taking them regularly because it's so difficult. Is there any good vitamin supplement out there that's easy to swallow or is in liquid form? I am actually debating getting a grinding bowl and grinding them into powder everyday.

Thanks everybody. This is why I joined. For the support. Today has been a much better day and I feel I might have turned a corner.

I had severe GERD before surgery. I was sleeved March 30 with a Hiatal Hernia repair. I have had no reflux since surgery and I never went a day without reflux before. My only issue was the repair actually caused me a fair amount of chest pain and I would darn near pass out when I hiccuped

I was sleeved Monday March 30. I read where people don't have much pain but mine was brutal. I woke with searing pain in my chest. I got some morphine right away and felt better. I was walking two hours from when I arrived at my room and things looked great. Fell asleep on the drive home on Tuesday. Slept most of Tuesday. Wednesday I felt a little better and went on a couple walks. Still had trouble with food as I could only get about 4oz of protein shake or broth and really only two or three times a day. Then Thursday it happened. I woke about midnight in blinding pain. It really didn't subside all day. Then Friday same thing, woke at midnight with blinding pain and the shoulder pain started. It stayed most of the day. It appears that the problem is that my cpap is causing me to swallow too much air. I went without it last night and I feel better for the first time in days. The shoulder pain is still pretty bad but my stomach feels better and I was able to get 6 oz of broth In this morning, I have been feeling really depressed because of the pain and hating myself for doing the surgery because of it. I finally feel better physically and emotionally but feel there is still a fair amount of road to travel to get to a clearing. Your posts here have kept me encouraged and hopeful it gets better so thanks everybody.

Had mine done yesterday and it was 45 minutes

It was this morning. Woke up in unbearable pain. Pits focused just below my breastbone and it's been there all day. Meds help,a little and walking did too but not much. It is excruciating. Going home tomorrow I hope so I hope this is better.

Well the city I am having my surgery done in is 3 hours away and surgery is at 7:30 AM. So, we are in our way to stay at a hotel near the hospital now. T minus 14.5 hours. The fear and anxiety has reached epic proportions.

Consider yourself lucky. I did two weeks preop and it was so bad I am ready for surgery just to get off it. I am 17 hours and counting now and totally freaking out. Actually having panic attacks. Good luck.

25 hours out. I know the feeling for sure.

March 30 7:30 AM. Less than 36 hours.

36 hours out from surgery and starting to feel very anxious and scared. I have known for a year that this was my path but now that it is almost here, I am a nervous wreck. Am I crazy for feeling this way? I didn't go through two weeks of that awful preop diet to back out now but man, I am having panic attacks.

I understand. I started in April of last year and had surgery scheduled in July. Then changed jobs. The new job didn't cover surgery. In January we changed insurance and I was back on but had to start over. Then my insurance paperwork was lost. Then I thought I had to change doctors because of scheduling conflicts. I started the switch and then the conflict went away and I went back to the first doc. It is a long frustrating road. Especially when you are anxious about it and just want to get on with the next phase of your life. I am now two weeks preop and start liquid diet on Monday. It is a long slow process but when it starts happening, it feels kind of too fast so hang in there.