Evenkeel

For anyone interested, my endoscopy was normal. Esophagus, stomach, and upper intestine looked fine. My staple line is still healing. They took biopsies and the results should be available today or tomorrow. I called my surgeon right afterward who said to just stay with Clear liquids, that it's probably a bug and it'll pass. I asked how long I should put up with it since even drinking Water makes me gaggy and puts me in horrible pain. I was told if the pain is too much I should go to the ER. I feel like what they're telling me is that as long as I'm not actually vomiting that I'm meeting their description of "tolerating" fluids and they won't look any further.
I now haven't had anything by mouth since midnight Sunday night. I had six BMs yesterday, all brown diarrhea, and two so far today. I'm in more pain today than yesterday and am going back to the ER when my wife gets home from work in a few hours. I will be a very squeaky wheel who won't be ignored. If anything, at this point in healing I cannot afford to not be taking in fluids or Protein.

I was floating along just fine until last Thursday, which was three weeks post-op. That day I had horrible upper and lower abdominal pain all day. I had terrible gas and six bowel movements, which got looser as the day went along, ending in yellow diarrhea. Friday it was better but by day's end it was back to horrible pain and yellow diarrhea again. Middle of the night I woke up in pain so bad I thought I was going to pass out, had another bowel movement, and it eventually passed. Saturday morning I called my surgeon, was told to just do fluids that day, and if it didn't get better to go to the ER. The pain was better all day but still had a BM that evening, same thing. This morning I woke up nauseous and in pain, took my morning meds and felt gaggy just swallowing Water. A half hour later I had a similar BM and decided it was time to go the ER.
They did blood work and a contrast CT and said everything was normal. I'm supposed to be having an upper endoscopy tomorrow to check for a stricture but my surgeon (who did see me in the ER) isn't sure that's the issue with all of the symptoms that I'm having. The upper pain is on the left below my ribs, center under my sternum, and right below my ribs straight through to my back. The lower abdominal pain is crampy and all over. The upper pain comes and goes and is worse when I eat or drink, though it does happen even when I'm not. It's sharp/stabby and crampy/dull/burning. No fever or vomiting. The only pain when pressing on my abdomen is on the left side.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? I'm at my wit's end. I can't eat or drink anything at this point without massive pain and nausea. The thought of anything besides water turns my stomach. I don't know what will happen if they don't find a stricture. I hadn't even progressed much as far as diet. The day before the symptoms started I tried scrambled eggs, which sat fine in my stomach. I've been off of surgical pain meds since five days post op, was walking miles every day, had loads of energy and was doing fine. My incisions are totally healed. I'm totally stumped.

For anyone interested, my endoscopy was normal. Esophagus, stomach, and upper intestine looked fine. My staple line is still healing. They took biopsies and the results should be available today or tomorrow. I called my surgeon right afterward who said to just stay with Clear liquids, that it's probably a bug and it'll pass. I asked how long I should put up with it since even drinking Water makes me gaggy and puts me in horrible pain. I was told if the pain is too much I should go to the ER. I feel like what they're telling me is that as long as I'm not actually vomiting that I'm meeting their description of "tolerating" fluids and they won't look any further.
I now haven't had anything by mouth since midnight Sunday night. I had six BMs yesterday, all brown diarrhea, and two so far today. I'm in more pain today than yesterday and am going back to the ER when my wife gets home from work in a few hours. I will be a very squeaky wheel who won't be ignored. If anything, at this point in healing I cannot afford to not be taking in fluids or Protein.

Thank you. Sludge is exactly what I'm suspecting and what I'm hoping would show up on a HIDA scan, along with reduced function. I'm just so sick of all this.

I do have my gb. They checked both in the CT and said they were fine. My gb was also fine at my pre-op gb ultrasound. I'm not convinced, though. I have a long history of a set of the same specific reoccurring but long-lasting (four weeks plus) gb-type symptoms with varying vague diagnoses from different doctors. I've never had a HIDA scan, though. My family history is incomplete because I know nothing about my dad's side. My mom's side has no history of gallbladder issues so they look at that, the fact that I have no vomiting, and rule out gallbladder issues with normal CT scans. I also have severe GERD that is controlled by omeprazole. Complicating that, I have fibromyalgia, which several rheumatologists have said is probably secondary to another autoimmune disorder but they haven't found enough information in bloodwork to figure out what it is. I was recently told by another specialist that I likely have Ehlers-Danlos Hypermobility, something that was all ready suspected by my family doctor (who follows me for my fibro and laundry list of other issues) and myself. That can cross-type with other variants of EDS, some of which can cause issues with the digestive system, and that would also explain issues I have with my heart that my mother's side also does not have a history of. My mom's side actually has no history of any of my issues besides obesity.
Sooooooooo...yeah. I woke up Thursday feeling a million times better but continue to have issues. The bowel issues are gone but the upper pain is still there. I'm struggling to eat but can stay hydrated. I follow up with my surgeon on Wednesday. If I'm still having issues I'm going to ask for a HIDA scan if he doesn't have his own plan of action. If he has no plan of his own and refuses a scan I will be presenting myself at a higher-level medical system. I can't afford to not be able to take in enough Protein for so long.