sleeved tues, I might have a leak?!

kids05 · April 18, 2011

sharp pain in left shoulder, neck and ribcage 3 days post-op, just 'wrong' feeling when drinking anything any thicker than Water, again starting 3 days post op. Took one sip of a Protein Shake today lying on the couch, boom! Pulse 112....this is not good. Now my pulse is bounding because I am starting to FREAK out! Anyone have this and have it not be serious!?

Tiffykins · April 18, 2011

Get medical attention. No matter if anyone else experienced these symptoms, please just go to the doctor/ER, and seek treatment. It could be just be gas or esophageal spasms, but if you feel something is NOT "right" go now.

doggz109 · April 18, 2011

sharp pain in left shoulder, neck and ribcage 3 days post-op, just 'wrong' feeling when drinking anything any thicker than Water, again starting 3 days post op. Took one sip of a Protein shake today lying on the couch, boom! Pulse 112....this is not good. Now my pulse is bounding because I am starting to FREAK out! Anyone have this and have it not be serious!?

Doesn't sound like a leak - but you should probably give your surgeon's office a call. Leaks (from what I have read) are like the end of the world coming down on you....severe pain, fever, nausea/vomiting, etc.

Pain in the shoulder area is usually gas pains (which would make a lot of sense if you were sleeved less than a week ago). Your stomach is still very swollen and tender as well - so its probably going to be awhile before things "sit right".

All things being said...I'm not a doctor and most people on here aren't either. You should relax, drink something slowly that does go down easily, and call your surgeon's office as soon as you can. Less than a week out from surgery is no time to just ignore something and try to tough it out.

kids05 · April 18, 2011

I have been in contact with my surgeon since this began friday night and we have been monitoring it. I have to go back to have an upper Gi today to check for a leak (he said the shoulder symptoms are probably the drain irritating the diaphram and that would explain the pain on inspiration) I just was FLOORED when I took two sips of the shake and could literally feel my pulse in my back! I felt lousey after drinking tea last night for hours but attributed that to it being the first time I had tried warm tea...but I am now wishing I had payed attention to my pulse then...I woozy, not dizzy, slightly nauseaous, not horrble nausea like post op...and confused and scared. I felt great when I got up this morning...now this??? Its just not fair.

Doesn't sound like a leak - but you should probably give your surgeon's office a call. Leaks (from what I have read) are like the end of the world coming down on you....severe pain, fever, nausea/vomiting, etc.

Pain in the shoulder area is usually gas pains (which would make a lot of sense if you were sleeved less than a week ago). Your stomach is still very swollen and tender as well - so its probably going to be awhile before things "sit right".

All things being said...I'm not a doctor and most people on here aren't either. You should relax, drink something slowly that does go down easily, and call your surgeon's office as soon as you can. Less than a week out from surgery is no time to just ignore something and try to tough it out.

doggz109 · April 18, 2011

Sounds like you are on top of everything! Sorry I just now read you previous posts about talking to your doctor about everything already.

Good luck with your upper GI....sending some good vibes out for you.

kids05 · April 18, 2011

Thank you...I need them, now if I can just stay calm till 1:45pm...ugh.

Sounds like you are on top of everything! Sorry I just now read you previous posts about talking to your doctor about everything already.

Good luck with your upper GI....sending some good vibes out for you.

KellyL · April 18, 2011

Positive healing vibes coming your way sweetie, try not to jump to conclusions and worry yourself sicker, but it's a good idea to be cautious with any pains or changes in your pulse. I have heard of gas pains early out too, but it's strange that they suddenly started 3 days out and mostly when you take in anything other than Water. I'm glad you called your dr. Let us know what you find out.

crosswind · April 18, 2011

Thank you...I need them, now if I can just stay calm till 1:45pm...ugh.

Even if it is a leak, your surgeon knows what to do. Don't be afraid -- it completely sucks to have a schizophrenic stomach but as long as you're geting prompt, appropriate medical attention you'll be okay. You know if you feel too awful between now and then you can just go to the ER, tell them you were waiting for your appointment and something bad happened so you would like your attention NOW please.

What a leak is is really a very bad, very fancy infection. Stomach contents leak into your body cavity and your body cavity does NOT LIKE THAT so it attacks the foriegn matter and makes you feel like you've been invaded by aliens. It can be fixed -- either through antibiotics if it's a small leak or a repeat surgery if it is not. Scary, I know, But you're gonna be okay.

EGBOK.

New & Improved Mel · April 18, 2011

I absolutely strugged after having this surgery with feelings that something is wrong. I constantly thought I had a leak and that the feelings I was feeling were signs that something went wrong in surgery. I think the fact that we chose to have this surgery, and chose to have part of our stomach's removed, when we were perfectly okay before just fat (maybe with some obesity related illnesses).. it really plays on one's mind. In the end I had to focus on the fact that if I needed my gallbladder or appendix out I wouldn't hesitate to have them whipped out and wouldn't feel any guilty feelings or be in such a worried state afterwards.

You are doing the right thing seeing your doctor as soon as possible, but in the mean time try to relax. I had distressing shoulder pain after my surgery and it still mildly exists now, at one month out. I had a hiatus hernia repair along with being sleeved, which is a very common proceedure with this surgery and I was told to expect the shoulder pain for approx 6wks. Perhaps you too had a hernia? I was in a lot of pain after surgery and when my drain was removed (not the nicest of experiences) the majority of the pain went away. It was such a relief, it obviously irritates your diaphram and internal structures, hopefully the removal of the drain has the same effect for you.

In the first couple of days I felt very woozy and dizzy moving around. Make sure you remember to take deep breaths and hold them in to get plenty of oxygen into your blood so you can heal. I also found sipping Water gave me pain under my ribcage and found it easier to crunch ice chips instead, I found them very soothing. Keep perservering and you will be okay, it is all so new and initially your stomach churns and gives you a hard time but within a week or so you will find yourself feeling completely normal at times and forgetting you even got sleeved. I wish you all the best and hope your check-up turns out to be just fine.

Oh, another tip, if you still have a drain in: Drink blue gatorade, if you have a leak it may help you see the blue discoloration in the fluids in the drain or help you put your mind at ease that you may not have a leak. Best Wishes x

kids05 · April 20, 2011

Thanks Mel...just saw your reply. I do not have a leak...but the middle of my sleeve is squished! I swallowed the gastrograph and watched (I knew the radiologist and he let me get in a position I could see) as I swallowed...emptied into the sleeve then pooled up...drizzled through the center...then pooled up again to empty into the small intestine. Cool to watch and LIKE I SAID TO EVERYONE FROM DAY 2....something wasn't right!!!!! GRRRRRR!

Now the doc isn't calling it a stricture yet...we are calling it post op swelling that may take a little longer to go down...??! Sigh.....back to clears and suck it up was my answer I suppose. Oh and I was soo incredibily SICK after the procedure, I can only imagine this was what dumping feels like. As soon as I changed my skin got ice cold, I broke out in a sweat all over, pulse racing, dizzy and sooo nauseaous! A passer by got a wheel chair and they got me to my surgeons office when I got to the bathroom and began vomiting. Minutes later began diarrhea that lasted all through yesterday as well. Now I have have a new isse. Dehydration. I have never pinched my hands so much! LOL...its actually amazing to me that these are my hands, the skin just stays pinched, so yeasterday began the fight to stay out of the hospital for iv fluids...sip, sip, sip, sip.....all I am doing! I see the doc at 10....wish me luck!

Coookies · April 21, 2011

That is really terrible~!!! I had really bad diarrhea for 3 days post op, and the doctor said it is a common side effect of the barium swallow for the leak test!! Hope you feel better soon!!

mandems mom · April 21, 2011

According to my post-op diet, I'm not allowed to have anything thicker than Water (clear liquids) until week 2. Regular (non-clear) Protein Shakes are part of that. Is it possible that the thicker fluids are causing the problem?

kids05 · April 21, 2011

According to my post-op diet, I'm not allowed to have anything thicker than Water (clear liquids) until week 2. Regular (non-clear) Protein shakes are part of that. Is it possible that the thicker fluids are causing the problem?

Well, like I said there really is a narrowing...a squish...lol. Everything just trickles through there...if its a clear. shakes, pudding and yogurt are a little thicker so they dont trickle as well. I'm waiting...hoping....its post op swelling (fingers crossed) not a stricture.

I'm in wait and see mode....

wannabethinn · April 21, 2011

Hope you are feeling better soon. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Hang in there!

New & Improved Mel · April 21, 2011

That is really terrible~!!! I had really bad diarrhea for 3 days post op, and the doctor said it is a common side effect of the barium swallow for the leak test!! Hope you feel better soon!!

Well that explains a few things for me too! I would describe my diarrhea after the barium swallow as 'explosive!!'. (I was glad it wasn't the opposite, but I felt horrible afterwards). Kid05, I had some abnormal pooling of the contrast, but as no leak was present the report stated "satisfactory appearances of post sleeve gastrectomy". I looked back over my xrays and one of them has the appearance of a constricted shape in the middle. When I studied them, I could see that the barium in the oesophagus restricted into a narrow opening into the stomach. Then proceeding xrays had a more banana-shape as the barium flowed through the stomach.

I really hope the unusual shape you saw while your x-rays were taken was the constricted section due to the narrow opening into the stomach (stomach valve), which occurs as the barium enters the stomach (immediately after you have swallowed it). I am crossing my fingers for you and wish you the best of luck. Take care x