To Go or Not to Go Back to the ER

[Erin92 4]

Hey All,

I just wanted to get some opinions about my situation here. I was admitted to the hospital on Sunday when I went to the ER with difficulty with nausea, heaving and general weakness and lethargy. I was put on IV and given a ton of blood tests, a barium swallow and a scope.

The doctor who did my scope said there was a stricture (my wording) near the bottom of my stomach and that a GI doc would be seeing me in 3 weeks and to go home. It's now Saturday and I can almost feel myself fading hour by hour. I was told to drink a half a cup of fluids for each hour I am awake and be on a liquid diet. I have done ok with the fluids, but it also makes it difficult to eat when I have to not drink a half hour before and after. Anyway, I saw my family today and my father says that I look like I am getting dehydrated again, a gaunt look to my face. I am also very weak, on Thursday night I was going down our wooden basement stairs, slipped and wasn't able to catch myself so I skidded down a bit on my shin and bonked the back of my head. Nothing serious, but indeed painful. I feel like I have to psych myself up to stand for an entire shower even. I am supposed to go back to work on Monday, I don't know how I would make it through an entire day.

To top it all off, I called the GI docs office to make an appt for 3 weeks from now and he revised my surgeon's request and put me in for 6 weeks from now, June 17th. I really don't think that I have the ability to make it this long. I no longer have nausea as I am on heavy duty nausea meds, but eating is still tough and I am tired after not long at all.

My family believes that I should go back into the ER in order for them to see me right away. (Also, I had high blood pressure, never had it before, it went down while I was in the hospital, and it is back up to 150/107). Although I don't feel like I am on deaths door just yet, I wonder if my family is right and I really should go back in.

Any feedback from fellow sleevers would be greatly appreciated.

erin

[ranchersdaughter 9]

Um....I'm not jumping on you, but don't let that GI doc make decisions for you when he hasn't even examined you yet! I'd get on that phone and insist that he see you ASAP!!!!!!! This is your life you're talking about here!! Call your surgeon if you have to! Your surgeon might not even be aware that the GI dr. changed the date!

If you are feeling that weak, definitely go back and get checked out again. Your health is what is important above all else.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Hi Erin, yes please go back to the ER... you don't sound well and likely you need more IV fluids. Is there any way you can plead to the Dr to tell him you have an urgent need to get the stricture fixed? Is there anyone at your regular Dr.s office that can help you with that?

I really hope you get to feeling better soon! Hugs and well wishes... please keep us updated.

[Beadingnurse 116]

I agree that you need to go back to the ER tonight to get some IV fluids. I don't think you are getting enough fluids in and your statement that you are "fading" is probably accurate. GO NOW!

As far as the GI appt goes...I agree that you need to make a fuss or have your surgeon make some calls for you and get seen earlier. In the meantime though you need to have someone take a look at you as you don't sound good. Take care of yourself and let us know how you are once this is all over!!

[Disney 20]

Please go ahead and go back to the ER. A blood pressure reading of 150/107 is nothing to take lightly.

I hope you get the appt moved up. I would hate to see you wait till the middle of June.

I also hope you feel better soon. Good luck to you.

[Foxbins 625]

I just wanted to chime in here to say that if you are on a liquid diet there is no need for you to wait 30 minutes before and after meals before consuming your liquid meal. Just keep drinking liquids all the time.

[sassygirl 1]

Hope u feel better real soon! Sounds like u should go to eR !!!

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

Erin you need to go back to the ER. A stricture is nothing to mess with.

Your family is right. You need to be seen by a doctor right away. You probably also need to let your work know that you have complications

and will not be able to come back to work yet.

[ybnormal 21]

sweetie you absolutely need to go back to the E.R. Don't be too alarmed with the high blood pressure, the body does that when it's in pain, mine has always been low but soared up there when I first got sick with fibro, due to all the pain I was in. You are probably very dehydrated, not getting in any Protein at all (are you drinking Protein shakes or anything?) and possibly suffering from malnutrition because of lack of nutrients. Please please go back and make them treat you! Tell them you want to see a patient advocate NOW and don't let them tell you no, you absolutely have that right!

Renee

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

I just wanted to chime in here to say that if you are on a liquid diet there is no need for you to wait 30 minutes before and after meals before consuming your liquid meal. Just keep drinking liquids all the time.

Repost: This is so right! Erin, you should be sipping/drinking constantly. Big hugs, and I hope you went to the ER by now... please keep us posted.

[Margaret 4]

Erin---go back to the ER, demand a GI specialist before you leave the ER! What on earth are people thinking?!!! I had to get a new doctor to monitor my rising/falling bp after surgery. Do not worry so much about it. My doctor put me on a new as needed bp med and said my old one couldn't track a moving target, as he called it, after surgery and with all the weight loss. I would SO take medical leave from work and just sip and sip to stay hydrated. Do keep us posted. You need to see a good specialist asap!

Hey All,

I just wanted to get some opinions about my situation here. I was admitted to the hospital on Sunday when I went to the ER with difficulty with nausea, heaving and general weakness and lethargy. I was put on IV and given a ton of blood tests, a barium swallow and a scope.

The doctor who did my scope said there was a stricture (my wording) near the bottom of my stomach and that a GI doc would be seeing me in 3 weeks and to go home. It's now Saturday and I can almost feel myself fading hour by hour. I was told to drink a half a cup of fluids for each hour I am awake and be on a liquid diet. I have done ok with the fluids, but it also makes it difficult to eat when I have to not drink a half hour before and after. Anyway, I saw my family today and my father says that I look like I am getting dehydrated again, a gaunt look to my face. I am also very weak, on Thursday night I was going down our wooden basement stairs, slipped and wasn't able to catch myself so I skidded down a bit on my shin and bonked the back of my head. Nothing serious, but indeed painful. I feel like I have to psych myself up to stand for an entire shower even. I am supposed to go back to work on Monday, I don't know how I would make it through an entire day.

To top it all off, I called the GI docs office to make an appt for 3 weeks from now and he revised my surgeon's request and put me in for 6 weeks from now, June 17th. I really don't think that I have the ability to make it this long. I no longer have nausea as I am on heavy duty nausea meds, but eating is still tough and I am tired after not long at all.

My family believes that I should go back into the ER in order for them to see me right away. (Also, I had high blood pressure, never had it before, it went down while I was in the hospital, and it is back up to 150/107). Although I don't feel like I am on deaths door just yet, I wonder if my family is right and I really should go back in.

Any feedback from fellow sleevers would be greatly appreciated.

erin

[Tiffykins 672]

Please update us when you can Erin ! ! !

[Erin92 4]

Hello All,

well, I got back home on Tuesday late afternoon after being discharged and going to the in-house nutritionist for a plan on how to get me through the next 5 weeks until my next scope.

I was treated for dehydration and malnutrition. They gave me potassium which felt like fire going into my veins and magnesium which was ok, but also fluids with other essential nutrients in them. Did that make me feel better physically, kind of.

I am still scared to death though. I saw another GI doctor who finally explained what the scope that I had done actually meant which helped me to understand what is going on a little better. I do NOT have a stricture like I thought. My stomach has healed in the L shape rather than the banana shape. The reason they are waiting for the scope is that they would prefer that I am 6 months out from surgery before attemtping anything like a stint or whatever method they decide to use to try to help me. In the meantime, I HAVE to try to eat and drink and get my Protein in.

Do I feel better knowing all of this, yes, but I am scared to death. My fear is that the stint won't be something viable and they may want to do a complete by-pass. They said that is the last resort, but it is still scary. At the same time, I just want to feel better and start to live a normal life again. My family is literally sick with worry about me, my husband is a mess and frankly so am I.

I have really pulled myself away from everyone as much as I can and I know that is not healthy. I have been off of work for the past 2 weeks and am nervous about the work load I will have when I go back on Monday and how I will be able to manage a full day and eating and drinking all day. So overwhelming.

I did call the GI doctor to ask if they are just going in to look at things again or if they are actually going to treat me when I go for this scope and she said if there is something they want to do or think will work, they will do it right then and there, I felt reassured by that for sure. I have to say, I should not be surprised. I have many friends on here who have had surgery since I did and have had a pretty great recovery, so glad for all of them. But I have always had bad luck and should have known that if something was going to go amiss, it would have been with me.

Anyway, I really am trying to get past the whoa is me period but I think it will take a bit more time. I am on strong anti-nausea meds, but am still heaving about once a day, don't know why but sadly, I am getting used to it. Just trying to think that there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel.

Thanks again for all your comments and support. I will keep you all posted.

Erin

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

Hi Erin! I"m so glad to hear from you!

It sounds like you're still going to go through quite a bit before you're 100% back on the healthy track... I'm so so sorry to hear of your issues. Big Hugs to you! Don't stress about the "whoa is me" attitude, you are going through so much right now and should be expected. Just know we are all here for you and are wishing you to get on the mend.

[ybnormal 21]

Erin I'm so glad you let us know how you're doing, it really is like a family here and we worry. I know

I keep saying this, but please please look into the New whey. It's very few ounces ( 3.5oz) and packs ALOT of Protein (42 grams) with no sugar and 2 grams of carbs. please, it's so important in order to heal and where you can't get alot in at one time, it's so worth looking into, you'd only need to drink 2 a day.

I'm not the praying type, but I will say a few for you and I'm sure others will as well.

Please keep us updated when you're up to it, k?

XOXO Renee`