On The Verge Of A Breakdown!

[crazy4pluto 2]

while i know i'm not the only person who has had the compliction of a stricture after sleeve surgery, i am however the only one in my support group and since it happens only in about 1% of the patients, i'm not forseeing anyone joining my any time soon. nor would i ever wish this on anyone. i had my sleeve surgery in december 2011, my first stricture surgery 6 weeks later, now after being on only soft/pureed foods i go for my gastro check up today and find that since i still continue to throw up 1-2 times a day that they want to go back in a do a second stricture stretch surgery next week. i'm so disappointed, frustrated and really feel like i'm on the verge of a mental break! i've been eating the same foods for 18 weeks. i cannot seem to get my Protein level anywhere near the 70-100 grams. I do stay in contact with the program nutritionist but I cannot find a Protein Powder or shake that will stay down. i add the Unjury non flavored powder to some of my foods but that is almost a automatic food reversal so i can't do it often since i am already losing 1-2 of the 6 meals already. i really hope that this will be the last surgery i will need and that after next week my stomach will finally allow me to eat what i need to eat. i'm sorry i really didn' t know where else to turn. no one understand what i mean when i say i've only been able to eat yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, string chesse and mashed potatoes for 18 weeks! don't get me wrong i'm down 89 pounds and even with the stricture complication i'd do the surgery all over again because i'm already off my cpap machine, off my blood pressure meds and most importantly my knees and feet no longer hurt. i just needed to vent to someone because i'm just frustrated and disappointed that yet again i will have to start back at block one with the liquids only and begin the progression again back to soft/pureed foods for the third time. i went into this not wanting to be a certain size in the end but to be healtier. this dang stricture is sure making seeing that part hard. thanks for listening.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

they want to go back in a do a second stricture stretch surgery next week.

crazy4pluto

I am so very sorry for all that you have had to deal with. It sounds terrible and i am glad you came to the board to vent. This is always the place to come.

I'm so glad you are off your CP machine, blood pressure meds and that your knees are feeling better. I guess if you can, there are usually pluses to many stories.

For people that post they are concerned about whether or not to have WLS - its good to know that even with your problems, you would still do the WLS again.

Your throwing up, not eating much, sounds pretty awful. Glad you have lost all this weight, probably unfortunately some is due to how sick you have been.

You sound like a positive person knowing that these awful things happen, but there still is that light at the end of the tunnel.

I don't know what a stricture surgery is, but more surgery of any kind is terrible. Wish you didn't have to go through this ordeal again.

hope you feel better

My very best

kathy

[mnbsleeve 87]

I'm so sorry you are going through all this. I can imagine how isolating, as well as painful and frustrating, it must be. What an ordeal to have to go through! Sending lots of good thoughts your way for strength and a super speedy recovery. I'll be thinking about you. Please post your progress.

[Lissa 2,631]

(((Hugs))) That's all I know to offer. I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time and I wish I had a magic wand to make it all better. Know that we're all here for you, supporting and praying for your recovery to happen soon!

[crazy4pluto 2]

i want to thank likasulema, mnbsleeve and lissa for the kind words. i really do feel like i'm loosing it. i've got calls into the nutritionist and the psychologist that are involved with my clinic. i've spent most of the day today being in a total state of overwhelment and i know that this isn't the state of mind i need to be in if i'm going to have surgery. i'm just really upset that my body decided to heal wrong even though i was doing everything i was told to do. i pray that this round of treatment won't last as long as the last one. like i said i'm at 18 weeks as of tomorrow and i'm still on soft/pureed foods. now once i have this surgery next week i get to go back to phase one liquids only then move back to soft/pureed foods again. at this point i've forgotten what most everything tastes like. since i've only eatten eggs, mashed potatoes, yogurt, cottage cheese and string cheese for so long. please pray that i transition through this smoothly this time and hopefully it will be the last stricture stretch i will ever need! again, thanks to the 3 of you for caring enough to respond to my post.

[Roseib 13]

So sorry about the stricture. Hope this surgery goes well and you move on according to schedule. How stressful for you. Best wishes.

[NancyJerry 139]

Sending you best wishes for a speedy recovery! Keep us posted!!

[Carly 56]

Sorry to hear about your struggles and pain. I hope that you are on the healing path and getting stronger and healthier each day.

[piper 13]

Wow. What a challenging time for you, the complications on top of the nuts and bolts of the lifestyle changes not to mention the hormonal surges from the rapid weight loss. I hope you have a therapist or a solid support person, preferably both. Sounds like you are steadily improving in many ways. I imaging that with every pound you lose, in concert with the medical care you are receiving your body is more and more capable of healing. So wonderful that you are off so many meds. Lastly, have you considered Proteinex? Liquid Protein formula Llorenspharm.com one ounce = 15 grams of pre digested Protein, can help aid healing.

[crazy4pluto 2]

thank you everyone for the kind words and encouragment. i do have a several friends who are very supportive and are with me during the good and the bad. i've not tried Proteinex before but i will look into that, thanks for suggesting it piper. i wish everyone continued success on your own personal journey and i will repost after the procedure next tues with an update. thanks again.

[crazy4pluto 2]

well i just wanted to send an update on what happend when i had the procedure yesterday. i went in and had my stricture stretched to the maximum 20mm. that's the good news. the bad news is that once he did this he noticed i have a kink in the middle of my stomach from the way it healed after surgery in december 2011. so, if i am still unable to keep my food down it is no longer because of the stricture since that has been stretched to the max it will be because the food hits the kink and and cannot make the bend. i am on 4 more weeks of soft/pureed foods then i go back for my recheck. of course if i am still getting sick then i will have to go back to my origional surgeon i guess to have the kink fixed. please keep postitve thoughts that i will be able to keep my food down and not need to have the surgery to fix the kink. that would be inpatient at the hospital and i really don't want that. the dr. said because of the kink i will always have to eat 6 meals of no more than 4 oz and i will always have to make sure to take VERY small bites so that it will have a better chance of passing the kink. he said i will also have to be very careful with what food i eat to ensure that i can get it chewed enought to pass by the kink. gees if it's not one thing it's another. who would have thought i'd get hit with 2 complications from it. i would still do it all over again just would like to do it without the stricture and kink! i'll keep updating if anything new happens over the next several weeks. but i hope to have an uneventful 4 week of soft/pureed meals. my focus will be fluids, and trying to get my Protein in.

[abbybeep 53]

I found out after my second stricture stretch today that I may have a kink right in the middle of my sleeve too. How did your procedure end up turning out? I am only 3 weeks out from surgery and I'm worrying I will never eat food of any kind again

[Oregondaisy 2,019]

I'm so sorry to hear about all of this. You must be so frustrated.

Have you tried the Ricotta Bake that's in the food forum? I would think you would be able to eat that. I'm just trying to think of some things for more variety for you.

[Barisaxylady 154]

Is there a way to fix the kink? There has to be a way to fix it because the way you are being told to eat is a miserable way to live the rest of your life. I know you don't want another surgery but it would be worth if to be able to eat semi normally. Best wishes. I'm glad you would still do it all over again. Stories like this make me start to rethink getting it done.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

First of all, I am inspired by your positive attitude in spite of this ongoing challenge. I think you have an outstanding mindset and determination - you will get through this!

I am sorry you are having these challenges. I have never heard of the "kink stomach" this must be a pretty uncommon complication. I have heard of strictures though and it is really a puzzle to me why some people are prone to them.

Keep us posted on your progress, i am very hopeful that soon this will be behind you and you find eating more comfortable.

I eat pretty normally now, but I would say that in the first 5 months post op, I much preferred cottage cheese, yogurt etc. I am not sure why, but part of it was that food just didn't interest me much and that was easy. I found easy/softer foods more appealing even though i could tolerate chicken and beef etc too - i just didn't prefer it.