Everything was going great after my VSG on August 6th. I had minimal pain andI followed all the rules to a T and then two weeks later I developed a fever and felt sick so I called the surgeon. After listening to my symptoms they immediately sent me to the hospital where my leak was confirmed after a cat scan . Things only got worse from there. My lung collapsed and Fluid collected around my lungs and spleen . I has so many tubes coming out of me it was ridiculous. The chest tube was the worst. I was put on TPN and had a picc line installed. The TPN caused me to have high blood pressure and gall bladder sludge. When the stent was first installed in my esophagus it was blocking everything i swallowed in the stent because it was straight and the stomach curves so a second stent was pushed through is that would follow the curve. 20 days later I was released from the hospital. It was a hellish experience and even thought I am home I am still dealing with the nausea and pressure of the stent. Since my stomach is being held open By the stents i have constant reflux and vomiting. My face is in a plastic bag or paper towel all the time constantly spitting up saliva. It is almost impossible to ever be comfortable. I have been told I will feel so much better once these stents come out, but i am scared that i will still feel this terrible. I can't believe this happened to me! I am 23 and other than being morbidly obese . I was healthy ! I am supposed to get the stent out sometime next week.

If anyone has any advice on how to make the stent more bearable or if you have experienced the stent please share your experience as well. I feel so alone and frankly, foolish, because I thought this couldn't happen to me. I started at 257 and am now down to 218 ( I am 5'4) in a month . I am so weak and feel so hopeless

Someone please tell me, is there light at the end of the stent ? My infections seem to be healed but I feel just as miserable.

Yes I am fine now thank God cuz those 4 months were hell

So good to hear that you are doing much better, Julia! You are a strong person!

I know' date=' same here! I am doing well so far! Surgeon seems to think I am okay now , just need to be extra careful not to eat anything too solid or too much since the area where the leak was is still so weak and could be reopened if I overdue it . How about you ? And what exactly is a claw and how did that work out for you ?

I can totally relate to that feeling of a scratched up throat .... Ouch! I had an ng tube too for about 24 hours and felt like I was constantly choking on it , I was gagging on it so bad the doctor just took it out because I couldn't even catch my breath in between dry heaves from it . I am sure you had it much longer and definitely feel for you![/quote']

The "claw" is new technology. Basically it's like a tiny hair clip (bear claw type) that is set over the leak. Its used when leaks aren't treated soon enough and the tissue is too weak to repair in other ways. Hopefully the claw will stay clamped for three too five weeks, allowing the tissue to grow together as it heals from it's damage. If it does not hold, a stent might be tried, but they aren't terribly successful so far out. I have to figure out how many weeks I am out with the claw...I was so sick I don't know the date it was placed but I think I'm about two and a half. On Monday they will xray me and see if it's still there. if it is, than i return two weeks later. If not, leak tests, etc and back in the hospital before I get as sick as I was before (we both had the same lung issues). I also have a big ball of blood in my abdomen from the first surgery that we have to watch for infection and I got a small clot with the PICC so that has to be monitored as well. But the stomach holding is the biggest concern right now.

If the tissue cooperates and grows together the claw will naturally fall off and break apart and be "discharged" (ok I'll poop it out). It's smaller than a pinkie fingernail so apparently I won't notice (I hope). I'm much like you, back on week two liquid diet. This is my first week out of hospital and it took all week to get up to my required Protein and liquid requirements. That stupid tube really makes it harder because swallowing hurts. I had mine 48 hours and basically vomited bile for the entire time. I made them remove it and go back to TPN because it hurt so much.

I guess we're both feeding tube rejects LOL Mine scratched up and down the back of my throat everytime I vomitted...fun times!

Did you have the garden hose crammed through your ribs with the pump to get rid of the Fluid? My rib cage still won't forgive me for allowing that (of course I would have died without it so what was there to allow?).

I'm blabbering just because I found a sleeve sister in all the wrong ways! I hope to tell you I'm out of the woods in a couple of weeks. You are a couple of weeks ahead of me (my first surgery was the 23rd of aug).

No fun I regret I took this chance with my life. I almost lost my little boy's smiles, all of his firsts, and being a part of his life. I'm grateful I will live, but I feel like a fool for having this surgery.

Don't feel like a fool Dawn. You didn't do anything different from hundreds or thousands of other mothers. You had no way of knowing you would be in the small percentage of complications. With the low bmi you have, it was normal to think you would recover very quickly, like the rest of us with low bmi's.

Im going to include you in my prayers I hope things become better for you!

I'm so sorry you are having such a difficult time. Please remember we are here if you need support. Best wishes and lots of prayers to you!

The "claw" is new technology. Basically it's like a tiny hair clip (bear claw type) that is set over the leak. Its used when leaks aren't treated soon enough and the tissue is too weak to repair in other ways. Hopefully the claw will stay clamped for three too five weeks' date=' allowing the tissue to grow together as it heals from it's damage. If it does not hold, a stent might be tried, but they aren't terribly successful so far out. I have to figure out how many weeks I am out with the claw...I was so sick I don't know the date it was placed but I think I'm about two and a half. On Monday they will xray me and see if it's still there. if it is, than i return two weeks later. If not, leak tests, etc and back in the hospital before I get as sick as I was before (we both had the same lung issues). I also have a big ball of blood in my abdomen from the first surgery that we have to watch for infection and I got a small clot with the PICC so that has to be monitored as well. But the stomach holding is the biggest concern right now.

If the tissue cooperates and grows together the claw will naturally fall off and break apart and be "discharged" (ok I'll poop it out). It's smaller than a pinkie fingernail so apparently I won't notice (I hope). I'm much like you, back on week two liquid diet. This is my first week out of hospital and it took all week to get up to my required Protein and liquid requirements. That stupid tube really makes it harder because swallowing hurts. I had mine 48 hours and basically vomited bile for the entire time. I made them remove it and go back to TPN because it hurt so much.

I guess we're both feeding tube rejects LOL Mine scratched up and down the back of my throat everytime I vomitted...fun times!

Did you have the garden hose crammed through your ribs with the pump to get rid of the Fluid? My rib cage still won't forgive me for allowing that (of course I would have died without it so what was there to allow?).

I'm blabbering just because I found a sleeve sister in all the wrong ways! I hope to tell you I'm out of the woods in a couple of weeks. You are a couple of weeks ahead of me (my first surgery was the 23rd of aug).

No fun I regret I took this chance with my life. I almost lost my little boy's smiles, all of his firsts, and being a part of his life. I'm grateful I will live, but I feel like a fool for having this surgery.[/quote']

Hey iggy! Sorry I just found that you replied to my Post ! I hope you are doing much better now too! That claw thing is really interesting. I had had that option. Was it successful for you ? Was it miserable like a stent? And Yes, I did get a nice garden house crammed through my ribs as well, attached to a suitcase like thing. Awful.

Yes, we are not only sleeve sisters, but also leak sisters! But we made it! The only silver lining I can find is that hopefully we will be less likely to gain the weight because of all the hell we want through to lose it. Gotta find the positive.

I totally know what you means about feeling like a fool! I carry so much guilt for the heartache I caused my family . I cried nearly every day when I got home from the hospital about it. BUT! Remember, you were doing this for your son, to be healthier for him. It is not your fault. Bad things just happen to good people sometimes.

Thank you for all the prayers everyone ! They worked!! I am so grateful

The claw is basically something you don't feel at all. So much better than a stint which moves and can have to be placed repeatedly. My claw did hold. I am now out of the woods for any danger to my stomach (just concerns from the blood transfusions as well as the lung damage but those will be around for a few years). Honestly the day after they installed the claw I felt like all the other people here feel after their first surgery, tired but amazingly well I did everything I was supposed to and it held (they don't always) and then went away invisibly (wasn't there in the last scan). Just as it's supposed to.

I'm glad you are well now. The suitcase comment did make me grin. What a great analogy...garden hose to suit case LOL Yup and then with the suitcase/hose combo there's the joy of never being able to potty without help. Oh and the sponge bath...don't take me down memory road LOL

This is a great holiday season because we're both home to enjoy it I still regret the surgery, always will. To be totally honest, I did this for myself, not my family. I was healthy, just fat My family is all healthy and fat so there were no worries there. We all live to 100 in our clan So that guilt won't go a way sadly. My poor son asked me the other day not to go see the doctor while I was in alaska for a couple of days because he didn't want me to stay in the hospital there Gad that made my heart hurt!

But I went and came back and went again and came back so he's starting to feel safe that I won't disappear again it seems. So all is well. I hope you have a lovely holiday season my dear!!!