How do we know if we have a true complication?

[chowchows 100]

Ok, So I have been having pain for 3 days now, and have an email into my doctor (this is when I'm thinking maybe the Mexico thing wasn't the way to go.) to get some advice.

I got to thinking, would anyone on this board know what a leak felt like? I have been researching a leak for sleevers, and they note having a rapid heartbeat, fever and pain. I assume a leak on a plicator has the same symptoms. Then we have the necrosis issue to think about. I've re-read the threads for people who ended up with this, but I wonder if there are certain symptoms we should take notice of?

On Sunday I noticed that I was having pain on the left side, mostly in my stomach, but some radiating upwards. My first thought was acid, but I have been taking 40mg of Prilosec daily, and take Gaviscon if needed. I then thought it might just be gas, but it has been going on for 3 days now, and the nature of it doesn't seem to be gas. I have regular bowel movements, but I even thought I might be slightly constipated since I eat so much less Fiber since the surgery. I took a mild laxative yesterday, but that hasn't seemed to help the pain. My appetite has really subsided (even more than usual after the surgery) and when I eat or drink I feel slightly nauseous and have more pain, but I have never thrown up. The pain seems to be almost cramp like, as it comes and goes, and can get worse. Being in certain positions can either make it worse or lessen it. Is it possible I have a leak, or a torn stitch, necrosis, or could it just be that my stomach is still adjusting (almost 7 weeks out). I would to think that it's just my stomach adjusting, but I am getting somewhat scared. I can function around the pain, but it is pretty intense at times. I have weighed myself the last few days, and my weight actually went up 2 lbs at one point, but it is back down to where it was on Sunday. I was thinking that if there was a leak, wouldn't our weight go up because the Fluid is basically sitting in the stomach?

At this point I am not sure who to even go to if it continues. Do I go to my doctor who knows nothing about the surgery and is not overly nice/helpful, go to an endo doc, or just go to the ER. Since I had my surgery elsewhere, and was self-pay, if I have complications and issues, will my insurance cover my care to fix those issues? (not that this is a huge issue, but it got me to thinking about this question)

Hopefully I am just being an overworrier. Anyone have any thoughts? Since it's something we all have a small risk of, maybe we should compile a list of warning symptoms or something like that....even if this does just turn out to be gas this time. LOL.

[Jenn 27]

First sorry you are in pain. Since you have pain on the left side, it might involve your kidneys. You could have a kidney infection or a kidney stone. I definitely recommend finding a doctor that you can see. I had an upper GI a few weeks after my surgery to check everything out - maybe you can have 1 too? Please keep us posted and let us know what happens.

[chowchows 100]

First sorry you are in pain. Since you have pain on the left side, it might involve your kidneys. You could have a kidney infection or a kidney stone. I definitely recommend finding a doctor that you can see. I had an upper GI a few weeks after my surgery to check everything out - maybe you can have 1 too? Please keep us posted and let us know what happens.

The pain is definitely in front, right where my stomach is-pain radiates between middle of abdomen to left side. Did you go to your regular doc and request the upper GI, or did you go to a bariatric doctor here in the US for that ?

[chowchows 100]

Well,I did a upper GI but they did not know what a plication looks like so they said it was all normal.WRONG.

And yes my insurance Paid for all my hospital bills including the emergency surgery.I went to a gastroenterologist and he was the one that find out what was wrong with me.After he send me to the ER .Ask your DR for a refferal if u need it, and go see one

Thanks Lena, I was hoping you would reply. I appreciate the info. I still haven't heard from my doctor, but I am actually feeling somewhat better. Maybe I did need the laxative...? I am still curious about all I asked, and I think it's valid concerns for all of us. I think, even if the pain totally goes away, that I will go get checked out. My insurance didn't cover any weight loss surgery, but other than that is surprisingly good and I don't need a referral, so I think a Gastro doc is the way to go. Thanks again!

[DonnaC 0]

Glad you are feeling a bit better. Did you contact your doc when the pain started? Did they give you any advice? I like the idea of having an upper GI - but with the plication I don't know if it would give them much information. I will ask the docs when I am doing there next week. I think it would be good for them to post something for us so that we have some ideas of what might be going on. There haven't been too many big complications posted on plication (I know of two) but it would still be a good idea. when I first got banded I was worried about a slip, leak,erosion and I could not find much for a few years until one of us banded folks wrote something up.DonnaC

[chowchows 100]

Glad you are feeling a bit better. Did you contact your doc when the pain started? Did they give you any advice? I like the idea of having an upper GI - but with the plication I don't know if it would give them much information. I will ask the docs when I am doing there next week. I think it would be good for them to post something for us so that we have some ideas of what might be going on. There haven't been too many big complications posted on plication (I know of two) but it would still be a good idea. when I first got banded I was worried about a slip, leak,erosion and I could not find much for a few years until one of us banded folks wrote something up.DonnaC

I know of two cases of necrosis and Lena's leak. I was thinking a barium swallow might yield more info than a GI, since our stomachs are folded up. I didn't contact the doctor until this morning, and I am still waiting to hear back from him. I kept thinking it was something stupid, which I'm hoping it is and now it looks like it might be, but on day three when the pain was so much worse, I decided that I would risk looking stupid and I contacted the doc and posted this thread. Even if he just 'poo-poos' me, I am going to ask if he can give us some warning signs. If he does I will post them on here.

Sometimes it's fun to be doing something not many people have done...sometimes it's scary and I think it's really good that we can share and look out for each other somewhat.

Edited to add: pain has come back now a couple of hours later. :-( Guess that wasn't the problem.

[chowchows 100]

I was doing some searches on the VST board, and I thought this conversation was interesting. Not only does it address the issue of pain and Constipation (which I'm still not sure was my problem, but feeling 75% better now), but it also addresses my personal fears of some hospitals not knowing/understanding our surgery, and it has a little advise from a doctor in the middle of it (concerning gastric bleeding). This might be useful for others in the future.

[chowchows 100]

Ok, my doc was useless. He thinks it's acid...wants me to go back on liquids at 6 weeks post op and continue prilosec and add Maloxx or Mylanta. Sigh.

Maybe one of you (Donna, perhaps) that are getting ready to go get surgery can ask a more compliant doc for what we should be looking for? In the meantime, I'm hoping that my pain subsides and it's not anything worse than acid. Still thinking about going to get a barium swallow at the least.

[Jenn 27]

Doctor Billy did my upper G.I.

I'm not sure where you live but he may be able to see you. He is in thoudand aks or ventura, california. I hope you find a resolution soon :-(

[FatToPhat 83]

Soooo....I'm thinkin' maybe an ulcer? My doc told me an ulcer can cause nausea and pain after eating. I wouldn't think it was a leak, because I was also told that would be a fever and rapid heart rate. Necrosis, I don't know, but I think the problem with that would that it would eventually lead to a leak and you wouldn't necessarily have any symptoms until the leak occurred. ??? I'm thinking upper GI, though, too, because if it was an ulcer, that would at least tell you that much. Although it does seem strange that you would still develop an ulcer after being on the prilosec. Oh...maybe gall bladder? That can cause nausea, especially after eating and pain that radiates to the epigastric (stomach) area as well as into the shoulders. It can come and go, though, and would be worse if you were eating higher fat foods. Gallstones are pretty common with WLS. Oh, and I doubt it would be kidney because you have kidneys on both sides and it would hurt in your back, not your front. Good luck and keep us posted!

[FatToPhat 83]

Also, try to remember what you ate before the pain started. I have read on the Vertical Sleeve site where people have eaten something that doesn't digest well, like celery or something else very dense or fibrous, and it just sits in the stomach for days before it finally digests. I have also heard of a weird thing called a Bezoor (spelling?) which is a hardened mass of food in the stomach or intestine. Although we are not supposed to have pop, I have read that the carbonation can break that stuff up. I think cranberry juice can also do that, but I'm not 100% sure that's right.

[Jenn 27]

It's called a bezoar and can form from eating coconut or celery, fibrous food. It can be very dangerous.

[chowchows 100]

It's called a bezoar and can form from eating coconut or celery, fibrous food. It can be very dangerous.

OMG-I had some coconut on Saturday before it started. I love coconut, and was never told anything about it being a problem. It wasn't raw, was cooked, and I thought it would be be ok. Thank you Jenn and FattoPhat for the info. I too had wondered about an ulcer. I don't think stepping back on the eating plan is a horribly bad idea, even though I am put out with my doc's lack of concern. I think I might have been pushing things lately. I haven't had any problems with foods up till now, so maybe I got ahead of myself.

I just noticed that I spelled "do" as "doe" in my subject line...man, I must have really been in pain yesterday, lol!

[chowchows 100]

Don't think I have a bezoar...after some research I really think it may be an ulcer, it fits all the descriptions for type of pain/location/duration/when it happens. That being said, I had never heard of a bezoar, and my doc sure as heck never told me to avoid coconut, celery, etc. So for anyone else as clueless as I was, here is a discussion on bezoar's on the VST board. Hope no one ever needs this info!

I am now off to mourn the fact that I can never have coconut again-that is one of my all time favorite foods.