I had RNYGB on 7/19/16. I still say it is the greatest surgery I have ever had. My BMI is down from 37 to 21.

I had no problems until I had to go to the ER on 4/10/18 with horrific abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. My surgeon put me on Prilosec and Carafate for 6 weeks, but I found out later the Prilosec caps were not bioavailable and just went through without being effective. So on Mother's Day I went back to the hospital for pain control and an upper scope to look for a marginal ulcer. Unfortunately the GI MD had no expertise in looking for marginal ulcers and said my scope was normal. So, I had 6 more weeks of unbelievable pain. My surgeon said maybe I had gallbladder disease so I had my gallbladder removed on 5/29/18. Did not help my pain at all. Finally, my surgeon referred me to a bariatric subspecialist who repeated my upper scope, and he found my marginal/anastomotic ulcer.

This is potentially very serious in that the ulcer could perforate and require emergency surgery. I am concerned because I was pain-free after starting Prilosec liquid for the first four weeks, but the crippling pain has returned. My patients compliment me on my weight loss, but nausea and pain is a horrible way to do it!

Does anyone else have experience with having a marginal ulcer?

19 hours ago, eudys3 said:

Just a quick update, possibly to give hope for healing-

Had my repeat EGD on 11/16, 5 months after my marginal ulcer was found so that I had to take that yucky compounded immediate-release omeprazole w/ sodium bicarbonate & Pepcid & Carafate. I still have gastritis (stomach pouch irritation) but my ulcer has healed! I was really afraid I would need a revision or worse, a reversal. I am able to eat now without pain-yea! I have stopped losing weight which has been a huge concern for my family & friends; my mother says I look "gaunt." I am so glad I did all the online research I did on marginal ulcer healing; Bariatric Times is a great resource, geared to the medical profession so the terminology might be a bit difficult.

Keep the faith, everyone. You could be as fortunate as I have been. Good luck to all.

So happy to hear! I am *almost* two weeks from being diagnosed with my marginal ulcer. The Carafate is really helpful. I emailed my surgeon the day after the endoscopy and asked if maybe I should be on Prilosec instead of just Pepcid because PPI's seem to work faster than Pepcid. SO he switched me from Pepcid to Prilosec. I have struggled so hard getting enough protein though because I eat much less than I should, just because I fear the pain... even though it is minimal with the Carafate. I am only at 25g a day, but working on it slowly. Followup next week!

On 11/22/2018 at 9:00 AM, DebbieSlimer said:

How long before pain calms down I am trying to avoid the Percocet and ox I I am trying to get through he pain I am very new I just had surgery on 11/19/2018 and already can’t stand the binder

I'm confused as to why you have a binder? Did you have open surgery? I've never heard of anyone with laparoscopic gastric needing a binder. I did not have any pain post-op except for muscle soreness and pain from the ulcer itself, which only hurts when eating/drinking. I had virtually no pain in the hospital. If you are in pain, please see your surgeon!

Hello All! Anybody miss ME? Two guesses and the first one doesn't count. I am in my Hospital, yep the self-same Ohio State University-Wexner Medical Center you've heard me talk about. Lets see,where shall I start?
Last Tuesday I saw Dr Needleman himself, no not just a nurse-practitioner, the head honcho, numero uno top dog. Met his very nice resident Steven Scoville MD, very nice guy. He said when he set eyes on me You don't feel good , do you? Usual spunky me would have said. No S***, I did feel crappy, just hung my head and nodded, told him I Feel broken, like a toy that has been played with too hard and thrown to one side. Well he dicussed th8ngs with me, said even if I were broken Dr Noria his partner and he knew h9w to fix me. Lest than 5% of patients have this torture road to recovery. Had to have a bag of saline IV fluid instilled before I went home. And he reminded me to be sure to keep my Endoscopy appointment with Dr Noria, that way they would be able to gauge what was going on internally. My Wednesday appointment was 8AM with Dr Noria, so we left Mount Vernon a little after 6 AM, figuring we would be back home 10 or 10:30. Not how things played out. Dr Noria got down into my stomach and intestine and things were not well. Stomach wall, red swollen, not able to do dilatation, and not only were my 5 ulcers not healing but I was starting to ulcerate further down into the bowels of ME. So I became a guest and here I remain.Thurday night I had a PICC line installed, last night the first TPN was started which should conclude t9night at 11:59 PM. Don't know what I am supposed to feel like so guess I am tolerating it well. Luckily it's in my upper inner left arm, was fearful it would go into my subclavian and be in my chest wall. And I really didn't WANT that very much. Why do I have the TPN? Dr Noria was concerned that I would not be able to do the 90-120 grams protein needed daily P.O. or that maybe the protein I was ingesting wasn't breaking down and assimilating bodily. This bypasses the G.I. system and gives it a chance to heal up. I have an intake sheet. to fill out l8ke I did when I had my RnY surgery. It may be a bit of "busy work" to keep me occupied, but I have my infantry of 1oz cups, as I empty 1 I mark it down, when they all are empty I refill them with Peach- Mango liquicell, and here we go again! Estimated date of dismissal. will be 12/03/2018, that is if things go well with no set backs. Des N and Steven have turned me over this weekend to the junior residents, although Dr Needleman is back-up and attending on call. I am actually starting to feel like myself more and more. Oh still not pain-free totally but it is no longer a 4 alarm fire in my guts and for that I am grateful. How are all you doing?????

Frustr8, sounds like your where you should be, getting things looked after! Here’s to continued healing!

Hi everyone!

So sorry to hear about everyone's problems. And here I am whining bout mine! Pretty lame. Well, I hope everyone gets better soon! Especially you, Frustr8! WOW! Prayers to you all!!

Best,

Crash215

On 12/1/2018 at 3:01 PM, Frustr8 said:

Estimated date of dismissal. will be 12/03/2018, that is if things go well with no set backs. Des N and Steven have turned me over this weekend to the junior residents, although Dr Needleman is back-up and attending on call. I am actually starting to feel like myself more and more. Oh still not pain-free totally but it is no longer a 4 alarm fire in my guts and for that I am grateful. How are all you doing?????

How's everything going? Discharged, I hope?

I *think* my ulcer is healing. It's so hard to tell with the Carfate masking much of the pain. There are definitely days where I really know it's still in there, gnawing away. I get nauseous after eating most things, but drinking it still the worst for some reason???? The doc *thinks* I should be healed up within the next 3-4 weeks, but I don't know.

Oh it is going to happen , and at least you don't have to resort to. a PICC line like me. Wouldn't it be groovy if we are both better within a month? Take your Carafate, I will too, much as I HATE the chalky old stuff, it could've,helping heal me. I now have 240 or so on board, when I picked up my meds after I got back to Mount Vernon, there was another tall bottle, guess i dont mind THAT much, copay is only $1,25. So each and every day, 4 get dissolved and down the hatch, at a minimum I have them for 3 months ordered. I just think they taste like drinking flour water!

And my peeps, I am concerned. I am barely able to accept any foods. Oh broth and soup juice is okay but others pffft. This morning, I tried, yes I did, 1 and a half teaspoons of ground down oatmeal with a little skim milk to thin. And my,pouch started to hurt and I started getting Precious Warning- Attention Attention, I am Ready to Hurl÷ People I feel like I am regressing instead of improving and I want to cry my ? eyes out.?Why can I not get any better when even the people who were not as wanting,of surgeries as I was, are healing, being able to progress their diets. Am I placed under a curse for waiting so late in my life to have surgery? Honest I am a Good person, worthy of everything good. Yes there is enough nutrition in my TPN to sustain my,life processes but it is not a full of Joy lifestyle. Maybe I am in a Blue Holiday funk, a periwinkle Blue one. Can someone help,this perpetual helper to feel better about herself?,I don't recall putting on an order for this kind of Life.?

On 12/23/2018 at 11:14, Frustr8 said:

And my peeps, I am concerned. I am barely able to accept any foods. Oh broth and Soup juice is okay but others pffft. This morning, I tried, yes I did, 1 and a half teaspoons of ground down oatmeal with a little skim milk to thin. And my,pouch started to hurt and I started getting Precious Warning- Attention Attention, I am Ready to Hurl÷ People I feel like I am regressing instead of improving and I want to cry my ? eyes out.?Why can I not get any better when even the people who were not as wanting,of surgeries as I was, are healing, being able to progress their diets. Am I placed under a curse for waiting so late in my life to have surgery? Honest I am a Good person, worthy of everything good. Yes there is enough nutrition in my TPN to sustain my,life processes but it is not a full of Joy lifestyle. Maybe I am in a Blue Holiday funk, a periwinkle Blue one. Can someone help,this perpetual helper to feel better about herself?,I don't recall putting on an order for this kind of Life.?

I am so sorry your still going through this?. Maybe a trip to emergency is in order to get things moving towards a solution..........not fair that you are still suffering so. Praying for you ?

At the very least I will call into my hospital, see if anyone is working in the Bariatric Clinic on Christmas Eve???, maybe they can make Me feel Better about Me!

Talked to Bariatric Clinic, first they said my endoscopy on December 26th should never been canceled, Dr Needleman or Dr Noria never authorized the cancellation, in fact he wants another EGJ before my January 15th appointment so he can better formulate a new plan of care for me. Suzie the Scheduler took the rest of Christmas week for a mini- holiday vacation, I should hear something New Years Eve or January 2nd about when a space in the Endoscopy Suite and being put upon the waiting list, but it has to be done, Friday was not good day, gave Mousecat my sympathy, she and I seem to be co-sufferers, by late evening even my sips of Propel weren't staying down, dry-Heaving with my green Barfie Bag, fell asleep sitting up in my chair. Finally went to bed propped up with pillows, had to get there so my lymphedema legs, left one always been worse of them started looking edemeous. Just another reminder I'm still trying to run with 73 year old original equipment, no replacement parts being manuafactured. Hadn't been an everyday issue with weight loss, but like the Golden Old Song " ALWAYS THERE TO REMIND ME!" Oh I am sure things will eventually straighten out, don't want to go to. local ER, they don't really understand RnY bypass, I am an anomaly to them. Ok to do my blood draws, beyond that? Forget about it ! Most of the staff don't make me feel comfortable.

Endoscopy was scheduled December 28th not my birthday, but I still didn't get it!

Let's see if Suzie the Scheduler has returned from her Christmas vacation or it she's taking New Years Eve off too? I want this endoscopy rescheduled, so it's down before the 15th, other doctor appointments the first two weeks of January, only have 3 or 4 unbooked days left unless I juggle things around.

Called, she's back, left landline # as well as cell, let's hope we can get this settled, I hate loose ends.

So sorry you're going through this. I'm also having problems again. I eat, but it hurts all the time. I'm now taking protonix twice a day ands sucralfate multiple times a day now. I had another EGD done about a month ago and the office was supposed to call for a follow up (what my mom said, but I think I was supposed to call them). I'm still having issues. Still frequently vomit. Constantly have gas and pain. I'm tired of it. I had to switch to whole Fairlife milk to get my protein in and coat my stomach enough. After the EGD mom said the dr told her the wasn't much change in my ulcer. But I hadn't been taking the sucralfate either. I had a major brain dump in September (18 years of amnesia because of a migraine medicine) and didn't know I was supposed to be taking it. Now I'm waiting for a call back from the doctor to see when I can get back in to see them since things should be getting better and they aren't.