My Bestie Thelma...the other half to me (Louise) is back in the hospital and not doing so great. I am so worried for her. She recently had gastric bypass surgery to help her lose weight. She has struggled with excessive weight most of her life. She has now had nothing but trouble since the surgery was done....please read her account below:
This has been the week from h**l!
RECAP from last post:
Sunday night I ended up in Emerg due to vomiting and pain in the middle of my abdomen. Called telehealth and they thought going to the hospital would be the best bet.
They took blood and did ex rays (and thankfully gave me a shot of morphine).
Didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Figured maybe it was due to the horrid heartburn / acid reflux issue I had been suffering with since the surgery. So off I go home with a script for Losec.
So then on to the next effin' chapter ....
Monday was okay. Started the losec and felt a tad better. Still couldn't really eat though.
Then comes Tuesday - YIKES! Woke up - had a drink - tossed my cookies.
A friend and I were scheduled to go up to Pembroke to visit my sister and some friends so we went anyway. It's only about an hour and a half drive but it felt like hours and hours. Monday my bleed had started. I have PCOS and rarely get a period. Must have been at least a year and a half since the last one. Well my body decided to make up for lost time. I was having cramps that were absolutely killer. And bleed? Holay crap ... double pads having to be changed every 2-3 hours. It's insane. Anyway, made it to Pembroke and almost immediately began heaving. Nothing really coming up other than saliva and the odd batch of mucous phlegmy looking stuff. Just gross! *blech*
Spent most of the 6 hours or so in the bathroom heaving.
Holy my sternum( i think that's what that spot is called just between the boobs and down a *****urt. It was just awful. Every breath was a struggle because of the pain. All the way home I was thinking I'm not going to make it. Returned to the hospital around midnight.
Spent about 17 hours in observation at the civic. they did bloodwork again, another exray and finally a ct scan. ( side note: bled through everything - had to change the bed pad twice and bled all over the ct scan table). The surgeon said he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. They had me on IV for about 8 hours or so. Helped with the getting to dehydration moments. I just couldn't keep even water down. So the result was they sent me home with instructions to return if the pain got worse again or if I couldn't get water to stay down.
So finally today, my surgeon calls. (been trying to reach him for DAYS) I report all this to him. He said of course they couldn't see what the problem was on the exrays or ct scan because it has to be the small percentage of people who have issues with scar tissue being too much between the stomach and the intestines, causing it to practically close up. The only way to see it is with a scope. BUT, it's supposed to be easy to fix. Day surgery. But can't be done until after 6 weeks as it's too dangerous. (?didn't get to ask about that one). So I'm booked to go back to Humber River Hospital on Feb 25 for this "easy" procedure. But now that it's happened once, I could be susceptible to it again. *friggin great!!!!* so this means another trip to toronto, more time off work, and then who friggin knows?!?!?!?!
Oh and if I can't even get water in again, I am to go back to emerg and ask them to hook me up with some IV to get through.
Please someone remind me why I thought this was a good idea.
I'm so not in a good space right now.
HERE IS THE ACTUAL CONDITION:
Anastomotic stricture
As the anastomosis heals, it forms scar tissue, which naturally tends to shrink ("contract") over time, making the opening smaller. This is called a "stricture". Usually, the passage of food through an anastomosis will keep it stretched open, but if the inflammation and healing process outpaces the stretching process, scarring may make the opening so small that even liquids can no longer pass through it. The solution is a procedure called gastroendoscopy, and stretching of the connection by inflating a balloon inside it. Sometimes this manipulation may have to be performed more than once to achieve lasting correction.
She is currently in the hospital again and I am awaiting news and lighting a candle for her.
