My 5 day countdown to DS in Mexico

[Clematis]

Ok I am BETTER. Yea! Must be the chicken broth. Also removal of drain.

He didn't say anything about a 3 mo leak test to me @BebeZed .

@DSRIGGS omeprazole prescription is not the same as OTC. One is omeprazole sodium, the other omeprazole magnesium.

I can't say enough good things about my experience here with Dr Esquerra and the rest of the staff. He's very huggy - and very young with puppy dog eyes. Kind of child like - I felt like tucking him under my arm and reading him a bedtime story.

The only disturbing thing is that they do not use gloves for phlebotomy. Now 40 years ago they didn't either but ...

 

[BebeZed]

Ok I am BETTER. Yea! Must be the chicken broth. Also removal of drain.

He didn't say anything about a 3 mo leak test to me @BebeZed .

@DSRIGGS omeprazole prescription is not the same as OTC. One is omeprazole sodium, the other omeprazole magnesium.

I can't say enough good things about my experience here with Dr Esquerra and the rest of the staff. He's very huggy - and very young with puppy dog eyes. Kind of child like - I felt like tucking him under my arm and reading him a bedtime story.

The only disturbing thing is that they do not use gloves for phlebotomy. Now 40 years ago they didn't either but ...

I'm really glad to hear you're doing better!
The info about the 3 month test was in the packet that they gave me either when checking in to the hospital (in the folder) or part of the stuff they gave me to when I checked out. Maybe it was just me because I had a lap band revision?

Be SURE to get your paperwork when you leave the hospital! They didn't have mine ready which delayed our departure a bit but they did come up with it. It included two CDs - one for each of the barium swallows you did. It's interesting to see the new anatomy working but is of limited interest to others I've found LOL

They used gloves for all my draws and stuff... I think it's weird they didn't do that with you. Hmmm...

Anyway, the worst part is over... enjoy your stay in San Diego when you get there!

 

[bearmom]

Glad things are looking up. That tape allergy is a bummer. I was forming blisters under it, around my eyes during surgery, so when it came off, so did skin. I'm guessing you had something similar if there are blisters. Ow that's sensitive skin. I also had issues with the bloating of hands and feet from the sodium in the IV, so managed to "gain" 25lbs in hospital. It's will start peeing out as soon as they quit pumping sodium into you.

Not sure if it's the same for you, but my stomach was pissed at being cut up, that ice chips were all I could do for a while, as the cold seemed to help the inflammation. Hang in there, you are past the worst of it.

 

[Jo777]

Speaking of leak tests...

Dr. Esquerra asked that I have an upper GI at 3 months to make sure everything is still in good working order. Is this overkill or do you think it's a good idea? This would be the only time that test would be done unless there was a problem.

TBH, I'm thinking about skipping it (I'm doing SO well!) and just getting the labs done...

Aceves asked the same (they appear to be doing things very similarly) but I did skip mine.. I did go to my regular PCP with a long list of labs at 3mo, and then again at a year. I personally skipped the upper GI as I wasn't having any issues at all, so I figured that all was well. If I had any inclination that a problem was brewing I would have jumped on it though.

@Clematis - glad you are progressing well! I had a reaction to the spinal anesthetic (did you get this too?) - While it was supposed to give good pain coverage for up to 36hrs or so, for me it gave horrendous nausea for the entire time, not to mention the sore spot on my back! That blue dye test was hardly able to be done.. It was interesting to watch the barium travel though, and my home Dr appreciated seeing my new anatomy when I brought in the films. I traveled home after the 3 days were up with help of my husband, not too bad, just really tiring. Glad you got a room and someplace to relax and heal a bit more. If I ever do any other medical tourism, that will prob be the route I choose if I can.

 

[SJB41976]

I'm just now catching up on all of this but glad you are doing so well.

 

[Clematis]

Thanks everyone for your good wishes. It means a lot.

Finally back home. Staying in San Diego for a few days didn't work out so well. I had a wretched hotel room without a comfortable chair and they sprayed some noxious "signature scent" on everything -- it even permeated the wrapped cups and mugs -- that was so foul I assumed I was smelling an Orkin insect killer. I had a wretched husband who never stopped working to take his nose out of his phone/tablet/laptop and speak more than a handful of words to me. (I figured at least he could call 911 if I passed out but then when we went out, he kept walking ahead and "losing" me -- I'd be 10 feet away and staring at him as he'd look around and over my head as if I'd vanished and finally call me on my cell. This happened several times a day. Net net: if I had needed emergency care he would not have noticed. But all that is another story.)

Everyone talks about not being hungry immediately post-op with all the grehlin cells excised with the stomach. And yet my stomach is growling constantly 24/7. I do feel significant hunger. I don't know if I could eat -- I'm having trouble just getting fluids down and have not made 64 oz a day as yet -- but I want to eat. I am still on clear liquids until Sunday. I can barely choke down a packet a day of Unjury chicken soup (20 gr protein/100 calories), so I am decidedly weak with 100 calories a day as my only source of nutrition. (Pre-op I liked Unjury soup; can't stand it now.) On Sunday I get "full" liquids, which includes milk and yogurt (not a liquid by my definition but I'll take it) which should, hopefully, give me more energy. Softs 10 days after that. I don't get real food until December 12. I'm confident I'll continue to heal and begin to feel more normal when I'm allowed some food.

I am not in pain now but am sore and achy. (A kamikaze cab driver who hit every pot hole did cause me great stomach pain.) I am tired and just generally don;t feel great. I'm also a little emotional -- feel like I could use a good cry (I'm not a cryer, usually.) That may be a function of post-anesthesia, cognitive issues from lack of sustenance, being tired, or who knows ...

I've lost a pound a day in the 7 days since the surgery.

 

[Charris]

Girlfriend the growling is just the DS STOMACHgenerally has nothing to do with hunger. I'm not saying you're not hungry but generally most of us are stuck for life with that loud embarrassing gurgling! Lol

 

[Clematis]

@Charris I thought I had read everything possible about DS and yet don't recall seeing that. The DS stomach always growls -- not just immediately post-op? Wow. It is so loud and strong it has actually awakened me a couple of times.

 

[Jo777]

Glad you seem to be doing well- it was serious work to get fluids in that first week. I needed to lightly flavor them and have them room temp, anything else felt like I was trying to drink liquid rock.

My sleeved stomach made a lot of weird noises, some worthy of Star Trek for a couple months then settled down to normal again, hopefully the same happens for you, it was loud! I didn't get the hunger, but did have noise aplenty.. I was given a bunch of Nexium to take, and everyone says acid mimics hunger, though I never really had that experience,. I was on a PPI for more than a decade before surgery, and still on the same dose post-op, 10mg omez 2x a day. Still taking a PPI?

 

[Charris]

Not all the time but quite frequently. That's something you would only be able to find out from a vet because were the one who had the surgery and we live with the gurgling very loud gurgling embarrassing

 

[hilary1617]

@Clematis the stomach growling is more likely acid reflux than hunger at this point - definitely talk with your doctor about whether that could be it. Glad you are back home and sorry you aren't getting the level of support we should expect from our partners. Every day from here on out you should feel a bit better.

 

[Clematis]

@hilary1617 acid reflux causes growling? geez, acid reflux causes a lot of strange things unrelated to heartburn. They gave me IV antacid in hospital which I think did very little - I actually had the feeling of heartburn whereas my usual silent reflux just makes it feel like I have nose mucous that won't "swallow". I am taking my pre-surgery prescription prilosec 40mg. (I shake the pellets out of the capsule into the back of my mouth and take a sip before I gag.) I have no feeling of post nasal drip (and no heartburn) so I assumed it was working.

 

[southernlady]

@Charris I thought I had read everything possible about DS and yet don't recall seeing that. The DS stomach always growls -- not just immediately post-op? Wow. It is so loud and strong it has actually awakened me a couple of times.

Mine only growls now with certain foods. Early on, it growled with everything, empty, full, it didn't matter and it wasn't really hunger just noise. Now apple cider (I drink it hot at night) and V8 juice are my biggest culprits.

 

[DSRIGGS]

mine doesn't gurgle all the time but does at some times. To me it is stuff passing through the stomach and the small bowel, at least that is what I envision is happening.

I am hungry more now than I ever was before the DS. I am always hungry.

@Clematis I had a very hard time getting liquids down after surgery and had to go to the ER two different times . One for just fluids and the other I was admitted for what ended up being a stone but I IV fluids for 3 days. As I mentioned earlier you may need a PPI twice a day and the carafate I had to take in order to get things down. Nothing was appetizing to me at all ...no drink or no food. The only thing that was good at all to me and in very tiny volumes after a week or so, was cream of wheat with a little splenda and half and half.

Just keep trying to sip and like Jo said, check with Doc on PPI.

 

[BebeZed]

Oh geez, I'm so sorry the spousal unit was less than supportive. Sounds like you are hanging in there and doing fine though.
I had incessant gurgling the first couple of weeks and now it's down to a mild roar. I notice it most when I'm in bed snuggling with the dog. Half the time I don't know whether it's me or the dog - but I figure it's me.

I'm also having some acid reflux, usually at night. So far a dose of ranitidine helps but it seems to be getting more frequent so I'm going to ask about a second dose of the PPI to see what they say. We can compare notes if you'd like

Hang in there - we knew going in that the first three months would be the worst of it. I'm still having issues making myself eat - I am soooo not hungry most of the time, but I do have my hungry-hungry-hippo times. I'm trying to get it all evened out so I have a decent schedule for these things... it's a work in progress.

Don't worry about the weight right now, ok? It will come off. Stay away from the scale if it's bothering you. You're still doing fine!