kconnors

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CT scan showed nothing that would indicate surgery. I do apparently have diverticulosis. Instructions are to start eating food again and stay on the Miralax and stool softeners, followup appt in two weeks.

Last Thursday a flat Xray showed the contrast was still sitting in my system since 7 days before, so they postponed the CT scan. Friday after work I got a voicemail from the surgeon telling me to take magnesium citrate over the weekend to clean out my bowels, so I stopped taking the colace Reglan and miralax and then did the magnesium citrate on Sunday when I had already planned on being home all day. Everything came out all day, which was good.

Monday morning another flat Xray was taken to verify the contrast was not still sitting in my bowels. Then I had to drink contrast at intervals for an hour, then go into the CT room, have an IV put in place and dye put into my bloodstream via the IV. Several CT scans were taken but they didn't take long.

It was an unpleasant experience regarding drinking the contrast and also the feeling of the dye entering my system via the IV, but it is over. Tomorrow morning I see the surgeon again. I am going to push for some resolution as it is almost two weeks that I have been on liquids and not feeling very invested in anything in life, waiting for my innards to be fixed. I have a reservation for overnight at the beach may 17th for hubby's birthday so I want to either have a surgery right away or wait until that weekend is over (my preference would be right away).

The impact of this on my life is that I am not as focused at work and am missing time at work, which is not good and doesn't make me feel that good about myself as an employee. Secondly although I am losing a tiny bit of weight I am not feeling up to exercising past taking short walks so I feel my muscle tone has gone to hell and my metabolism has bottomed out. Thirdly I am starting to have a hard time with all of the parties and bar-b-ques I am attending where I can't eat anything. It is really starting to bother me to stay on this liquid diet even though I am truthfully not physically hungry.

I'll post again when I know what the next step will be...

Yesterday another xray and visit w/Dr. campbell. Instructions to stay on full liquid diet and to add three meds to get my bowels moving, reglan colace and miralax. Today's xray showed that the radioactive dye I drank last Thursday is still in my intestines. CAT scan drinking more radioactive dye scheduled for this Thursday but to be preceeded by a flat xray to ensure the previous contrast has been flushed out by then. We are moving toward a likelihood of a laproscopic exploratory of the bowels...

Had the test to find bowel blockage and none was found. results were abnormal, though, in that some of the small bowel appeared enlarged. Within two hours of finishing the test my surgeon called me and told me the result and said the enlargement could be because there was a blockage and it has now released. I told her I was still experiencing pain.

The plan through the weekend is for me to stay on a full liquid diet. Dr. Campbell said she might "look at it with a scope" but hasn't decided.

No food yesterday and today, just liquids, and today although I feel weak and tired I am so far not having the belly pain.

I think I need to work on getting into a more positive optimistic frame of mind as the past week has brought me to my knees emotionally. I need to believe this will pass and resolve itself and I will eventualy feel healthy. So that is the task I am giving myself for now!

feeling weak and very tired but I'm at work today and am happy that when I called surgeon's office, I was told they ARE going to schedule the CAT scan. I managed to keep down a bowl of cereal/milk this morning and have been concentrating on drinking water since then. Got the ER-prescribed stool softeners and took one of those about 2pm - still drinking water with some Isopure in it for protein.

The weather is so fine, I wish I felt better so I could be active and really enjoy this smaller body I have now!

My friends and workmates are being great - checking in w/me daily or more often and keeping me upbeat. They keep saying that when this problem is resolved and in a year or so to come when I have a slender body, I will be able to look back at this and say it was all worth it.

I am a bit down but still not at the point of regretting I had the surgery. One thing I AM is very scared I won't live long enough or be healthy enough to enjoy the benefits of having lost weight.

can't really log any weights these days because they are low due to dehydration and lack of nutrition. In seven more days it will be 3-months post-surgery and I think I have lost more than 50 pounds at this point. My short-term goal is to lose 100 pounds in the first 6 months. My long-term goal is to weigh 160 pounds.

Looks like I ended up getting one of those internal hernias they tell you about in the list of RNY post-surgical risks. Maybe. Finally a determination of why I have now had 3 ER visits with hours and hours of pain and vomiting; most likely a partial bowel obstruction. An internal hernia occurs when the fat in your abdomen goes away leaving pockets where intestine can push into and get kinked up.

Next step - either CAT scan right away or wait until another episode and do a CAT scan then. If there is a partial obstruction/kink then it will be repaired surgically.

I am very discouraged right now.

Surgical follow-up this morning. Problems discussed: chronic constipation, dull stomach pain. Weight down only a little over a pound from two weeks ago - not sure why as I am under-eating (or maybe that's why).

Not known why my stomach is still bothering me but it's possible that the constipation is related. Suggest increasing from Stage 3 to Stage 4 foods immediately and make appt with dietitian to go to Stage 5. Continue protein drinks and increase exercise as tolerated. Try to drink prune juice and maybe take in high-fiber cereals and add flax seeds to my diet, plus be aware of liquid intake possibly being too low - hopefully this will alleviate constipation. Stethascope to my belly showed almost no bowel sounds.

So I've lost 50 pounds and not sure why I am not losing weight right at this point, although it has got to do with (I'm sure) my erratic diet of almost no food during my bouts of overwhelming stomach pain and now I am eating again, although only about 6 oz at each meal.

Yesterday I took a 50-minute walk at lunchtime as the snow is melting and the temps were in the 50s for once. My legs are stiff today but it felt good. My goal is to get back on track with exercising daily as long as I feel well enough. For the past two days I have been feeling very tired, going to bed by 10 and getting up at 7am!

Test done Friday April 4 ruled out gallbladder issues as an explanation of excruciating stomach pain events in the past weeks. I haven't had any problems for the past few days. Followup with surgeon in two days and will post again then.

Hooray I hit a goal of mine which was to be able to wear pants that have NO elastic in the waistband. I was able to put on, button, and zip up sized 22 cords on Saturday! What an accomplishment!!!!!!!!!!!

I still have an ear infection so the PCP is changing my ear drops to a new kind of drop.

Surgeon not so sure (nor am I) that my episodes are gallstone-based. Am ordered to follow the pureed foods stage of eating and to avoid milk-based products.

HIDA screening test ordered for Thursday afternoon (you can Google "HIDA test").

I am keeping my fingers crossed that I won't have to have another surgery...

1.5 weeks after the ER visit of the last posting I ended up vomiting and retching again at about midnight. Hubby drove me 1 hour to ER where morphine drip didn't help much at all this time. Another ultrasound saw two gallstones stil in the gall bladder but hovering close to the neck which could be causing blockage. Don't know but released with ant-nausea meds and pain meds. All day Friday terrible pain but once I could get the pain meds in (takes 1 hour to do to avoid nausea even with anti-nausea meds) I was able to get several-hour periods of sleep.

Today (Saturday) I woke up after sleeping all night! My belly aches but no pain but I am afraid of putting anything in there. I have taken several sips of watered-down protein drink but know I MUST ingest more to get healthy. Dr appts scheduled for upcoming Monday afternoon.

I find that when in pain you didn't think you can stand, you still have to stand it if you don't pass out. After several hours of said pain, you become some kind of animal like a dog in the road that has been hit by a car but isn't dead yet. It is not pretty and is putting a great fear of another onset into me...   Hopefully whatever the problem is will resolve soon.