Sleeve to Bypass

Glenmaree you look stunning!!! Congratulations!

that is great news - stay well

G

That is good news - great to be out of limbo land and moving forward.

yay thats great news Garfield good luck!

Good news! They are going to operate next Thursday and I can go home today without the feeding machine. They said they having been over nourishing me hence the weight gain.

Much happier fat cat today! :-)

Your right about the weight gain - 4.8kgs in a week :-( extremely unimpressed with that. I worked out the Jevity Hi Cal which is the being fed to me 4x per day works out to be 1524 calories per day.

I am allowed to drink on it, so plus the cordial lightly flavoured (can't stand plain water or lemon flavoured) and soups for lunch and dinner, I am probably consuming all up over 2000 calories per day!! Going for regular walks, but just not cutting it. Really hard to do much else when you are all hooked up.

Might ask the dietician and see if I can have the feeds reduced and supplemented with water instead. I understand I need to be fed, but nothing to be gained if I am putting on weight, esp at the rate I'm going. If anything, I need the hydration more anyway.

See the Dr in 3hrs. Hopefully they have some good news for me. Yesterday I was pretty emotional when they said they still have no idea when they will do the surgery. So fed up being in limbo.

Hi

The nasal tube needs to be flushed to keep it clear so every 2 hours 200 mls of warm water was pushed through the line via a syringe. Over 24 hours that = 2.4 litres more than I can currently get in. The nasal gastric tube is easier than a drip or pic line as they can tissue out or fall out as you have discovered. I actually gained weight while being feed. The food comes in different combinations and the type they used promoted healing hence the gain. I wasn't allowed to have any food or fluid unless it was delivered via the tube but I did have a leak which is slightly different to your circumtances. I had a long time of work and was lucky that I had a lot of leave however I did think about returning to work with the tube. My son adapted a back pack so that the little pump (it was less thn 15cm long) could hang in the back pack on my back. It remain charged for some hours an needed to be plugged into power. It is not great look but I thought it was manageable but that would depend on the kind of work you do. My fatigue was less on the tube system but it was constant and affected my concentration and memory. I have added a link to some info on the feeding system so you can have a look.

http://www.nutricia.com.au/clinical/ecn/pumpsandfeedingequipment.aspx

Please just ask any questions - I want to support you a much as I can. I am on the forum quite a lot.

Glenys

glenmaree wrote:

Hi Garfield
Re the feeding tube - don't be put off going home being feed. I went home with a nasal gastric tube for about 6 - 8 weeks. The system I had was easy to use - the only issue I had was how often I had to flush the line - 2 hourly which played havoc with my rest. I didn't stay at home either - went to the shops with the line and pump attached, Christmas shopped in a wheelchair with tube and pump attached and in a back pack.
Glenys

Glenys, just wondering, what did you do about fluid consumption? Currently I can't drink enough to keep me going so I have also got a drip along with the feeding tube to keep me hydrated so I am not sure if they would allow me to go home since I have had the drip fall out a few times and they have struggled to get back in as my veins have shrunk. I know I don't want to return to work with this tube hanging out. Plus I am constantly tired due to lack of fluids/nutrients so I incapable of returning to work. The thought of going through this for weeks scares me silly! I am literally spending my days sleeping, drinking soups, more sleeping, laps around the wards and more sleeping.

Garfield99 wrote:

I am stuck in hospital with a nasal tube force feeding me along with a drip to hydrate me until they can get theatre time and do the bypass. The sleeve operation sadly was a complete failure with a kink in the middle of the stomach that can't be fixed. I have so much restriction I literally can't get enough fluids in for me to function nor could I progress to foods as it's too tight. It feels like I am permantly in the red zone with the band (yep, had that too). All combined with a strong dose of reflux that continues to defy all types of meds
Trying to stay positive which is hard as in limbo. Don't have PHI so I am at the mercy of the public system to get the surgery. They even mentioned discharging me with the nasal tube and feeding machine so I could 'feed' myself and wait for however long to have the surgery. I nearly cried at the thought. I can't return to work, catch public transport, go out in public etc.
All I can do is rest up and hope they can do the surgery sooner rather then later. Plus use this time to gather information on how my life will be with the bypass.
I have also come to the conclusion, day time TV in general is incredibly boring LOL

Oh Garfield.
You poor love. What a mess you are in.
Sounds like you are finally getting some good care from a doctor who know what he is doing.

Keep positive, visualise a healthy body, and follow instructions to the letter.

Sending you healing light and prayers.

Take care

Ros

Hi Garfield

My thoughts are totally with you and I am so sorry this has happened to you. Instead of daytime TV today - have a gander at my diary - talk about twins!!! Re the feeding tube - don't be put off going home being feed. I went home with a nasal gastric tube for about 6 - 8 weeks. The system I had was easy to use - the only issue I had was how often I had to flush the line - 2 hourly which played havoc with my rest. I didn't stay at home either - went to the shops with the line and pump attached, Christmas shopped in a wheelchair with tube and pump attached and in a back pack. I also went out socially which was far easier as my friends were so supportive and I even drove the car. When I look back at the time - it was not great as I was pretty damn sick but I recovered far better at home, sleeping in my own bed, watching foxtel (a vast improvement on daytime soaps) and surrounded by family and friends. If you have to wait for the corrective surgery - then consider going home.

PM me if you want to know more or I can support you in anyway - Will be thinking of you and sending thoughts for a quick recovery your way.

Glenys

Hello Garfield,



I'm so sorry this is happening to you, you're in my thoughts and I hope they proceed with the surgery quickly so that you are able to start recovering, I truly feel for you.

Thanks for the prompt responses ladies and to GirlTuesday for the valuable information, I really appreciate it. Please continue to flood me with any random tips you may think of.

I am stuck in hospital with a nasal tube force feeding me along with a drip to hydrate me until they can get theatre time and do the bypass. The sleeve operation sadly was a complete failure with a kink in the middle of the stomach that can't be fixed. I have so much restriction I literally can't get enough fluids in for me to function nor could I progress to foods as it's too tight. It feels like I am permantly in the red zone with the band (yep, had that too). All combined with a strong dose of reflux that continues to defy all types of meds ;-/

Tried having the gastrophy and living on protein shakes & powerade but it didn't work and I went downhill super fast. Lucky the Doctor here (not my surgeon) recognised what was wrong and admitted me straightaway. When he said I needed the bypass I fell apart and phoned a friend who quickly made me realise that even though the bypass was never part of the original picture, it is the only solution to get off this merry go round. And hey, less chance of plateaus on the bypass so I am going to get to my goal weight super quick!!

Trying to stay positive which is hard as in limbo. Don't have PHI so I am at the mercy of the public system to get the surgery. They even mentioned discharging me with the nasal tube and feeding machine so I could 'feed' myself and wait for however long to have the surgery. I nearly cried at the thought. I can't return to work, catch public transport, go out in public etc.

All I can do is rest up and hope they can do the surgery sooner rather then later. Plus use this time to gather information on how my life will be with the bypass.

I have also come to the conclusion, day time TV in general is incredibly boring LOL

Hi Garfield 99

I am scheduled to have bypass surgery on the 21st September - a corrective proceedure required because the sleeve surgery went wrong. My reason is to manage the chronic reflux and it will hopefully allow me to eat normally - currently I can only eat mash or mince consistency. I have issues similar to a band - good food does not go down and the bad stuff like chocolate does - go figure!!! My surgeon has warned me about dumping syndrome however I think that having had a sleeve for 12 months has prepared me well. I already follow the rule about drinking and eating, chewing slowly and sipping to remain hydrated. I know someone who has had a bypass (not on this forum) and she has dumping syndrome. From what I understand if she was to avoid the high sugar - high fat foods she wouldn't have it at all. To my mind that is the only option - I was glad to see in GirlTuesdays post that she can still indulge a little as that will make life more normal.

Like you I am quite anxious - mainly because of my past history with complications. I am seeing a psychologist to assist me with managing the anxiety and I feel quite strongly that I need to be as fit as I can be - physically, mentally and emotionally before the surgery. I have complete faith and confidence in my surgeon this time and have done lots of research and reading so I know what is ahead.

I guess for me - the restrictions and complications from the sleeve surgery make my life a bit miserable anyway so if the corrective surgery can address that - it is necessary. Good luck with everything and please stay in touch.

Glenys

Hi Garfield

I can't help with the bypass question but the lovely lady in hospital with me had a sleeve first then a bypass she is on the forum as Tigga, do a search for members then send her a PM as she is not on as often. She had her bypass in February this year.

Best of luck
Melissa

Hi, I had a bypass in 2010 but it was a primary surgery not a revision. Recovery was non-eventful for me. Just followed instructions to the letter. Had reflux prior to surgery. It has greatly improved but I still need somac. Dumping occurs because the duodenum is bypassed. The duodenum is responsible for digesting sugars so when the part of the intestine (jejunum) that is now hooked up to the stomach pouch receives the sugary food it deals with it by allowing a rush of fluid in to dilute the sugar. This results in symptoms such as cramping, nausea etc which can last for about 30 minutes. I have heard of it going on for hours but that is a very unusual reaction. You can also get dumping when you eat and drink at the same time because the food is pushed though too quickly. This is one reason why you are advised not to drink within 30 minutes of eating.
Some people do get dumping with too much fat but it is primarily a response to too much sugar. Also, some people don't dump at all and, for most, the 'ability' to dump lessens over time as the body adapts.
For me, I dumped pretty easily for the first year but now I can tolerate a lot more and if I do dump it is not as severe as it used to be. For the great majority, once you are eating a normal diet, dumping only occurs when you are eating food you really shouldn't be anyway.
Yesterday, I enjoyed a piece of cheesecake at a picnic with no ill effects. I also enjoy the occasional chocolate treat and can even have it with coffee because it melts and slides through with the coffee.
Yes, if food gets stuck because you are not chewing properly (in the early days) it really hurts and sometimes for a fair while. It happened to me a couple of times. But this also gets better as your pouch matures.
The good thing about the bypass for me is that it has greatly reduced my sweet tooth. My surgeon says this is probably due to gut hormone changes. So, the possibility of dumping tends to keep me away from stuff I shouldn't be eating if I want to keep the weight off but I can have the odd treat these days as long as it is in moderation.
The bypass was the right decision for me. It is a wonderful tool and has given me the ability to get my life back. I'm sorry to hear you need revision surgery but I hope my experience is able to give you some reassurance. Best wishes to you.

Due to complications, I am now facing going from sleeve to bypass and am petrified. Is there anyone else on this forum that also had to do this and willing to share their experience?

I would like to know if you have found it different from recovery to eating.

The reflux is pretty bad also with the sleeve, has this been reduced or eliminated after bypass and have you suffered any dumping?

I saw a video of this on utube after a guy had some fatty food and was in pain for hours!! From what i understand, dumping is when the food (usually fatty or sugary) gets stuck and your in pain until it 'dumps' though the system.

Any other advice and experiences from those who either have had the switch or even just had the bypass would be appreciated xo