REALLY SCARED

Hey Gotta,

I am doing well. I officially got to hear the words ''you are finally in the all clear'' last week! 6 months and 8 days since my nightmare started! Im seeing/feeling the benefits of my decision now and I am most definitely not as negitive towards the surgery as I have been previously.. which isnt to say I endorse it, but I am at ease with it (for lack of another explaination) :0)

I wont forget it in a hurry, let me tell you that! It will take some more time before my children will forget it, it really affected them in emotional ways. But all in all my health is fine.. Im a bit terrible at getting enough water, which shocks me as I used to be a water-a-holic.. but anyways, I will get better. 16 weeks of not consuming any food or liquid got me into some terrible habits.

Thanks for asking of me, I really apprecite it.

Alana xox

Alana,and Lady.

I hope you are both on the mend now. I remember all the pain and heartache you went through Alana! Are you on the mend now?

Hi Lady.. I'm so sorry about your leak and the fear and panic that it very real for you.

I'm sending you love and positve thoughts that all heals well and you are on your journey soon full of energy and happiness :)

With the swollen ankle you talk about try getting some "Lectric Soda" crystals from the laundry isle in the supermarket....put them into a tea towel and wrap around your swollen foot...remember to put another towel under it as the fluid pours out.....this is an old footballers remedy and I have had a few friends use it with great results as it draws out the fluid.

Thinking of you



Jane

Wow Alana what an experience! That's something I've read a few times on here, that people didn't want to bother anyone or got bad advice from a GP or different hospital to where they had the surgery. It sounds like it is pretty hard to diagnose so best to call your surgeon. I hope you recovered well.

Lady would love to have an update from you when you are up to it; hoping things are better.

Dearest Lady,

Dear oh dear, what an awful week you are having. I can relate to having a leak, as the leak i endured almost took my life. You will know if you have a leak because the pain is unbearable. You can not stand up straight and find yourself hunching over all the time and pretty much lay in bed.

If ANYTHING feels wrong please dear god call your surgeon. I didnt because another doctor had said all my problem was, was built up gas under my ribs and being a bit embarrassed that I had wasted a good doctors time I put up with it until it was almost too late. My life and yours is worth more than worrying if we are wasting/annoying a good surgeon with a 'silly' concern.

Please keep in contact.

Loads and Loads of love and support,
Alana xoxoxo

My surgeon does a leak test before taking the nasal gastric tube out in hospital. I was so out of it I can't even remember it but apparently it is pretty foolproof.

I was really worried about leaks and when I asked my surgeon he said that if I had one I would know about it! I felt shocking after surgery and went back to hospital where they did a full CT scan and looked at the stomach and any fluid around it.

If you are still concerned you could ask for that test, it was expensive (as i had it done through the private ED before being admitted) but the piece of mind was worth it.

Hi Lady

So sorry you are having to do it so hard.

I had the leak test as it is routine for my surgeon, the foul tasting liquid shows up so they can see clearly if it is held within your stomach. I would have confidence in the test. IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS get on the phone to your surgeon without delay. That is what they are there for, and you should have the expectation that your concerns will be addressed fully. A rise in temperature can be the first indicator of trouble. Wishing you all the very best of luck from here on and I hope that you have a good support team around you so that you can focus on getting well.

Sarah

Hey lady....I can't offer any advice for a leak either only give you my support and send positive thoughts your way. Hope your test was a good result. Please let us know how you got on. Hugs to you.

Hey girl

I'm really sorry to hear about your leak. I had a hole in my stomach too and major complications. I had my op in Sep 2010. For 2 months I kept nagging the surgeon that there was something wrong with me. He sent me for several tests that didn't show the leak, so he said that I was over-eating!!

MY EVIDENCE - I wasn't keeping any food down. I could barely keep fluid down. I had stomach pains shortly after eating anything that managed to stay down. I couldn't pass wind yet I felt my stomach bloated with air. I was losing a whopping 10kg a month . . . . I didn't buy his 'over-eating' theory!!

Eventually, one test showed that I had air floating around my body . . . not retained in my stomach! The surgeon consulted his team and they finally concluded that I had a small leak. So, I was hospitalised for 9 depressing days. They fixed me up with glue!! Since then, I have had a number of related complications. It's been over a year and I'm still having some issues. My main problem has been my immune system being down. For months I kept getting colds and flus and I eventually got pnemonia! I shed 50kg within 5 months and so I now have saggy skin because my skin didn't have enough time to adjust to my rapid weight loss. I used to throw up saliva and bile up to 5 times a day. This only happens once every few days now. I'm extremely anemic and very pale. My stomach pains have reduced heaps now but I still have my moments.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that time will heal. It's just hard to be patient. So, chin up and keep positive. If you are on facebook, inbox me and I'll give you my username. A few of us girls are on it but we don't mention our ops publicly.

Hey, lady
So sorry to hear of all your troubles. I do hope you are feeling better soon, but unfortunately I don't have anything new to add.
I would just urge you to talk to your doc about any concerns you have - that's what they're there for, after all.
Good luck - I hope you just get better and better now.

I can't offer any advise or experience with leak tests either ladyofthehouse, only my support and best wishes.

I know it's a really difficult head space to be in because you want to try to stay calm to keep your stress levels down but at the same time I know that I need to listen to my intuition ... if something doesn't feel right you're best to have it checked out. Maybe you could speak with your surgeon and see if they could do another leak test in a weeks time (or whenever they suggest) just so that you can give yourself some peace of mind.

Best wishes for your recovery and I hope you do find some peace soon. It's a major surgery and your body needs you to stay strong to make the best recovery.

I never had a leak test so I don't know but just wanted to pop in and say "Hang in there and it will get better" I agree totally with vanderaj. Try to move and don't lift washing baskets or vacuum and sip sip sip. Take it easy and speedy recovery to you.
hugs Tash xx

Hang in there! I had a blown IV drip that put ~1 bag of liquid into my arm. That's nearly gone now - your body will absorb the rest of the fluid sooner than later.

The main thing with the leaks according to my doc is to not overdo things, which he then contradicted and asked me to drink 1.5 l/day (which I find is very hard to do).

On a positive note, I doubt whether they would have sent you home before you were safe to go home. Main thing I would do is get up and walk about to get the body processing that extra fluid and get the gas out of your tummy. I find the bloat and gas somewhat painful, and walking around and standing up has made a huge difference to how I feel.

It sounds like you've had a horror time, but this forum and the wonderful folks here helped me through my darkest doubts before the operation. Hopefully, you'll be feeling more re-assured soon.

thanks,
Andrew

I had my sleeve done on tuesday. Tests showed it had leaked. my bloods (hb count) went from 14 down to 6.3. Had 4 transfusions and bloods went back up to 10. They gave me transenxamic acid to stop the bleed. My veins collapsed so they had to use every means possible to get lines in ( eventually an anaethetist had to be called each time ). Have blood and protein in my urine, They dipped it and have said its an infection and its "probably from the catheter" and put me on the antibiotic called trimethporin. They took me out of the HDU after a couple of days and into my room. My hands and feet were swollen to about 3 times their normal size.My oxygen sats were low. They then wheeled me to x ray where I had to drink a foul tasting liquid whilst they watched it on x ray . They said there was no evidence of a leak now. I feel like a raving lunatic. I came home yesterday and feel as if Ive been run over by a truck, I am so scared I,ll develop a leak again. I nearly died in august 2010 from a perforated ulcer. I never imagined I would have to face the horrors of another bleed . Im reallly terrified that the staples will pop again and I dont know how Ill know. my fingers have returned to a normal size - as has 1 ankle - but the other is still HUGE . I am so tired that even walking from the bedroom to the bathroom leaves me exhausted . Does anyone know how effective the " xray leak test" is ? I know Im probably being nuerotic but I really, really need some reasurance. I havent opened my bowels since monday . One nurse told me to expect old blood another said that if I see old blood I'll have to contact the hospital straight away. Arggggghhhh. I;m losing the plot. Help !