bittersweet 10 month anniversary

hi guys, i know i haven't been posting in here much lately, sorry. today is my 10 month anniversary and i feel like crap. aside from my gallbladder surgery at 3 months out, i sailed right through my WLS experience and felt awesome. i was taking taekwondo lessons and everything. but the last month has been hell. it started with pain behind my right shoulderblade, right where my gallbladder pain referred to when i still had it. it took my PCM 2 weeks to figure out that it wasn't a musculoskeletal issue (back x-rays, PT, muscle relaxers) and after an incident when the pain increased when i swallowed a citracal, he decided to send me to my bariatric surgeon. he ordered bloodwork, CT scans, and an EGD. (endoscopy of throat/stomach) bloodwork was OK, CT scan of my chest showed "3 lesions, probably benign" (the nurse told me, she said she didn't have any more details except that i need to have another CT in 2 months to check on them), and the EGD showed a small ulcer on my stoma and some scar tissue in my esophagus. (i had GERD for years pre-op, but none since) they gave me carafate, had me double my dose of prevacid, yet i'm still in pain and it seems to actually be getting worse. thankfully i'm going back to see the gastroenterologist that did the EGD tomorrow. i didn't have any actual stomach pain until AFTER the EGD, just the referred pain in my shoulder and some occasional (but scary) chest pain. now my stomach burns and i have sharp pains all along my midsection just under my ribs on both sides. i feel very tender there as well, and in general i feel weak and tired. i almost passed out in the shower the other day, felt like i couldn't breathe. i was given pain meds by my PCM but those have run out and tylenol doesn't help at all. i wake up sweating any time i sleep. also, while i was averaging about a pound a week for the past few months, i have lost 6 lbs. since this past friday. though it puts me 4 lbs. from my goal, it kinda worries me b/c i haven't lost that much in less than a week since right after my surgery. i have missed a lot of work due to all of this and my employer is now saying that i have to go on short-term disability or i'll lose my job. anys, not so great of an update. michelle 277/154/150

Michelle, I'm so sorry to hear that you're having difficulties. Please keep up updated. I'm sure the doctors will figure it out, soon hopefully. I'll put you on our prayer list at church. Our preacher is a great prayer warrior. Toni 267/156/135

thanks, you're sweet.

Michelle, I am so sorry that you are having such drastic health problems. I've wondered how you were doing and now I know. You just get healthy again and work on the last of the weight when you are back to snuff. You have lost so much weight and you will reach your goal! Susie 235/135

thank you. i'm actually more worried about losing too much and going below goal, i lost 6 lbs. this week b/c i'm not eating much. i have a buffer (my "ideal" weight is 137, but my realistic goal is 150) but at this rate i'll be at 137 in 3 weeks!

Hi, Michelle. I've been depressed myself the last few months and I used to be a regular poster on here last year but have been MIA for a while (sorry guys). I'm so sorry that you are going through all that. It's no fun when you are in dire pain and even the pros can't figure it out. How frustrating. Are you taking a muscle relaxer at night when you go to bed? When I have done that - I wake up in the middle of the night sweating as well. And I've deduced it to the muscle releaxer. Not sure why it does that but nights when I don't take it I don't wake up in the middle of night sweating and out of breath. Did they check your pancreas? I was hospitalized for pancreatitis in October for similar pains, but I also had a 103+ fever, vomitting, the runs, loss of appetite, etc. They check your pancreas through your blood levels (pancreatic level should be around 300) and through an EGD and CT scan - which it looks like they did. I'm adding you to my prayer list as well. I know what you mean about not regretting the surgery. My gosh, you've come a long way and are pretty much at goal. So it's no longer about the weight it's about your health and it's no fun being in pain, missing work, etc. I'm praying that the Lord heals you, the drs find out what it is and know how to cure it and that your job is safe and secure. Keep us posted!! Trisha

i haven't taken the muscle relaxers in a while, i stopped when they figured out that it wasn't a muscle pain. my blood levels are OK (at least they were, i just had some more drawn wednesday so we'll see) and i haven't been running a high fever ****asionally low grade but nothing above 101) so they haven't really said anything about pancreatitis. the gastroenterologist said that i may have a stone in my bile duct or sphincter of oddi dysfunction, it happens sometimes after gallbladder removal and causes pain that is similar to gallbladder attacks. i had an MRCP (MRI of bile ducts) on thursday and hopefully i'll have the results soon. the treatment (ERCP) is difficult with RNY patients and runs a risk of causing pancreatitis, but at this point i just want the pain to stop, even if it runs the risk of having to stay in the hospital for a few days. thanks for your thoughts and concern!