my sclerotherapy experience

Hi July family This is a copy of what I posted on the revisions board: My Sclerotherapy experience: I had sclerotherapy on 5/25 in Grand Rapids, MI. Because I traveled from out of state, I had my appointments condensed, but still went through the whole process. I arrived at for my 9:00 appointment to meet the behaviorist. We talked about what was going on in my life, and the triggers that caused me to eat and gain weight, or make poor food choices. He reinforced what I already knew. It's basically up to me on whether this sclerotherapy will work or not. I have to take control of my decisions. At 10:00 I met with the dietician. She was laid back and realistic. She promotes that it is OK to treat yourself, but be aware that it all adds up over time. All things in moderation. It's not bad to have a treat, but it's bad to have treats ever day. We discussed "protein first", and proper supplementation. We talked about a food diary, too. I actually left the dietician's office feeling hopeful that I could do everything that we talked about. For those of you that are wondering about the post-sclerotherapy diet, it is recommended that you go easy the first day or two with liquids and soft foods. I ate applesauce and cottage cheese and yogurt, keeping my quantities around ½ cup. I'm not sure if I felt hunger, gas pressure, or post procedure pain--it was a confused stomach feeling. I don't know yet if I have "restriction", and I think it will be some time before I know what I'm feeling food wise. After the first few days, it's eat food as tolerated. Honestly, I was hoping for stricter limitations. But, you are encouraged to follow the pouch rules. At 11:00 I met the exercise physiologist. This was the appointment I was dreading. I love to exercise as long as it's a team sport. I play on several teams, and I'm a very active person. I was just certain he would tell me that I had to start a weight lifting program, and I HATE lifting weights. It bores me to tears, and I have no motivation to lift weights. He came up with a program without weights that used my own body as resistance. I will be using an exercise ball, and it actually looks like fun. I know it will be a challenge for me, but I can see the benefits, and I know I'll feel stronger. I was very pleased with all three meetings that morning, and felt the education was very good. I then went to check in for the procedure at 12:00 (procedure was at 1:30). They called me back, had me strip from the waist up and wear a gown, and took me back and asked a few medical questions. They started an IV, and then I walked back to the procedure room. At 1:27 Dr. Baker came in and said we'd start in a few minutes. I was absolutely floored that a Doctor was running ON TIME! He ducked out, and then came back in with his team, and began the procedure. They had me lie on my left side, gave me some "happy drugs", and sprayed some cherry flavored stuff on my throat to numb it. Now, every surgery that I've had, I wake up with a sore throat from whatever tube they put down there. It is one of the things that I dread about surgery. I had NO throat pain after this procedure until the next morning, and it was very mild. Why don't all surgeons use this stuff? OK, so now I'm out, they go in and do their stuff. It turns out that my stoma is 18mm, and it is supposed to be 12-16 mm post WLS. So, we were right, and I felt this sense that I didn't fail, and it wasn't my fault. I don't blame my original surgeon either--it's just the way it was, and now (hopefully) it's fixed. It's possible that I may have to have a second treatment, but time will tell. When I "came to", I felt groggy and shakey--normal for me post anesthesia. I had a 2 ½ hour drive ahead of me, so I slept off and on for the ride home. I felt discomfort, but my pain medicine handled it. Honestly, I didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did. When I had my RNY, I would call my pain on a scale from 1-10 a 3. The only "proof" I had that they did something to me was the nausea and the little laproscopic holes left behind. For my sclerotherapy, I didn't need any "proof" that something was done--I felt it. Maybe I'd call my pain a 5, and I don't consider myself whimpy, but I was feeling it. But, with pain meds, I was fine. I was functional the evening of the procedure and able to feed and take care of my son (16 month old). I lifted him repeatedly over the next day or two, which could explain why I felt sore, too. I think the nausea post sclerotherapy was the worst part, and they can't give me anything for it. Three days later, I still feel a little nauseated, but again, I'm functional so no complaints here. I feel a little discomfort when I take a deep breath, but that's it. So, time will tell now if I'm feeling restriction. I'm too scared to pu**** or test it, and I don't know that I would feel what I'm supposed to feel yet. I'm certainly eating less, and thinking a lot more before I eat or drink. It's hard to remember to stop drinking 15 minutes before I eat, and not drink for 30-45 minutes after I eat. It's also a challenge to not "graze", or randomly snack. My head still thinks I need to eat. Just like WLS, the surgery is on your stomach, not on your head. I just need to get my stomach and head to communicate together to get through this. So, that's my story. I'll post more on success or failure in the future. Let's all hope that my outcome is positive, and I achieve my original goal of fitting into a size 14.

Thanks Deeno for sharing your story. It's amazing what they're doing now. I'd love to know what size my stoma is - too bad there isn't an easier way to find out! I think you nailed it when you said that the surgery, whether it be RNY, lapband or sclerotherpy, is not on our brains. I think that is where the problem lies with most of us. I'll be anxious to hear how this procedure works in the next month or so. I wish all the best for you and hey, no matter what, this is all a learning experience. I don't know about anyone else, but I've never known so much about myself - or realized how much more there is to learn!! Take it easy and give yourself time to heal. Please let us know how you're doing. Give the little guy a hug for me! Hugs, Nancy

Diana: Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I too think I have an enlarged stoma. I want to inquire about this procedure as well. I'm not sure how to say it though! ha ha! I like Nancy, look forward to hearing how your progress goes. Please keep us posted. Michelle

Diana, I'm glad that things went well for you. I'm excited to see what kind of progress you make. I don't know if my stoma is larger or how much my pouch has expanded, but I do know that I am certainly lacking in the self-control department. But there's no surgery to fix that! I was reading a post on the post-op pregnancy board (I go there to check in with people I was TTC with...and they're all finally PG), and a girl from the Missouri board was on there (Michelle, you might remember MARSHA). Anyway, Marsha continues to blame everything else for her weight gain, but NEVER says "Hey, I should cut back." A couple of years ago, she a had a scope that said everything was normal. She claims a scope the other day revealed that her pouch has doubled in size. I don't know...I kind of think she's either a hypochondriac, a pathological liar, or suffers from that Munchausen illness. ANYWAY, her post kind of ticked me off, because she NEVER EVER tries to change her ways...just wants to blame it on surgery failure. My tool still works...I get full on a sandwich, sick on certain foods, etc. I just have a tough time controlling my compulsive habits. And honestly, I think that's the case with the majority of us. ANYWAY, D, I know that you've tried unsuccessfully to take control and that this procedure might give you the boost that you need. I'd be curious to know whether a lot of it is mind-over matter (you know, spend the money, control the brain), or if it's the physical feeling of being so stuffed you can't stand to put any more in. Keep us updated! And best wishes on your size 14 journey! Pamela