Ulcer didn't heal

Hi all, Well, I had my 4-week follow-up endoscopy today with Dr. Butensky, and to my great disappointment, the ulcer is still going strong. Not even slightly better, he said. I'm taking prevacid twice a day, and now will take Zantac once a day, at bedtime. However, he told me that I must quit smoking. He said it's the reason why the ulcer didn't heal. Anyone else out there go through this? I know I need to quit for my health anyway, but to be honest, it has been such a crutch --a food replacement--that I'm really nervous about giving it up. Any ex-smokers out there? Anyone with ulcers that didn't heal? Replies are appreciated. THanks, Heather PS: I went to Dr. Barba's office after the procedure to set up my 3-month follow up. While there, I weighed myself. very disappointed. Since surgery (11/22), I've lost 54 pounds. By my scale at home, that was 64.

Heather, I have not had much time as of late to be on the board, but this is a reoccuring story which needs adressing again. The number one non-medication cause of ulcers post-op is....................... purging. Got you. Number 2 is smoking. We all have crutches. Mine is still food. Struggling daily, but hope that with Lent is a week I will buckle down and drop to normal weight, or at least close (40 lbs). I have friends who still have alcohol as a crutch too. Don't even want to go there. Not a good thing I can tell you. We deal with an addiction, and have multiple addictions at one time. From what Dr Daniels had discussed in a group discussion once, you never lose the addictions. You replace one addictive behavior with another, that's all. So, what kind of addictive behavior can you substitute for the smoking?? Exercise is the one that everyone points to. There are many benifits to it needless to say, but unlike most of the addictive behaviors it requires additional time. It's not like eating on the run or smoking while driving where you are multitasking so you don't take up time that you did not have in the first place. Chew gum. One of the smoking gums to start with. Chewing could satisfy the oral aspect of the addiction and the nicotine would help reduce the withdrawals. As time goes on, replace it with regular sugar free gum instead. Ulcers are MAJOR problems for pouches. I have a friend in another state who will be having her pouch removed due to an ulcer which encompased almost 70% of her pouch at one time. It is now in the 40% range, and not healing any further. The additional medical problems greatly exceed any benefit you can imagine from smoking. Get whatever help you can. Get it nipped into the bud for your health's sake. Peter

Thank you Peter for taking the time to respond, I really, really appreciate it. Your story about your friend has scared the crap out of me, to be honest. That's actually a good thing. I asked Dr. B what could happen with the ulcer and he said it could bleed or it could perforate. So I will keep what he said and what you've told me in the front of my mind. I have about 7 or 8 packs of butts left from a carton I bought on Monday. When it's gone, I'm done. I do have a prescription anti-smokinig medicine; it's a plastic filter into which you insert a nicotene cartridge, and "puff" on it when you need to. I'm going to use that, and sugar free popsicles when I'm home in the evenings. I have been saying that this year (I'll be 40 next month) will be the year of my good health, and I want this to be true. So I am quitting. Again, I really, really thank you for taking the time to reply, Have a wonderful evening! Heather