Another lesson learned the hard way!

As a few of you know, I learned another lesson the hard way this week! I ended up in the hospital emergency room Monday evening with severe abdominal pain (nothing to do with my recent plastic surgery). We thought it might be food poisoning, but since I never had diarreha, the doctors think something I ate, probably what I sampled at the grocery store Monday afternoon, just did not agree with me and did not want to pass through my intestines without a fight. About 4 pm I started to have abdominal pain & it came in waves across my belly, then about 4:30 the dry heaves started. Both went on for hours!! By the time Hubby got home I was ready to go to the hospital and we left to go to the ER about 5:45. I have never hurt like that before!! No sugery, labor pain, nothing compares to the pain I was in!! On a pain scale of 1 to 10, this was a 9.9. I passed out from the pain several times in the ER waiting room. We called Dr. Sieloff (my gastric bypass surgeon) but he was in surgery (he came to see me as soon as he was out) so I went to the emergency room at TMH. After waiting a while (about an hour) and being the person everyone in the waiting room hates b/c I was moaning & hollering from the pain and wretching into a trash can, I was taken to an ER examining room. The ER dr. sent me for a CT scan to see if I had an obstruction (did not), but b/c I was in such pain & wretching so violently they gave me some really good drugs for pain & nausea. After seeing the CT scan the ER doc & Dr. Sieloff wanted to keep me overnight for observation and to be sure they had the pain & neausa under control. It was after 11pm when I got into my room. Unfortunately, after I got to my room they discovered that the narcotic pain meds worked too well and were repressing my respiration to the point that I was only breathing 5 times a minute! Not good! So they gave me something to counteract the pain meds which made me more alert, and breathing more normally but also brought the pain back. It was weird, for an hour or so every time I'd rouse up enough to open my eyes, there was a nurse sitting by my bed with her face on the bed rail, watching me breathe. After they got my breathing back to normal, they gave me something less potent for the pain and I did fine. Dr. Sieloff ordered an Upper GI X-ray series yesterday. They took me down about 12:30 and I was in Radiology until almost 3pm. I stayed in the hospital until after the results from that were in (no partial obstructions & pouch looked fine) and I got a tray of liquids to eat for supper. Once I "ate" my liquids and kept everything down without pain, they released me to come home. We got home about 7:30 last night. I'm feeling fine today, just have a very tender & sore tummy from the wretching and the radiologist poking & prodding yesterday during the Uppper GI. (I got to watch the flouroscope as the radiologist pushed on my belly - very cool!! The barium moving around in my intestines looked like a lava lamp.) I'm on "soft" foods today and go back to my regular diet tomorrow but I can live with that. I'm just glad to be home! I also learned that the tests showed that my pouch is still about the same size as after my RNY and so is the stoma (opeining into the small intestines). The reason I can eat more now is that the pouch is stretchier than it was immediately post-RNY and the intestines are more efficient at processing the food. I was amazed at how quickly the pouch emptied after drinking the barium contrast medium for the Upper GI X-rays. Of course that is a "heavy" liquid but it does explain why I can eat more now. Dr. Sieloff assured me my pouch & opening have not "stretched out" or enlarged and I'm doing fine. I just need to be careful about what I eat. (I thought I was being careful, but apparently, not careful enough!) I'm a little apprehensive that all the violent wretching has undone some of my plastic surgeon's wonderful work so I'll be glad to see him next Wed. I'm hoping he will reassure me that everything still looks fine and that I didn't do any damage. Hubby had also called him on Monday, but he assured us that nothing he had done would cause that kind of intestinal pain or nausea. His office manager called yesterday to check on me (he was in surgery) and was relieved that I was feeling better and coming home. They are soooo nice!! So the moral of this story is: do NOT sample food at the grocery store b/c even though I read the ingredients before I ate anything, apparently something (Hubby thinks it was the cooked noodles, I'm guessing the ground pork) did not agree with my new "innards" at all. LESSON LEARNED!! Well - I've been sitting up long enough, so I'm heading back to the recliner for some more R & R (rest & recuperation). Vickie J.

Well were happy your ok But for the guys were leaning toward your husbands side. LOL, Mike

Mike, I guess you guys have to stick together, but I'll forgive you!! Thanks for the happy thoughts! Vickie J.

Wow...that had to be scary...thank goodness your WLS was there to check on things and make sure everything on the inside was o.k. Come on' you know they ain't know food network chefs working in Publix!!! It just ain't worth it...but Costco...now there's a shopping trip and meal in one! They have signs now...we won't feed your kids unless you are with them (because of allergies, etc)...added note now or Vickie J. and other WLS patients.

You are too funny! Maybe I should wear a sign when I go shopping - "Do not feed the Gastric By-pass patient". But what I thought made it even more scary, was that I actually took the time to read the recipe card to be sure there wasn't anything in the 2 dishes that might be a problem for me. Oh well - what Pouchetta likes one day, she may not like another! I even bought the ingredients to fix the noodle salad b/c I liked it so well. I think those things will just sit in my pantry b/c now I'm afraid to eat that dish, just in case that is what didn't go down well. Oh well- live & learn! Vickie J.

To this day the only thing that still "gets" me is angel hair pasta...I forget because I rarely eat that specific pasta. And I can eat a 10oz steak and potatoes no problem...but 4 bites of angel hair with my chicken and 3 hours later I still feel like crap...and I eventually puke. Then I remember...no angel hair!!!! Sarah

You know, it is funny you mentioned that - I can't eat rice unless it is cooked to mush b/c if it isn't once I swallow it seems to expand and makes me feel miserable. That is why Garry thinks the noodles were the culprit, maybe they were cooked enough for me. I've always been careful with pasta but it hasn't caused a problem before. Now I'll have to be especially careful of all pastas!! Vickie J.

Ummmm...this is interesting...but you don't know EXACTLY what caused the problem..it's weird that one type of food can cause soooo much pain for so long. But then with us - anything is possible! I'm glad you're feeling better and recuperating

So happy you are better now! I felt your pain reading your detailed synopsis of your day! Reminded me of the day after RNY! Ugggghhh!! I was waiting - thought you were going to say "kidney stones", because that is how I was earlier this year - had two of them (Left and Right). Funny thing, couldnt take down all of my water until Dr. went in for left kidney stone and the intubation opened up an apparent stoma - because after surgery I was guzzling water like it was nothing. I couldnt do it HOURS before, made me sick, etc. I am the same way - picky about what I eat (stomach doesnt like new stuff), hate to eat out sometimes. I've been having lobster stuffed ravioli w/tomato and garlic sauce at Carrabas and no probs. Can only eat 4 and be done, save the rest for later. I prefer to stick to the basics I know work for me at 9 mos. postop, and stay at home after eating with my pants unzipped. lol

Oww - I've heard kidney stones are awful but thankfully have never had one! I usually don't have problems with many foods so I was surprised that one of the dishes I sampled created such a problem but who knows with our reworked innards. I guess some things just don't want to move along like they should. Although the doctors don't think it was food poisoning, that it the closest thing I've ever heard of that had the kind of pain & nausea. But whatever caused it, I sure hope it never happens again and I think I will stick with foods I know don't bother me for a while! Vickie J.