I really need help
Hi Medic - I have been following this post of yours - to see if you had gotten any help. I live in NL - but I'm pretty sure Health Care is the Atlantic Provinces is pretty similar across the board. I also am an RN of 32yrs and work in ER. You and only you know how you feel. You have to advocate for yourself and speak up and make noise. Whether it be with your family doctor - or with your bariatric surgeon - or in an ER. Personally - I would head back to the hospital and surgeon where I had my surgery. If you can't see your surgeon - go to that ER. Explain everything carefully and thoroughly and make it very clear that you are unable to go on like you are. Be forceful - not rude. If you are not someone who is comfortable being assertive - take someone with you who is. Write it all down. Keep a diary of what has been going on with you - who you have seen - who you have talked to. And when you do go back to see someone - and I hope it is quickly - make sure you ask for their name and write it down. It makes people accountable. You have been unwell for quite a while - and sooner or later the ball will drop - you won't be able to work and you are going to land in some random ER - maybe unable to speak for yourself. Health Care resources are so strapped these days - it's terrible. And it's too easy to just tell someone - oh ya - you are depressed and hopefully be done with it. Go back to see someone - and don't give up. And there is always the media. Phone your local open line show and tell your story. Lots of time that will get someones attention - said to say it - but it's true. It's a holiday weekend - with probably limited resources as far as staff and diagnostics etc. If you can hang on until Monday am - I would present myself at the hospital where I had my surgery - if the surgeon won't see you - go to that ER. If you are too sick to wait - go now. I'm not giving you medical advice - just letting you know what I would do. Good luck to you!
Mary
Hi Mary!
thank you for giving me some advice. Im still having problem, im seeing my family dr every 2 weeks and the dietician. Its so hard because my surgeon said there was nothing he can do because all my tests was normal. I would like a second opinion but he called all the dr that does the surgery in new brunswick and none of them saw that problem, so i dont know what to do. The pain is awful when i eat or drink. Ive been working but im very weak and its hard to do my job and i have a hard doing my 4 days. I wont give up of finding what is wrong with my sleeve.
Just to give a little more information on my "leak experience"...I was sleeved on Feb. 18, 2015, about 6 days later I started to have pain in the top left side just below my rib cage that radiated up into my chest and left shoulder point. I went to the ER at the DECH in Fredericton and they took it VERY serious. The docs on duty (Dr. Armitage and Dr. Young) immediately sent me for an ultrasound and CT scan and saw NOTHING. They contacted Moncton with the results and were told by my doctor there to send me (by ambulance) back to Moncton immediately for further testing as there could be a pin hole leak that was not showing up on the tests here in Fredericton. So they doped me up and put me in the back of the ambulance and off to Moncton I went where they did more CT scans many, many blood tests (several per day) and all they knew was that my white blood cell count was up which indicated an infection somewhere (still no leak showed). They put in a PICC line and for the next 11 days I was on antibiotics and was not allowed anything by mouth (not even water). The good news is that it worked like a charm. My advise is to take your temps and make sure that you are not running a fever (I was). Not an extremely high fever but none the less a fever. I agree with what the others have said that you MUST NOT let this go. Present yourself to the ER again and make sure that they are listening to you. Good luck, I will be interested to hear how you are doing, if you need to talk just send me a message.
