2 months out, not doing well.......

I'm almost two months out from RNY. I am having a really hard time since waking up from surgery. While in the hospital, for 5 days I could keep nothing down, not even my own saliva. I vomited constantly. It was awful. By day 6 the vomiting had stopped so I was allowed to go home. I've struggled since then to get enough liquids in, so I have to go to the hospital as an out patient periodically for hydration. I am utterly, totally exhausted and weak. Every protein powder or shake I've tried makes me sick - literally. I can barely eat anything. Even soups go down so slow - I can get maybe one or two bites in and that's it - I'm done. And most of the time I bring whatever I've eaten back up. Many foods that I enjoyed before surgery I can no longer tolerate, such as cottage cheese, buttermilk, yogurt, and many cheeses. In the past week I've been able to keep down a few foods but after eating I immediately get very nauseous and need to lie down for awhile. It does not matter what I eat - I get that dizzy, nauseous feeling. I'm doing a little better with the water but not getting in nearly enough. I mean, it takes me about 1/2 an hour to get 8 ozs. in. I did discover that I can eat ice chips with no problem, so I eat those all day long and it's helped a bit with the dehydration. The one positive to all this is that I've lost 37 pounds since surgery but I tell ya, feeling as I do, it takes a lot of the joy away from that. It's hard to celebrate and feel like I've accomplished something when feeling so poorly.

Does it EVER get any better? People keep telling me to hang in there, that it will get better as time passes but it's been almost two months and I don't see any evidence of that!!!! At this point I'm starting to feel scared, like I've ruined myself for good!

I'm so sorry for your struggles Catsi51! I'm 13-years post RNY and though the first few months were rough, they weren't as rough as what you note.

Things did get better for me with time. It took about 8 months overall for me to feel somewhat human again. At first, I was exhausted all the time, napped a LOT, and could dump at the drop of a hat.

As always, I advise people to speak to their doctors/staff about any issues you're having. Sadly, I have no advice to offer that'll make things better. I will though keep you in thought and prayer.

What does your surgeon say?????

 

The beginning is tough, but what you are describing does not sound normal. Have you discussed this with your surgeon? Vomiting is not normal. Sometimes if you don't chew enough, something may get stuck and cause the foamies, but regularly vomiting is not normal and needs to be addressed by your surgeon. I am sorry you are having such a difficult time. If you are not eating enough, that explains why you feel so exhausted and week. But I certainly don't believe that you ruined yourself. There are multiple treatable complications that can make it difficult to keep anything down, so go see your surgeon if you continue to vomit.

This is not normal. Your doc should be doing endoscopies or scans to figure out what's going on. Don't take no for an answer.

I agree with Grim.  This is not normal.  What is your surgeon doing?  

This is not normal.  If your surgeon isn't seeing you regulary and explaining what he thinks is happening and when it should get better if his diagnosis is correct or doing the tests Grim suggest, get a second opinion. NOW.

Call your surgeon's office and tell them what you are experiencing and have them rule out strictures and/or ulcers... both are post-op complications that can occur but are fairly easy to rectify once diagnosed... if it's either of those they won't get better with time... they need treating but like I mentioned pretty simple treatments for both.

Don't wait on this... and don't have the office push you aside.

Tell them everything you wrote above... print it out so you don't miss anything.

Hope you are feeling 100% soon... it does take a while to feel "not like a patient/normal" again 7 weeks or so for me... but what you are describing is not typical. Vomiting once and awhile is normal, to the extent you are is NOT.

 

 

I agree this is not normal. Every person has different experiences but yours seems extreme. I am 5 weeks postop and have not vomited even once. I however had a different complication and had to DEMAND that I be taken seriously. No doctor wants to admit that they were not perfect or that they didn't catch something. Please call your surgeon and demand that they help you now. I'm sure there is help for you. Best wishes.

 

I'm going to throw in with everyone else and tell you this is NOT NORMAL. I don't who did your surgery but don't you let them blow you off on this matter. You may no longer be able to eat dairy as that does happen to many but that would not be causing all of this.

I hope you are calling this morning. Let us know...