Anyone with remnant stomach issues?

Tough to tell where it's coming from......when I have the acute double you over take your breath away pain it's usually left upper quadrant but now it's also right upper quadrant and TERRIBLE INDIGESTION behind my breast bone.  Feels like I am having a heart attack if I didn't know better.  I do think my gallbladder might be involved and at least once they do that test on Monday they will be able to see how the bile flows and where it goes to so that may give us a better idea of the problem.  I am fairly confident that the bile is what is causing all of the sx since when I had the tube in and the bile could drain out I was relatively sx free.  I had some occasional mild belching during the 4 weeks it was in but no upper quadrant pain and no episodes of the double you over type of pain.  Sorry to hear you are still having pain.  Do you have any clue when your doc will consider taking out the GT?

I really don't know when he'll take the tube out.  I see him on the 20th again and I suppose it will depend on how I am feeling then.

I am up now with pain, wonder if it will ever end???

You might want to check in with him to let him know how you are doing before the 20th.  Did he say how long you could anticipate still being in pain from the surgery?  Hopefully you would be feeling less of it now?  Worth letting him know you are still struggling...will it be 2 weeks Tuesday?

Yes, tomorrow will be two weeks.  I feel somewhat better today, but the drainage has returned with a vengence.

Last night, we were at a church supper listening to music.  While I was sitting there, all of a sudden I felt the warm wet feeling.  I looked down and the tube was leaking.  Oh no..............   Got into the bathroom and the cap had popped open and the stuff was just pouring out of me.  How embarrassing!!!  DH brought me my jacket and we had to rush home.  There was so much pressure that the tube cap had just pushed open.  I don't understand why sometimes I have very little drainage and other times, there is tons.

I have to go for bloodwork later this week, and I will check in with the Dr. then also.

How are things going for you?

Not much better.  With the tube out all of the sx are back.  I had two attacks of the double you over pain last week lasting about 4 hours each and thought I was going to have to go back to the ER but it eventually subsided.  For the last four days nausea but no bad attacks.  I had the gall bladder scan this morning.  Am praying that it provides an answer.

I hope the scan provides an answer for you too.  It would be great if it were just your gall bladder.  Not that you want a surgery, but gall bladder surgery is pretty simple these days.

I know all about that 'double you over' pain.  Do you have pain meds. for it?  I have ES vicodin for when mine is bad, but most of the time I take Ultram.  Ultram is good for inflammation as well as pain.  It works for me without making me too doped up.

Unfortunately I can't take Vicoden or the Ultram.  The vicoden gives me severe cramping/abdominal pain due to the Codeine and the Ultram I had a severe reaction too.  So I just try to ride it out and hope it passes and if I feel like I am headed to the ER I will take a Dilaudid to see if I can get it to pass.  If the Dilaudid doesn't do it then I know I need the ER.  It really is a ***** to not have a definitive answer.  I don't want to be in the ER multiple times, I don't want to to be stuck at home in the house never knowing what is going to trigger the nausea or when the next bout of severe pain is going to hit and your right I don't want another surgery.  But I do want a solution to this so I can get back to living a more normal life.  I had the gastric bypass surgery so I could prolong my life and I thought I knew the risk factors but I never anticipated that I would end up like this with chronic complication with no solution.

Hey,
Sorry it has been so long since my last post and that both of you are still haveing trouble.  Unfortunately, I am scheduled for surgery this week.  THe plan is to remove the remnant stomach and to revise the biliary bypass to see if this will eliminate the symptoms.  The doc says it will be a rough surgery, but if it will take away the symptoms it will be worth it.  It does make sense to get rid of the non-functioning stomach, it is just laying there causing trouble.  I will keep both of you in my prayers and let you know how this works for me.  Unfortunately are symptoms are a rarity and the docs just don't know what to do with us.  I am being treated at Mayo clinic/hospital and they agree that this is a rare complication.
I will try to do better about keeping in touch
Malissa

Wow....I hope this helps you Malissa.  I will be watching patiently to see how you and Julie make out.  I am still hanging out there without much improvement in my symptoms.  Still out of work and don't know when I will be able to return.  I had 3 days without nausea but woke up today with it again and I just don't feel "right" taking the Reglan.  I am going to have to stop that today and it really isn't effectively controlling the nausea any how.  If I could get the nausea under better control I think that would help considerably.  Is the doctor that is currently treating you your original surgeon or a different one you found?  Good luck with your surgery this week and again I hope this is a solution for you!

Malissa,

I hope your surgery goes well.  For some reason, my Dr. does not want to remove the remnant.  Even though it seems to be the entire problem to me.  I guess I don't really know about the biliary bypass?  Can you expand on that part so I understand?

I am now without a g-tube as of about an hour ago.  I awoke to a strange feeling, reached down and the tube was in my hand!!  The balloon had leaked out so nothing was holding it in.  I talked to the Dr., and he said I could either go quickly to ER and have it put back in or try going without it and see what happens.  I am choosing to see what happens right now.

I think there will be a problem because I still was draining 500 cc or more every day.  The drainage has been somewhat bloody also.

So I wait and see.  Hope I'm not in extreme pain this afternoon.  Kinda scary.............

Julie