I'm still "heavy" one useless G-Tube...it's like a bad fashion accessory, but you can't take it off! It had to be tried, because the alternative is extreme and irreversible.  I saw Dr. Kroh at Cleveland Clinic in December for a follow-up, and he said to give this tube another 3 months to heal before we jump to the next step.  Well, here we are about 3 months later and most of what I eat/drink is just sitting in the tube, and although the tube is clamped, as soon as you unclamp it, a steady stream of food/drink runs back out.  I stopped taking my Nexium because the pill is bright purple and was very visible as it was stuck in the G-tube, clearly it wasn't absorbing.  My pain management doctor switched me from my oral pain med back to the Fentanyl patch, and mentally it just killed me, a giant step backwards.  I was still taking oral narcotic pain meds, but a much lower dose and I thought I had left the Fentanyl patches and super duper narcotic prescriptions behind me.  I wasn't in any less pain, I just know that these meds are not good for anyone long term.  I was willing to be in more pain so I could take less meds. The pain mgmt doctor put me back on the patch because like the food/liquids/medications, my liquid Lortab was leaking out of the tube as well.  I did the patch for a couple months, but each time I had to get a new one out and put it on, it just really ticked me off.  I just went back to him about a week ago and told him I'm done with the patch, so he put me back to the oral Lortab (liquid), of course trying to be hopeful but telling me it was probably not going to provide good pain coverage.  It doesn't matter anyway, even when I was on the patch I still ended up in the hospital 2 more times in the last 2 months because of abdominal pain & nausea/vomiting.  
I was able to do a telephone follow-up with Dr. Kroh (surgeon at Cleveland Clinic) about a week ago.  We still discussed the possibility of doing a Gastrectomy (removing the rest of my stomach) and bringing a Roux Limb of small intestine up to it, and leaving a J-Tube behind as a "fail safe" was for me to get nutrition if I am unable to eat enough by mouth.  I think there is still some question as to whether this could still be a small intestine problem as well as what he calls a Post Vagotomy Syndrome (Disrupted peristalsis due to dissection of the Vagus Nerve).  So, the plan is that I am heading back to Cleveland Clinic the week of April 9 to do a CT Enterography (specialized CT that will actually visualize the inner walls of the small intestine to show them any narrow or abnormal areas that might be impeding the flow and causing intermittent small bowel obstructions.  Dr. Kroh also mentioned doing a Smart Pill study, it is similar to a camera pill but instead of images, it records motility times and gastric movement, and may show any specific areas of slow down.  I really appreciate that he is doing these last tests to make sure we have covered all the ground before doing an extreme surgery that cannot be reversed.  Ironically, the proposed surgery would actually bring my anatomy back to a very similar state as to when I had the gastric bypass surgery.  I do still find silver linings in things, the only positive aspect of having this G-Tube is that the last couple of CT Scans I had, I didn't have to drink the yucky contrast, they put it in my G-Tube...but man, due to it's dysfunction, even though the RN pushed it slowly in, by the time she was done, it felt like it was traveling all the way up to my mouth.  I also was facing drinking magnesium citrate while I was in the hospital to clear up a little constipation, and that too was able to be put through the G-Tube.  I was doing some research on this CT Enterography and was dismayed to read that the amount of contrast to be ingested is roughly triple the normal amount, so I already have offered up using my G-Tube as a pathway...might as well use it before I lose it, right?
I still find things to laugh about, and through friends, family, and even friends on here, I truly know that I am blessed and reminded that it can always be worse.  I have some dark days, this next week will be stressful.  I have my social security disability hearing and my deposition for the Med Mal lawsuit all in the same week.  It's the right thing to do, and I'm tough.  I'll be thinking about what all of this has done to my kids and family, and that will get me through it.
As always, I hope this finds all of you feeling good and getting answers...the theme this week: STAY STRONG!!

this really ticks me off, this is about the 10th post this weekend about someone with gallstones and none of you have taken actigall.  To me it is worth the risk on the liver to save an organ - almost everyone post op ends up within 6 months to a year having it out, so then if thye won't give the drug, then they need to just take it out at the time of the RNY. It isnt fair to the patients to need 2 surgeries when it can be avoided - this just really ticks me off.

the problem with you waiting is it is only going to get worse and the longer you wait it can become an emergency and if you are in Japan or on a plane when it happens, you are in troulbe.  the stones can shift and get lodged in the bile or pancreatic ducts and then it is an emergency  - they get stuck and can also cause pancreatitis.

Many years ago I had 1 stone, 3 months later I had 9 stones and by time I was in surgery 6 weeks later I had 25 stones.  All that sludge just turned into a ton of stones.  they said it was amazing I wasn't so much sicker and if I had waited any longer, my ducts would have been clogged.

So, May 10th is pretty far away and alot can happen.  Gallbladder surgery is simple - it is same day and if you can have it in a few weeks, you can be recovered by then.

FYI, no refux here!  Life is way better than with the band, honest!

I'm losing slower but I can eat and I eat well and healthy (90%) of the time.  I will reach my weight loss goal in my own time.  What matters is that I am happy AND I fit my size 12 suits and size 10/12 other stuff. Probably why I am no longer freaking - cuz I feel so normal.

I wish you the very best with your sleeve - it has been a blessing for me.

(((BIG HUGS)))
Leila

 Pinched nerve somewhere?  It could be totally unrelated to your eating.

I hope you can get in to see someone.