People who have had complications from surgery please post your story

Kayla.. love your feedback. :) I think it is right on. I agree; avoid another sugery and avoid the TPN.. it causes gut atrophy (tissue death), increases infection rates, etc. BUT you can not avoid your declining nutritional status. Kayla is RIGHT.. you can not recover,  heal, etc. without proper nutrition. If you need tube feeds, then get the tube feeds. You will need a peptide based enteral (tube feeding) formulation with MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) and these are common at all hospitals... thumbs up Kayla. :D

If I were you I would be demanding TPN to get my nutrtional status up.  You may have to have another surgery and if you do you need to be able to heal.  I think whatever that you can do to get your protein, fluids and vites going strong is what YOU can do, while you still try to sort out what your next step is.

No matter what is going on with you you need nutrition, fluids and vites.  I don't think those things should be delayed another day.

Just my uneducated .02.  I hope you get the answers you need.

~Becky

 I totally agree with you. I am the first person to ask the Drs who all send me home what I need to do to get some darn help around here. Just because my leg isnt falling off doesnt mean I dont need help. They claim because my labs are all semi normal (some being high, some being low, some being at the low end of normal) that I do not meet the criteria for admission and do not need TPN. They say TPN does more harm than good and only causes infections and septis and tons of crap and thats why its rarely done. They also didnt want to do the tube down my nose into my stomach because they said it might be a challange with my altered anatomy. My DS surgeron said he would do the feeding tube into my intenstines but made it sound like that was not needed at the moment. I just feel like I have gone through hell and back and its one thing after another. 

The vites are also hard when I am in the hospital because they will only allow me to have a multi and not take all my vites. I have tried to explain how important they are to my health and well being but they just dont listen to me and dont read any information I give them. They said all my labs are fine for vitamin levels besides my Iron being slightly low. At least while I am in the hospital I am getting the fluids for sure and some of the nutrition as I am able to eat and drink when I am hooked up to an IV with fluids and anti nausea meds. 

Don't ask permission.  Just bring your vitamins and take them.

 I tried that last time and they took them! I had them in my purse and they wanted me to lock up my purse and just take out the contents that I needed. I told them I just rather keep my purse but they said it had to be locked up and when I started taking my vitamins out they said I couldnt take any of my own vitamins or meds. I guess I will have to figure out how to be sneaky about it if I am stuck back in the hospital again.

When I was in the hospital recently following the birth of my son,  I brought all my vitamins and also my prescription prilosec and I just took them when nobody was in the room (except my husband).

I was lucky and when they heard the long list of vites I took (because they then try to  match them) they were cool with letting me tuck them in the drawer, and they said they would "look the other way" about me taking them. 

I agree with NYB, that if they don't give you the things you need, and won't allow you to take them, then just tuck them away and take them on your own.  I had a little sack with lotion, chapstick, toothpaste (and caramels) and stuff, that I liked to have in reach. I'd have stuck the vites in there if they given me any grief.

 I too had severe GI reflux and some esophageal motility issues, but did not have delayed emptying.
With that being said... Have you tried aciphex??? it is the only PPI that helped me.  Some ppi's like Zantac can make people more nauseated. You may be taking too many different ones, therefore making you more nauseated. I think you should stick with one only that agrees with you.  Dr. Greenbaoum did tell me pre op that the DS may not help my reflux. RNY is the operation of choice for cure of reflux.  

What is your BMI?  Do you have sleep apnea?  I wore my cpap and it really helped my reflux, the pressure helped to keep the stomach contents down.  Blocks on your bed??? do you have them?? I pillow wedge???  

your pneumonia is probably from your reflux and  maybe you aspirated at night??? 

You need to make sure your nutrition is normal. how is your albumin and pre albumin levels and your protein levels. If these are low, i agree with Becky that TPN might be needed.

 Is that also called something else? I dont believe I have tried that one. They are not really wanting to take me off the Protonix since its the one thats been helping the most. 

I do not have sleep apnea (never have), and dont have blocks on my bed. I actually gave away my wedge pillow about 6 months ago because I thought it was so uncomfortable and had it for snoring before I lost weight. Is there one that you reccomend that you like? The one I had just felt weird and not comfortable. Right now I sleep on a bunch of pillows but I know that isnt doing much good. 34.9 is my current BMI. 

I just had blood work done but it was after getting fluids and all kinds of things in my IV. I will post the numbers shortly. Let me know what you think and thank you. 

Elevate the head of your bed UNDER the bed - as in under the legs - don't use a wedge pillow.