Dec 2010 DS but still nauseated and can't take protein

Hi everyone,
     I had my DS on Dec. 8, 2010.  I have had nausea and vomiting severly since surgery.  I have lost 125+ lbs but at what cost.  I can't eat much of anything (orange sherbert, cottage cheese) and what ever I try to eat ends up vomitted back up.
     I have been in the hospital 27 days between May and June for severe malnutrition.  I can't drink protein.  The smell gags me and as soon as I get it down, it comes right back up.  My surgeon finally put in a j-tube so I can get my protein that way.  Now I have a foley sticking out of my stomach, can't eat hardly anything and vomit a lot.  
     My Dr. tells me this is totally rare for the "morning sickness syndrome" to last more than a few months.  Has anyone else had this problem?  What did you do?
     What about inability to get protein supplements down?  I have tried thousands of dollars worth of various products to no avail.  Any suggestions would be helpful.  
     I have found Special K has a protein supplement I can get down but it only has 4 grams of protein per packet.  Very low.
     Any help and suggestions you can give me will be so greatly appreciated.  I just want to get my strength back, get rid of this J-tube and start feeling like a normal person again.
Thanks
Jacque  
  
 

Ok, you live in Texas.  Get yourself to Houston to Dr. Erick or Todd Wilson.  Stop fooling with Dr. Barker...he doesn't have a good rep and I'm sorry you didn't know that going in.  But it's absoluetly crazy that you are still nauseated and as miserable as you sound.  Dr. Stewart in Denton is also a good surgeon but I doubt he will see you...he only seems to want to do virgin or revison DS.  I'm not sure he will be interested in fixing you...call him and check.

Have you tried Atkins shakes?  They are pre made and I love them.  There's also an egg protien powder called J? Robb something...somebody will see this and can tell you the exact name.

I'm so very sorry you are having all this trouble but good grief girlfriend...get another doctor.  Even if Dr. Barker didn't have a bad rep, I would be looking to somebody else for help at this point.  I'm just about three months out from my resleeve and I feel great...nobody should be going through what you are going through.  I didn't feel that bad after my initial surgery either.  You need help and you must get a professional medical advice.

I wish you the very best and I'm here if I can help in any way.  Others will come on here and respond but I don't think you should still be on a J tube and as miserable as you are at this point.

Betty

I think all brands/flavors of protein are vile. However, I still drink them. My solution is to get it down the quickest way possible. I mix 1-1/2 scoops powder with 4 oz of milk. Shake it up, hold my nose, and pour it down. I can usually get it down in 3 sips. I take a sip of water, let my nose go, and my tastebuds are never the wiser.

Good luck!

It is long past time for you to be seeing someone else.  Aside from the fact that Barker's reputation is - well, not much around here - is the fact that he is a SURGEON, not a gastroenterologist, or endocrinologist, or pretty much anything that can help you.

If there is nothing mechanically wrong with your sleeve, pylorus, esophagus or other aspects of the surgery, you need to be taking steps to alleviate gastric or esophageal issues - are you on an acid reducer? Something to reduce gastric motility (or increase it, if that is the problem)?  Are your blood sugars OK?  Have you had a scope to look at the connections, etc.?  For that matter, are you SURE you got a proper DS?

I am really sorry to hear that.  How do liquids go down?  Did you ever have an endoscopy to check for a stricture or anything?  Any abdominal pain?  Any CT scans done?

Dr. Barker does not have the best reputation around here.  If you are not able to get the help you need from him, I would strongly suggest trying to get a consult with a different DS surgeon.

1. find a new Dr. and fire Dr. Barker
2. get on TPN
3. get on a PPI, several PPIs, some kind of acid blocker, ect.  keep trying various ones till you find one that works
4. get on Zofran or Phenergan
5. have every test under the sun to figure out what is going on- full round of labs (see the Vitalady list), CT w/contrast, EGD, colonoscopy, x-ray, exploratory surgery- WHATEVER!  
6. find a way to get protein shakes in you- use a straw, hold your nose, make them with as little fluid as possible, try different brands, ect.

This is NOT normal and LONG past the time you should have piddled around with Barker.  He is going to effectively let you die if you stay on this ride.

     Thanks so much to everyone who has replied and offered suggestions.  I am sorry to learn Dr. Barker has such a bad reputation.  I wish someone would have mentioned that during the 12 months I was waiting to get approved and on line talking about waiting for the surgery.
     I have been probed, lab tested, explored, EGD'd, consulted with gastrologists, etc. on each of my 3 hospitalizations.  So far nothing that can account for the problems can be pin pointed.  I take all the usual vitamin/mineral supplements (which I manage to keep down) along with Phenergan and a generic Nexium daily.  I also have 2 other nausea meds that I take PRN (1 up to 4 times a day).  
     I have tried the liquid egg whites.  They went down but didn't stay.  3 minutes after swallowing, I was throwing them back up.  I have not seen an egg powder but I don't see how that would be much different than the liquid?  I have tried Adkins shakes and they are vile tasting and cause vomiting.  I know somewhere out there there has got to be a protein that is possible to keep down?  I am just tired of wasting huge amounts of money on each new product someone suggests only to find it causes vomiting just like all the rest.
     I called Dr. Kim's office here in Ft. Worth to try and get a consultation with him but he is accepting new patients for surgery or revisions only.  No one wants to clean up after another Dr. has messed 
your life up.  There is a Dr. in Denton who does DS and I have left a couple of messages with his staff but no one has ever called me back.  I will keep trying to find a Dr. who does consults on problem issues.
     In the mean time, I will keep trying new protein products and blowing all my cash.  Since I am a single female on a one income tab it is killing me. 
     Since I have already met my out of pocket expense limit on my insurance for this year, I would love to get the problem solved before the end of the year and end up back on the hook in 2012 for my $4,000 out of pocket again.
   Keep all the great ideas and suggestions coming.
Thanks again,
Jacque

 Ok, I know this is far fetched and may not even be a option, but talk to your Dr and see! i had severe hyperemesis with my pregnancies. Hospitalizations, iv"s, lost weight etc. NON STOP vomiting. Phentergan was a joke to me. Didn't touch the nausea which was nonstop and unbearable. The only thing that stopped the vomiting and gave me a small window so each day that I could eat something was a Zofran pump! it is small machine that you keep in a fanny pack type case. You have a small tube connected to it that goes into your leg and keeps the medicine at a constant level!
it has a super small needle and is so easy to do yourself! I had to fight my insurance on my last pregnancy for it (I had it for three other pregnancy before no problem!) After my second hospitalization they agreed to it
It doesnt cure the problem but gives you a little relief while they figure this out!
The company that did the pump was Matria. Best of luck! I am praying for you!

 forgot to spell check! Sorry! LOL!

     Thanks for the info.  I haven't heard about this pump.  I will talk to the Dr. on my next visit and see if they think it might be an option for me.  If I am ever able to find a protein supplement I can actually take by mouth with out throwing it back up, I might eventually end up with out any thing sticking in my body.
I really appreciate your input though, it might turn out to be very helpful.
Thanks
Jacque