Question:
Can anyone else make suggestions????

I went to the hospital about a month ago and they kept me for five days and ran all sorts of tests without much of a real result. They said it was an inflammation inside my pouch and put me on lots of pills that have only helped with being able to keep stuff down. (Which I was not able to do at the time.) Tests ran: Blood, urine, abdominal x-ray, ultrasound, catscan, and the probe through both ends. Results: Hemorrhoids, low potassium, and an inflammation inside the pouch. My symptoms are: aching, cramping, pain in abdominal and lower back region, burning and pain in all of my bowel area especially around the opening and I usually have really bad pain right before a bowel movement. Lack of hunger and thirst. Everything I eat goes right through me or comes up. My stool is yellow and very soft to runny and has a jellied texture sometimes. Sometimes it almost looks like one of those sticky hands you buy in a gumball machine. I am weak a lot too. I had been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis before I had WLS, but had not had symptoms in a long time. When they did the probe in the hospital they said it did not appear to be related to Ulcerative Colitis. I have been out of work for three weeks and this has really had a financial hardship on my family, so speaking with my surgeon about this is not really an option because I can NOT afford to be readmitted to a hospital. I would just like to know if there are others out there with these same symptoms and has anyone found relief somehow? Could this all just be the hemorrhoids? I kind of find it hard to believe that ALL this pain and discomfort could be due to hemorrhoids. I have bought cream and it doesn't seem to be helping, especially with the abdominal cramping.    — Patricia H. (posted on August 2, 2002)

August 2, 2002
I hate to say this but I think a visit to your surgeon may be necessary, or at the very least your PCP. All of your pain and discomfort is not likely to be from your hemorrhoids, it sounds to me like have some other problems going on. the doctor(s) should be able to do more testing if needed in the outpatient setting. Can you apply for a medical leave with your company until your systems are figured out? I wish I had something more to tell you. I have not been though this personally. Good luck and I hope that you find the answers soon.
   — Lynn L.

August 2, 2002
Have you seen an actual gastroenterologist or internal medicine specialist? I have had diarrhea/mucousy stools before and it seemed to be related to some kind of intestinal bug (bacterial or viral I don't know) and went away after a few days. Have they done cultures to see if there is anything there that shouldn't be? Or maybe the stuff that ought to be there isn't . . . If your good bacteria is killed or removed you don't digest properly. Eating yogurt and other things with active cultures can help with that. I would say make sure that the dr you see is a SPECIALIST in that field because they are more likely to be familiar with more obscure causes of intestinal problems than a PCP or general practicioner. Hope you get better soon. Call a specialist today!
   — ctyst

August 2, 2002
My first question is..... do you have your gallbladder. The yellow runny stools could be a symptom of diseased gallbladder. Before surgery I had one horrible gallbladder attack that I thought was a heart attack. They did a ultrasound which didn't show anything (because of my weight I think). Then they did a catscan and the cat scan said to do an ultrasound because it didn't show conclusively there were problems. Well when I had my RNY surgery my surgeon told me I had one of the worst gallbladders he had seen. When I was being worked up my endocrinologist told me that yellow jelly stools can also be a sign of pancreatitis, but hopefully you had blood work that would have picked that up. Good luck and I hope you feel better.
   — Joanie J.

August 2, 2002
Patricia, I have been trying to find your symptoms in some of my textbooks, but I'm afraid I'm kinda limited. I too was wondering about your gallbladder and pancreas, but also your liver. I assume they have done all of the liver function analyses? Yellow stools would seemingly come from bile pigments produced in the liver. Does the jelly like secretion look like mucus or fat? Possibly not metabolizing fat properly would cause this. It is just my opinion that you SHOULD NOT still be suffering from your symptons, and you should immediately make an appointment with a Gastroenterologist. In the mean time, take the yogurt suggestion to get that good bacteria built back up in your intestines. It can't hurt, and that may be part or even all of the problem. I also recommend a bland diet of rice cereal and bananas for a day or two. Keep your liquids up too. I really hope this is resolved soon, and you are on your way to recovery. God Bless!
   — Tina B.

August 2, 2002
Patricia, I asked my sister who is an R.N., and who has also had several gastrointestinal problems, including gall stones. She immediately said, "gallbladder disease," when I told her your symptoms. If the bile duct becomes blocked it can cause intense pain and nausea. If bile is going through you too fast, you can have the yellow jelly- like stools. She had her gallbladder removed several years ago (before lap was used). From time to time, she still has attacks and has the same symptoms as you. I have heard that the best time to do an ultrasound on the gallbladder is during an attack. Best wishes.
   — Tina B.

August 2, 2002
Hi...I'm fairly new here and this post caught my eye, because it sounds JUST like me. I am pre-op...so I don't have any input as far as your surgery related issues go. However...I have had my gall bladder removed after it ruptured. Not long after, I developed this WIERD (and totally evil) digestive "thing". Some days, I couldn't even eat, get out of bed, or function. It seemed like water was even starting to make me sick. It started with me eating just about anything (they tried cutting out foods to fix it...it didn't work)...and immediately, my stomach would burn. If I didn't throw it right back up. It wreaked havoch on its way out. After eating, I felt honestly like my intestines were being shot full of air. I would have violent cramping to the point my friends could HEAR my guts moving inside. I would rush to the bathroom countless times in the following hours, to the point I would have spasms. I basically felt like they were dry heaves...just at the other end. My stool wasn't even stool, because my food didn't even look digested. There was one very noticable factor...the mucous. A lot of it. Even when I felt empty, there was always mucous. So then came the tests. Barium up and down, x-rays, ultrasounds, MRI's, scopes up, scopes down. They thought I had Chrone's Disease, Diverticulitis, Diverticulosis, Ulcerative Colitis...you name it. Turns out I have Irritible Bowel Disease. I can go MONTHS with no symptoms...then spend a month REALLY hating life. The reason I ramble, is because its one of my yuck-months, and I went to the doc today. he treats me with Zantac, Immodium, and Bentyl (anti-spasmotic). I take my drugs...go on the B.R.A.T. diet(bananas, rice, apple sauce toast), and in a few weeks...I'm okay. I know this isn't a cure-all. BUT...it may be something very treatable. Good luck.....hope everything works out. =o)
   — missfranca