saying heloo!!!!!!!!!

Hi there. I came across your profile due to the beautiful horse picture you have up. I also have a horse and am also a banker. To top it off, you look like my sister, Karen. So I thought I'd introduce myself.

Hi Sally,
It is good to hear back from you.....I went back into Denton Presbyterian Hosp. on Nov. 4th to have the two stents removed and the surgery was unsuccessful and they had to insert replacement stents. So, after another 4 weeks, I am scheduled to go back into the hospital in Denton on Dec. 4th for stent removal again. I sure hope the second time around goes successful. I have been exiled to home since Nov. 9th with Home Health coming once a week. I am having major nausea and heart burn which is a major side affect of the stents. I resigned from my job of 28 years after this ordeal dragging out forever. I decided it would be too stressful to attempt to return to work before I was physically healed and had sufficient time to recover my strength and general sense of well being. I was planning to retire Jan. 2014 so I moved up the date by a year. I am taking time to take care of me. I don't go online often these days. Sorry to hear you are having problems with your daughter....I am so blessed, I raised three sons and have two step daughters and we are fortunate to not have drama from any of them. When I get well one of these days, I hope we can meet. I am still on a liquid diet because of the stents and have lost 40 lbs. I am more worried about my health more than weight loss at this time. Thanks for emailing.

Thanks all is good with me too! Where are you based? what knd of horse is that? I have a dutch warmblood 16 yr old gelding dressage horse...looks a bit like yours...

So the long and short of it is I have to find a way to get off of it. I do pretty good these days as long as I sleep with my head elevated some and try to stay de-stressed. HAH! Learning to eat really slowly and drinking no liquids with my meals has been a challenge, however, after making myself sick a couple of times, I've gotten the hint!! I have lost 42 lbs so far...not as much as I would have liked at three months but it has been steady...and to be honest, I haven't exercised as much as I should have in the past month. What you said about my picture is funny....your cousin doesn't live here in Abilene, does she? People tell me all the time that I have a twin here. I look at this picture and am amazed at how much thinner my face is now. I need to put up some "before" and "three month stage" pictures. If you need to vent...which you certainly deserve to do considering what you are going through, or just need an ear, let me know and I'll send you a private message with my phone number. Take care of yourself and let met know how you are doing! Sally

Oh my goodnes...you have been through the ringer, haven't you? I'm so sorry! Once they get the infection under control I'm sure you will feel so much better though and be able to get on with the business of learning how live with your new stomach. I'm willing to bet that once that happens and you are back on your feet, you won't regret the decision at all. Have you seen the doctor yet today? Any idea when they may let you go home. I'm sure you would be so much more comfortable there. I'm sending good thoughts your way! I have not had problems to the extent you have but it hasn't been completely smooth sailing. I have had my doubts on some days but I seem to get a little better each day and I can now say with confidence that I am SO glad I made this decision. My surgery was on July 17th and went very smoothly. I did very well until I got back on solid foods...then acid reflux hit me with a vengeance. I aspirated into my lungs 4 times before we finally found a medicine that could control it. Now it is under control and I am hoping to begin to wean myself off of it next month. I'm on Nexium and long term use can cause osteoporosis...I'm a pretty good candidate if I have to stay on it too long as my mom had severe osteoporosis, I smoked for many years and under all the flab, I have a pretty small bone structure.

I am presently in Atrium Medical Center in Corinth, TX. I still have infection and am on IV antibiotics and see the doctor in Denton tomorrow for an update. I am ready to go home....I have lost weight...but I am still on clear liquids after over a month too. Look forward to getting to know you. I am trying to be a patient, patient but that is not easy when I cannot go home or go to work. A friend of mine had her surgerywith Dr. Stowers......maybe I should have done that too. I would love to hear about your experiences. I keep telling myself that one of these days all of this will be a thing of the past, and I can begin my sleeved new life, and eat some real food in smaller portions. Looking at your pic, it is amazing how much you look like one of my cousins. Thanks for the friend contact.

Hi Sally,

I would welcome a sleeve friend from Abilene. I live in Eastland. My sleeve surgery has turned into a nightmare and possibly a decision that I still may regret. I had surgery on Sept. 23rd in Piedras Niegras with Dr. Alvarez. All went well for about the first week, except for constantly sneezing. I don't exactly know what happened, but on Oct. 1st I felt severe pain from my colon to my shoulder blade on the left side and felt like something tore. I was home alone and just went on to bed with the heating pad. The next morning I got up and passed out in the hall bathroom, and my husband was trying to catch me from falling, and landed on top of me on the bathroom floor. I went to my local Dr. office and they ordered a CT scan which I proceeded to do at the hospital there in Eastland, and it made me so sick to drink 64 oz. of liquid for the ct scan, and it took all day. After the scan, the local surgeon was there to inform me that I had a leak in the sleeve and that all the gastric fluids had gone into my abdomen, and I could die if I did not have emergency surgery to do a clean out. I went directly into surgery, and was then sent by helicopter to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Denton, TX. I was in intensive care for four days, and have been in the hospital since Oct. 2nd.

How are you doing?

Sally,
Glad you are doing better with the new meds. Reflux stinks! I have been great other than some flank pain. Went to the walk in clinic to have that checked to make sure it wasn't a kidney infection. They did not tell me that it was an infection but I was given Cipro to take and told they would culture.

Going to call my sleeve doc in the morning to make sure it is okay to take and see if he wants to see me since the Dr. at the walkin was a little concerned with my biggest incision still being quite sore. I have a ripping feeling on both that incision and the right side when I am laying down. Not sure if it is related to the flank pain or not. Other than all that I have been great no nausea and I have only gotten sick when I tried mixing in a small amount of peanut butter with a little bit of banana.
Jamie

Hello, wondering how you have been doing? Hope you are well!

How are you doing now? I still have the diarrhea off and on - I figure since only liquids going in it kind of makes sense - drats! I have one more week of liquid then I start pureed food... is it sad I am kind of excited about that? ha!
Have you tried the Unjury stuff yet? They have chicken flavored and no flavored protein mix - I am thinking about ordering some this weekend...

The first few days were really rough - but I am doing way better now! Just trying to learn to drink enough and get enough protein in! How are you feeling?

Each day gets a little better for me as well. Had a rough time yesterday when I tried to get down some protein shake. Thinned it out with some water today & it was much easier. Having trouble getting in all my fluids & protein but hoping to get on a schedule soon to help with that. Returning to work tomorrow!
~Tonia

Hi Sally thank you for leaving me a message. I hope you are managing to take it easy as well as walking off the C02 yes th clear liquids are boring but they don't put pressure on your staple line. I had to keep reminding myself that the diet is just to allow the stomach to heal. Apparently takes 6 weeks.
Today I started real food. What a joy I can tell you. But amazingly after I have eaten I felt so tired I had to go lie down and rest..it has exhausted me.
My experience was good with my surgery which was a positive thing. I hope your experience was positive. Take care and keep in touch all the best Heather (Hev)