Healing at Home

I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Rasmussen’s Nurse Practitioner at 1 week to have the drain removed from my stomach. Also at this this appointment, I learn I have oral thrush from all the antibiotics I received in surgery as well as cold sores all in my nose due to the stress my body is under. I am pretty miserable but am still trying my best to drink what I am required. I am also given samples of a multi-vitamin the office gives to bariatric patients that are not hard on the stomach. I am scheduled to see the surgeon in another week.

The next follow up at the surgeon’s office goes well. This appointment is 2 weeks post-op. The incisions are healing well and I am only in a slight amount of pain from the actual surgery. The thrush is still not gone but the cold sores are. I am given a prescription for more mouth rinse for the oral thrush. I have started to develop this pain in my stomach that only occurs any time I eat or drink. This has caused me to pretty much stop eating and drinking which in turn makes me feel weak all of the time. I share this with Dr. Rasmussen and we decide to just give some more time to heal. It may also be that the thrush has spread to my stomach and that is causing the pain.

Three days later, I wake up in excruciating pain. I feel dizzy and lightheaded and am dry heaving. I call Dr. Rasmussen’s office and talk with his nurse. He decides to order an esophogram. This is the barium swallow test that I had done the day after surgery. This will check to see if everything is still connected properly and there are no leaks. I have this test done at the hospital in the late afternoon. Once the test is done, I am sent home. I spend the next few hours being miserable and dry heaving. I cannot lift my head off the pillow without feeling the need to pass out. Dr. Rasmussen’s office staff calls at 5:00pm on a Friday evening and lets me know the results were normal. I ask her what I am supposed to do and she doesn't offer any remedies.

I wait a few more hours before I decide to move again. I get up out of bed and the first thing I do is pass out. The world goes black a few minutes again after I come too. At this point, I begin to freak out a little. I manage to find my phone and call for help. My Dad decides that he has seen enough and hauls me off to the Emergency Room.