One Year Post Revision Reflection

I can’t really believe that it has already been a year since I was admitted to the hospital for the surgical revision to my gastric pouch. I can’t believe how much has also changed in a year and that I am in no better of a boat than I was on that December day one year ago.

It has been an eventful year still filled with Dr. appointments, feeding tubes, lab draws, medication changes, EGD’s and colonoscopies, CT scans and MRI’s, and who could forget that crazy April surgery.

I definitely eat more than I was able to a year ago but only because I am terrified of having a feeding tube placed, not because it feels any better. I still have extreme pain when I eat food and get full more quickly than I think I should. I can eat no more than ¼ cup of food in each sitting and that sometimes is pushing it. I reflux my food all the time and it is a daily battle to keep what I swallow inside and not on the outside of my body. I hate food. I no longer find any joy in eating and nothing sounds appetizing to me. I eat only to maintain my weight (which is a constant struggle). I still have not tried any form of red meat and drink nothing more than water and Trop50 orange juice. I struggle with raw veggies and fruit and let’s not even go to the bread/tortilla area. I eat less processed food and no fast food. This part is a good thing but my weight is severely suffering.

This year also included having my first emergency surgery. That was definitely a blur filled with extreme pain and vomiting. I choose not to remember much of that hospital stay. All I remember is choking down a yogurt and lying straight through my teeth to get out of there. I mentally couldn't handle one more day in that hospital. Dr. Rasmussen laughs at me because he says that he has never had a patient beg to go home like I did that day!

(This picture is from my 12/4/13 surgery hospital stay)

(This picture is from my 12/4/13 surgery, gotta love a steri-strip reaction!)

This past year included NO EMERGENCY ROOM visits and NO IV THERAPY appointments. Yippee!!

This year also included having a feeding jejunostomy tube placed. This tube started out fine but these tubes bring a whole new set of problems. By the time September rolled around, the tube caused more pain than the feedings were helping so we took it out.  Best day ever!!

I still have my monthly Dr. appointments. It’s a good thing no one is trying to get rid of me yet. I only wish I was a black and white patient and not an extreme rainbow of colors kind of patient. I want this problem to resolve and I am definitely no text book case. I try to make my Dr.’s lives simple and I can’t wait for the day that I can walk into their offices and say I feel great!

So…one year later. We still are waiting for a decision of what to do next. Waiting and waiting.