It started 2 Monday's ago when i woke up in severe pain. The Sunday before, I found it very strange not keeping anything at all down, not even water. And yes of course, i was thinking the worst. Band slippage or something wrong with the band. I tried to search high and low for Dr Watson's mobile number, even put a post asking if anyone had it, but I didn't get any emails until later.
At 6am on the Monday morning when I tried to have a sip of water and just threw it right back up, as well as the severe pain i was experiencing around where the band was, hubby took me to Murdoch ED. I went straight in. I was gobsmacked actually. It was dead quiet, but I wasn't complaining as the pain was just so unbearable. The doctor came and saw me right away and gave me some pain meds. i told them I was allergic to morphine so they gave me something equivalent. Good stuff, but didn't last long!! LOL He then had trouble finding my port, but we eventually found it and he took all my fill out, but still no relief. He then sent me for a barium meal (or something similar) / gastrograph. The drink tasted like and off version of ouzo. So gross!! It didn't really show much except I had a bit of inflammation and ulceration from my recent throwing up episodes, but it didn't really explain my pain.
I spent the next few days high on pethidine, on Nexium for the vomiting as well as Zophryn and other stuff. I had a CT scan which didn't show much either. Dr Watson was fantastic and came in every day to see me. He was just as puzzled as I was though as there was nothing wrong with the band. It was absolutely perfect and doing what it should be. No slippage, no erosion, no nothing. even blood work showed NIL results. We were baffled. On Friday, they did and endoscope. And again, nothing. We were still scratching our heads!! Gastro kept coming to mind as I had the runs something chronic until Thursday and I was hardly eating. I think I had 2 bags of fluid to begin with but I wasn't dehydrated that much.
So I went home on Saturday. I still had a bit of discomfort and felt not right, but went home. Sunday I spent most of the day in bed as I felt a little off and uncomfortable. then came Monday morning, the pain was back. I actually did phone Dr Watson this time though. I didn't expect him to answer as I knew he was in surgery, but someone answered. I told him what had gone on and didn't realise that he was relaying it to Dr Watson. He told me to go back to emergency. So I did. So I was readmitted again for another 6 days.
They did another gastrograph, but still didn't show anything and on Tuesday I had an MRI done, nothing again. Dr Watson was really baffled this time, so he called in Dr Cooke, which was the surgeon who actually referred me to Dr Watson when I was having some bowel issues. So he knew my history etc etc. He came in and we had a good yak and he said gastro. Chronic Gastro. The pain is caused from the vomiting as I was just hurling it up and probably bruised around my band, I had the runs something chronic, not eating and not drinking. The second stay I was written up for 8 bags of fluid in my 6 day stay. i knew I was really dehydrated as my skin was flaking, my mouth was very dry and my lips were all cracked. Dr Watson told me to be careful with no fill in, but the last thing on my mind was food. It took me over a week to bring myself to eat any food and that was on the Thursday night before I left the second time. I still had lots of pain and was on pethidine all week again.
Dr Cooke had started me on Nofloxin (antibiotics) on Wednesday and by Thursday afternoon, I had improved 100%. Still not feeling the best, but the runs had stopped, I had perked up and was starting to eat a little. Dr Watson came every single day, whether it was between surgeries of between other patients and consults, he came every day. I was impressed!! He came in Friday late afternoon and told me i had looked the best he had seen me in the last 10 days and I told I felt it too, so he said i could on Saturday morning if I was up to it. So I did. I was ready to go at 9am Saturday morning. I had had enough. I was exhausted!!
So in the end, we put it down to gastro, even though nothing showed up in blood tests, but Dr Cooke said it doesn't always show and you have to be looking for the right virus as well. He was really nice to chat with and talk to. he congratulated me and was very impressed with my weight loss and said he wanted to see me at goal!! I smiled and told him for sure!!
So that's my little 2 week adventure in and out and back in and then out of hospital again!!
