At which point would you say enough and have surgery?

[jlm]

I've had 4 resections, 3 as a child under 14. One as an adult a few years ago which didn't go so well and I ended up with a whole slew of issues afterwards.

I'm currently looking at number 5 to remove a duodenal stricture that causes awful bloating, nausea, and I pretty much throw up everything I eat in the middle of the night while I should be sleeping. From. 3 am until 8am when I walk out the door for work is pretty much awful.

Technically I'm on TPN so I can survive with out eating, physically, mentally that's a whole other situation. Stretching and a stent didn't work to open the stricture. This is such an awful time to try and plan. I'm not in any pain I'm just super uncomfortable most of the time and I'm exhausted from spending most of the night in the bathroom. At what point is the low point where surgery is the best alternative? I learned the last time I don't like when I was kid lol. I'm not young and spry anymore apparently

I work full time, I volunteer as a business mentor for Junior Achievement, and I'm the marketing director on the board for Winnipeg Pride. It'll be hard to take off 2 months and then what part of the year do I pick to have the surgery.

 

[Kero]

Honestly, being up 1/2 the night sick is definitely lowering your quality of life. If I had a choice for surgery, would definitely pick winter. Only because I don't feel guilty hibernating when it's cold and snowy and gross outside.

 

[Kero]

And don't feel guilty getting it done if it would make you feel better! You are the most important thing!

 

[hawkeye]

Sounds like my recent experience with a stricture (large intestine). The getting up in the night and abdominal cramps, plus 40 lb weight loss over 12 months wore me down to the point that I had surgery.

I'd recommend considering it and discussing a surgery referral with your GI.

 

[jlm]

Appreciate it!

My GI has asked for an urgent consult with a surgeon in the city. Since I've had so many previous surgeries I'm nervous he's not going to be able to to it laproscopic. Luckily I'm not experiencing any weight loss because I'm on TPN if I wasn't on that I'm sure I'd be in awful shape and probably hospitalized and having surgery immediately. This has been going on for over a year and it's really getting tiring. It's at the point where I'm even throwing up water since it has no where to go.

Funny thing happened this morning though, well funny after the fact. I was sick in the washroom when I threw up what looked like a lot of watered down blood... gross I know, so had a mild panic attack for about 30 seconds until I realized it was just the red juice I drank the day before.