Does it get any better? If I told you my story, you may not believe it happened. One year ago to the date, I had my GB taken out. Three weeks later, I ended up with a fairly good sized bile duct leak and was readmitted to the hospital. Had a stent placed, but the doctor didn't drain the leak (for what reason, I have no idea). Three weeks after that --- broke both ankles, had surgery and had two months away convalescence in a nursing home couldn't walk, wheelchair bound. The stent came out about 5 weeks later than it should have, and I swear, the leak is what caused the stent to cement or corrode. They had a hard time getting the 1st stent out, and my bile duct had strictured shut. So, sphincterotomy, and another stent. Yet, they left the bile duct leak!!! So, on we go to November 11. Home for 3 hours, and back in the ER with bacteremia from the rotted stent. On we go to December - started to develop pancreatitis attacks. Finally they drained the leak at the end of December -- walked around with drainage bag for about one week.
Moving on to January -- had another ERCP to remove the stent. I started to develop malabsorption, and malnutrition. Everything I ate was going right through me. Then, the elevated ammonia sets in. I was toxic, like a haz-mat spill. Ammonia was over 100, and I had two such attacks since then. No one addressed this issue, which I cannot understand. Is this from the cholangitis?
The pain between February and today is unreal. I was just released from the hospital yesterday after 4 days of IV fluids and antibiotics. Started to develop infection.
Every single time I try to put something in my mouth, the pain is like I'm having GB attacks all over again. And, it goes completely up the right shoulder and flank in my back.
Is any of this ringing a bell with anyone here? Every single thing that goes in my mouth, including water, triggers spasms. My bile duct is hacked up b/c in April, it had strictured shut again, so they did a sphincterotomy, but weird thing is -- he didn't put in a stent. So, now I'm back to this collapsing bile duct thing again. I suppose SOD would be questionable? How do you all manage with the pain and spasms? I'm on antibiotics until I get to the specialist at Cedars Sinai. I cannot even lie flat on my back.
Lis