While inpatient, a CT of my abdomen showed that my GJ tube migrated out of my stomach wall. The doctors weren’t sure what caused this. Was the culprit loose connective tissue? Leaking balloon? Increased intra-abdominal pressure?
Turns out, the body doesn’t like this and there can be serious harm caused due to peritonitis. Gastric contents can leak into the surrounding tissue making a patient very sick. This caused me to vomit more than I ever had; I lost track after vomiting 80x last weekend. The extreme nausea/vomiting, abnormal breathing (low oxygen levels), and racing heart rate made it tough to communicate, which was scary.
On Monday, I had a procedure done by IR to fix the issue and place a new tube. The vomiting stopped after the surgery. However, nausea remains debilitating even with the new tube, and I have a deep, throbbing pain right near my stoma. Hoping this will get better with time…
The good news is that I’ve been discharged from the hospital and get to be at home with my family! I have 8 more days on an antibiotic to treat the E coli infection. My body has been through a lot in the past week and a half, which has flared all my typical symptoms.
Prayers for my body to recover quickly and bounce back to where I was are highly appreciated. Thank you again for the encouragement and support throughout my health journey.
