Welcome to the No Stomach For Cancer Online Community!

Good afternoon,

First of all I hope that I am not intruding here, and if I am I apologize. Even though I had a total gasterectomy because of a strangulated hiatal hernia in 2004, and have had a fairly rough time dealing with the results, I know through the loss of my favorite Aunt that stomach cancer can be a long painful journey that does not always have a happy ending.

My story goes like this. In May of 2004 while employed in law enforcement, I was sitting in the squad during the wee hours in the industrial park counting Ferrel cats for lack of anything else going on. While eating a snack I thought it was weird that my throat was filling up, and I had a bad pain in the middle of my chest. After a few minutes all appeared to be well, and I just figured it may have been caused by the way I was sitting, or from the new ballistic vest that felt a little too tight. Upon getting home that morning I started feeling that pain in my chest again. I later tried eating a piece of toast and right away it felt like it was going nowhere. So in my infinite wisdom I tried drinking some milk to help it go down. In about 3 seconds I realized the throat was plugged, and had the worst pain in my chest that I could imagine even possible. My wife then tossed my carcass into the vehicle and took me to the local ER. I remember being there at the desk, and the next thing I knew was when I woke up with a tube in my throat 4 days later.

The surgeon explained that because my stomach had become lodged in my esophagus, the blood supply to it had been pinched off, and the stomach was removed because it had become necrotic. I went from 190 pounds down to about 125 within a couple months. Since then I have had a hard time gaining or maintaining my weight. I am no longer in law enforcement because of the physical demands that can occur.

I found this site while researching the anemias associated with partial or total stomach removal. For the past 8 or 9 months I have had what seems to be constant fatigue even after getting up in the morning. I also do not have any ambition, and could pretty much care less about anything. I have been missing work at least one day a week for the past 2-3 months……….thank god for FMLA. Several months ago my PCP prescribed some ferrous sulfate because my iron levels were low, but not yet near the anemia level. Two weeks ago I saw an Endocrinologist who ordered some blood labs that showed even though I have been taking the iron supplement, my iron levels have dropped to the point of iron deficiency anemia. She said that it does not appear that I am able to absorb any iron. I thought this was strange not only because of the supplement I have been taking, but because I drink at least 3 Ensure Plus every day, and try to eat high iron foods. Now she is thinking about having me get some sort of iron by IV. This will be discussed more next Tuesday.

If it is ok for me to be here, I would like to hear from others in regards to B-12 and iron anemias, and what others have done to correct the imbalances. I am kind of fearful that the Endo is thinking that this IV iron is going to join the B12 injections and become a permanent part of my life.