Complications - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

May5279 · 10-23-2008, 07:40 AM

What complications have you guys faced? Below is my history and I want to know if there are any things I should be aware of.

Gastric Bypass - June 2004
Gaul Bladder - January 2005
GI Bleed (ulcer in "old" stomach - they think) - November 2007
Intestinal Blockage and Internal Hyneria - October 2008

Personally I was 325 at my highest and got down as low as 135.. but was sick looking. I did gain 30+ lbs but have maintained a 150+ lb lost (working on losing a bit).

I just want to know if others have experienced these/other issues.

Chaticat · 10-23-2008, 10:39 AM

Hi, my name is Sheila and I am new to this site. I was reading your story on your complications. What symptoms did you have with the blockage? I have a couple of instances where after I ate I had some servere pain for a few hours. Could this be blockage?

May5279 · 10-23-2008, 05:50 PM

I would have it checked out. I had severe abdominal pain and ended up in the ER due to it. Some symptoms I should have taken action on earlier were abdominal pain and getting sick more often on foods that normally wouldn't make me feel that way.

katzz87 · 10-23-2008, 10:15 PM

Well...I'm only 9 months out and absolutley no complications at this time! Just enjoying the new and improved ME!

pummychal · 10-24-2008, 03:06 PM

No compliactions for me..6 mos out so far. Woohoo!!

Gwrenchgal · 10-24-2008, 03:12 PM

I am 5 months out and have had no complications. (knock on wood)

kittens4 · 10-25-2008, 06:20 PM

10/23/2006-RNY surgery, felt great, but I also felt like I could eat more than the average bear....like something wasn't quite right...
10/31/2006-felt great, went to my work, told everyone I'd be back to work the next day....went shopping, got home, and started vomiting around noon. This continued until hubby came home from work....I was so sick, I couldn't even get out of bed to answer the door for trick-or-treaters...I went to the ER, was sent home, back to the ER an hour later, and was admitted w/an obstruction. I spent 7 days in the hospital, on bowel rest...no food...just iv fluid and pain meds. I couldn't even eat ice chips without vomiting! I wasn't in pain though, which I'm thankful for, but still, it was no party! Of course I did have lots of pain meds in my iv....so that's probably why I don't recall much pain....
11/07/2006-had a 2nd surgery to "revise" the first...they made things bigger, so nothing would get "hung up" in there again...I had to have a PICC line put in, because I had no veins left...that was not fun!!! I was sent home a few days later, even though I couldn't get the breathing machine up to where they wanted, and I was complaining of back pain....they thought it was muscular..and sent me home w/a RX for liquid lortab and Soma!
11/13/06-Back to ER with severe pain on my left side...I had no breath sounds in my left lung at that point....severe pneumonia....and re-admitted for 7 more days! I had another PICC line put in, I had breathing treatments every 4 hours, and Infectious Disease specialist called in, I was on IV drugs/antibiotics/etc. etc. Oxygen on 24/7, 5 liters per minute. I wasn't allowed to walk anywhere...not even to the bathroom! I wasn't allowed to talk on the phone either! Any exertion at all would set off alarms...my pulse oxygen would dip down to the bad numbers!!! So, I had a bedside commode, a tv, and was pretty much left alone. Hubby came to see my every night after work, but I couldn't visit with anyone for long...it was horrible. After that, I was sent home...on home oxygen...tethered to a 50 foot cord! So, for what I thought was going to be a nice RNY surgery....1 week off from work..turned into almost 3 months off from work....and almost dying!! Yep, it was pretty scarey.....I had major buyers remorse there for a bit!!!
I did join Golds gym in Jan 2007, and did water exercise faithfully for 6 months, and I really believe that helped my lungs & body heal pretty fast! I have lost a lot of weight, and feel pretty good...but I still have issues w/my back from being heavy for so long. I have an MRI in a couple of weeks to see what's going on there. I have also developed a new pain pill habit, which sucks, but I'm trying to get through that...slowly but surely. I do feel, and look 100% better, but man, it sure was rough for awhile there. I know my family was VERY worried...and for that, I do feel pretty bad. I was trying to do something do improve our quality of life together....and for awhile, I thought I'd made a HUGE mistake! I now feel it wasn't a mistake, and I did get through it, and hopefully will live longer because of it. I no longer take Lipitor for my cholesterol....it's just fine! I did find I was anemic recently, and deficient in Vitamin D, so I had an EGD/Colonoscopy done by one of the doctors I work for....and everything was good with that. I take Bariatric Advantage Vitamins..and extra calcium, iron, and Vitamin D, but I do get constipated from taking the pain meds, so I end up having to take Miralax and skipping the Iron more often than not! I will have labs re-drawn once I get my MRI done, and am off the Norco. They just swited me from Norco to Oxycodone so I won't overdose on Tylenol. I took my last Norco today...hopefully switching over won't cause too much distress.....

All in all, I feel happy to have had the surgery....but I do feel I traded one set of problems in for another!!!

Still, I'm happy and have no regrets.

rnmom1118 · 01-08-2009, 08:10 PM

I think long term complications are becoming more apparent. I think they are much more common that what we hear about, according to my dr. The newbies here haven't gotten to that point yet (and I hope they don't).

I had BPD 9/02,
Gall bladder 4/03
2 hernias, twisted bowel 270 degrees, and obstruction in distal anastamosis 11/08,
now obstruction in distal anastamosis...surgery to be scheduled next Tues.
I do IV iron for anemia, take calcium supplements for low calcium.

Not fun by any means. Definitely traded one problem for another. I think I'd rather be fat. I'm 112 lbs now, but can't eat because of the pain.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Baja Big Dog · 01-09-2009, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kittens4

10/23/2006-RNY surgery, felt great, but I also felt like I could eat more than the average bear....like something wasn't quite right...
10/31/2006-felt great, went to my work, told everyone I'd be back to work the next day....went shopping, got home, and started vomiting around noon. This continued until hubby came home from work....I was so sick, I couldn't even get out of bed to answer the door for trick-or-treaters...I went to the ER, was sent home, back to the ER an hour later, and was admitted w/an obstruction. I spent 7 days in the hospital, on bowel rest...no food...just iv fluid and pain meds. I couldn't even eat ice chips without vomiting! I wasn't in pain though, which I'm thankful for, but still, it was no party! Of course I did have lots of pain meds in my iv....so that's probably why I don't recall much pain....
11/07/2006-had a 2nd surgery to "revise" the first...they made things bigger, so nothing would get "hung up" in there again...I had to have a PICC line put in, because I had no veins left...that was not fun!!! I was sent home a few days later, even though I couldn't get the breathing machine up to where they wanted, and I was complaining of back pain....they thought it was muscular..and sent me home w/a RX for liquid lortab and Soma!
11/13/06-Back to ER with severe pain on my left side...I had no breath sounds in my left lung at that point....severe pneumonia....and re-admitted for 7 more days! I had another PICC line put in, I had breathing treatments every 4 hours, and Infectious Disease specialist called in, I was on IV drugs/antibiotics/etc. etc. Oxygen on 24/7, 5 liters per minute. I wasn't allowed to walk anywhere...not even to the bathroom! I wasn't allowed to talk on the phone either! Any exertion at all would set off alarms...my pulse oxygen would dip down to the bad numbers!!! So, I had a bedside commode, a tv, and was pretty much left alone. Hubby came to see my every night after work, but I couldn't visit with anyone for long...it was horrible. After that, I was sent home...on home oxygen...tethered to a 50 foot cord! So, for what I thought was going to be a nice RNY surgery....1 week off from work..turned into almost 3 months off from work....and almost dying!! Yep, it was pretty scarey.....I had major buyers remorse there for a bit!!!
I did join Golds gym in Jan 2007, and did water exercise faithfully for 6 months, and I really believe that helped my lungs & body heal pretty fast! I have lost a lot of weight, and feel pretty good...but I still have issues w/my back from being heavy for so long. I have an MRI in a couple of weeks to see what's going on there. I have also developed a new pain pill habit, which sucks, but I'm trying to get through that...slowly but surely. I do feel, and look 100% better, but man, it sure was rough for awhile there. I know my family was VERY worried...and for that, I do feel pretty bad. I was trying to do something do improve our quality of life together....and for awhile, I thought I'd made a HUGE mistake! I now feel it wasn't a mistake, and I did get through it, and hopefully will live longer because of it. I no longer take Lipitor for my cholesterol....it's just fine! I did find I was anemic recently, and deficient in Vitamin D, so I had an EGD/Colonoscopy done by one of the doctors I work for....and everything was good with that. I take Bariatric Advantage Vitamins..and extra calcium, iron, and Vitamin D, but I do get constipated from taking the pain meds, so I end up having to take Miralax and skipping the Iron more often than not! I will have labs re-drawn once I get my MRI done, and am off the Norco. They just swited me from Norco to Oxycodone so I won't overdose on Tylenol. I took my last Norco today...hopefully switching over won't cause too much distress.....

All in all, I feel happy to have had the surgery....but I do feel I traded one set of problems in for another!!!

Still, I'm happy and have no regrets.

And look at you now, beautiful......

rnmom1118 · 01-09-2009, 01:58 PM

It helps to hear other people's complications. Not that I don't want to hear everyone's successes, but it helps to know that I'M NOT ALONE. Sometimes that's how I feel on this site. It's not a bed of roses. It was great in the beginning, and I was flying high, but I think the purpose of this thread is to get support from those of us that have had significant problems. Unless you've been there, you don't understand!