8 months in He** - Page 3 - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Sara518 · 09-24-2009, 09:47 AM

RNY I figured at the time if I was going to do it just do it.

Sara

Sara518 · 09-24-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymee

Not sure why you had to add the Duh part.. I was only going by what you wrote, hun... You said yourself that he didn't offer up why and you didn't ask so I was only going by the info I had.. sorry if that offended you, it wasn't my intention.

Oh the Du part was for me. You know like when you remember something and go du..? It was one of those moments. I do not get offended to easily.

I had just remembered the Gastroparesis. Im telling you, you do not want to go through that.........and if I got a reversal I would be trading this issue for that issue. No thank you.

mistymee · 09-24-2009, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sara518

Oh the Du part was for me. You know like when you remember something and go du..? It was one of those moments. I do not get offended to easily.

I had just remembered the Gastroparesis. Im telling you, you do not want to go through that.........and if I got a reversal I would be trading this issue for that issue. No thank you.

Ah, gotcha! Thanks for the clarification. No, the gastroparesis does not sound like fun

good luck, whatever you do decide to do.

Geebs · 09-24-2009, 05:02 PM

Sorry you've had such a rough time of it and the year has been so bad! I hope you can look back on this time of your life and be glad you're past it!!! Good luck working through your issues. Be the squeaky wheel and make sure you're getting the best care possible!

-Gina

Sara518 · 09-24-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymee

Ah, gotcha! Thanks for the clarification. No, the gastroparesis does not sound like fun

good luck, whatever you do decide to do.

Well I have decided on the 24 hour pain patch and the meds for IBS. They seem to be working as I have not had stomach aches for 2 days now. THANK GOD. It gets to the point of no return sometimes and it is just short of horrific. I know that sounds bad its because it is!

Kymel · 09-24-2009, 05:59 PM

Hi Sara

I noticed that you're not that far from Portland, is it possible that you could switch to a different practice if you're not happy with the current level of service? To me it sounded like maybe you aren't. Legacy Emanuel (Good Sam) in Portland has an excelent program and staff. They're a Center of Distinction program also.

I'll have to admit I read the first several posts, but only glanced the center of the thread, so maybe it was covered - if so, don't worry about covering it again. I believe it's important information to everyone out there to know the potential complications associated with the surgery. Very important. While I understand you've had complications and have been in a ton of pain - I didn't see it mentioned what the complications were. Why you had to have a feeding tube, or what they found was causing your blockages. Could you please elaborate on the issues you've suffered/dealt with so others can know?

Everyone's bodies are different...and every surgical practice has a different way of doing these surgeries and different aftercare. It's important for everyone researching this to understand those facts and keep them in mind while deciding.

I gotta run...please keep us posted on your progress

Sara518 · 09-25-2009, 10:46 AM

Mel,

Im way ahead of you on the change practices. I did that long ago. Let me go back to the start and then maybe you can understand why I have had so many issues. In December 2008 I started to throw up. After I lost count on how may times I puked I went to the local ER. They Diagnosed me with Gastroparesis. I explained what that is in an earlier post. OK so one of the treatments for that is WLS. So in January 2009 we went a head with it. I started to have issues right away not being able to keep even tablespoons of water down at a time. So in Feb they decided that I had a blockage of the sm bowels. They fixed that but still I could not eat or drink anything at all. In Early March 09 they went and put in the feeding tube because I was not able to eat or drink and I was basically starving my body. I was not gettting any nutrients at all. Ok well when they placed the tube they put it in my remenant stoamch. My remnant stomach didnt work anymore due to the Gastroparesis. So Everytime I would put anything in there it would hurt like He**. Basically I lived in pain the whole 5 weeks I had that thing in me. When I would put ensure or anything in there it would burn like crazy then about 3 days later after nothing emptied out of my stomach I would start throwing up vilolently. This seemed to cycle every week. Until late March when I found myself a new DR and he decided that the feeding tube was placed wrong and neederd to be removed. So I got it removed but still could not really eat or drink anything. There has been some talk about removing the rememnant stomach bc it has gastroparesis and full of ulcers now. So anytime I eat now the gastric juices start to flow and since there is nothing coming to that stomach it hurts due to the gastric juices and ulcers mixing. I have been on tons of different medications, have been in and out of the ER so amny times I lost count (over 30) at least. My Dr this week finally put me on a pain patch with some other pain meds for breakthrough pain. So now I am able to eat small amounts of food and sips of fluid during the day. We will see how it all works out. I have been Diabetic for over 20 yrs and many of those years it was uncontrolled. I lost a lot due to my own neglect. At 20 I lost a fullterm baby boy. At 30 other things started to go wrong and I lost 3 toes on one foot and all of the eyesight in one eye and a lot in my other. By the way I am not having a pity party here I am just sharing my experience. If this can help someone with Diabetes or just help some one trying to decide if this surgery is right for them that is all I care about. Since the surgery I have lost over 100lbs and the Diabetes is better. I am still on tons of medication but things on the Diabetic end are better. I mean I went from 70 units of insulin everyday to 6 units. There are a few things I would do differently.........first I would really try to lose the weight on my own I mean really try. I would defianatly join weight watchers or go to a class that teaches you how to cook and eat right. All I got was a few visits with a nutitionist and a list of food of what I can and can not have. I would take a class of some sort that teaches how it is going to be after the fact. I thought I was prepared because I read read read everything I could get my hands on, I looked on the internet, I talked to a lot of people who had this surgery. I never really heard anything bad from any source. Of course the risks were skimmed over but nothing prepares you for what can really happen to you until it does happen to you. I would still reccomend this surgery. I would do it again. You know why? Because I am human and I am not sure anyone could have said anything that would have convinced me not to. Even if they told me all this bad stuiff is going to happen to you. Humans are selfish and do what ever they want and that is the fact in the end. Hopefully someone reading this might have more sense then I did and will make a desicion based on someones real story. I am a real person with really bad issues because I decided on this surgery. while I look better, weigh less and some health problems are better, I do not feel better, when I look in the mirror I do not thing I see what others see now and I have more health issues then I did before I started. My biggest accomplishment was yesterday when my husband said honey how much do you weigh now? When I told him he said come here. grab around my neck. He said jump. When I did he picked me up and carried me around the house for the 1st time in the 19 yrs we have been together. Priceless! I will never forget the tears in his eyes when he said look honey I can carry you around now. That makes it all worth it it the end. Being at my sons graduation was worth it. Going to the local fair today and being able to walk around it with out a motorized chair is worth it, seeing the lights tonight of the rides because I can see from saving my good eye from diabetic rientiopathy worth it! So there are things I regeret and a lot that I do not. I just want to share my story because it helps to get it out. If it helps someone one way or the other Im glad. while going back over this I know I go both ways on the issue but its my story. Its emotional.

Sara518 · 09-25-2009, 10:58 AM

Mel arent you in goldendale? My inlaws live there.

Kymel · 09-25-2009, 12:33 PM

Yep, that's where I be...for now

Thanks for filling in the details Sara - know it's hard to rehash it, but I really think that it helps those out there trying to find information from all aspects and points of view, and I'm sure there will be plenty out there that will appreciate you taking the time to do so.

I hope now that you're with a different doctor, you'll be on the right path and they can get some of these underlying medical issues resolved.

100 pounds is quite an acheivement - especially with the other factors involved. You should be proud of yourself hon. And it sounds like you're starting to be able to enjoy some of the benifits of the loss - that makes it all worth it. Longer happier lives is what it's all about, right?

take care, and keep us up to date on your progress

rnmom1118 · 09-28-2009, 05:10 PM

Sara,

Sorry about all your problems. Sure hope it gets better. First, about your pain meds. there's a difference between addiction and dependence. Addiction is where you crave the high from the meds, dependence is when your body needs the meds to control the pain. The patch is a godsend, and you tend to have less side effects. I was diagnosed with gastroparesis also. Have you tried Reglan? I couldnt tolerate that, so had to get motilium (from outside the US). turns out, it's not my stomach muscles that don't work, it's my intestine motility that doesn't work. there are no meds for that. I sure hate that you didn't want to post your story because you were afraid of the backlash. I tell you what, you need the support. I'm 7 yrs out, and wish I could tell you that thngs WILL get better. Until I found this forum, I didn't even know that there were people going thru hell too. I don't post very often, and truthfully don't read the posts very often, but when I'm having a particularly bad day, or need to do some research to take to my pcp, I look here. For those of you who are senior members and have done all the research...I appreciate it more than you'll know. So even if you're a lurker, keep lurking, and reading, and learning.

Good luck!