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

Sara518 · 09-21-2009, 09:39 AM

I have not wanted to come on here and share my story because I know how badly I wanted to have this done myself. I thought would reading anything negative even change my mind about the surgery...Probably not! So I have kept to myself. I'm not sure had anyone ever told me the worst case scenario that it would have changed my mind even if I knew it would happen to me. I have had blockages fixed, a feeding tube to keep me alive added and then removed because it was placed wrong and was causing a great deal of pain for 5 weeks. I have had so many endoscopys I lost count, I have had a colonoscomy, a blood transfusion and I have an IV Port in me due to sooo many hospital visits. Next on my list is to go get help for the Vicodin I am now addicted to. I have been advised to go to either a pain management program or to rehab. My husband has been wonderful and very caring, loving, encouraging and actually deserves a medal for putting up with everything I have gone through. Its been rough on my children as well. I had the surgery done in January, my son was a senior in high school, I thought by his graduation I would and feel better. NO In fact I was in the hospital on his grad day and had to beg to be discharged. I made it to his graduation but in a lot of pain. I have missed out on a lot this yr because of the decision to have WLS. However please keep in mind that I am one of the SMALL percentages of people that have this many issues. Again I am not trying to discourage anyone but there is another side to this surgery if it does not go well. I'm thinking the place where people share pics is not the place to post this so I might move it to the stories.Yes I will copy and paste. I am so glad I can come here and vent. I have been apprehensive before now but isn't that what this site is for?? I hope my story will help someone. On the outside I have lost 100+ pounds. I look so much better with clothes on LOL. Naked I say I look like a "bag of bones" Maybe I will get it all fixed one day. It is very mental. I thought all I wanted was to lose the weight that I would not care about the skin. OH NO I hate the skin. before I could not fit things because of fat...now I have to figure where to tuck the skin. With all of the pain I have been in and all of the complications I have had, I have felt like I was loosing my mind at times. I have thought that I needed medication for that, then I think I am much stronger then that. Which I am, but there are times that I think that I am going to crack. I have the three kids 19, 15 and 10 that are nurse's now. They know what pill bottle mom needs at any given time. This is certainly not what I pictured when wanting to have this surgery so badly. I thought my diabetes would go away, my high blood pressure would go away, I thought a lot would change. The faact is that I am on more meds then I ever was before. however, the good news is that the diabetes got better and I went from 70 units of insulin to 6 units a day! That is the best thing anyways.Oh so now I feel like I am just complaining. Im not. I just want you guys to know that there are things that can go wrong and that this surgery is not a joke. It will change your life forever in one way or another. Hopefully for everyone reading this, all for the good but just know there are risks and there are real people that have issues. Im sure I am not the only one.

Any questions or anyone just want to talk you can find me on face book via this email

mrshsgifts@hotmail.com

Thanks for listening!

Sara~

poet_kelly · 09-21-2009, 10:04 AM

Sara, I'm so sorry for all the problems you've had. There are a few people on this board who have had a lot of very serious complications. It's really sad and scary.

Kelly

Sara518 · 09-21-2009, 10:11 AM

I was just reading Henerys story.......OMG. I understand where he is coming from. I am so glad I have not had his issues. This surgery is very life changing. Mostly for the good but there are bad outcomes. I did not post to change anyones mind. Truthfully had I read Henerys story before it would not have changed mine......I would have thought "that will never happen to me''. But truthfully before having so many bad things happen I did not realize what could go wrong...the Dr's aren't so willing to share that part of this surgery they will however sell you a bunch of all the good things. ALSO I know my story is not a popular one. I am not here to debate and won't do it. So if you have something negative to say just save it. Im not into the drama sometimes displayed on this site. (not talking directly to you Poet kelly) just everyone in general.

jerseygrl684 · 09-21-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sara518

I was just reading Henerys story.......OMG. I understand where he is coming from. I am so glad I have not had his issues. This surgery is very life changing. Mostly for the good but there are bad outcomes. I did not post to change anyones mind. Truthfully had I read Henerys story before it would not have changed mine......I would have thought "that will never happen to me''. But truthfully before having so many bad things happen I did not realize what could go wrong...the Dr's aren't so willing to share that part of this surgery they will however sell you a bunch of all the good things. ALSO I know my story is not a popular one. I am not here to debate and won't do it. So if you have something negative to say just save it. Im not into the drama sometimes displayed on this site. (not talking directly to you Poet kelly) just everyone in general.

Yeah, you probably aren't going to like what i'm going to say, but I have to say it. No doctor is going to sit there and tell you about the horrible things that happen with this surgery. Realistically, is a plastic surgeon going to go on and on about how breast implants can leak and how sometimes they need to be replaced every 10 yrs or so? No.

You need to do the research and i'm sure if you asked, your surgeon would have been forthcoming with the complications and issues that have come up in his practice. Mine has point blank told me that he has never seen what is going on with me, happen to him at all yet, but that he has had other complications come up as well as he has undone the bypass.

No one knows how your body with react or what will happen with this surgery. We take risks in hopes that it betters your life, but it doesnt always work out that way. You have to take the negative and make it positive.

GTR-Mark · 09-21-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerseygrl684

Yeah, you probably aren't going to like what i'm going to say, but I have to say it. No doctor is going to sit there and tell you about the horrible things that happen with this surgery. Realistically, is a plastic surgeon going to go on and on about how breast implants can leak and how sometimes they need to be replaced every 10 yrs or so? No.

Actually, the 4 I talked to before surgery all mentioned potential complications and I bet most do. Unfortunately, they downplay them. It is almost like an * and you have to hunt at the bottom of the page to get the information.

Jeanie · 09-21-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sara518

I was just reading Henerys story.......OMG. I understand where he is coming from. I am so glad I have not had his issues. This surgery is very life changing. Mostly for the good but there are bad outcomes. I did not post to change anyones mind. Truthfully had I read Henerys story before it would not have changed mine......I would have thought "that will never happen to me''. But truthfully before having so many bad things happen I did not realize what could go wrong...the Dr's aren't so willing to share that part of this surgery they will however sell you a bunch of all the good things. ALSO I know my story is not a popular one. I am not here to debate and won't do it. So if you have something negative to say just save it. Im not into the drama sometimes displayed on this site. (not talking directly to you Poet kelly) just everyone in general.

WOW will they be able to get all your issues taken care of so that you can go off all the meds etc? Have you thought of a reversal? I hope that you feel better soon, and can live a good life not only for yourself but for you family.

poet_kelly · 09-21-2009, 10:43 AM

Not only did my doctor go over all the risks with me, I had to sign a huge form that listed them all. There was a little paragraph for each thing, like vitamin deficiencies, infections, death from anesthesia, hair loss, etc, etc, and I had to initial beside each one and then sign at the bottom. It took forever to get through it. I don't know why all doctors don't do that. Legally, they are supposed to disclose all the risks to you.

Now, I do think my doctor downplayed the risks somewhat. Like, he did talk to me about vitamin deficiencies, but I swear he made it sound like as long as you take your vitamins you will be fine, and I no longer believe that is necessarily the case. People can take their vitamins and still end up with deficiencies, and that scares the crap out of me. And I don't think he explained that to me very clearly.

Sara, I'm all for educating people about the risks of WLS. We need to know what can go wrong. We need to have all the information, good and bad, so we can make the right choice for us. I don't agree with what Henry's doing because he wants to stop people from getting WLS altogether, and I think many people really benefit from the surgery and they should be able to choose to take the risks if they feel it's worth it to them. But they should have all the information so they can make an informed decision.

Kelly

Sara518 · 09-21-2009, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerseygrl684

Yeah, you probably aren't going to like what i'm going to say, but I have to say it. No doctor is going to sit there and tell you about the horrible things that happen with this surgery. Realistically, is a plastic surgeon going to go on and on about how breast implants can leak and how sometimes they need to be replaced every 10 yrs or so? No.

You need to do the research and i'm sure if you asked, your surgeon would have been forthcoming with the complications and issues that have come up in his practice. Mine has point blank told me that he has never seen what is going on with me, happen to him at all yet, but that he has had other complications come up as well as he has undone the bypass.

No one knows how your body with react or what will happen with this surgery. We take risks in hopes that it betters your life, but it doesnt always work out that way. You have to take the negative and make it positive.

I did ask about his % rate. He said I have never had anyone die on the table. He told me he never had a patient die. I was in the hospital less then 24 hours post surgery. When I was readmitted the nurses told me that once you are discharged from the initial surgery you are no longer part of the statistics as far as complications and death go. Im sure there are no Drs telling you the bad that can happen but they could enlighten you with enough to make a decision. I was only armed with all the good. Not that any of the bad would have changed my ind anyhow. Im just saying that both sides need to be out there fairly. I do agree that you need to look at this yourself and I did. I knew there were some risks I just never thought it would happen to me exactly.

S~

Sara518 · 09-21-2009, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTR-Mark

Actually, the 4 I talked to before surgery all mentioned potential complications and I bet most do. Unfortunately, they downplay them. It is almost like an * and you have to hunt at the bottom of the page to get the information.

YEP! That is about it too.

Sara518 · 09-21-2009, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeanie

WOW will they be able to get all your issues taken care of so that you can go off all the meds etc? Have you thought of a reversal? I hope that you feel better soon, and can live a good life not only for yourself but for you family.

I was told that I can not have a reversal?? I am also going to have my remnant stomach removed because I have multiple ulcers in there playing havoc on me. See your mind tells your tummy when you eat that food is coming to it...so the gastric juices start and when nothing shows up there it bothers the ulcers. which is what is happening to me. Believe me I do not want to have it removed due to the fact that I have been through the ringer already and do not know what else can go wrong so I have been putting this off. Hopefully one day I will be off some of the meds. My family has been wonderful but this crap is getting old. Even the kids friends know when to help me out and when to go home.