X post: Intestinal blockages- make more noise- SAVE YOUR LIFE
I've been reading a lot of threads about a dear OHer who passed away from an intestinal blockage, and how we need to advocate for ourselves-- and I wanted to make something clear--
If you are suffering an intestinal blockage, all the noise in the world may not save your life. Or better said, if you think you're being loud enough, BE LOUDER-- and arm yourself with knowledge so you recognize it beforehand.
My story: 3 days after having my gallbladder out in June, I started feeling very nauseous and suddenly could not keep food down. (That'd be hard for some to note because they have trouble keeping food down anyway.) I hadn't had gas or a bowel movement in 7 days, but having just had surgery suspected it was just slow in coming.
After 6 hours of this nausea and pain not passing I paged my surgeon and his assistant. I was told that neither were answering their pages. I was able to get in some water eventually and went to bed.
The next day the nausea and pain intensified. By 6pm I could take no more. I was home alone, and so instead of driving to the metro hospital where I had my RNY, I could only drive as far as the local ER. This choice almost cost me my life.
I was sweating and crying when I went in. I explained to the triage nurse that I had an RNY and a gallbladder removal just days before and suspected I had an intestinal blockage, and that the pain was excrutiating. An emergency. I could die.
But It was a holiday weekend, and people who cut their fingers on beer pull tabs were taken back, women who were upset over boyfriends, the general ER riffraff BS that takes place on a holiday-- and I was left standing (couldn't sit) in the waiting room for FIVE hours-- even though I returned several times to triage to say, "I can't take this much longer-- I am very afraid I have had a blockage and need a doctor NOW."
When I was finally seen, the CAT scan was "inconclusive"...the doc told me he saw a lot of fluid in my belly but thought it might be from the gallbladder surgery, and I should follow up with my surgeon in the morning. I was discharged at 6 am with nausea meds and pain pills.
When I called my surgeon, I read him all my tests-- enzyme levels, etc. He said he didn't hear anything alarming-- but he was listening for something gallbladder related-- a bile duct blockage etc. would skew the numbers. When it didn't, he more or less said, "You'll be fine." This was Monday.
By Wednesday the pain at night was unbearable. I cried and screamed into a towel. Wednesday morning I had a regular check up with my surgeon. Luckily, his assistant knows me very well and said, "Shari, you don't look right. Seriously." The surgeon said, "I don't know what to do-- want us to admit you and run some tests?" I think he expected me to say no, but I said, "PLEASE!"
So I was admitted around 4 pm. By 7 pm the pain was back, but they wouldn't allow me pain meds until after I had a CAT scan. I didn't hve the CAT scan until 3 am. They left me on a gurney in the hallway for an hour and a half aftyerward, sobbing in pain, because they didn't have anyone in transportation to come get me. By the time I finally received pain meds at 5 am, I would have shot myself if I'd had access to a gun.
I finally fell asleep. At 7 am, my surgeon breezed in, threw open my curtains and said, "You're having surgery today. You have a bunch of fluid back up in your belly, and we need to find out why." He explained he's use the lap incisions he'd made for the gallbladder and go back in.
By noon I was in surgery.
At 4 pm, I awoke in the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. I focused on a spot on the ceiling. I could not talk. I had tears streaming . The dilaudid wasn't even touching it.
They explained to me, "You're a lucky woman. Your bowel (intestines) had twisted and actually permeated the wall of your excluded stomach. Generally when this happens, and days pass, we find a bunch of dead bowel which we have to remove. But for whatever reason when we reconnected you, you pinked up right away. Now we just have to see if it works-- if you can move your bowels or pass any gas." I was told that the lap procedure went open suddenly when they couldn't locate the source right away-- I had a large open incision now from my sternum to my navel. I'd been gutted and beat up pretty badly in the process. But I was alive.
For five days, nothing passed. My urine was dark brown, I was losing kidney function. Then it started to lighten, and returned. And finally on the fifth day, while walking in the hall, I passed gas. Sounds stupid, but I was so happy I cried. I gained 25 pounds in fluid and unpassed stool in 3 days--but within two weeks lost 40. My recovery took many weeks, but I finally feel better now. I am grateful for the opportunity to live, and feel obligated to warn anyone who will listen.
Blockages like mine are 100% fatal if not caught in time-- usually within 72 hours. Why mine didn't take me down in the FIVE days that had elapsed, I am not sure.
I wanted to make sure you know what we're really discussing-- how it feels, what it looks like, how you might be treated. Your local ER will NOT be able to help you. You need to educate loved ones so that they can speak FOR you-- a medical alert bracelet will not help you. The beloved poster who passed away may have done all of the above, and still they missed her blockage until it was too late. You need to do everything you can to make sure it doesn't happen to you-- and this sort of herniation-- sometimes called a Petersen's hernia-- happens in about 5% of post bypass patients. Five out of one hundred. One in twenty. Could be anyone.
Symptoms in an RNYer include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and distention, inability to pass stools or gas. (Apparently in DSers, gas will still pass.)
Know the signs and symptoms. Don't allow anyone to dismiss you. Do NOT ignore pain that will not pass. Insist on prompt and appropriate treatment, and train your family to know how to help you if it should happen. You may save your own life.
If you are suffering an intestinal blockage, all the noise in the world may not save your life. Or better said, if you think you're being loud enough, BE LOUDER-- and arm yourself with knowledge so you recognize it beforehand.
My story: 3 days after having my gallbladder out in June, I started feeling very nauseous and suddenly could not keep food down. (That'd be hard for some to note because they have trouble keeping food down anyway.) I hadn't had gas or a bowel movement in 7 days, but having just had surgery suspected it was just slow in coming.
After 6 hours of this nausea and pain not passing I paged my surgeon and his assistant. I was told that neither were answering their pages. I was able to get in some water eventually and went to bed.
The next day the nausea and pain intensified. By 6pm I could take no more. I was home alone, and so instead of driving to the metro hospital where I had my RNY, I could only drive as far as the local ER. This choice almost cost me my life.
I was sweating and crying when I went in. I explained to the triage nurse that I had an RNY and a gallbladder removal just days before and suspected I had an intestinal blockage, and that the pain was excrutiating. An emergency. I could die.
But It was a holiday weekend, and people who cut their fingers on beer pull tabs were taken back, women who were upset over boyfriends, the general ER riffraff BS that takes place on a holiday-- and I was left standing (couldn't sit) in the waiting room for FIVE hours-- even though I returned several times to triage to say, "I can't take this much longer-- I am very afraid I have had a blockage and need a doctor NOW."
When I was finally seen, the CAT scan was "inconclusive"...the doc told me he saw a lot of fluid in my belly but thought it might be from the gallbladder surgery, and I should follow up with my surgeon in the morning. I was discharged at 6 am with nausea meds and pain pills.
When I called my surgeon, I read him all my tests-- enzyme levels, etc. He said he didn't hear anything alarming-- but he was listening for something gallbladder related-- a bile duct blockage etc. would skew the numbers. When it didn't, he more or less said, "You'll be fine." This was Monday.
By Wednesday the pain at night was unbearable. I cried and screamed into a towel. Wednesday morning I had a regular check up with my surgeon. Luckily, his assistant knows me very well and said, "Shari, you don't look right. Seriously." The surgeon said, "I don't know what to do-- want us to admit you and run some tests?" I think he expected me to say no, but I said, "PLEASE!"
So I was admitted around 4 pm. By 7 pm the pain was back, but they wouldn't allow me pain meds until after I had a CAT scan. I didn't hve the CAT scan until 3 am. They left me on a gurney in the hallway for an hour and a half aftyerward, sobbing in pain, because they didn't have anyone in transportation to come get me. By the time I finally received pain meds at 5 am, I would have shot myself if I'd had access to a gun.
I finally fell asleep. At 7 am, my surgeon breezed in, threw open my curtains and said, "You're having surgery today. You have a bunch of fluid back up in your belly, and we need to find out why." He explained he's use the lap incisions he'd made for the gallbladder and go back in.
By noon I was in surgery.
At 4 pm, I awoke in the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. I focused on a spot on the ceiling. I could not talk. I had tears streaming . The dilaudid wasn't even touching it.
They explained to me, "You're a lucky woman. Your bowel (intestines) had twisted and actually permeated the wall of your excluded stomach. Generally when this happens, and days pass, we find a bunch of dead bowel which we have to remove. But for whatever reason when we reconnected you, you pinked up right away. Now we just have to see if it works-- if you can move your bowels or pass any gas." I was told that the lap procedure went open suddenly when they couldn't locate the source right away-- I had a large open incision now from my sternum to my navel. I'd been gutted and beat up pretty badly in the process. But I was alive.
For five days, nothing passed. My urine was dark brown, I was losing kidney function. Then it started to lighten, and returned. And finally on the fifth day, while walking in the hall, I passed gas. Sounds stupid, but I was so happy I cried. I gained 25 pounds in fluid and unpassed stool in 3 days--but within two weeks lost 40. My recovery took many weeks, but I finally feel better now. I am grateful for the opportunity to live, and feel obligated to warn anyone who will listen.
Blockages like mine are 100% fatal if not caught in time-- usually within 72 hours. Why mine didn't take me down in the FIVE days that had elapsed, I am not sure.
I wanted to make sure you know what we're really discussing-- how it feels, what it looks like, how you might be treated. Your local ER will NOT be able to help you. You need to educate loved ones so that they can speak FOR you-- a medical alert bracelet will not help you. The beloved poster who passed away may have done all of the above, and still they missed her blockage until it was too late. You need to do everything you can to make sure it doesn't happen to you-- and this sort of herniation-- sometimes called a Petersen's hernia-- happens in about 5% of post bypass patients. Five out of one hundred. One in twenty. Could be anyone.
Symptoms in an RNYer include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and distention, inability to pass stools or gas. (Apparently in DSers, gas will still pass.)
Know the signs and symptoms. Don't allow anyone to dismiss you. Do NOT ignore pain that will not pass. Insist on prompt and appropriate treatment, and train your family to know how to help you if it should happen. You may save your own life.
"Oh sweet and sour Jesus, that is GOOD!" - Stephen Colbert Lap RNY 7/07-- Lap Gallbladder 5/08--
Emergency Bowel Repair 6/08 -Dr. Meilahn, Temple U. Upper and Lower Bleph/Lower Face Lift 12/08
Fraxel Repair 2/09-- Lower Bleph Re-Do 5/09 -Dr. Pontell, Media PA Mastopexy/Massive
Brachioplasty/ Extended Abdominoplasty (plus Mons Lift and Upper Leg lift) / Hernia Repair
6/24/09 ---Butt Lift and Lateral Thighplasty Scheduled 7/6/10 - Dr. Ivor Kaplan VA Beach
Total Cost: $33,500 Start wt: 368 RNY wt: 300 Goal wt: 150 Current wt: 148.2 BMI: 24.7
OMG Thankyou so much for sharing your story. I remember Vickie from the PS forum and when I found out she passed I couldn't believe it. I'm assuming an intestinal blockage could happen to any of us? You mention RNY and DS but how about lap-band. Would you please x-post this on our Lap-Band forum if you think it applies, I think everyone needs to know this information it is life saving information.
You were out spoken and diligent with trying to get treatment and you almost didn't make it. Imagine if someone wasn't as persistent how scary. I'm so happy your OK I love reading your posts even though I don't post too often. Karianne
You were out spoken and diligent with trying to get treatment and you almost didn't make it. Imagine if someone wasn't as persistent how scary. I'm so happy your OK I love reading your posts even though I don't post too often. Karianne
HW-244, SW-234, CW-207
4/8/04 Lap-band-Goal weight for 5 yrs, Tummy Tuck 6/23/08
Lap-band Leak 4/2011, Revision to Gastric Bypass 4/5/12
This can happen to ANYONE -- but especially anyone who has lost a significant amount or weight (and not only surgically)-- the extra space in your abdomen allows the intestines to move a bit too freely sometimes and they kink up (herniate) or they can also telescope in on themselves (intussusception).
"Oh sweet and sour Jesus, that is GOOD!" - Stephen Colbert Lap RNY 7/07-- Lap Gallbladder 5/08--
Emergency Bowel Repair 6/08 -Dr. Meilahn, Temple U. Upper and Lower Bleph/Lower Face Lift 12/08
Fraxel Repair 2/09-- Lower Bleph Re-Do 5/09 -Dr. Pontell, Media PA Mastopexy/Massive
Brachioplasty/ Extended Abdominoplasty (plus Mons Lift and Upper Leg lift) / Hernia Repair
6/24/09 ---Butt Lift and Lateral Thighplasty Scheduled 7/6/10 - Dr. Ivor Kaplan VA Beach
Total Cost: $33,500 Start wt: 368 RNY wt: 300 Goal wt: 150 Current wt: 148.2 BMI: 24.7
WOW! 
You are one lucky lady. Your story is so scary. Thank you for sharing. It may save someone's life. It also makes me sad to think about the sad state of our health care system and makes me very scared of my local er room. I went in with multiple pulmonary emboli and they wanted to send me home with a z pack for bronchitis. If I had not had a history of bronchitis and had not talked to my doctor before I headed to the er, I might not had stood my ground. My doctor told me to have certain tests performed based on my history and pain tolerance. I was a broken record. Finally they decided to "humor" me and gave me a chest x ray and low and behold the emboli were so big you could see them on the x ray. I was in ICU that night.
We have to be our own advocates as er's are often staffed by non local doctors that do not know your history and often have not completed all of thier training. Scary but true. They are often residents that hire themselves out for the money. They are qualified but do not have the esperience to catch everything.
You are one lucky lady. Your story is so scary. Thank you for sharing. It may save someone's life. It also makes me sad to think about the sad state of our health care system and makes me very scared of my local er room. I went in with multiple pulmonary emboli and they wanted to send me home with a z pack for bronchitis. If I had not had a history of bronchitis and had not talked to my doctor before I headed to the er, I might not had stood my ground. My doctor told me to have certain tests performed based on my history and pain tolerance. I was a broken record. Finally they decided to "humor" me and gave me a chest x ray and low and behold the emboli were so big you could see them on the x ray. I was in ICU that night. We have to be our own advocates as er's are often staffed by non local doctors that do not know your history and often have not completed all of thier training. Scary but true. They are often residents that hire themselves out for the money. They are qualified but do not have the esperience to catch everything.
Cat Lady
Hi Jupiter
What a great idea. I have posted this before but usually to a thread where someone sounds like they have one. I want to include it here because it is so different then your story.
10 years ago after my Hysterectomy,
I was having spasms or like a horrible menistral cramp, right where the ribs meet (stomach area) This spasm would come and go in waves. I was not nauseated. It would suddenly hit and I would be in tears and wanting to go to the ER. Not like me at all. I made several trips to the ER had an x-ray and they told me I had a gas bubble at least the size of my stomach in the intestines. They sent me home. One of the problems is by the time it got so bad I wanted to go to ER and the by the time I was seen it had subsided. Only to start over again sometimes the next day sometimes sooner. I could pass gas and stool. The pain was intense, It would start as a cramp, get tighter and tighter, then I would get a super sharp knife like pain over the top of it and everything would release, until the next wave hit. Finally I put a call into my surgeon, By the time they called me back, I had started to projectile vomit and it was all bile from the stomach, (sorry TMI) (This is like an extreme vomiting with huge force, Like its coming from your toes lol) My surgeon had me go to his office. When I arrived he brought his charge nurse in and said " she is going to be your personal nurse all day until we figure out what is happening. He sent me for more x-rays The nurse had me eat different things well I was there and everything was fine. At the end of the day he brought me into his office and said I am not sure what is going on. I decided to tell him in great detail what the pain was like. He looked at me and said you are obstructed! I am admitting you and they will place an NG tube into your stomach that will tell us for sure. Well when they tried to place the tube I gagged so bad that I told then they were going to have to knock me out. So they brought in the verced and it worked like a charm. The tube was placed and a large amount of bile drained into the jar. My doctor (GOD BLESS this man) came in and explained that I had a partial obstruction. The intestine would twist until things backed up and put so much pressure on it that it would untwist, at that point I would be able to pass gas and stool. Then when the stomach was empty I would be fine until several hours or a day passed and the food would build up again causing it to twist again. He said that is why it was so hard to diagnose I was in the hospital with that tube for several days. He said by letting the intestine rest it would allow it to recover from the twisting and gain strength again. It did and I never had another problem with it. After coming home I pulled out my medical book and read up on it. The text book said exactly what I had described as my pain. It was like I had read it straight from the book. Bottom line is, I think we can all experience different types of pain, possibly depending on which area is obstructed, after RNY may have a different type of pain because our tummy's are smaller and it could come from the old tummy as well. . Keep going to ER or your doctor until you get help no mater what. Remember, you can have gas and stool and still be obstructed, One of the things that confused them is that I wasn't vomiting, until the very end of my ordeal. depending on weather it is a partial that comes and goes or a KINK that stays and won't let anything pass. Nancy
What a great idea. I have posted this before but usually to a thread where someone sounds like they have one. I want to include it here because it is so different then your story.
10 years ago after my Hysterectomy,
I was having spasms or like a horrible menistral cramp, right where the ribs meet (stomach area) This spasm would come and go in waves. I was not nauseated. It would suddenly hit and I would be in tears and wanting to go to the ER. Not like me at all. I made several trips to the ER had an x-ray and they told me I had a gas bubble at least the size of my stomach in the intestines. They sent me home. One of the problems is by the time it got so bad I wanted to go to ER and the by the time I was seen it had subsided. Only to start over again sometimes the next day sometimes sooner. I could pass gas and stool. The pain was intense, It would start as a cramp, get tighter and tighter, then I would get a super sharp knife like pain over the top of it and everything would release, until the next wave hit. Finally I put a call into my surgeon, By the time they called me back, I had started to projectile vomit and it was all bile from the stomach, (sorry TMI) (This is like an extreme vomiting with huge force, Like its coming from your toes lol) My surgeon had me go to his office. When I arrived he brought his charge nurse in and said " she is going to be your personal nurse all day until we figure out what is happening. He sent me for more x-rays The nurse had me eat different things well I was there and everything was fine. At the end of the day he brought me into his office and said I am not sure what is going on. I decided to tell him in great detail what the pain was like. He looked at me and said you are obstructed! I am admitting you and they will place an NG tube into your stomach that will tell us for sure. Well when they tried to place the tube I gagged so bad that I told then they were going to have to knock me out. So they brought in the verced and it worked like a charm. The tube was placed and a large amount of bile drained into the jar. My doctor (GOD BLESS this man) came in and explained that I had a partial obstruction. The intestine would twist until things backed up and put so much pressure on it that it would untwist, at that point I would be able to pass gas and stool. Then when the stomach was empty I would be fine until several hours or a day passed and the food would build up again causing it to twist again. He said that is why it was so hard to diagnose I was in the hospital with that tube for several days. He said by letting the intestine rest it would allow it to recover from the twisting and gain strength again. It did and I never had another problem with it. After coming home I pulled out my medical book and read up on it. The text book said exactly what I had described as my pain. It was like I had read it straight from the book. Bottom line is, I think we can all experience different types of pain, possibly depending on which area is obstructed, after RNY may have a different type of pain because our tummy's are smaller and it could come from the old tummy as well. . Keep going to ER or your doctor until you get help no mater what. Remember, you can have gas and stool and still be obstructed, One of the things that confused them is that I wasn't vomiting, until the very end of my ordeal. depending on weather it is a partial that comes and goes or a KINK that stays and won't let anything pass. Nancy
That's not something I would be qualified to judge or speculate about. My RNY surgery went without a hitch and my post op care has been terrific, otherwise. Dr. Meilahn is the consummate perfectionist, which is why I chose him, and his assistant Laurie is terrific.
"Oh sweet and sour Jesus, that is GOOD!" - Stephen Colbert Lap RNY 7/07-- Lap Gallbladder 5/08--
Emergency Bowel Repair 6/08 -Dr. Meilahn, Temple U. Upper and Lower Bleph/Lower Face Lift 12/08
Fraxel Repair 2/09-- Lower Bleph Re-Do 5/09 -Dr. Pontell, Media PA Mastopexy/Massive
Brachioplasty/ Extended Abdominoplasty (plus Mons Lift and Upper Leg lift) / Hernia Repair
6/24/09 ---Butt Lift and Lateral Thighplasty Scheduled 7/6/10 - Dr. Ivor Kaplan VA Beach
Total Cost: $33,500 Start wt: 368 RNY wt: 300 Goal wt: 150 Current wt: 148.2 BMI: 24.7
I've been so upset after reading about the lady dying. I keep thinking that it is such a waste of life. This was treatable. She didn't have to die. The story I heard is that she was in a small town, and by the time they got her to a big medical center it was too late.
The story here is to know the signs, and don't SHUT UP. Don't try to remain calm. Insist, INSIST on immediate treatment. Know the signs and speak the medical language to be taken serious.
I'm also going to cross post this on the Louisiana board. Everyone needs to know this.
ETA: How rude of me not to tell you how sorry I am that you went through this torture, and to thank you for taking the time to educate us. {hugs}
The story here is to know the signs, and don't SHUT UP. Don't try to remain calm. Insist, INSIST on immediate treatment. Know the signs and speak the medical language to be taken serious.
I'm also going to cross post this on the Louisiana board. Everyone needs to know this.
ETA: How rude of me not to tell you how sorry I am that you went through this torture, and to thank you for taking the time to educate us. {hugs}
Dianna
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