Been MIA since July...was in ICU... VERY LONG STORY.....

amberd910
on 10/13/11 10:20 am, edited 10/13/11 10:35 am - CT
This is going to be long and I am going to be posting some graphic pictures so reader be warned.....

I haven't posted since July, basically my 2 month post-op from my revision surgery. Well here goes....

May 10th had revision surgery from Lap-Band to RNY which went smoothly. I returned to work in 1 1/2 weeks. On June 6th I was hospitalized in the evening as I started throwing up blood and blood clots. Long story short it appears I had a "bleeding" ulcer but the doctor at the hospital (not my surgeon) never saw it bleeding. I was sent home 2 days later. I returned to work that Friday the 10th. I saw my surgeon that afternoon which at that point my stomach pain returned. He chalked it up to my stomach healing as I was on a daily 40 mg dose of Nexium and 4 doses of 1 mg of Carafate for the ulcer to heal it.
On June 11th the stomach pain was very severe that I was in tears most of the day. In the evening I started throwing up blood and blood clots again. This time I had to go by ambulance to the nearest hospital. I was stabilized there, they spoke with my surgeon, and I was transfered to another hospital where my surgeon could see me. The next day I needed 2 units (bags) of blood. The following day I had an endoscopy done which they still saw the "bleeding" ulcer. I put bleeding in "" as they never saw it bleeding. As this point my dr cauterized the ulcer (burned it) so it would not bleed. I begged him to let me go home. He re****ly agreed. I stayed out of work that whole week.

Now fast forward to July 19th. Everything was fine up until this day, I felt fine all day at work, no stomach pains, nothing. I cooked dinner (kielbasa on the grill and corn and rice) and proceeded to take my 5 year old to his dr's appt. His dad came (my boyfriend of 10 years). On the way home from the dr appt I started to get a mild stomach ache. I thought it was the kielbasa as it was the first time since gastric I had it and I didnt realize until eating it that it was regular and not the lite version (but I did only eat a little). A few more minutes and I was very nausous and dizzy. We were almost home and I told my boyfriend as soon as we got home I was going to run into the bathroom, to get our son out of the car and grab my purse.
Well, into the bathroom and sure enough, blood and blood clots are what I started puking up. I screamed for my boyfriend and we paged my dr. I layed down. I felt ok after this episode. I didnt think it was as severe as the last time and thats what my boyfriend said. About 5 mins passed and I felt the next wave of blood coming up and at this point I just knew it was bad.
I just started vomiting blood and blood clots for over 8 minutes straight. My boyfriend called his aunt and grandmother who live about 8 houses down the road. He called the ambulance/911. I passed out on the bathroom floor. I had gone into shock. The paramedics got to the house and they tried to get me on the strecher and I was screaming at them I was going to poop my pants becuase my body was in shock at that point. They literally dropped me on the side of the strecher because I was fighting them. I bashed my lip but I dont remember.
The next thing I remember is waking up at the local hospital to the "trauma team" (it's a small hospital not really equipped to handle extreme emergencies) screaming that they needed scissors and they started to cut my clothes off. I then passed out.
Next thing I know I am at the other hospital where my surgeon has rights to. Apparently I was already in ICU and my surgeon was on his way. He instructed their trauma team to put a tube down my nose to pump the blood out of my stomach. I remember them telling me they needed to do this, and I was awake with what I feel was no pain killers as they shoved the tube down my nose. I was crying because it hurt so bad and I was so uncomfortable. I was screaming at the ICU dr that I could not do this. I wanted to go home. I didnt really understand what was happening. I vaugely remember taking this picture myself. I have no idea where my family was at this point. I do not know if they were not allowed in to see me yet.



I must have either passed out, they gave me pain meds or what because the next thing is I remember everyone coming in dressing in yellow surgical gowns and bringing in a few machines to run tests right in the room and my surgeon walking in. He came over to me, I gave him a 1/2 smile and a thumbs up, like I always do even when I am miserable and then thats it, lights were out for me.

Apparently I was knocked out from that Tuesday night until Sunday morning in ICU. I had multiple surgeries. When on that Tuesday night my dr went in with the endoscopy machine to see what was going on, there was blood everywhere inside my stomach he couldnt even see. The ulcer had completely ruptured and I needed immediate emergency surgery to save my life or I would die.

At appx 1:00 that morning (so Wednesday morning the 20th) I was wheeled in for emergency surgery. My surgeon had called in the other surgeon in the practice because this was such an emergency and he would not be able to handle the surgery himself. From what I am told from my surgeon and my family, my surgeon had to stop the surgery several times becuase my blood pressure was so low. I needed 11 units bags) of blood during this first surgery. Finally the anesthesialosist said we had to call it quits or I was going to die. I was told if I was any older (26 at the time) I would have died, my body would have given up. So appx 4:30 am surgery was stopped. When surgery was stopped, my intestines were still not even connected to my stomach yet. The bleeding was stopped which was good. I was put onto a woundvac machine and my insides were left open. I was not closed up as I would need 1-2 more surgeries.
2 days later, once the swelling went down, my surgeon was able to go back in and rehook up my intestines to my stomach. He also noticed that my spleen was turning colors and he consulted with another surgeon and they both agreed it needed to come out, that too much was damaged beyond repair, so out that came.
Basically the surgeries went: first surgery cut out the bleeding ulcer/hole in my new stomach and unhooked my gastric bypass and intestines, 2nd surgery rehooked my intestines and redid my gastric bypass.
Well, Sunday came along and I "woke up". I had no idea what the hell was going on. I thought it was Friday, the "day I came into the hospital". I was so confused. I didnt know I had surgery even though I was told so many times I had these 2 surgeries.
I was on a cathader which was removed when I was woken up and I refused to use a bedpan so I was brought a comode agaist the nurses wishes but I proved to them with their help I could use it. They were amazed. So the next day I was moved to a regular room. Again, the seriousness of my situation still did not sink in. I still did not realize I just almost died and had these surgeries. I had dr after dr coming to see me. They were all telling me I was in it for the long haul. My surgeon expected me in the hospital for appx 3 weeks and here I was asking him every time I saw him when I could go home!
So I was brought to a regular room which really SUCKED. I HATE room-mates. I wanted to strangle every one of them. Horrible. I was still pretty drugged up and I could only have pain meds every 4 hours but I wanted it every hour. I had an IV in my neck which was very uncomfortable. I was also on a feeding tube which once I was brought up to my normal room, the reality of the feeding tube sunk in. My surgeon wanted to make sure I could get my nutrients in and not worry about my gastric bypass situation. He knew I wouldn't be able to eat a lot. I even thought for a whole day that I missed my boyfriend's birthday yet it was the month before!
Rehab people were sent in to see me, physical therapists, etc. They thought when I did go home, I might need to go to a "nursing home" type care facility first for rehab and care. Hell, I showed them. I was able to use the bathroom myself, I walked the halls myself, I even brushed my teeth and "washed" myself. I wasnt allowed to shower or anything becuase of the IV in my neck so that sucked too. My hair was like a hornets nest, lol.
Here is what my stomach area looked like after surgery. I am cut from my breast bone to my belly button and I was stapled closed. On the left side was the feeding tube and on the right side was 2 JP drainage tubes (under all that gauze). I was looking down at my stomach.


I also had severe brusing down both my wrists. The pic is hard to see but I was in restraints when I was sedated in ICU because I was told I tried to rip all the wires and tubes out of me numerous times.



Well, again, I proved EVERYONE wrong and 9 days from start of this event to finish, I came HOME! I did have a visiting nurse who came (at first) 3 times a week and I was set up on my feeding tube which my surgeon said for about 6 weeks.  But the story doesnt end here, I wi**** were oh so simple!
So I saw my surgeon appx 4 days later to remove the staples (they had been in 12 days or so), I had noticed when I would stand the stop of my stomach area bubbled out, it was weird. Well, when he removed those staples, it was like a "water" fountain from my stomach. Old yellow fluid was shooting out. He said it was broken down fat and and liquid coming out. So I ended up having an open wound on my stomach. He said no problem, he expected this, and my visiting nurse could help take care of it.
Well, each day I felt worse and better, worse and better. I'd take 1 set forward and it felt like 10 steps back. I wasnt sleeping. I was on about 12 different medications for infections, sleep, nausea, severe pain, ulcer meds, nexium, etc.
Here is a pic of the wound a few weeks out.......


Now in the meantime of all this wound healing stuff going on I was seeing my surgeon every week. And what would you know, another prove my doctor wrong. The feeding tube came out in 1 1/2 weeks! I was able to eat "normally" and back to where I left off before I was hospitalized. Obviosuly not as much but I was eating and making sure to "try" and get protein in. What sucks is certain foods I was fine with before this 2nd bypass I can't tolerate now (like cucumbers, OMG I miss them)!

And so one day I woke up and my throat felt kind of funny. I was having trouble swallowing. It seemed to get worse as the day went on. So the next day I still had more trouble so I called my dr first thing that Monday morning, they said come right in. He wanted to do an endoscopy asap as he suspected a gastric stricture. By the next day I couldnt even swallow water and the receptionist still had not booked my endoscopy so I paged my dr that night. He was ticked at her! He told me it would be scheduled for the following day (Wednesday) no matter what, and sure enough, it was. So this was around the middle of August, I dont remember the exact date. And what would you know. I did have a gastric stricture. Everything had healed so tight my surgeon couldnt even get the camera down! So he streched it all out and told me to make sure I eat!

Now, at this point things seemed to calm down after that. The wound looked like it was healing, but it was still leaking, but healing. See the pic.....


Then one day it just ripped open! The whole damn thing. The whole part that was healed ripped wide open. I made an appt with my surgeon and told him at that appt I wanted to go to a wound center and I didnt want my visting nurse anymore (she was a little flaky). He agreed and that same week I saw the wound dr.

The wound dr sent me for a CT Scan to rule out any blockages and anything further and after speaking to my surgeon about the results, my surgeon decided it was best to go in and do surgery to open the wound a little further, clean the entire thing and then close it up. I agreed and of course, it was scheduled 2 days after my birthday. Atleast it was outpatient surgery and I would go home the same day.

I had my surgery and my surgeon told me that if I didnt have it the wound would have never closed. There was an area of fat (like a fat gobule) that was leaking and he had to close that. He cleaned everything and stiched me up. The pain was bad the first few days. It felt like the c-section with my son but higher up (on your abdomn). Here's my stiches and drainage tube pics.....



Once those came out a few days later I started to feel better.

I have been out of work since July 19th. My dr says he isnt rushing me to go back. My FMLA leave runs out November 9th but just about 2 1/2 weeks ago I am starting to feel more like "me" again. I see my surgeon next Friday so I think I am going to go back to work on October 26th as long as he agrees which he told me when I feel I am ready I can.
I still do get nauseous somedays. I did have a few days which I felt great then the past few days I've been feeling nauseous again. I still take oxycodone for my pain but thats gone down so I do take less each day. When I had the gastric stricture my dr was able to check out to make sure no more ulcers have returned, which they havent and I pray to God they NEVER do.
If I had known that any of this would have EVER happened I would have said NO WAY would I have ever gone through with the revision. I would have kept that blasted band in me or just had it removed and left my stomach alone.
I am off all meds now excpet Nexium 40 mg daily and I do have to take a sleep medication which according to my surgeon and therapist (which I started seeing) it's due to the post-traumatic stress disorder that I have (I guess)?
Well, thats my story. I hope to start coming on here more again as I feel up to it and time permits before I go back to work.
And if your wondering on my weight loss, since my original surgery May 10th I have lost 68 lbs to date which my dr is extremly happy with since I can't excerise or lift anything over 5 lbs until Spring next year he said. I am 18 lbs away from MY goal weight.
My surgeon told me that he wanted to know more about what happened to me because I bled 3 different times. He said he has never had a patient bleed not even once and he is ranked one of the top surgeons here. He read in publications from the Clevland Clinic that there have been 3 reported cases of what happened to me. So I dont know if thats just in that publication or in the US or what but I guess that makes me #4, so I'm pretty unique. He also told me that from the amount of blood that I would have had to have been bleeding for quite sometime.
And it's not the best picture of me but here I am last weekend apple & pumpkin picking with my son. And if you asked me in July if I would be out doing this I would have told you no. At that point I felt like giving up but I didn't becuase of my family and friend support.
Thanks for reading my story and God Bless.
DSC00375.jpg
seattledeb
on 10/13/11 10:34 am
I'm so glad you made it through that hell. I hope you continue to get stronger and heal.
Deb T.

    

Adrienne G.
on 10/13/11 10:35 am - Germantown, MD
Amber,

All I can say is that God is watching over you and he must have big plans for you.  Sometimes we miss his message, so stay alert my dear because you have really been through alot and he found purpose to keep you here.

Adrienne
Starting weight (12/10) - 346; Surgery day weight (10/11) - 282.4
                             
azreggie
on 10/13/11 10:45 am - Tucson, AZ
Holy crap!!! I hope you never have another complication in your life.

Reggie

mabinty
on 10/13/11 10:49 am
Wow is all  I can say!!!! We give God the glory that you r a fighter!!! And u never gave up!!! Well I am happy that you good days out weight your bad day now!!!! Keep up the good work be bless
Citizen Kim
on 10/13/11 10:53 am - Castle Rock, CO
Wow!  You have really been through the mill - it's good to see you looking so well in that picture with your gorgeous son ...


Proud Feminist, Atheist, LGBT friend, and Democratic Socialist

emt_amy
on 10/13/11 11:04 am - MN
Wow, speedy recovery.
Momma2nicknmike
on 10/13/11 11:07 am - Beavercreek, OH
 Oh my gosh, you sure have been through the ringer!  I'm so glad you came back and updated us all.  Hope to see you around the boards more often!

 Lynne    
 

waitinggame
on 10/13/11 11:08 am - Bowie, MD
You poor thing! I'm so glad you have good support from your family! You look great in your picture. It would never let on the hell you've been through. I hope and pray you get stronger and healthier each day and have no further complications!!

Sending healing thoughts!!

Denise

Check out my blog--menumealplanning.com. Tales of making meal planning managable, family fodder, and everything else under the sun. 

RNY 2/3/09, LBL/BL w/Augmentation 9/16/11
Start weight: 335 Current weight: 185 Goal weight: Whatever the hell I can maintain without driving myself insane


                    ButterflyCenturyCard-5.gif picture by barbccrn

 

*6.5 lost preop

YankeeRose
on 10/13/11 11:39 am - Meadville, PA
Wow Amber...I don't even know what to say. What you went through was horrible! I am so sorry you had to endure that. You certainly are a fighter and definitely have a guardian angel watching over you. I agree with the other poster that said God must have big plans for you. I wish you continued success with your recovery...God speed. Take care and may God Bless you and your family.

Tammy
Luck 'o the Irish
HW399/SW362/CW219/GW130
*37 lbs were lost pre-op
       

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