Finally starting to feel good again!

Wow, what a ride this has been!  My recovery post surgery was great for about 10 days; I was getting my fluids in and meeting my protein requirements.  THEN, hormonal hell began.  I started bleeding excessively. I am peri-menopausal and have had menorrhagia for the last couple of years, so I am used to heavy bleeding, but this was like nothing I have every experienced and it scared me. I looked up heavy bleeding/clotting on these boards and learned that WLS plus quick weightless can cause our hormones to go haywire and that it had happened to others. It made me feel better knowing there was an explaination, but after a week of feeling week, nauseous and hardly being able to drink anything, I called my GYN and the advice nurse said I was have signs of hemorraging and told me to go to the ER. They rehydrated me and gave a daily pill that was supposed to stop the bleeding in 7 days.

Well, the bleeding didn't stop and and I was put on a different pill that made me feel even worse. I ended up in the ER again, dehydrated and anemic.  It's surreal, because I hadn't been to an ER in 26 years and in the course of three weeks ended up there twice!

I am now on a progesterone-only pill, and while I am still bleeding daily, it is MUCH lighter and I am able to function/work. I still struggle to eat enough (at my highest, I've hit 400 calories/day) and get my fluids in, but things are definitely improving.  

I wasn't sure if I was going to post about this horrible experience, but these boards have helped me a lot and it might be useful for other women having surgery to know about the possible hormonal side effects. Neither my surgeon or any of the materials I received even mentioned it. 

Wow, that sounded scary. My I ask what kind of surgery you had? I am getting ready to have the VGS surgery. I am very scared about it, but want to move forward with my life again and enjoy as much as i can. I am going to be 51 in October and now with a very bad knee that needs surgery I have no doubt this is the only means I have to get the weight off since I can no longer workout to do what i need to get it off. I also have had problems with heavy bleeding and blood clots. I was finally got started on a new pill that now I hardly have periods, I hope the surgery wont start them up again. 

Hi Teresa,

I am also 51 and had VSG on 7/21.  Since you are currently on a pill that is helping, you hopefully won't experience the intense hormonal purge that i did.  I definitely don't regret the surgery, I just wish I had been better prepared for this possibility. My mobility is so much better now!  I also had knee problems and just the 30 lbs I've dropped since surgery has made an enormous difference.

Good luck with the surgery. Please send along updates with how you're doing! 

Wow. I'm so sorry you had such a tough time.  It sounds scary and unpleasant.  I am post-menopausal, and I did notice some crazy hormone-related mood swings, but nothing like you've had to deal with.

I hope you feel better soon.

Carol

Thanks, Carol.  I am feeling much better now.  The bleeding has slowed significantly. I can't wait for menopause!

thank you for sharing this when my hormones get out of wack i can bleed really heavy for weeks at a time but i have pcos so my hormones are out of wack normally any how but i hope this doesnt happen to me because i hate having to double up on tampons and pads