Rebecca S.
Wow! What a difference RNY Made!
Jan 20, 2015
In two days I will be celebrating 8 months post-op for RNY gastric bypass. I started at 383 in Jan 2014. May 23, 2014, I was 335 when I entered the operating room. Today at almost 8 months post-op I am down to 209 lbs! I have gone from a tight size 32 to a loose size 16. I feel amazing.
Christmas Eve my love proposed to me. We are planning a wedding for the fall. I never thought in a million years there would be a man entering my life that would be so supportive and loving. I am so happy about everything in my life.
Six weeks post-op I did have to have my gallbladder removed. That was the only problem I suffered until the 7th month. I began to have pains when I ate. As soon as food or drink would go down I would get excruciating pain that would go from my stomach to my back. I would cry and double over. I had visited several emergency rooms to no avail. Finally, one night I ended up calling 911. An ambulance took me to the hospital and I stayed 7 days. The doctors were clueless, running every test under the sun. They still have not given me a solid answer to my pain. My mistake is not going to the hospital where I had my bariatric surgery because the endoscopy performed at this local hospital showed nothing but one infected staple in my stomach, which they claim is not the cause of the pain. So, after complaining and begging, I finally got into my bariatric surgeon. He suspects it is either ulcers or a fistula. There is an endoscopy scheduled for Feb. 5 with a doctor familiar with bariatric patients. In the meantime, he has me on Carafate and Protonix. Those medications are helping. I am guessing it is ulcers just because these medications meant for ulcers are working wonders. I am not happy that the doctors are not in a hurry to get this test done. I want this pain to end completely or at least have my mind put at ease. Every time I went to an ER and was told to go home I would just cry. I was crying out of fear wondering if my intestines were twisted or if I was going to die from some weird malfunction that someone did not bother to check out. That is a very scary feeling. In one ER, I felt like they thought I was a drug seeker. I did not like that feeling either. I just wanted a doctor to listen to me and say, "Hey! I know what this is!" The ER doctors were just not taking that kind of time with me and they would not admit me. It was very frustrating. This has been a very scary experience but if I had a choice to undo my surgery I would absolutely keep things as they are. I am so damn happy since RNY that I would not change a thing. Pain or not pain from this glitch. I love what RNY has done to me and my life. I have no regrets.
One complaint I have is I am very tired all of the time. I feel narcoleptic. One minute I am having a conversation and the next minute I am out like a light. It is embarrassing. My dietician told me the other day it is because I am not eating 800 calories per day. I was concentrating on getting in 80 grams of protein. Sadly, I have stopped tracking my food months ago, which I totally don't recommend. So, post-op RNY shoot for 80 grams of protein and 800 calories per day minimum. If you are having trouble going to the bathroom like I have had, my dietician recommended Colace, Benefiber, eating at least one apple and one banana a day, and a chili a day to up the fiber.
Life is good! No regrets! It's a learning process.
