Recent Posts
Topic: RE: Abdominal Pain spreading to my back?
What side is your pain on? I know that pain in the upper right abdominal area can be a signal of gallbladder trouble. I have pain in my upper left abdominal area, that radiates to the back. But wasn't triggered by eating. I just found out, after a year of horrible pain, that it's a pinched nerve issue that can be solved by cortisone injections into the nerves to deaden the area. www.endonurse.com/hotnews/4ah1413038.html
Topic: Lap Band - Must stand up to eat
I have had the lap band for 6 years and I have had problems from day one. I am finally at the point where I can no longer live with the band and am looking into a revision. One of my biggest complaints is that I must stand up to eat in order to get the food down through the band. I must also consume lots of liquids to push the solids through. I recently told my husband I don't feel I can go out to a restaurant anymore because I just end up in the restroom. I doubt that my esophagus has any motility left at this point and wonder if anyone else has experienced the same problem. I also experience severe reflux. I am finally getting insurance in Jan that is going to cover a revision so I am tickled pink about this but of course worried that the damage caused by the band will be irreversible. I wish I hadn't waited this long but I was a self pay with the band and have been trying to save money to self pay for a revision but now hopeful insurance will pay.
I would like to hear from anyone that has possibly experienced any of the same problems and if you have had luck with a revision.
I would like to hear from anyone that has possibly experienced any of the same problems and if you have had luck with a revision.
Topic: RE: I have to have exploratory surgery due to abdominal pain.
Well I think, finally, after over a year of pain and frustration, the doctors have finally figured out what has been causing all my pain in my upper left abdomen area.
To give a short synopsis of the last week... I started having agonizing pain in the same area as normal, on Wednesday, Deember 2nd. Taking massive doses of my Oxycodone and hydromorph contin wasn't touching it. I managed to make it to the end of the day at work (thank god my boss didn't mind me sitting by the cash and only getting up to wait on customers lol) I figured maybe I was constipated, since it had been almost 2 weeks since my last bowel movement. I stopped at the pharmacy on the way home from work, and picked up a bunch of things that would help with that. I loaded up (way too much of everything) and took some more pain meds and laid down with my heating pad on high. I was able to sleep for about 3 hours off and on. I woke up and was actually able to make a trip to the bathroom, but didn't move much. I did, however feel better. The next day I was back to normalish pain, so didn't think anymore of it...
Friday morning I woke up at 4am in agony. I took some pain meds, and more laxitives and even resorted to an enema (ughhh). Nothing moved : /
I called in sick to work that day, and headed down the doctor. He recommended a couple other things to try for constipation, said come to the emerg on Saturday if it was still bad. I suffered through Friday, didn't sleep that night, and headed into the emergency dept at 6am on Saturday.
My regular doctor was on call, thank god. He had the nurses try an enema, which proved futile, did an X-Ray and an ultrasound, which showed a large "pocket" in the area I was having pain.
They admitted me to the hospital, so they could fly me out the next morning. I flew into Thunder Bay at 8am on Sunday, they did a CT scan, which proved useless. A surgeon came to check me over and started prodding around. After slapping his hands away everytime he got near my pain area, he says "AHA!!!!... I think I know what this is" He left and came back with a syringe of Xylocaine. He told me I couldn't move at all cause he needed to do a test to be sure of what he was thinking. He prodded the pain area, then injected the xylocaine into the most painful spot. Within a few minutes I started feeling some relief...
It turns out what this pain is is a form of Neuropathy. Nerves that are being aggravated by scar tissue. The solution to the pain is having Cortisone injected into the nerves to deaden them. I'm unsure yet how long this will last, or how often it will need to be done, but I was almost in tears because finally I had a real reason behind all this damn pain I've been having.
I did some reading online once I got home last night, and found that this is actually something that does happen with gastric bypass. It seems to stem from malnutrition, lots of trouble with vomiting and lost weight very rapidly. I fall into all those categories. I was never told of such a risk before surgery (not that it would have changed my decision to have it), but knowing could have saved me over a year of terrible pain and way too much in the way of pain meds.
This is a link to one of the articles I found online www.endonurse.com/hotnews/4ah1413038.html
(Holy smokes, "short synopsis" wasn't so short lol)
Has anyone else heard of this condition, either before or after surgery? Has anyone else gone through it? Anyone have anything to add on the condition or the treatment. I'd be most interested to find out. I'm having my first cortisone shots tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Dec. 8th)
To give a short synopsis of the last week... I started having agonizing pain in the same area as normal, on Wednesday, Deember 2nd. Taking massive doses of my Oxycodone and hydromorph contin wasn't touching it. I managed to make it to the end of the day at work (thank god my boss didn't mind me sitting by the cash and only getting up to wait on customers lol) I figured maybe I was constipated, since it had been almost 2 weeks since my last bowel movement. I stopped at the pharmacy on the way home from work, and picked up a bunch of things that would help with that. I loaded up (way too much of everything) and took some more pain meds and laid down with my heating pad on high. I was able to sleep for about 3 hours off and on. I woke up and was actually able to make a trip to the bathroom, but didn't move much. I did, however feel better. The next day I was back to normalish pain, so didn't think anymore of it...
Friday morning I woke up at 4am in agony. I took some pain meds, and more laxitives and even resorted to an enema (ughhh). Nothing moved : /
I called in sick to work that day, and headed down the doctor. He recommended a couple other things to try for constipation, said come to the emerg on Saturday if it was still bad. I suffered through Friday, didn't sleep that night, and headed into the emergency dept at 6am on Saturday.
My regular doctor was on call, thank god. He had the nurses try an enema, which proved futile, did an X-Ray and an ultrasound, which showed a large "pocket" in the area I was having pain.
They admitted me to the hospital, so they could fly me out the next morning. I flew into Thunder Bay at 8am on Sunday, they did a CT scan, which proved useless. A surgeon came to check me over and started prodding around. After slapping his hands away everytime he got near my pain area, he says "AHA!!!!... I think I know what this is" He left and came back with a syringe of Xylocaine. He told me I couldn't move at all cause he needed to do a test to be sure of what he was thinking. He prodded the pain area, then injected the xylocaine into the most painful spot. Within a few minutes I started feeling some relief...
It turns out what this pain is is a form of Neuropathy. Nerves that are being aggravated by scar tissue. The solution to the pain is having Cortisone injected into the nerves to deaden them. I'm unsure yet how long this will last, or how often it will need to be done, but I was almost in tears because finally I had a real reason behind all this damn pain I've been having.
I did some reading online once I got home last night, and found that this is actually something that does happen with gastric bypass. It seems to stem from malnutrition, lots of trouble with vomiting and lost weight very rapidly. I fall into all those categories. I was never told of such a risk before surgery (not that it would have changed my decision to have it), but knowing could have saved me over a year of terrible pain and way too much in the way of pain meds.
This is a link to one of the articles I found online www.endonurse.com/hotnews/4ah1413038.html
(Holy smokes, "short synopsis" wasn't so short lol)
Has anyone else heard of this condition, either before or after surgery? Has anyone else gone through it? Anyone have anything to add on the condition or the treatment. I'd be most interested to find out. I'm having my first cortisone shots tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Dec. 8th)
Topic: RE: Wishing I had been forewarned
I second what Diana says. You shouldn't have to live with this misery for the rest of your life. Living with a DS is much easier, and you can eat very normally as long as you follow the DS rules for getting in all your protein and avoiding too many carbs.
You should definitely look into it. You deserve better!
STEFANIE 
Totally lovin' my DS!!
HW 336/ SW 326/ CW 147/ GW 160 13 lbs. below goal!
Totally lovin' my DS!! HW 336/ SW 326/ CW 147/ GW 160 13 lbs. below goal!
Topic: RE: Wishing I had been forewarned
I am sorry you are going through this. The good news is, you may be able to have a revision to a DS if you are having complications such as you describe. Please read this paper (http://www.dssurgery.com/aboutus/Research/safeoperation.pdf), and then contact Dr. Keshishian (www.dssurgery.com) -- he is one of the best revision surgeons, and he operates out of both Delano (25 miles north of Bakersfield) and Glendale -- both are a ways from Lake Elsinor, but he is worth it.
You will NOT dump with the DS -- I don't know where you got that idea. Since you don't need to lose any more weight, I assume your stomach could be put back together and a reasonably large sleeve constructed, and you could be given a longish (maybe 200 cm) common channel to maintain the weight loss.
Good luck -- nobody should have to live like this, and I hope you can get the relief and the life you deserve.
You will NOT dump with the DS -- I don't know where you got that idea. Since you don't need to lose any more weight, I assume your stomach could be put back together and a reasonably large sleeve constructed, and you could be given a longish (maybe 200 cm) common channel to maintain the weight loss.
Good luck -- nobody should have to live like this, and I hope you can get the relief and the life you deserve.
Topic: RE: Wishing I had been forewarned
Looks like your not eligible for WLS at this point so a revision is most likely out of the question. I'm sorry to hear your having all these problems. Have you ever been treated for a bacterial overgrowth? Ever been put on a round of Flagyl? Have you been tested for C. difficile?
Usually DHR and Gas can be controlled by diet and use of probiotics. Have you done a food elimination diet to see what may be causing you problems? There are many things to look into and not knowing your history I don't know what has been done so I'm just throwing these out there. Good luck to you. Feel free to come to the DS board and ask for some other suggestions on your issue.
Tom
Usually DHR and Gas can be controlled by diet and use of probiotics. Have you done a food elimination diet to see what may be causing you problems? There are many things to look into and not knowing your history I don't know what has been done so I'm just throwing these out there. Good luck to you. Feel free to come to the DS board and ask for some other suggestions on your issue.
Tom
HW 341/SW 309/CW 169/GW 190 172 lb. loss with my DS - Subscribe to me on YouTube!
Plastics with Dr. Sauceda 1-11-11 Lower Body Lift, Thigh Lift, Upper Body Lift, Arm Lift and Male Breast Reduction
If you are a MALE and are interested in MALE PLASTICS AFTER WLS click to join our OH Group!
Topic: RE: Gastric Fistula
Hi!
I've been battling an ulcer for over a year now & in conjunction its been determined I also have a fistula. The plan is to reconstruct my pouch & intestine where the ulcer is & to remove the other stomach altogether. Insurance approval is pending.
How are things going for you? Any plan yet?
I've been battling an ulcer for over a year now & in conjunction its been determined I also have a fistula. The plan is to reconstruct my pouch & intestine where the ulcer is & to remove the other stomach altogether. Insurance approval is pending.
How are things going for you? Any plan yet?
Topic: RE: reverse gastric bypass
There Dr. Rabkin in SF. He has taken 2 of my most train-wrecked ppl and made them working/functional ppl again.
I know there is a "program fee", not too sure about the details, but sorta, when all hope is gone.......
BTW, one of my ppl was from GA, one from here (WA)
I know there is a "program fee", not too sure about the details, but sorta, when all hope is gone.......
BTW, one of my ppl was from GA, one from here (WA)
Michelle
RNY, distal, 10/5/94
P.S. My year + long absence has NOTHING to do with my WLS, or my type of WLS. See my profile.
Topic: RE: I have to have exploratory surgery due to abdominal pain.
I had the laporscopic explatory surgery done last month. It lasted about two hours and I was out within two hours after that. The bariatric surgeon just found out that I had an Immune deficiency so he did not want to do any fancy stuff. But he did look around inside and said everything looked ok. So I am guessing if they see something wrong, they would fix it. My surgeon asked me before surgery, if he see something wrong, does he want me to fix it and I said yes. He also asked if he see's something that is causing a problem because of my bypass, do I want him to reverse it. I told him only reverse it if he see's somehting causing a problem with my gastric bypass. But the day he did the explatory surgery, he did not reverse anything until I find out about my immune system. I slept most of the day after I left the hospital. I had four small incisions which healed well and the stitches were taken out the following week. Explatory surgery is the way to go by doing this laporacocpic. But hopefully they will do it by laporscopic, because if they see you need to be opened because of other complications, then they will do so, but they are suppose to ask all these questions before you have the explatory surgery done. Good luck. I will be probably getting mine reversed in the near future because of all the issues I have had which you can read my posts if you are interested. Again good luck!
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