Such a small world....

I logged into my FB account today after a long hiatus, and the very first post was a picture of Penny (FreakieChick), staring me right in the face.  Apparently, she was the sister-in law of a friend of mine from high school.  I hadn't spoken to Debbie since before she was married, so I had not idea she had any connection with Penny.  Her post was mourning her dear friend and sister, but also warning others that if they had loved ones considering gastric bypass,  to let them  know the true risks, and how making it through the surgery doesn't mean you've "made it".  I have to admit, the whole thing was quite sobering.  I know we've discussed this already this week, but her passing has struck me deeply. I'm not really going anywhere with this, and certainly don't mean to incite or re spark any fear.  I know her complication was rare, and for every sad story and loss of precious life, there are a hundred more success stories.   I'm just rambling. 

My husband is a very laid back, non-worrying type of guy.  He never thinks anything of a pain or an ache, whereas I often jump to the worse case scenario.  All through the process leading up to and also during surgery, he was very much of the attitude that I'd be just fine.    When I told him about Penny's passing, it really hit him.  I think he saw this surgery as a final fix and never really even considered the  possibility of complication that far out (even though I explained to him a million times that there was).  Since surgery, he has never looked back.  He said that Penny's story will prompt him to take health matters, especially with respect to my RNY, much more seriously.  Better safe than sorry is his new attitude, which is quite a shift. 

One of the things suggested through the discussion of Penny's passing, is that we need to make our families aware and educate them about the warning signs and symptoms they should be cognizant of, so that if they have to advocate for us when we cannot, they are able to do so.  If there is a shred of a silver lining to this tragedy, I think it has taught a lot of us not to ignore our bodies- not 2 years out; not 10 years out.  That is the lesson I will take- though it is a hard pill to swallow.

Her death has also struck me deeply, Marny. Because i knew her personally, i guess. This needs to give us all a kick in the ass, to teach us to listen to ourselves, and not take our health for granted.

Hugs.

I agree Marny. As I come close to my first surgiversary, I kept thinking that i've made it. Until Penny passed. Now, I do know that others have passed away on the board, but for someone only a year out, this is new for me. I have read about twisted bowels, and such, but I never realized how fatal it could be. Although i do think I had the knowledge, but it was in the back of my head somewhere. Penny's story brought it forward and i'm reminded on how lucky we are to have the surgery, and live without complications....but to always know that complications could happen any time. As with people who haven't had surgery. As much as I am mourning her death, I am so grateful for her December post. It is truly helpful for all of us to know what to look for. And we all know now how loud we need to scream. I've informed everyone I know about it, including my ex (lol), and they will all advocate for me, if needed. Let's hope they never have to!

Can you give me a link to her December post?

That is so sad Marney.  What are the symptoms of a twisted bowel?  Did she get medical attention right away?  I have so many questions.  This is dreadful!!

I really, truly don't know the whole story. The FB post was directly attributing her death to the RNY, so I am assuming that the rumour of necrotic bowel or some variation if intestinal/bowel problem is likely true. It is a rare complication. Here is my understanding: twisted bowel can happen because of extra space that surrounds your intestines and bowels as you lose all of your former fat. The space can allow your intestines to twist and fold in on themselves. Much of the time, they untwist on their own, that is why many people experience transient symptoms; they feel it sometimes, but not always. It comes and goes. It can become deadly when the intestines do not untwist. At that point, the bowels become obstructed and nothing, or very little may pass through, resulting in an obstruction. If obstructed, the blood flow to your intestines/ bowels can be compromised. If this happens, fluid (amongst other things), backs up in your body and parts of the intestines or bowels can die, become infected, and then rupture with the pressure. A rupture of perforation can cause sepsis, or infection of the blood. This is, in many cases fatal, but can be resolved if caught early enough. Symptoms can feel different for different people, and the location of the pain can also be different. Some symptoms are blood in the stool, difficulty having a bowel movement, a swollen abdomen, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. I think it is something that needs to be caught early on as it escalates rather quickly, however, for reasons I am unsure of, it seems rather difficult to catch and patients need to insist and demand to be checked and rechecked when they suspect this sort of thing is possible. I am sure that Penny did her best to advocate for herself,but it's hard, and sometimes we aren't heard. Again, I am really not sure the exact cir****tances of everything. I just know that I wish she could have enjoyed more of her new life, and I can't shake her experience from my mind. :(

" I just know that I wish she could have enjoyed more of her new life, and I can't shake her experience from my mind. :("

Me too Marny, me too.

Thanks for the explanation  Marny!  Life is not fair sometimes:(

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/on/4484202/Almost-2-years-out-and-my-pouch-still-kicks-my-a/#37099959

I think that's the link. It looks like it anyhow. I hope it doesn't upset anyone that I posted that. What I would like to say about posting that though, is I don't believe the pain she had was dumping or because of Starbucks, sugar-free stuff. She had problems that she didn't know existed.

I don't mean to harp on this, but, information is everything.  Here is some info that I thought was very specific and helpful:

http://www.drugs.com/cg/bowel-obstruction.html

• Abdominal pain and cramping.
  
   
• Abdominal swelling.
  
   
• Blood in BM.
  
   
• Constipation.
  
   
• Gas.
  
   
• Vomiting (throwing up)

The actual twisted bowel is also known as strangulation and is very serious. The death rate can be as high as 37%. If you think this is something you may have, I would call your surgeon and talk to him.

The symptoms of a bowel obstruction depend on whether the blockage is in the small intestine (small-bowel obstruction) or the large intestine (large-bowel obstruction).

Small-bowel obstruction

• Abdominal pain. Most small-bowel obstructions cause waves of cramping abdominal pain. The pain occurs around the belly button (periumbilical area). If an obstruction goes on for a while, the pain may decrease because the bowel stops contracting. Continuous severe pain in one area can mean that the blockage has cut off the bowel's blood supply. This is called a bowel strangulation and requires emergency treatment.
• Vomiting. Small-bowel obstructions usually cause vomiting. The vomit is usually green if the obstruction is in the upper small intestine and brown if it is in the lower small intestine.
• Elimination problems. Constipation and inability to pass gas are common signs of a bowel obstruction. However, when the bowel is partially blocked, you may have diarrhea and pass some gas. If you have a complete obstruction, you may have a bowel movement if there is stool below the obstruction.
• Bloating. Blockages may cause bloating in the lower abdomen. With a complete obstruction, your doctor may hear high-pitched sounds when listening with a stethoscope. The sounds decrease as movement of the bowel slows.

Large-bowel obstruction

• Abdominal pain. Blockage of the large intestine usually causes abdominal pain below the belly button. The pain may vary in intensity. Severe, constant pain may mean that your intestine's blood supply has been cut off or that you have a hole in your intestine. This is a medical emergency. Call your doctor immediately.
• Bloating. Generalized abdominal bloating usually occurs around the belly button and in the pelvic area.
• Diarrhea or constipation. Either of these symptoms may occur, depending on how complete the obstruction is. Your stools may be thin.
• Vomiting. This symptom is not common with a large-bowel (colonic) obstruction. If vomiting occurs, it usually happens late in the illness.

Blockages caused by cancer may cause symptoms such as blood in the stool, weakness, weight loss, and lack of appetite.

http://www.healthbanks.com/PatientPortal/Public/ArticlePromoted.aspx?ArticleID=HW5uf4382