I'm back...this time from the dead!

Hi All!
Betcha thought you'd seen the last of me, huh?  Nope...no such luck!  I was minding my own business, not hurting a soul, getting boxes unpacked and settling in to AZ, the heat and having a poorly connected computer.  Last week lightning struck...in  my gut!  I woke up at 4 a.m. Saturday with the most horrendous pain.  I thought I'd go crazy; no position, no activity or lack thereof, heating pad, whatever, helped!  Finally my exhausted hubby took me to the emergency room.  After a CAT scan and the tentative diagnosis of bowel obstruction, I was admitted, screaming in pain and wildly uncooperative.  They tried to get me to drink contrast dye but nothing was staying down.  After several nightmarish IV fiascoes, an NG tube rammed down my throat (forget care re: gastric bypass) and the dye poured into the tube they got their definitive scan and I went to surgery on Sunday.  Stem to stern slit and 18 inches of dead bowel removed.  IV pain meds are not a bad way to go.  My lab tests came out crazy so they seemed to be pumping potassium and magnesium into me by the bucket.  Then, not dealing well with the IV'S that flat wouldn't stay put, I had a cutdown in my armpit for a pic line. The next day, I'm too pale for comfort so I get loaded with 2 units of blood, then started on parenteral nutrition thru my IV.  Not eating for 6 days was no great problem.  Pinked up and chirping, they started feeding me yesterday afternoon and sprung me this morning!  Our last POD arrived whilst I was hospitalized.  I also turned 61 while there...nice!  Now my computer is functional to the high speed desired and I'm once more in contact.  Anyway...I'm back...again and again and again...Daffy

Oh, Daffy I feel so badly for you and can truly sympathize!  A year ago April I had the same thing happen, a little better scenirio before surgery than yours, but the outcome was the same.

Please take care of yourself and don't over do it. This is the sort of thing that can really have a bad ending. Glad you didn't.

Sounds like a nightmare.  What causes this to happen?  Does it have anything to do with the wls?  Did they do any damage when they tried to insert the NG tube?

Hello Barbara.  Cause not certain.  Lap surgery is 'sposed to avoid the kind of rambling about in one's abdominal cavity that promotes adhesions from old surgeries and my RNY was lap.  I had my gallnbladder removed the old way (incision from my sternum along my ribs to under my arm) nearly 30 years ago.  My hubby is determined it happened because I played water volleyball about 3 days before the incident.  I think he just wants to get out of water volleyball henceforth.  :lol:  Maybe I broke some old adhesions loose.  Dunno.  Nope, they managed to get that tube down without damaging my tummy.  The surgeon did make a point of telling me where the tip of the ng tube was, as my stomach was far smaller than the nurses figured when they measured where to push the thing .  Just bloody lucky, eh?   They had no experience with RNY's and I was in far too great distress to worry about it.  Of course my i.d. bracelet had been taken off by that time.  It didn't register with me until it was already long done.
Daffy

My surgeon, who also did my rny told me that this happens sometimes when a person is thin. There isn't any fat to compress the intestines and more room for them to move around, letting them twist. I was concerned that it had to do with the rny, but he said I was only the 3rd rny patient of his that had it happen. Of course, if it was going to happen, it would be me!  LOL

Hi Rusty,
Hope you are doing better now. I know abdominal paid!!!!! I had to have a laporoscopy in March when I was visiting in denver for adhesions. I have a partial blockage that they are watching.
I hope if it get to be block and I have pain Ill have time to get on a plane back to Denver. I feel Dr Tillquist knows what he is doing so that is who I want to do it.
Carla

Carla-
Hi fellow Colorado rny-er!
If the pain becomes severe and indicates a total obstruction like mine, you don't have time to get back to our Tillquist/Bell docs.  Perhaps you can come up with a backup plan down there, just in case.  Ya think?  Take good care of yourself.  Blessings, Rusty

daffy

what a miserable time you have been thru, im so sorry

hope things only look up and go better from now on

hugs, jacki

and a belated happy birthday as well

rusty,,,my god girl--i just figured you were lost in te boxes and newspaper!!!!!! you are obvioulsy not the first of our OFFers to have this happen--but to answer barbara--it can also happen to non wls ppl--my hubby had same thing  before his burst....and his brother tho david's didn't burst....

oh my goodness- well happy belated birthday and please please please be careful!!!!

Thanks, Margo.  Good to see ya.  Yeah, there's always the danger of rupture of the dead tissue and paratenitis and/or gangrene set in.  Very nasty and not so easy to treat.  The alternative of doing nothing and joining the angels did not appeal at all.
Have a good day.
Daffodil Rusty