Gastric Bypass/Revision left me near death due to scar tissue
I would ask that you take the time to read my response to the very thing you brought up here. I did follow my diet, I wasn't going to say everything I ate. When I was writing my story I remembered having a few green olives with a little turkey slice and some low carb food. To think that my diet consisted of just olives is ridiculous. It was meant to serve a point that 5 small olives would take 30 mins to eat, but it wouldn't be my meal. I was successful in losing my weight and I did it healthy. Plus, if you read my posts, in 6 years I was on a heavy course of ibuprofen for 2 months. Then I would only take them as needed. All stuff I have written above. But the point I was trying to make is that none of my doctors or dentists told me the dangers of using NSAIDS. Once I found out, it was unfortunately too late. Please don't judge before you read all the facts. All I'm trying to do here is help someone else that hasn't been told of the dangers of using NSAIDS. So thank you for your input, but the way you wrote it almost sounds like you think I deserved it for what I did ... but failed to know the whole story. I'm not an enemy. I'm just trying to advocate to the patients how important knowledge is when it comes to having this surgery, or any surgery.
I'm sorry to hear your story.... but what people should really take out of this is to DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. In this day and age, there is no reason not to get on the internet and read your ass off if you're considering major surgery. Every day there are posts here about things "I didn't know I had to take iron", "no one told me not to do x and y" --- your doctor cannot tell you everything, and even if he did -- how much of it will you truly remember? The information you get during this process is overhwhelming --- I ended up buying a huge binder to store it all in, thats how much there was.
My primary doctor had never had a bariatric patient -- I TEACH him things like, no nsaids and asking for medications in liquid form if the pills are too big. The bariatric clinic told me I only needed 30-50g of protein a day -- I told them thanks, but I'm going to do 90-120g -- and now they have upped their recommendation to 60-90g. I specifically ask for certain lab tests if they aren't on the list - I have them check everything.
You will read a lot of horror stories on the forums -- and you'll find people in the same situation as you and it helps -- if you have a problem. But for each one of those, there are 100 people who aren't on the forums because they had no problems and they aren't looking for answers. I acftually asked my Doctor after the first few months if I was normal -- because I never dumped, no food bugged me, I never got foamies or had pain.... I thought I was the abnormal one, but found that having no problems is much more common.
Be your own advocate!
My primary doctor had never had a bariatric patient -- I TEACH him things like, no nsaids and asking for medications in liquid form if the pills are too big. The bariatric clinic told me I only needed 30-50g of protein a day -- I told them thanks, but I'm going to do 90-120g -- and now they have upped their recommendation to 60-90g. I specifically ask for certain lab tests if they aren't on the list - I have them check everything.
You will read a lot of horror stories on the forums -- and you'll find people in the same situation as you and it helps -- if you have a problem. But for each one of those, there are 100 people who aren't on the forums because they had no problems and they aren't looking for answers. I acftually asked my Doctor after the first few months if I was normal -- because I never dumped, no food bugged me, I never got foamies or had pain.... I thought I was the abnormal one, but found that having no problems is much more common.
Be your own advocate!
___________________________________________________________________
**3 years Post-op, 110 lbs lost, at goal, maintaining & loving life!** Diabetes gone!
** I am a Susan G Komen 3-Day Walker --- WLS allowed me to make it all 60 miles in 2010 and 2011 and I'm doing it again in 2012!!
**3 years Post-op, 110 lbs lost, at goal, maintaining & loving life!** Diabetes gone!
** I am a Susan G Komen 3-Day Walker --- WLS allowed me to make it all 60 miles in 2010 and 2011 and I'm doing it again in 2012!!
I agree that as patients it is super important that we search out every bit of information there is to know about any procedure that will be done or has been done to our bodies...
But, I also think in the medical community, somebody somewhere needs to take responsibility for all the differences in what the doctors think or say with regards to bariatric patients. We are a HUGE demographic that is growing exponentially, and will continue to do so, especially the way our society is cranking out larger and large people. It is ethically irresponsible of the medical community as a whole (including the dental field) that there is not some kind of basic information that is required of all doctors to know about their bariatric patients.
As a patient, it is crazy that all my doctors are relying on me to be the source of information with regards to what medicines I can absorb and which I can't, which are dangerous to my personal health, and which are not, and which vitamins I should be taking!! And, nobody at my bariatric surgeon's office should be writing me a prescription for a fat soluble vitamin that is soaking in oil. ESPECIALLY not at my bariatric surgeon's office!
I don't doubt a single word of your story. I have a friend that had gastric bypass surgery 10 years ago. I never would have known because she has gained all her weight back. But, she shared with me that she did it. She breaks all the rules, because NO ONE EVER TOLD HER ANY OF THE RULES!! She comes to my house once a week and we watch a movie together for fun. She joked to me that every time she comes my forest of vitamin bottles has grown by another tree or two... And, I said, "Well, how many vitamins do you take?" And, she said "None." No one ever told her she would need more vitamins. She has been crazy sick many times since her surgery, but no doctor has ever done as many labs on her as my doctor routinely does, and even my doctors list is short a few....
It's INSANE! These are the doctors that we trust with our lives, and they don't know anything about what we need. Scary and irresponsible of the medical community as a whole. I don't understand why there isn't some kind of regulating board making sure that doctors know how to help one of the fastest growing groups of patients out there...
I hope that you will be feeling better soon and receiving the care that you need for this situation. :D
Huggles!!
~Sarah~
But, I also think in the medical community, somebody somewhere needs to take responsibility for all the differences in what the doctors think or say with regards to bariatric patients. We are a HUGE demographic that is growing exponentially, and will continue to do so, especially the way our society is cranking out larger and large people. It is ethically irresponsible of the medical community as a whole (including the dental field) that there is not some kind of basic information that is required of all doctors to know about their bariatric patients.
As a patient, it is crazy that all my doctors are relying on me to be the source of information with regards to what medicines I can absorb and which I can't, which are dangerous to my personal health, and which are not, and which vitamins I should be taking!! And, nobody at my bariatric surgeon's office should be writing me a prescription for a fat soluble vitamin that is soaking in oil. ESPECIALLY not at my bariatric surgeon's office!
I don't doubt a single word of your story. I have a friend that had gastric bypass surgery 10 years ago. I never would have known because she has gained all her weight back. But, she shared with me that she did it. She breaks all the rules, because NO ONE EVER TOLD HER ANY OF THE RULES!! She comes to my house once a week and we watch a movie together for fun. She joked to me that every time she comes my forest of vitamin bottles has grown by another tree or two... And, I said, "Well, how many vitamins do you take?" And, she said "None." No one ever told her she would need more vitamins. She has been crazy sick many times since her surgery, but no doctor has ever done as many labs on her as my doctor routinely does, and even my doctors list is short a few....
It's INSANE! These are the doctors that we trust with our lives, and they don't know anything about what we need. Scary and irresponsible of the medical community as a whole. I don't understand why there isn't some kind of regulating board making sure that doctors know how to help one of the fastest growing groups of patients out there...
I hope that you will be feeling better soon and receiving the care that you need for this situation. :D
Huggles!!
~Sarah~
HW 316/ SW 264/ CW 187/ GW 158
This is why I am going to try to get this story, and others, to a larger forum such as talk shows, magazines and online. Each patient gets told a certain number of things they should and should not do, and then they leave you to figure everything out on your own. I think the best forum for my incident would be "The Doctors". Scar tissue is the most common complication of GB patients. Not only do we need to play an active role for a successful outcome, but our doctors should be there too. That's what is so troubling.
And I completely understand about your friend. First off, I found that the majority of gastric "revision" patients have this surgery because they still ate the wrong food, ate small bites but all day long, and had tricks to make more food go down. So they never lost the weight. Or lost some, but put on more. Now they come back for an even riskier surgery to lose the weight. But until it clicks in your mind, success is doomed.
I was actually told by the doctor who performed my GB that the long-term success rate was extremely low. That's because people get obese for a reason, yet a lot of doctors don't address that reason.
One of my friends had lapband surgery to lose weight and her first meal was a twinkle dunked in milk. I talk about eating 5 green olives and it taking 30 minutes just to eat them to help a producer realize how small our stomachs are. I needed a compelling story to obtain a larger audience. We need to start demanding more care and concern from our doctors.
Like I've said in a reply to someone. My first GB was an open procedure. My gastric revision ... the doctor split me open from the bottom of my rib cage straight down to my belly button. None of my surgeries were done by laproscopy. I'd love to see the day we know absolutely every detail, rule, and long-term outcome of these surgeries. Until then, I'm going to spread the word.
If I make it to any talk shows I will need others to talk about issues they have. So if you have a story to tell, please email me through this site.
Thank you!
And I completely understand about your friend. First off, I found that the majority of gastric "revision" patients have this surgery because they still ate the wrong food, ate small bites but all day long, and had tricks to make more food go down. So they never lost the weight. Or lost some, but put on more. Now they come back for an even riskier surgery to lose the weight. But until it clicks in your mind, success is doomed.
I was actually told by the doctor who performed my GB that the long-term success rate was extremely low. That's because people get obese for a reason, yet a lot of doctors don't address that reason.
One of my friends had lapband surgery to lose weight and her first meal was a twinkle dunked in milk. I talk about eating 5 green olives and it taking 30 minutes just to eat them to help a producer realize how small our stomachs are. I needed a compelling story to obtain a larger audience. We need to start demanding more care and concern from our doctors.
Like I've said in a reply to someone. My first GB was an open procedure. My gastric revision ... the doctor split me open from the bottom of my rib cage straight down to my belly button. None of my surgeries were done by laproscopy. I'd love to see the day we know absolutely every detail, rule, and long-term outcome of these surgeries. Until then, I'm going to spread the word.
If I make it to any talk shows I will need others to talk about issues they have. So if you have a story to tell, please email me through this site.
Thank you!
Can I also say that this woman did not decide not to follow the rules or be non-compliant? She had her surgery before there were rules, before the doctors said anything about vitamins or about diet after surgery. Back when the doctors were trying to figure out what the long term effects of this surgery would be...
She (and other patients like her) is a pioneer who risked her life so that the doctors could see how she fared and use information they learned from her (and other patients like her) to CREATE the rules that we so dearly love to whack each other in the head with!!
Yes, it's unlikely that this would have happened to her if she had this surgery last week, but SHE DIDN"T. I hope by now she has learned the rules and is working to follow them, but when she had the surgery, there were no rules. There were not very many doctors who had ANY idea of the repercussions of this surgery, and the ones who did know, didn't tell anyone who wasn't their personal patient.
So, please please please stop chastising her for not following rules even her doctor had probably never heard about 10 years ago when she got her surgery. Instead, why not THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS that the doctors are somewhat more informed now than they were then. And, that your doctor has some kind of program in place for you to learn the rules...
There are still doctors in this country and all over the world performing this surgery who do not tell their patients about the rules or vitamins or protein they will need after surgery. My very own primary care doctor 2 years ago told me that I would go to sleep and wake up with NO WEIGHT PROBLEM ever again... Does that sound like the truth to you? THAT is where the problem lies, not in patients who didn't know any better or who didn't follow non-existent rules, but in doctors who are NOT INFORMED and don't inform their patients.
Whew!! I got heated... :D
Huggles!!
~Sarah~
She (and other patients like her) is a pioneer who risked her life so that the doctors could see how she fared and use information they learned from her (and other patients like her) to CREATE the rules that we so dearly love to whack each other in the head with!!
Yes, it's unlikely that this would have happened to her if she had this surgery last week, but SHE DIDN"T. I hope by now she has learned the rules and is working to follow them, but when she had the surgery, there were no rules. There were not very many doctors who had ANY idea of the repercussions of this surgery, and the ones who did know, didn't tell anyone who wasn't their personal patient.
So, please please please stop chastising her for not following rules even her doctor had probably never heard about 10 years ago when she got her surgery. Instead, why not THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS that the doctors are somewhat more informed now than they were then. And, that your doctor has some kind of program in place for you to learn the rules...
There are still doctors in this country and all over the world performing this surgery who do not tell their patients about the rules or vitamins or protein they will need after surgery. My very own primary care doctor 2 years ago told me that I would go to sleep and wake up with NO WEIGHT PROBLEM ever again... Does that sound like the truth to you? THAT is where the problem lies, not in patients who didn't know any better or who didn't follow non-existent rules, but in doctors who are NOT INFORMED and don't inform their patients.
Whew!! I got heated... :D
Huggles!!
~Sarah~
HW 316/ SW 264/ CW 187/ GW 158
Gosh, there is a lot of judgement in the follow-ups to the OP. To those of you who want to think that what happened to this poor woman is her fault, SHAME ON YOU.
I also had GB "back in the day" and WAS NEVER TOLD NOT TO TAKE NSAIDS.....this, at a univesity hospital with the surgeon who was (at the time) number one in GB surgeries in my city, having done the most and having done them the longest. I found this out through my own research after the fact.
She described ONE meal and you immediately assume this is what she is living on?!? Sometimes, we eat the only thing we CAN eat; the only thing we can tolerate. Have you never done that? No, I'm sure you haven't....I'm sure you've all been Ms. Peggy Perfect GB patient.
I know, I know....those of us who have ANYTHING outside the "normal" (whatever the hell THAT is) are to blame; if only we took our vitamins, drank our damn protein supps....we'd be ok. You believe this because you HAVE TO BELIEVE THIS; it gives you power to somehow believe that you have control over what happens to you. To believe otherwise~~that there but for the grace of G*d go YOU~~is too scary. I know...
To the OP: I'm sorry for your problems. I appreciate you telling of your experience. Your experience is JUST AS VALID as Ms. Peggy Perfect GB Patient's experience. Please keep us posted on how you are doing and continue to look for another medical professional to help you.
I also had GB "back in the day" and WAS NEVER TOLD NOT TO TAKE NSAIDS.....this, at a univesity hospital with the surgeon who was (at the time) number one in GB surgeries in my city, having done the most and having done them the longest. I found this out through my own research after the fact.
She described ONE meal and you immediately assume this is what she is living on?!? Sometimes, we eat the only thing we CAN eat; the only thing we can tolerate. Have you never done that? No, I'm sure you haven't....I'm sure you've all been Ms. Peggy Perfect GB patient.
I know, I know....those of us who have ANYTHING outside the "normal" (whatever the hell THAT is) are to blame; if only we took our vitamins, drank our damn protein supps....we'd be ok. You believe this because you HAVE TO BELIEVE THIS; it gives you power to somehow believe that you have control over what happens to you. To believe otherwise~~that there but for the grace of G*d go YOU~~is too scary. I know...
To the OP: I'm sorry for your problems. I appreciate you telling of your experience. Your experience is JUST AS VALID as Ms. Peggy Perfect GB Patient's experience. Please keep us posted on how you are doing and continue to look for another medical professional to help you.
Marilyn (now in NM)
RNY 10/2/01
262(HW)/150-155(GW)/159(CW)
(updated March 2012)
Leslee,
Please don't take your post down. And please don't take to heart those on here that have judged you.
I think it's important to post about complications. Just as important as those that post about how great everything is.
This surgery can be either and I think it's important that people know that prior to surgery.
I have had many problems since my surgery and ended up back in the hospital for about 2 weeks. Much better now, but if I could reverse this surgery at this point I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm constantly reassured that soon I won't feel that way. That's great. I hope that happens. But I've also been told that in a year I won't even remember the problems I've had. Not likely that I'll ever forget them or the scare I put my husband through.
The point of my rambling is... complications can happen to anyone. Those that have not had any, that is great for you. Please appreciate how lucky you are and please don't be so quick to condemn those that have had complications.
I wish I had some great advice to give you, but I'm still struggling through this journey myself. I do wish you the best of luck and really hope that you will keep us updated on what happens. As you can see, even though there have been some posts that weren't so supportive there have also been many that have. We care. Please keep in touch.
Toni
Please don't take your post down. And please don't take to heart those on here that have judged you.
I think it's important to post about complications. Just as important as those that post about how great everything is.
This surgery can be either and I think it's important that people know that prior to surgery.
I have had many problems since my surgery and ended up back in the hospital for about 2 weeks. Much better now, but if I could reverse this surgery at this point I would do it in a heartbeat. I'm constantly reassured that soon I won't feel that way. That's great. I hope that happens. But I've also been told that in a year I won't even remember the problems I've had. Not likely that I'll ever forget them or the scare I put my husband through.
The point of my rambling is... complications can happen to anyone. Those that have not had any, that is great for you. Please appreciate how lucky you are and please don't be so quick to condemn those that have had complications.
I wish I had some great advice to give you, but I'm still struggling through this journey myself. I do wish you the best of luck and really hope that you will keep us updated on what happens. As you can see, even though there have been some posts that weren't so supportive there have also been many that have. We care. Please keep in touch.
Toni
Most Active
Recent Topics