Complications...would I do it again?

I had someone private message me and she stated (rightly so) you read all the success stories but what about those who experience complications.  Would you do it again?  It's a good question and one that might have had a different answer even a month ago.  

I really believe if you are considering surgery you should know the dark side.  This isn't a bottle of pills where you stop taking them and the rash goes away.  So here is my story and how I feel about the procedure and taking that chance...

I came through my surgery fine on December 23rd and was sent home on Dec 25 doing fine.  I had the normal pain associated with the surgery but felt great.  Was walking and doing all the stuff I was supposed to be able to do.  By December 27th my pain and nausea had progressed to a 10 on the scale they usually ask you to rate on (1 out of 10, 1 being normal).  It was in the middle of my back right where your stomach and pancreas lay.  My husband took me into the hospital and they started IV fluids and gave me pain medication.  Took blood and we waited.  I came back with raised lipase levels and through consultation with my surgeon who happened to come on duty that night they checked me in with suspect pancreas problems.  After much testing they discovered I had gallstones and thought that my pancreatitis was due to the gallstones.  My surgeon wanted to wait as long as possible (week 4 if we could) before he took my gallbladder out because he didn't want to take a chance with my stomach still healing.  I stayed in hospital about a week first with nothing by mouth and progressing up to clear liquids.  I went home feeling ok and we thought we would see how long I could go on.  By this time my lipase had dropped from 1200 down to 500 so that was a good sign.

I went home, lasted a week and was back in hospital with the same pain and nausea that was as bad as before.  It had built up over a few days until I couldn't manage it any more.  They checked me back in and spent the week stabilizing me again...still thinking it was gallbladder pancreatitis. A week after I was checked in I had my gallbladder removed.  Two days later I was feeling good and released. Two days after that I was back in the hospital.  My doctor once again checked me in and I spent another 3 weeks in there while they tried to find out what was going on.  They put in a PICC line (line that goes into your vein near your heart) and fed me through that and also stopped the many many needles I was getting to take blood and get medicine.  I kept blowing IV lines or would be so dehydrated they couldn't get them in the PICC line saved me from that.

I've had every test imaginable and my surgeon who is considered one of the best in our area could not pinpoint what the problem was.  My lipase levels were never high enough to make total sense for pancreatitis and they never went lower than 500.  So all the normal treatments for pancreatitis had no effect on them.  He had consulted with other doctors but they had no answers.  

Finally he consulted with another doctor who has been a bariatric surgeon forever and this doctor looked at all my results and said he knew what it was.  My doctor told me but this other doctor also came to see me to tell me and reassure me.

What he said was it was not a complication as much as a side effect and he's seen it in about a dozen patients over his career.  There is nothing to "fix" it's just a matter of letting nature take it's course.  He said that usually within six months the patient is functioning normal again. What they do is treat the symptoms until I am able to maintain on my own.  As of now my biggest issues are nausea, dehydration and low blood pressure.  The medicine they have given me helps with the nausea (Zolfran) and if need more I take Gravol.  The low blood pressure is probably due to the dehydration and lack of calories.  The dehydration I monitor and go in to the hospital and have a 'top up' as needed (right now weekly seems to be my tolerance).  I am unable to get in the amount of food/drink that I should at this point.  I operate more at a first few weeks level and if I can get in 500-600 calories I feel successful. I don't tolerate heavy proteins so I eat carbs.  They go down and give me much needed calories but I do feel some days like I'm wasting away.  To top it off I have always had lactose intolerance so a lot of those soft foods with protein that I could be eating are not going down.

In all honesty I feel like I'm pregnant lol.  Having much time to think through this it almost feels hormonal in a lot of ways and maybe it is?  They couldn't explain the cause and with all the other side effects we experience from the surgery and rapid weight loss an imbalance in my system wouldn't be a completely crazy thought.  I've lost a lot of hair, had Thrush since my first week after surgery (that I will probably be treating until I can get my body back in balance), have great days when I can go non stop and have awful days where I just want to sit in my chair.  I get fainty sometimes because my blood pressure drops but have learned that if I go in for IV hydration therapy that helps a lot.  The nausea is non existant at times and unbearable at times.  I've also noticed that the more dehydrated I get the worse the nausea gets...if the pain in my back starts coming back it's definitely time to go in and get liquids.

I've been off work for 2 months (was only expecting 2 weeks) and quite possibly it may be another month or two before I can manage the commute and work day.

So would I do it again?  There were definite times when I was so mad for what I had done to myself, that I took a perfectly normal fat body and gave it a health problem.  That was when I thought I had Acute Pancreatitis or something worse and feared I might die.  Once I knew what I was dealing with it definitely changed how I felt.  The worst part of any illness is not knowing. Now that I am home and able to maintain staying here.  I have all the tools I need I am not so quick to throw away my what I've done.  I went in to this surgery not because I was fat but because I was fearful of living a life of illness and wasting as I grew old.  I watched my father-in-law and mom die within a year of each other (last year).  Both had diabetes and complications from it.  They didn't live this healthy life into their golden years; they wasted away over a good 10 years.  Losing a little bit at a time and that is an awful thing.  That is why I did this.  I don't want to put my son through what my husband, sister and I have gone through.  Watching as the person we love suffered their way into death. I want to go to bed one night when I'm in my 80's and my heart to just stop because it just had to much fun climbing a mountain that day.  I want to die with a smile knowing I covered my bucket list and somebody elses.

Knowing what I know now and what I have gone through I would do this again.  If the recovery period of the surgery was listed as all I am going through (minus the unknown diagnosis), I would do it again.  I know I'm going to get better...I improve each day.  

I think for anyone going through this if you know exactly why you are going in and are firm in your conviction that this is the path you need to take then you should do it.  If your concern of side effects or complications out weigh your reason for doing this then maybe your not ready.  I think the people that do this for health reasons go in to this with a much better chance at success then the people that just think it's a way to get skinny.  Being thin and fabulous in clothes is the icing...being healthy is the cake.  No you can't eat cake!

20 years ago I looked into this surgery and walked away.  I was 25 years old and just wanted to be skinny.  My health wasn't a concern then.  I was fat but could hike a mountain with the best of them.  I was a healthy fat person.  At 45 I was becoming an unhealthy, unable to get off the floor, waking up at night with joint pain, couldn't walk to the end of the driveway... fat person.  

I know I went into this surgery with the right attitude, the right tools and that I will succeed.  Not because of the surgery...that is just a tool but because I took the time to make sure I knew my reasons.  I know that any time I want I can cheese cake my way back up to 265 lbs.  The only thing stopping me is all the prep work I did before the surgery.

On a positive note, as I told my husband, the complication rate for the vertical sleeve is really low.  By me having complications I have pretty much cleared the way for thousands of people to have uncomplicated procedures.  Your welcome! lol

Update 4/27/14: 4 months in.  I'm updating this post because I received another request for my story.

Since my last post I did return to work.  I lasted two days and fainted on the third getting ready for work.  That was a month ago. I have now been switched to long term disability until I can return to work. While I continue to make strides in some areas like what I can eat (tolerate), getting more liquids in and losing weight I also have areas that have become worse.  4 months of limited food, calories, protein and activity has led to me being very weak.  My muscles have wasted and I tire easily.  I believe that I've entered a bit of a vicious circle as I feel weak and dizzy so find it hard to do simple activities and walk at times. This keeps me from wanting to do them and not doing them is making me weaker.  Did that make sense? lol  I requested physical therapy from my doctor last week and hope to go within the next week or two. It's scary to try and do activities when you fear passing out on a treadmill or in your field because you live out in the country and there is nobody around.

Every so often I have a few days where it gets to me and I feel like I can't take it any more.  It's not too often and I am grateful that I've managed to stay fairly positive but prolonged illness does take it's toll.  I started tanning (in a tanning bed) for the first time in 10 years.  I'm not a sun worshiper and don't really tan but thanks to my sisters suggestion the light therapy really seems to help my moods.  It's been a long 8 months of nothing but snow here and when your stuck in the house alone it gets depressing.

My labs are improving and my lipase levels have finally started to drop below the 500 level for the first time since this started.  I got the news a couple of weeks ago and I take this as a great sign that my body is improving.

I'm still battling candida (over growth of yeast in the body).  It actually went away for a few weeks but has returned over the last week.  I am noticing that the candida comes and goes dependent on how good or bad I'm feeling.  I'm taking medication to battle it but also a pill form of probiotics to help put the good yeast into my body it needs.

I am happy to report that I am doing better with food and liquid and even though I am still unable to take vitamins because they make me feel so sick I am not malnourished in any areas.

Lastly, I'm down 90lbs (40 were pre-surgery). I'm 25lbs from goal. I've gone from a 3X to a medium shirt and size 22/24 jeans to a comfortable 12 (or as my husband would say...they're getting baggy lol).  

I still stand by my feelings that this surgery saves lives and you have to go into it knowing that while there may be complications the chances are very small (less than 1% I believe).  The complications of obesity are much higher and really almost a guarantee.  

glad you are starting to feel better, sorry you had all the problems

Thank you :)

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I was going to ask, but by the time I got my message formulated, your post popped up. I'm sorry you are having to go through this, but you have the right attitude.  Stay strong. I'm praying for your return to 100% health!!!

Thank you for your prayers, that means a lot to me.

Thank you for sharing your story. Your attitude is wonderful and I applaud your optimistic outlook. I'm sure it was scary as hell when you were uncertain what the matter was, but you've come out the other side shining brightly!

thank you :)

Thank you so much for posting your experience!  It is good to hear it all, therefore making an informed decision and calculating the risk.  I know this must have been difficult to tell.  Glad you are on the mend❤️

Thanks Karla ;)

Greetings fellow Albertan!

Really excellent post.  Thank you for the insight.  I'm hoping to have the surgery soon and have read so much pro/con information it's confusing.  I like your perspective and your attitude - I'm the same age as you and want the same things for my future.  This helps me so much. Continued good wishes and success!