jackfre

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I had surgery on 3/26 - revision from lap band to sleeve. My surgeon went on vacation after my surgery and I was left with his physicians assistants, I would have thought he had another surgeon covering but not.   I was supposed to stay in hospital 1 night and be released but was unable to get any liquids down, at one point not able to swallow my own saliva, finally on 4/30 after 4 nights in the hospital I was able to drink 4 ounces so I was released to go home at 9:30 am.

By Wed 4/1 I knew I was not getting in enough of anything and was dehydrated (my urine was getting pretty dark), I called my Dr. and spoke with the PA who told me that sometimes its hard but I just need to try to drink more.  I continued to drink more and continued to become weaker and weaker, I had a scheduled appointment on Friday 4/3 and since their office is in the hospital I thought when they saw me they would help me.  I had started taking the pain meds just to get me thru the day, went to Dr. on Friday met with the PA, she weighed me and I told her I was very dehydrated and my urine was brown, she told me to drink more water and that it does take time with some patients.  she never took my vital signs, or my BP or temperature.  She told me to try to walk 30 minutes 3 times a day and I was sent on my way.

The next day 4/4, I was worse, could barely get the liquid pain meds down and I could feel my mind fading.  My family took me to the ER that night, I didn't have to wait to be seen cause they could see I was almost dead. The Doctors said I would have been dead by morning. My kidney and liver were shutting down, my BP was 74/34 I was severely dehydrated, the ER Dr was great - he never left my side, I was taken into Emergency surgery, I was in septic shock, with severe infection including MERSA, I made it thru the surgery but had a heart attack the next night.  I was in ICU with 5 drains, ventilator, feeding tubes, etc for 2 weeks, I was unconscious for most of that time.

They discovered that I had a leak and everything I was able to down was leaking out causing infection/abscesses.  I was transferred to another hospital on 4/21 to see a gastroenterologist who could repair the hole in my stomach, Dr. Mysh in Morristown, NJ - he did a procedure called the Bear Claw on 4/29, so far it is successful and I was put on liquids on Friday 5/1 and was released on Sunday 5/2.

I am doing well, still hard to get in 64/64 but am doing at least 50/50 right now and staying hydrated.  I am very weak and going for testing for my heart to see if there was any damage.  I think that once I get my strength back I will be ok.

My emergency surgery was done by Dr. Botvinov at JFK ( he saved my life).  I have had no contact with my  original surgeon.  If you feel dehydrated, regardless what your Dr. or PA say - Get to the ER!!!

I am scheduled for Band to Sleeve revision tomorrow.  So excited yet so scared..

I have had a lot of problems with the band, overfilled several times, never really seemed to be the right fill.  I have gained back all except 11 lbs, and am scared to get back to where I was.  

I am now looking into revision to the sleeve.

 

Well back from the docs and I don't have a slip.  He said that band looks good and that I was just a little too tight so he removed 1cc from my band to see if that helps with the reflux and the girgling - he said I will probably require a fill sooner then most people now and he also said that the girgling is very common.  I am now at 6cc in my 10cc AP Band.

It's been awhile, I've been around just haven't posted much.
What's new, well I started going to the gym again, 4 times this week and planning on attending 5 times a week for the next 2 wks. I have a wedding on the 22nd and would love for my dress fit a little loose.....
Tuesday I go for a band check-up fill/unfill?  Hopefully I don't have a slip, I will be devistated!!!  Was having some trouble with reflux but I think it is gone, however I ate a little late tonight and am affraid that I will wake up in the middle of the night.  Well lets hope not....  I haven't lost any weight to speak of since my last fill, I am up 5 down 5 like a yoyo!  Will post again after my fill... 

Wow I can't believe that it has been sooooo long since the last time I posted.  I have been very busy but that is NO excuse.  I love this site and I really miss reading all the different stories about how everyone is doing.  I have not been doing that good, i have been at a platau for a long time but that is my own fault, I totally do not eat right.  the only thing I can eat in the morning is yogurt, then as the day goes on I can eat more and more.... and I do..  that is the problem, I start out slow and end up eating way too much or the wrong things.  I have not gained weight I somehow manage to stay about the same but I want to start loosing again.  I need the support of the people on this site and I want to read all the different stories.  I am like many others where you start off with a bang and then it gets very slow.  I need to excercise and I know that..

Well here I am again, can't believe that it has been so long.  I went to Dr. Abkins today and am glad to say that I have lost the weight that I gained between being over filled and my fill on June 11th, down 11 lbs since then.

Saw Dr. JB today, another fill - I have able to eat way too much, for example for lunch on Wed I ate a whole slice of pizza and a ceasar salad, yummy!!!  BUT that was just too much food for 1 sitting - I was feeling restriction in the morning but by mid to late afternoon I was able to eat tooooo much.. So hear I am again..   Well one had a small fill - I am taking baby steps (I don't want to be overfull)  So it started off great, was able to drink water before I left, was fine the entire ride home and then once I walked in the door I could feel my mouth start to water and you already know so I don't have to say anything else do I??   I think that I can get through it this time it's not half as bad as the other times that I was too full, I really think that it's just from the excitement of being filled and I just need to give it a few days, if I don't feel better by Monday I will call and go in on Tuesday but I think I will be ok....  So I only lost 1 lb in 2 months - all my fault!!! you can't go on vacation and drink 24/7 and not expect to gain weight...  I'm back on track though and will start my exercise routine on Monday...

Well it's been well over a month since I last wrote and I need to get back into the swing of things.....  Went on vacation and gained 5 lbs - not from eating but from drinking!!  now I'm having a hard time getting back on track - came home from vacation on 1/12 and on 1/13 TOM came for a visit - seemed like I could all of a sudden eat anything (not sure why)...  I was waiitng to see if I would get back to having the restriction I felt before but it has not returned so I am calling to schedule a fill for next week ....   I feel so fat this week!!!!!  I have to remember to follow the band rules - pulling out the old paperwork and I'm going to reprogram myself - I can't believe how much a vacation can mess you up...    Well I am soooooo excited I am going to see John Edwards next week, I'm also a little nervous about it..

Well it has been a few weeks since my last fill/unfill and I think that I may be at my sweet spot...  I really have to chew chew chew and if I don't I pay for it.  I sometimes feel like I get stuck but it usually passes pretty quick.  We went to IHOP of breakfast today and I ordered a cheese omlet of course it comes with 3 pancakes, well I am lucky if I had 2 bites of the pancakes and 1/6th of the omlet and I was satisfied, I don't know that I was full but I was satisfied.  What a great feeling to be satisfied with eating only that much.  

I have been really bad with taking my vitamins and I went to the gym 3 days and stopped, I am not an exerciser but I am going to really start at least riding my bike..