Post-Op

Nov 03, 2009

I feel so very blessed,relieved and fortunate to have come through surgery with no major complications.  My surgery was a very big and long procedure.  It took 4 hours to complete.  When I was contemplating surgery, I had been dealing with a history of gastric polyps.  I had an annual EGD exam with multiple biopsies each year for the past 5 years.  This last year, my polyps had increased to 70-80 (I know.....so GROSS!!)   Luckily, the polyps were in the lower and middle portion of my stomach - the portion that would remain after a traditional RNY.  The polyps have bled  on occasion and I've had several suspicious polyps, that thankfully always come back negative for cancer.   The decision I faced was that by having a traditional RNY, we would never be able to get a "scope" into the remaining portion of my stomach to visualize the polyps or biopsy them.    After consultation with several doctors, my surgeon and I made the decision to remove the remaining portion of the stomach  (a subtotal gastrectomy).   This is not very common.  Pre-op, I read through so many posts, searching for someone else who had faced the same issue with polyps.  About a week before surgery, I did find another OH'er whose mother had done a subtotal gastrectomy for polyps.  So.....I'm sharing my story in the event someone else is facing the same decision and I don't want them to feel they are the only one to make this decision. In addition to the subtotal gastrectomy, the surgeon discovered a hiatal hernia and adhesions from a gall bladder surgery 12 yrs ago.  She also did a liver biopsy to rule out fatty liver.

 After surgery, I experienced a big sense of relief that I have made the right decision to be proactive and decrease my chance of a polyp turning cancerous without my knowing it.  I have a very strong family history of cancer, so that fear has always loomed over me.

I've had my post-op appt and my doctor felt that I was doing very well in light of the big surgery.  I think I'm bouncing back pretty well for a 53 yo!!!   All was going text-book perfect until day 12 when I began to get itchy and then day 13 broke out in hives from head to toe.  The itching was unbearable!!!  My surgeon's office thinks it is most likely an allergy to Whey Isolate Protein.  I'm freaking out about that since I know I'll need protein for the rest of my life.  I've found some Soy protein, but it tastes horrible.  I'll do whatever it takes to heal and make progress.  I've had some steroid injections and will be on steroid pills for 6 days to resolve the hives.  I'm hoping I can try Whey again to see if it's really the culprit.  My PCP thinks that the hives could also be a delayed reaction to the IV Antibiotics.  So, while it's frustrating, I'll just have to be patient and figure it out.  In the meantime, the steroid injection is working and the itchiness is subsiding - THANK the LORD!!!

My weight loss has been incredible, fast and surreal to me   I lost 3 lbs pre-op and a total of 24 lbs by day 13.  I have always been a SLOW LOSER, so this has never happened to me before.  I even asked my surgeon's office nurse if this was too fast and she said no - and to not weigh so frequently if it was freaking me out.  I know that I've always retained a lot of fluid.  Pre-Op, I was on a very large dose of lasix (water pill) that just did not work well.  I was retaining lots of fluid in my legs and abdomen.  So, I'm assuming my quick loss is a result of all that fluid that my body was holding onto.   I'm thankful  to have a chance to live a healthy life and have a whole new start.  This is just the beginning of my journey and I can't wait to see how the rest unfolds.

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