Veronica David

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2014 was the worst year of my life. I had to go to the ER once every month, sometimes I was in ER 2-3 times in a month. December is the only month I didn't have to go to the ER. I had constant issues with my J-tube feeding tube either coming out or getting infected. In March we submitted the information to my insurance company so I could have the gastric pacemaker placed. Well, insurance went on to deny it. It took 4 appeals before they approved it. In July my J-tube fell out after only being in one week. So, my Nurse Practitioner made arrangements for me to have PICC line placed. I had never had nor been around anyone who had a PICC line so I had no idea what it was supposed to look like. I came home & it was going to be the following evening before my home health nurse would come to start my TPN feedings. When the nurse came she was absolutely floored. She asked if I had taken anything off of my PICC line or flushed it. I told her no this is how they sent me home from the ER & they didn't tell me to flush it. She immediately got on her phone & started calling her supervisors. I guess the Radiologist didn't put a cap or clamp on the line like he should have....so that left an open direct line to my heart & it wasn't closed off. Well, I wound up becoming very ill the next week. Was rushed to the hospital in Indy. There I fought sepsis that was caused from the PICC line not being properly placed. I was in for 5 days. I was too sick for them to risk putting a J-tube in or another PICC line. They sent me home trying to get nutrition in via ensure clears & a protein dessert cup. I was not able to get enough nutrition in via orally. I was home for 2 wks & then was rushed back to Indy hospital with a total systemic infection & then CDIFF from the IV antibiotics to fight the sepsis 2 wks earlier. Both times, sepsis then the total systemic infection I almost died. I thought I was gonna die. I have never been so sick in my life. I spent 10 days in the hospital that time. They had to place another J-tube to try & get some nutrition in me. Another PICC line was not an option they said. I had the j-tube placed & was about to be released to go home when I felt something wet on my gown. The nurse was in my room & we raised my gown & my feedings were squirting out the hole from around the j-tube. They rushed me down to interventional radiology & by the time I got down there the J-tube had snaked along itself & came out even though there was a stitch on the outside to help hold it in place. The Interventional Radiologist was floored. Then, I got a HUGE area across my whole abdomen of cellulitis. When the tube was only partially out, it had been pumping the feedings into the tissues & it set up an infection. I got sooooo sick. I was running a 103 temp & in so much pain. After 10 days in I finally was released Once again, no feeding tube, no PICC line.....Dr's just didn't know what to do. They knew the answer was the gastric pacemaker, but my ins company was fighting it. (would have been cheaper on them in the long run to just approved it the first time) I really felt like I was going to die because of the insurance company's ignorance. Finally, on Sept. 10th my insurance approved the gastric pacemaker. My surgeon implanted it on Sept. 17th. Within 12 hrs of surgery ALL my nausea & vomiting was gone. I had been having nonstop nausea for 3 yrs & severe vomiting for over a year. I had gastroparesis (basically a paralyzed stomach from damage to the vagus nerve of the stomach during the gastric bypass, revision, and ultimately reversal of the gastric bypass) and that was why I couldn't eat orally & keep food down. It was also causing severe nausea. I was released the day after my gastric pacemaker surgery, because my immune system is so weakened from all I have fought, that my surgeon said it would be a lot safer for me to recouperate at home. Too many germs in the hospital. I am pleased to say that I can now eat normally. I have not had any vomiting since surgery. I have only had minimal nausea. Definitely nothing that I can't live with. This has been the hardest journey I have ever been on. I have almost lost my life several times during the last 5 yrs. So ironic that something I chose to do to try to save my life & make my life better could backfire & take so much away from my life. I am so tired of the doctor's appts, tests, bloodwork, hospital stays. My quality of life is sure not what I had hoped it would be. I have regained all but 30 lbs. But really it isn't even about the numbers of my weight anymore. I just want to live & be happy. I would love to be the size 10 I had gotten down to. But for some reason that was not meant to be for me. Even though I have regained weight. At least I am still 30 lbs less than when I started this. I feel like a failure on so many levels. But if I can help just one person, then it is worth it.

I had gastric bypass in 2009. Complications of ulcers....had reversal & then total take down....I am 17 mos post reversal & still having GI issues. I am constantly nauseated & cannot keep solid food down. Had a scope 2 days ago & the stomach itself looks good....a little red but nothing to cause my symptoms. I wear seabands all the time & take phenergan for the nausea. I eat & then puke.....I am so freaking hungry & my blood sugar is spiking & plummeting, but I have no options. Next GI specialist I have to see cannot get me in until July 22nd.....guess eating & getting nutrition for my body is not that important. I am so frustrated & upset over all of this. Having the Gastric bypass was the worst decision of my life. I would give anything to have my health back. Something to be said for being fat & happy I guess.

I didn't realize I hadn't been on here in so long. I have alot to update. My original rouex-n y gastric bypass was on March 10,2009. Surgery went great. At 3 wks post op I developed gastritis. At 6 mos post op I developed my first ulcer. Every 4 mos after that I developed ulcers even with the maximum outpatient dosages of prevention. In the last year I have had a really hard time and been sick more than well. In May 2011 I had to have a revision due to the ulcers coming back every 2-3 mos now. Dr. Inman did my surgery and it went well. This was supposed to solve the ulcer issues. My pouch was cut in half and had 2 ulcers in it, and they took 3 cm of my intestine and there were 25 ulcers there. Severe. So I was hopeful that it was done and we would be great. However, since last Sept I have spent 32 days in the hospital due to multiple ulcers. When my PCP called my surgeon for help since he isn't a specialist  and he was surprised how she reacted and said she had done all she could for me. I then spent 7 days in IU Med center and the dr's there also called her for advice and they received the same reaction. I was just floored because I had always been so very happy with Dr. Inman and her bedside manner and care. So, finally I was sicker than I had been and i knew i had ulcers again. So, I called her office spoke with her nurse. I was met with the normal care I was used to getting from them. They scheduled me for the next day for an endoscopy. I indeed had 3 more ulcers. Dr. Evanson (my surgeon's partner) did the endoscopy. He said that i needed to have a reversal/take down and he or Dr. Inman could do it. I scheduled an appt with my surgeon. She said there was nothing left to do but the reversal/take down of the rny. Said the ulcers would take my life otherwise. I had the take down/reversal on Jan. 31st. This has been a long hard and emotional journey for me. Not at all what I had ever expected. I am an emotional mess. I now feel like I am not getting the quality of care that I would normally.I feel like I am not a success story, and so she has done my original surgery, then the revision and now take down....now she is done with me. I am upset.

Now the surgery itself was great for me because the only complication I had were the ulcers & a stricture in Sept from the revision. I lost 133 lbs, my sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, borderline diabetes, etc was gone. I could keep up with my kids now. My kids could reach all the way around me when they hug me. I have with the ulcer disease and some emotional eating reagained about 50 lbs and am upset about that and want to get back off. I keep telling myself this is going to be ok because it was all they could do to save my life, but it still hurts emotionally. I don't want to regain all the weight back. I want to get back down to the size I was a yr ago last summer. Now it is just going to be a bit more of a challenge. I never thought I would go back to having to diet, etc again. This has been a hard journey.

I am taking a look back upon the last several months. 2009 started out kind of rough. My husband was without a job. I am a stay at home Mom to 2 beautiful children. February I was able to go on a trip (we had paid for it while my hubby still was employed) to Nassau, Bahamas for the 10th anniversary annual meeting of Dachshund Rescue of North America, of which I am a Representative and foster home for. 5 days to rest and relax before my surgery. It was beautiful there..but I missed my family terribly. Just not a good traveler without my kiddos and family!hehe I came home from the Bahamas and was home for a week before my surgery. A friend of our family had passed away while I was in Nassau from complications (rather Dr. error) during her RNY. So, that made things even scarier.

The morning of my surgery I checked into Clarian North. I had a sense of hope inside me. Yes, I was nervous..yet God had given me a peace about my decision to go through with the surgery. I was so nervous when I had to walk into the operating room and crawl up on the table. However, they got me knocked out pretty quick and it was fine. I remember waking up in my room and feeling HORRIBLE! I thought I had made the worst decision of my life!!! It was such a tight weird pain feeling. They kept coming in poking meds down me and having me walk and drink....none of which I was interested in. I remember walking in the halls and wondering how I was even staying upright since I am so reactive to anesthetic and was so sleepy and out of it. But my Mom stayed by my side the whole time so that helped. The nausea was the worst part for me. I even stayed an extra night because I just didn't feel "right." My nausea wasn't under control and the nurse said if I wasn't feeling "right" she would rather me stay than go home and have to come back. They were so good to me at Clarian North and I would highly recommend their hospital!  Once home I got on the scales and I had already lost 18 lbs. Then I was losing like 5-6 lbs every couple of days. I still couldn't "see" any changes in the mirror but my family & friends were amazed at the difference daily. It took a few months before I looked in the mirror and saw someone different than the morbidly obese lady I was used to. I think it is almost like some head games or something your body plays with you. Now I can look in the mirror and see a huge difference!

After coming home it took several months before I had stamina to do much. After I reached the 2 wk post op mark I noticed a BIG difference. I felt better. Then at 3 wks post op I had to go back in for a scope as I was having vomiting and non stop nausea. I had developed gastritis. I was put on Nexium and told to take my carafate 2 times a day no matter what. I felt alot better within a week. The emotional roller coaster was amazing to me. I would cry at the drop of a hat and such. I have dealt with mood swings alot. It is not fun for myself or anyone around me. I was told it happens because our body stores hormones in our fat cells and when you are shedding fat cells like mad.....you get a hormonal fluctuation. Makes sense.

My hair is starting to fall out pretty steadily now. I am taking my vitamins and supplements regularly. I just have trouble remembering my clcium at every meal but usually get it in at least once a day. I have lost a total of 87 pounds in 5 months. I no longer have to take ANY prescription meds other than the nexium which I can stop in a month. I no longer have joint pain or sleep apnea. I no longer snore at all. I feel so much better than I did.  have alot more energy now. I can finally say it was worth it.

WLS is definately not the "EASY" way out. It is a hard thing to go through. I am able t eat more now than in the beginning, and have just learned to make better choices for me. I do not ever want to go back down the road I have traveled. I know that I will always have a battle over desiring certain foods. I MUST stay aware of the right food choices. It is like  recovering from any other addiction. You do not leave room for that addiction to come back in. If there is something you know will be hard for you to resist you walk away. If my family is partaking in something I know is a challenge for me...I will go to the other room or elsewhere so I am not tempted. Is it hard? YES!!! But this has been such a huge life change and huge committment I am not gong to take any chances in undoing it. It has to be for life.

I have enjoyed my kids, life and done more this summer than I have in years. This surgery has given me a new lease on life. You learn to enjoy the little things in life and nature and all God has blessed us with. There are bumps in the road, but you take it one day at a time. Sometimes just an hour at a time. But God is good all the time...and He is faithful and will help us every step of the way no matter what if we only trust in Him.

I am happy with the 87 lbs that are gone. I have to admit I almost get fearful at times that this is it...the weightloss is over for me. I go sometimes a week at a time without losing a pound now. I get discouraged about it. However, I have to remember how far I have come. Alot of times when we aren't losing pounds we are losing the inches. I can tell in the way my clothes fit. So, it is hard not to become obsessed with the numbers on the scales. A friend told me not to weigh but once a week. I cannot do that yet. I can say I am no longer doing it every day though. I usualy weigh every 2-3 days unless I notice a HUGE change in the wa my clothes are fitting. My surgeon told me to weigh once a month...no way I can make it like that yet...maybe someday. It is a journey. It does have alot of emotions that goes along with it...but yes...it is worth it in the lng run.

I am so stinking bummed. I have gained my weight back up to 285 this stinks. I have not been careful over the holidays and now it shows. I want to lose between 8-10 pounds before my surgery date. My surgery date is March 10th, 2009. In 32 days I am leaving for the Bahamas for our Dachshund Rescue of North America annual meeting. I hate it that I am going to be this fat woman in the Bahamas!!!! But, this trip is to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of DRNA. Send good thoughts my way that I can get back on track with the weight.

January 18, 2009- I received my insurance approval on December 6th. I just got my surgery date last week. It is March 10th. I am sooooo excited, yet getting very nervous too. I feel the anticipation of the new me coming out of this fat body I have been living in for years now. I am looking forward to having energy and being able to keep up with my kiddos, and do things I was scared to do like fit into a seat on a ride at the amusement parks. Now that I have my date, it is like my nerves are shaking! I am confident in my decision, but as with any surgery there are risks. I have had 20+ surgeries in my life. Some open, alot laprascopically so the pain I kind of know what to expect. However, it is just the unknowns I guess that make me nervous. I am very blessed as our insurance will cover my surgery 100%!!!!!!!

June 13, 2008- Had my surgeon's appt. Met Dr. Inman for the first time. Was very happy with my choice in surgeons. She took her time with us (my mom went along this time, as she is a bit more worried about this than I am and had tons of questions) and never acted too busy or rushed. She answered every question we had. She said she thought I was a great candidate for the rn-y and explained the procedure to us. She also told me how to expect the rest of the process/journey to go. My ins. is requiring me to do 6 mos of nutritional counseling/food journaling/supervised weight loss through the bariatric center. Today counted as #1........so 5 more mos of this. Then they submit all the journals and records to my ins. Expect it to take 1-2 mos for them to hear back from ins. co. Then, once they have a go from ins. 1-2 mos for my date. I was a bit disappointed as I thought surgery would probably be this Fall. Now it appears we are looking at Spring '09. But, she explained that my ins. wants to make sure that I am committed to this, and they aren't wasting their $$.She also said it will go quicker than I think..........and the nutritional counseling will be a HUGE benefit to me. So, off we go on this journey. Wish I could do surgery tomorrow though.  :-)

Thursday, May 1st, 2008-My husband & I drove to Clarian Bariatrics for the group orientation meeting. It was VERY informative. Made me feel better about my choice to have the rn-y. Also made my husband feel alot better about my choice as he was thinking the lapband might be better.

Made my appt. to see the surgeon I want, Dr. Inman. That appt. is Friday, June 13th. Farther out than I wanted, but I guess that is what happens when you are in line for a very recommended surgeon.