My story is typical.  I overate to compensate.  I used oral steroids for asthma and overate.  I went from a size 12 to a size 20 in 3 years.  I decided to go to Belgium from Northern Ireland to get a lap band to help me lose weight.  I had the procedure but did not get the band placed. Unfortunately my hiatal hernia was back, bigger than ever and over one half of my stomach was in my thorax.  I went to a private clinic in Northern Ireland and saw a specialist called Dr Andrew Kennedy.  I felt he really listened to me, and appreciated my concerns of ballooning weight.  Ideally I was told that the hernia had to be repaired sooner rather than later. The concern was that the level of reflux I experienced was abnormal.  I was at that point hardly eating pre surgery and getting ill often.  my asthma was getting out of control.  I was weighing in at 220 pounds.  Dr Kennedy said it would be best if I had the rny during the nissan to reduce the reflux and to stop further weight gain when the hernia was repaired.  I was not technically eligible for the rny on its own, however I was only a few percent off. combined with the other issues, I was a candidate for the rny privately, not on the NHS.  I had my surgery on 05.Sept.07.  the first few days I couldnt stop being sick, but was up and at em so to speak. nil by mouth unfortunately, but iv hydrated.  by day 4 or 5 I started getting very ill.  40degcels fevers, aches, breathlessness started and had to go back on 100% oxygen. I became delerious and was afraid to tell the nurses my dreams.  I was then given a gastric graph and was found the opening was closed hence no swallowing and that there was a leak in my abdomen.  I was brought to the theatre and an a line was placed postop day 10 to get some nutrition into me and an egd was done to confirm the graph and to try to stretch the opening.  I was then rushed into theatre for a leak into the abd. hence the high fevers.  after a week in ICU High dependency I started to come around enough to realise I wasnt dead as I kept insisting to the nurses and the strange nightmares stopped.  I was brought back to the surgical ward post op day 21 and went a week on nil by mouth.  I had a very hard time with my breathing as the lower lobes were collapsed. and had to have the lobes drained to help my breathing as i stayed at about 91% with 100% oxygen.  on post op day 26 I was brought into a private room and was told I had contracted MRSA.  The best laugh I had in hospital was the first day I drank a few sips of orange juice and felt cold liquid running down my ribs.  I called the resident over and he did not believe it.  after several drinks of variant colours he agreed it was definately coming out of my incision.  that eventually healed in time and on day 45 i begged to go home on a liquid diet.  I was sent home with the feeding tube still in as a precaution but got to get the rest of the drains removed.  I was readmitted 2 weeks later after going 10 days without keeping food/fluids down. severe dehydration.  spent a week in hospital on a much better ward.  on my 90 day post op I weighed in at 150 pounds, but still not totally able to eat or drink without getting sick.  I am still struggling with purreed foods and my hair is coming out in clumps.  I cannot find a chewable multivatim in Northern Ireland with iron.  I have ordered some from america so hopefully that will help.  I am starting to introduce certain foods slowly but cant even keep scrambled eggs down.  egg yolk cooked with brown toast stays but one egg scrambled doesnt.  I have what is called a stomal stenosis which I dont really understand and will speak to my doctor next tues when i go for my fortnightly stretch of the opening.  overall it has been a journey i dont think i would repeat and worry that this is going to be permanent but will chose to be optomistic.  I think when i can start exercising and toning i will feel better.

About Me
ballynahinch, XX
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23.3
BMI
Dec 10, 2007
Member Since

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