I'm almost 2 yrs post op and did really well through surgery and met my weight goal about 8 months later. I knew that something was wrong because my protein levels were low, even though I was meeting all my daily intakes. I also started to show signs of problems with immune system- the ability to heal quickly, the ability to get rid of a simple sinus infection. In August 2014 I woke up with an infected finger. I had it lanced but it kept getting worse and worse. The infection spread to the other fingers and the hand, and then to the forearm of the opposite arm. Nothing ever grew on the cultures, so they just hit me with every antibiotic and antifungal they had. I ended up having only the original finger amputated, and thankfully, kept all my other body parts.
By mid- October the problems started with my gut, I had previously had many intestinal problems, but this was serious. I finally got the diagnosis of severe ulcerative colitis. My colon wasn't absorbing any nutrition and my immune system was totally shut down. More than once they told my son I probably wouldn't make it through the night.
But I did. I got healthier through IV nutrition and had my colon removed in April of this year. Other than some lingering anemia, I'm doing pretty well. I had to retire earlier than I wanted to and go on SS disability. I still hope to be able to go back to work at least part time. One day at a time.
At first they wanted to blame my bariatric surgery for my problems, but decided after they saw my medical records that it wasn't the problem. It is a problem in that it's hard to eat enough to bring my nutrition levels to optimum and have had a huge problem maintaining my weight. At one time I weighed 88 lbs in the hospital. If I can stay above 120, I'm happy.
What would I do different?
1) I wouldn't have had my sigmoid colon removed and my bariatric surgery done in the same year. In retrospect, the sigmoid colon removal was a mis-diagnosis.
2) My bariatric surgeon turned out to be an idiot. 3 days before one of my near-death experiences, I went to see him. He looked at all my whacked-out labs and said that stress could cause pre-albumin levels to drop. Mine were consistently less than 1. Normal low is 25.
And yes, I am glad I had the surgery. I love to be able to buy clothes anywhere and know that they will fit. I loved it in the hospital when they would transport me from bed to gurney and say "this should be easy cause you're so tiny". I love that I can borrow a bathing suit from my thinnest friend, but not from either of my sisters because it would be too big.
By mid- October the problems started with my gut, I had previously had many intestinal problems, but this was serious. I finally got the diagnosis of severe ulcerative colitis. My colon wasn't absorbing any nutrition and my immune system was totally shut down. More than once they told my son I probably wouldn't make it through the night.
But I did. I got healthier through IV nutrition and had my colon removed in April of this year. Other than some lingering anemia, I'm doing pretty well. I had to retire earlier than I wanted to and go on SS disability. I still hope to be able to go back to work at least part time. One day at a time.
At first they wanted to blame my bariatric surgery for my problems, but decided after they saw my medical records that it wasn't the problem. It is a problem in that it's hard to eat enough to bring my nutrition levels to optimum and have had a huge problem maintaining my weight. At one time I weighed 88 lbs in the hospital. If I can stay above 120, I'm happy.
What would I do different?
1) I wouldn't have had my sigmoid colon removed and my bariatric surgery done in the same year. In retrospect, the sigmoid colon removal was a mis-diagnosis.
2) My bariatric surgeon turned out to be an idiot. 3 days before one of my near-death experiences, I went to see him. He looked at all my whacked-out labs and said that stress could cause pre-albumin levels to drop. Mine were consistently less than 1. Normal low is 25.
And yes, I am glad I had the surgery. I love to be able to buy clothes anywhere and know that they will fit. I loved it in the hospital when they would transport me from bed to gurney and say "this should be easy cause you're so tiny". I love that I can borrow a bathing suit from my thinnest friend, but not from either of my sisters because it would be too big.
