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iliandbbmom

iliandbbmom

Member
Hi everyone!! I am 1 month out post op from a gastric bypass. It took about 9 months to get my surgery date so I felt i was as prepared as I could be in every way. I had some serious medical complications within a few days after my surgery which was a unforeseen as i am healthy other than the chronic obesity and it should have been a routine surgery. I have healed well since and am returning to work in a few days. I am a nurse in a hospital and excited to be going back to work. I’m not saying i regret my surgery but it is harder than i imagined and all the classes i took and discussions i had with my care team did not prepare me no fault of theirs. There’s no turning back the clock I feel like I’m not losing weight fast enough and I’m frustrated and tired and hungry and thirsty all the time. My Doctor says I check out well and all is fine. I need the support of others who have gone through this. I think to myself I’ve lost a significant amount of weight before on my own keeping it off is the problem so this is the most extreme measure i could have done to keep it off so this has to work.
 
Welcome! I’m sorry that you’re frustrated. One of the hardest aspects of this process is knowing or being exposed to others who’ve gone through surgery, and their weight is coming off faster. We’re all going through this at different speeds, and we have to trust our bodies. As long as you’re getting your protein and fluids in the weight will come off. If you still think you’re losing too slowly track your calories and make sure you’re not exercising too much. Too few calories and too much exercise can slow things down. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s definitely something we’ve talked about on the forum. I’m glad you found the group!
 
Waiting for my surgery date seemed endless. It took 10 months total with many challenges along the way. When the time finally came my family did not show me the support I needed and I checked into the hospital alone. I woke up from bariatric surgery with multiple people holding me down as I screamed at the top of my lungs in pain. Nothing could have prepared me for the pain. They had removed a large hiatal hernia in my esophagus during surgery that no one was aware was there. The surgery was laparoscopic but the gas pain was intense and it was my first abdominal surgery. Before this I’d always thought that i had a strong tolerance for pain having lived with fibromyalgia’s and arthritis with no pain relievers or nerve blocking meds i was just used to it but this was different. I have always been afraid of anesthesia and anything that is a narcotic. I hate it when the anesthesiologist says don’t worry when i give you this shot you won’t care about anything. Nothing could be further from the truth. I tried hard to be a good patient i walked frequently and did everything they said but the pain wasn’t going away. Originally it was supposed to be outpatient surgery but my vital signs were all out of wack so i stayed overnight. The next day they were closer to normal amd i was discharged. I walked to the car and by the time i got there i couldn’t stop crying the pain was so intense. I filled my scripts and went home and began throwing up as soon as I got there. I tried to take zofran and a pain pill but i couldn’t keep anything down. I called my surgeons office and the nurse said this is normal. She said “Rock and walk. Try heat and ice. “ so i did but within 2 hours of discharge I had spike 102.7 temp and was having uncontrollable bloody vomiting every couple of minutes. I called the surgery hospital they said to call back if i had questions. The unit clerk wouldn’t put me through to nurse it was quarter after 5 she said to page the on call surgeon. I did and after waiting 45 minutes with symptoms persisting i got someone to drive me to the ER. The on call called ad I was headed out the door. Not only did i take 4 months of classes as a prerequisite to surgery but i have been an RN for over 21 years and it wasn’t rocket science that something had gone wrong. The surgeon said i could go to the ER and they could give me IV fluids and something for nausea and send me home. Just like that by the time I arrived the head doctor came in did not examine me and said the on call had called his cell and instructed him as described to observe and dismiss. My heart rate was in the 150s, my B/P was elevated. My O2 sat had dropped from 100% to 90 which is technically okay they insisted but obviously a major decline for someone who doesn’t smoke or have a history of respiratory problems. I had choked and aspirated on the vomit at this point and had become extremely short of breath with right upper lobe chest pain in my lungs they had to put oxygen on me and i was begging for a chest X-ray and a cat scan to see what was wrong with my abdomen. Instead they were concerned about getting a urine sample which I provided 3 clean catch specimens and one by catheterization because there was blood even though i don’t have a menstraul cycle obviously there are other untoward reasons why this is possible but they continued to focus on the wrong things. I became a mad woman as nothing g would stop the vomiting or pain. They were ignoring my call light and i could see patients coming and going from the ER. They drew blood. Finally I convinced them I needed a chest X-ray. The radiology techs said they saw a right sided infiltrate a slip of the tongue but it meant i had pneumonia. The on call refused to order more tests including a cat scan but 9 hours later admitted Me to the post op floor. The next 3 days can only be described as unnecessary pain and suffering. I was
Kept semiconscious with hourly IV pushed morphine. My worst nightmare and it didn’t relieve the pain because opioids increase the pain threshold by making a person feel drunk but it doesn’t block pain receptors. I was pushing the call light less often good for them but i yelled and cried and continued to vomit uncontrollable. It was all over me no one would help me. I couldn’t eat or drink. I begged the doctors and nurses nonstop to help me telling them something is very wrong and I’m dying. I was definitely labeled a difficult patient and not taken seriously. On the second day in this hospital I was finally taken down for a Ct scan of the abdomen and i was relieved to go maybe now we’d get answers. When i got down there they asked me to drink the barium swallow. I drank until they were satisfied and continued to vomit. Two of the radiology techs males attempted to hold me down flat in the machine while i was vomiting and i was scared and somehow got away from there grasp before the machine pulled into the magnetic ring. They said oh your refusing. I want to get the rest i tried to explain that i can’t breath my chest hurts and I’m afraid to lie flat on my back while I’m vomiting. They took me back to my room. The next day my doctors came in together the whole team lecturing me about the need to get the ct scan. I agreed i neev
It done but explained my fear of further aspiration as i was vomiting between words. The doctor acted confused about my X-rays it seems no one had addressed The abnormal results after 3 days inpatient i still hadn’t been started on antibiotics. The doctor said well i can’t see anything without you being able to keep the barium down but we have to do something so it’s better than nothing will you go now? I’m like if course something is very wrong and i need help. We go down immediately and the barium was already prepared the room ready. My surgeon along with his team surround me and he says drink. Without a word i do and get half way through and begin projectile vomiting. So my surgeon puts his hands on his hips looks at the other doctor and says well apparently something is wrong we ll have to go in for an exploratory surgery i can have an o.r room ready by 4 pm. It was noon. I was so relieved thank you thank you i said profusely. I was so relieved they might stop my suffering i wasn’t scared. I wax
Wheeled down to the operating room around 430 pm covered in vomit not even given a hospital gown and the doctors are pulling off my under clothes and pants in the OR and I’m starting to get scared because of the dreaded anesthesia and the anesthesia makes the familiar wise crack about feeling high like they must teach them to say in school. The last thing i remember before sedation were the 2 attending surgeons saying to one another do you hear that snap crackle and pop? Both surgeons putting all there bodily wait with both hands on either side of my chest as i go under. I would later realize I’d suffered from crepitus emphysema which was also contributing to the pain. I woke up feeling a lot of relief and was told that the laparoscopic surgery was unsuccessful so i now have a large 7 inch crooked s shaped incision from my breast bone to my navel a total of 7 incisions. They had went on and found that my newly routed intestines had twisted and completely cut off all circulation they were blocked and because of lack of blood flow necrotic laymens term dying from the inside. Part of the intestines were removed and reattached. Finally they started me on antibiotics for the pneumonia and i stayed there in the hospital 4 more days in which time i received the wrong medicine twice and struggled with insomnia and pain even though it had lessened. The vomiting had finally stopped but there was no appetite. My vital signs remained abnormal until the day of dismissal. I was in such bad shape from lack of hygiene when i got home i had to pay my cosmetologist to come and help me get the knots out of long hair and some of it had to be cut out. The recovery period continued to be long and rough for the next 3 weeks. Finally i am being released to return to work Monday which is 5 weeks post op the first surgery. Luckily my incisions look great and almost healed. I’ve gone a few days without the need for Tylenol. I have a long road ahead of me. I obviously regret having the surgery. Apparently i need help maintaining my weight. But it’s an irreversible procedure and the bypass has an increased risk for malnutrition and with the gi block and the surgery that followed the risk is increased. I have a higher risk for all types of long term complications now. My stomach is grossly scarred but I’m lucky to be alive. I haven’t received the hospital bills from the second hospital but I’m terrified of what’s to come. I’m not blaming my surgeon for the complications. I signed an informed consent. He’s a nice person and has a great reputation with 20+ years of bariatric experience. Things just happen. I was greatly disgruntled about the amount of time between my readmission and the second surgery and the potential risk and suffering that put me in. The overall care at the hospital was so unbelievably poor i wouldn’t believe this story if it hadn’t happened to me.
 
Wow! Of the horror stories I've heard, yours is the worst. At least we're "scar sisters," as I have a 7" scar from the base of my sternum to my navel, resulting from my open procedure, except mine's straight and was the assigned point of entry. Still, it was so painful in so many ways, I wore a TENS unit for a year after.

All that aside, how's your body doing, your loss, your nutrition? Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals?

Congrats for getting back to work. On the bright side, you have a hell of a story to tell!

But I have to say horrible experiences are super-rare, and there are people here who went back to work a day later.

Welcome to the group. I think you'll have a lot to offer here, especially support. That's the karma-building that will help reduce the trauma and focus on your victorious recovery.

I hope Judy chimes in here...
 
Horror story maximus! I'm glad you were able to get the correction made in time. I hope eventually that you will be able to turn your tragic experiences into a victory of weight loss, better health, few or no meds needed, better fitting clothes, etc. Good luck and continued healing. ❤❤❤❤
 
Your story is sad to hear but at the same time it is an inspiration for making people know to get help if something doesn’t feel right. It is terrible that your team did not listen to you, and put you through excessive complications. My heart goes out to you. May your journey from here be positive and healing. We are here for you.
 
I am so remorseful for having had this surgery. Three years ago I had battled my way down to a size 8 having lost 80 lbs in a year with diet and exercise. So is life i gained back 100 by February of 2021 and did everything not to including otc and prescription meds, b-12 shots, hcg daily injections, various diets and moderate exercise. My labs are good the weight gain is not a cause of a medical problem stress
And an inconsistency with hi fat foods. I was so embarrassed this last year i hated to leave the house but to go to work. I worked a very hard job up until this surgery working an average of 16-24 hours of overtime a week. I used the money to pay off debts, pay off any expected expenses with the surgery, pay bills up through the year with a little nest egg. I planned to take off 4 weeks and lucky I did after what happened. I’m tired, hungry, thirsty all the time and if I’m not those things I’m nauseated and or constipated. Every day is a struggle. It just doesn’t seem like it was worth it but it’s irreversible so this is my life now. I hope it gets easier. Returned to work today with a new position and I thinking this is good for me.
 
Thank you to all of you for listening. I just needed a s as fe place to share this. I by no means want to discourage anyone else because my story is not typical but those I know who haven’t had the surgery before don’t want to hear about my GI issues. Lol.

post op did anyone else ever find it strange that you don’t have the same full feeling? I know your not supposed to eat till your stomach hurts but most people do and relate this to being full and satisfied. I was no different. I took the classes of course but they described it post op as being less hungry and full or satisfied with smaller portions. The real selling point. Your not a slave to that painful stomach rumble! Well for me it’s like 4-5 bites in I’ll feel a gurgle in my stomach and than I know I have to stop. I don’t feel like I want to stop. I’m not full or satisfied. I just got started but if I eat more I’ll throw up. False advertising. Again I sound like I’m complaining a lot but none of this is what I expected it to be. I spend half the day planning out Med times it seems because they make me nauseous too so i drag my feet and have to remind myself how important it is to be compliant. Ugh.
 
At over a year out I still don’t have a “full” sensation necessarily. I just eat slow, chew well, and take small portions. I do have brain hunger after I finish eating sometimes. That feeling that I should eat more, but that’s psychological. I just have to remind myself that if I’m truly having body hunger, I will have signs and I can eat more later. I didn’t have actual hunger for the first month or so. After that I knew when I was physically hungry vs mentally hungry. But those signs are different in everyone.
 
OMG, my heart sunk when I read your story. I thought I had horrible complications but I can't imagine what you went through. Just a quick summary on my past (the full details have been shared many times in this group) but this surgery almost killed me twice. I wound up with sepsis and then internal bleeding so had to have 2 extra surgeries and spent 3 weeks total in the hospital. But I never had to deal with the intense pain that you did so my heart goes out to you.

Like you, I did have strong feelings of regret but after about 3 months I came around and no longer regretted the surgery. By then I had lost a good amount of weight and was feeling in much better health. So give it time. I can't promise that will happen to you but I hope and pray that it does.

Like Roni said, it is important we share our stories because others need to know if something doesn't feel right, get it checked out. These complications are extremely rare but it is better to be alert to them and act on any concern one may have.

As for not having the same full feeling. Yes, I struggled with that and often would eat more than I should and then pay with the consequences of feeling ill afterwards. The best thing I did for that was to get myself to slow down. Old habits are hard to give up!

I hope things continue to improve for you, please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.
 
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