What to do? What to Do??

[Guest guest]

:

Just moments ago I addressed this issue in private correspondence to another

group member. I am sure she will not mind if I do a bit of cut'n paste to

give you an answer.

Since I am 3.5 hrs from my surgeon I had my local PCP write an order for the

upper GI here where I live. I got the results before the surgeon. I had

been prepared by someone who is a nurse for a bariatric surgeon about what

could happen when I saw him. I was disappointed in that I want badly for

those folks to live up to my ideal vision of a surgeon and doctor.

I am reasonably confident of what I say because another of my surgeon's

patients did have revision and the surgeon would not touch the pouch or the

stoma because of construction technique of the original pouch which appears

to compromise blood flow to the stomach. Has something to do with the

location of the four rows of staples he uses. The only thing he did was to

make the patient a distal.

" I am not sure that with MY particular Edsel anything could be done about

the pouch linking small intestine. I am sure if the opening could either be

redone or reinforced that that portion of the small intestine would reduce

in proportion. Our bodies are wonderfully adaptable. I stopped with

anything along this line of thinking some ten or so months ago. I decided

to work hard on what I should be doing to keep weight in check, go ahead

with heart bypass (higher priority) and play the hand I was dealt with the

original surgery.

My cardiologist and I talked about this and he advised me not to have any

surgery that could be delayed for a minimum of a year following heart bypass

(37 days ago). So far, so good. I have taken off some 20lbs or so, making

my total regain now at +14 from an all time low. I feel very confident in

my ability to work the pouch the way it should be now.

I have also decided that even though he does make the pouch this way, it

might be a blessing in disguise because I know few of his patients that have

any serious complications as a result of the way he does it. Very few of us

deal with malabsorption issues or stomal complications or serious dumping or

other problems.

I look at myself and think " I lost 80% of my excess weight (as of today

including regain). That is far better than anyone ever told me that I would

do. Of course I wanted to hit a personal goal (my surgeon will not set a

goal) and I am 24lbs from that. (I think I weighed in fully clothed for

heart surgery at 226) That fades into the distance, however, and I have

some peace about my life and where I am.

I am not gonna fix something that seems to be working. I have to work at

it, but then again I was told that from the very beginning.

I am trying to follow ceep's advice " GO LIVE LIFE. "

My recent introduction to " severe coronary artery disease " (surgeon's

diagnosis) has made it abundantly clear that life is short. I am alive. I

am 58 years old, I have a BMI of 27.5 as of today. I have a three year old

celebrating Halloween. "

I hasten to add to this response that I got a jump start from the heart

bypass surgery 37 days ago from the effects of the anesthesia, hospital food

(which was actually very good and they made the right choices for me since

it was a diabetic diet), general slowdown in physical activity and the long

(for me) recuperation and not stressing very much.

I think I posted earlier about the pouch shrinking back during this time and

quanity of food consumable was down. I just decided to " go with it " and

this very morning dropped below 200 again. I have not seen this number

since some eleven months post op.

Dan Slone

Surgery 5/2/2000

RE: silastic ring

> All I can say is that when I went in to consult with my surgeon at about

the

> 18 month mark after an upper GI wherein the radiologist said I had a wide

> open stoma and an expanded small intestine linking to it.<<

*** Aside from your perfect surgeon *tongue in cheek* what can be done about

your stoma and expanded intestine? Is that a valid reason/ thing / to get

fixed? (insurance wise?) by someone who has heard of this happening of

course? Have you gained? How much? For how long?

I know my own mechanics are off -- not had my test yet but am calling to

schedule next week and am not sure even who to call... my surgeon is still

doing the old horizontal non-transected pouch (still!!!) Do ya' call a GI

person or the old surgeon or a new surgeon or what?