constipated, miserable and asking was it worth it all

[Guest guest]

Hi,

thanks to everyone who has answered my last posting...right now i cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel,,the gas pains are awful, i cant go to the bathroom and having to deal with dr gagners nurse in like torture, i myself am a registered nurse and never forgot that i too am human and can get sick, i think this evonne has forgot that somehow...she is mean, uncaring, and with a short fuse and at this point i dislike her so much my stomach hurts when i think about her..Dr. gagner is a fantastic surgeon i am sure however he doesnt get back to me and some other patients post op..thank god for Dr T. Quinn his fellow who is going solo in september she is kind, and takes the time to answers your questions and is reasurring where gagners nurses says dont keep calling the office . When i am well i plan to find out who hired her and if it is Mt. Sinai i am making a direct complaint to the nursing department about her unprofessionlism and rude behavior..She doesnt know how to interact with people..For all you pre ops get the surgery and just know in advance she is a nightmere...For now i am struggling and wondering if this was worth it all, i feel fatter, look like a ballon and am miserably uncomforable,,are there any people out there that felt unhappy post op and feel like Why did i do this and will it even work? please share thanks for listening

karen

one week post op today

gagner ds/lap

[Guest guest]

Dear Meli,

thanks so very much u are so kind,,,

karen

[Guest guest]

meli,

i tried to write you back but the mail came back to me , i wanted to thank you and talk to you..

karen

[Guest guest]

, I'm not sure how to advise you, as I am a week Pre-op today.

I only wanted to send you some thoughts of comfort and healing, and

tell you how sorry I am you're in pain. As a fellow RN, I wish I

could hold your hand through this and help you in some way.

Please let us know how things go, and especially what this turns

out to be. And BTW, that nurse needs a very public thrashing, IMHO

gentle hugs to you,

Meli

BMI 47

Dr Hess

June 21,01

Summer Solstice

-- In duodenalswitch@y..., Happy2knowU2@a... wrote:

> Hi,

> thanks to everyone who has answered my last posting...right now i

cannot see

> any light at the end of the tunnel,,the gas pains are awful, i cant

go to the

> bathroom and having to deal with dr gagners nurse in like torture,

i myself

> am a registered nurse and never forgot that i too am human and can

get sick,

> i think this evonne has forgot that somehow...she is mean,

uncaring, and with

> a short fuse and at this point i dislike her so much my stomach

hurts when i

> think about her..Dr. gagner is a fantastic surgeon i am sure

however he

> doesnt get back to me and some other patients post op..thank god

for Dr T.

> Quinn his fellow who is going solo in september she is kind, and

takes the

> time to answers your questions and is reasurring where gagners

nurses says

> dont keep calling the office . When i am well i plan to find out

who hired

> her and if it is Mt. Sinai i am making a direct complaint to the

nursing

> department about her unprofessionlism and rude behavior..She doesnt

know how

> to interact with people..For all you pre ops get the surgery and

just know in

> advance she is a nightmere...For now i am struggling and wondering

if this

> was worth it all, i feel fatter, look like a ballon and am

miserably

> uncomforable,,are there any people out there that felt unhappy post

op and

> feel like Why did i do this and will it even work? please share

thanks for

> listening

>

> karen

> one week post op today

>

> gagner ds/lap

[Guest guest]

Oh ..

I wish I could help... but after all you've done, the only 2 things I

can suggest to help are 1) Walk, Walk, WALK... and 2) possibly a

digital disimpaction? I know you're miserable, honey.. but it will

get better.. I, too, am an RN, & some of the stories I hear just appal

me.. I wish I could help you out now.. It WILL get better... you

should not have been allowed to get in such bad shape.. I don't

release a patient that hasn't had a BM and had abdominal surgery..

Sweetie, I promise, by week 2 things will look much better..

Hugs,

Liane

PS- if it gets to digital disimpaction, insist they use lidocaine gel

to make you more comfy..

> Hi,

> thanks to everyone who has answered my last posting...right now i

cannot see

> any light at the end of the tunnel,,the gas pains are awful, i cant

go to the

> bathroom and having to deal with dr gagners nurse in like torture, i

myself

> am a registered nurse and never forgot that i too am human and can

get sick,

> i think this evonne has forgot that somehow...she is mean, uncaring,

and with

> a short fuse and at this point i dislike her so much my stomach

hurts when i

> think about her..Dr. gagner is a fantastic surgeon i am sure however

he

> doesnt get back to me and some other patients post op..thank god for

Dr T.

> Quinn his fellow who is going solo in september she is kind, and

takes the

> time to answers your questions and is reasurring where gagners

nurses says

> dont keep calling the office . When i am well i plan to find out who

hired

> her and if it is Mt. Sinai i am making a direct complaint to the

nursing

> department about her unprofessionlism and rude behavior..She doesnt

know how

> to interact with people..For all you pre ops get the surgery and

just know in

> advance she is a nightmere...For now i am struggling and wondering

if this

> was worth it all, i feel fatter, look like a ballon and am

miserably

> uncomforable,,are there any people out there that felt unhappy post

op and

> feel like Why did i do this and will it even work? please share

thanks for

> listening

>

> karen

> one week post op today

>

> gagner ds/lap

[Guest guest]

Oh , I remember that awful gas pain. It is worst than the surgery pain. I forgot to tell you in my earlier post that walking is suppose to help also. Hope it gets better soon.

I feel really bad for you having to deal with Ivonne. She is suppose to be there for us, instead she wants nothing to do with us. God forbid we have an emergency.

Take Care,

Patti

constipated, miserable and asking was it worth it all

Hi, thanks to everyone who has answered my last posting...right now i cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel,,the gas pains are awful, i cant go to the bathroom and having to deal with dr gagners nurse in like torture, i myself am a registered nurse and never forgot that i too am human and can get sick, i think this evonne has forgot that somehow...she is mean, uncaring, and with a short fuse and at this point i dislike her so much my stomach hurts when i think about her..Dr. gagner is a fantastic surgeon i am sure however he doesnt get back to me and some other patients post op..thank god for Dr T. Quinn his fellow who is going solo in september she is kind, and takes the time to answers your questions and is reasurring where gagners nurses says dont keep calling the office . When i am well i plan to find out who hired her and if it is Mt. Sinai i am making a direct complaint to the nursing department about her unprofessionlism and rude behavior..She doesnt know how to interact with people..For all you pre ops get the surgery and just know in advance she is a nightmere...For now i am struggling and wondering if this was worth it all, i feel fatter, look like a ballon and am miserably uncomforable,,are there any people out there that felt unhappy post op and feel like Why did i do this and will it even work? please share thanks for listening karen one week post op today gagner ds/lap ----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

:

The worst days for me were day 3, 4 and 5 at home from the hospital so

that's actually 8,9 & 10 days after surgery. But on that 11th day it

was like someone switched a light. I had more energy than ever and was

walking around the Union Square greenmarket in Manhattan. , it

will get better! recovery for me sucked too! But, oh it gets better!

hang in there.

Jill K in NY

[Guest guest]

,

I have had a life-long problem with constipation and very painful GI

cramping. As a pre-op, I managed it with acidophilus capsules daily,

a minimum of two doses of Citrucel fiber daily, and a half of a

chewable Gas-X tablet with every meal. I also ate a lot of fiber in

my diet. And even with doing all of these things, I had to use milk

of magnesia with mineral oil several times a month, too.

I had terrible gas pain and GI cramping pain both in the hospital and

in the first few weeks afterward. They had to give me a Dulcolax

suppository which caused more pain and cramping, but didn't make me

go. I insisted on being given milk of magnesia and it took several

doses and a two more days after they began giving it to me, before I

was able to have a BM and be allowed to go home. I had to keep on

using the milk of mag with mineral oil every couple of days at home,

too, for the first few weeks. Even though narcotic pain medicines

can aggravate constipation, I still took my pain medicines when I

needed them. I found that I frequently assumed that I was having gas

pain and constipation pain when it was really post-surgical pain and

I needed to be taking my pain medicine. I just made sure that I used

plenty of MOM with mineral oil until it finally started working. I

recommend the Strawberry Creme flavor. It tastes less

chalky and doesn't make me gag as much as the plain or the mint kind,

and it's double strength, so you only have to use half as much.

I think as early as week three, I was taking Citrucel again. Because

of my small stomach capacity, I had to take a half dose in 4 ounces

of water at a time, initially. There are other fiber sources

available, too: if you can swallow fairly large sized pills you can

take Fiber-con capsules, or there are some orange flavored chewable

fiber tablets available now. And walking does help things move

along, too.

I'm so sorry that Dr. Gagner's nurse was so mean to you. It's such a

shame when health care workers do not have compassion for their

patients! When you have dealings with her over the phone, just

remember that you are the consumer and that you and your insurance

company are paying Dr. Gagner and all his staff for their services.

So you are really paying her salary!! Hopefully, that will help you

to be more assertive with her.

I sure do hope that you get through this difficult period quickly!

Joy Frost Age: 48

Open DS with Deveney/Welker Date: 2-5-01

http://www.duodenalswitch.com/Patients/Joy/joy.html

> Hi,

> thanks to everyone who has answered my last posting...right now i

> cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel,,the gas pains are

> awful, i cant go to the bathroom and having to deal with dr gagners

> nurse in like torture, i myself am a registered nurse and never

> forgot that i too am human and can get sick, i think this evonne

> has forgot that somehow...she is mean, uncaring, and with a short

> fuse and at this point i dislike her so much my stomach hurts when

> i think about her..Dr. gagner is a fantastic surgeon i am sure

> however he doesnt get back to me and some other patients post

> op..thank god for Dr T. Quinn his fellow who is going solo in

> september she is kind, and takes the time to answers your questions

> and is reasurring where gagners nurses says dont keep calling the

> office . When i am well i plan to find out who hired her and if it

> is Mt. Sinai i am making a direct complaint to the nursing

> department about her unprofessionlism and rude behavior..She doesnt

> know how to interact with people..For all you pre ops get the

> surgery and just know in advance she is a nightmere...For now i am

> struggling and wondering if this was worth it all, i feel fatter,

> look like a ballon and am miserably uncomforable,,are there any

> people out there that felt unhappy post op and feel like Why did i

> do this and will it even work? please share thanks for listening

>

> karen

> one week post op today

>

> gagner ds/lap

[Guest guest]

Hi ....I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles, and am hoping to hear that

you are feeling better right away. I am hoping to have surgery with Dr. Gagner

in September or October. I had an initial consult with him last month, which,

unfortunately didn't lead to a date. There are some problems with low serum

protein and albumin which we have had to look into. We think we have ruled out

all serious causes for this, but I still need to get those values up. I have a

second conusult with Dr. Gagner on the 27th, and I am hoping all will be OK this

time so that we can go ahead. The only thing I am NOT looking forward to,

though, is further interaction with Ivonne. She certainly left me with a very

negative impression after the first visit, and that did not improve after a

telephone conversation I had with her a week or so later. Cold, uncaring, and

rude, not to mention unhelpful. I, too, am a health care professional (a medical

social worker). I often have to " clean up " after th!

e likes of her, and it never cea

ses to amaze me how these people can stay in a profession in which they are so

obviously miserable. Well, take care of yourself, and keep in mind that this is

just a bump in the road.

Alice in Upstate NY

[Guest guest]

I think that all the people that are having a problem getting through to

Ivonne should write personally to Dr. Gagner and let him know about it.

Maybe they aren't aware of this problem. Just a suggestion. Ellen(Pam

[Guest guest]

,

I do know how you feel. Give some time you just had major major surgery,I

think the 2nd week home I was more miserable than the first. I too had to

deal with putting calls into the office with either short, curt answers

or no return calls. Hang there though by week 3 you will start to feel a

bit of a difference. Then there will be other things to deal with.

Like judment of how much food you can eat or drink without being sick.

This is a healing time for you. Then comes a whole new learning

experience. I know I got a bit impatient with having to deal with not

feeling well but if you put in perspective you will see yoyu need time to

heal. as far as the gas try walking as much as possible it moves the

gasaround so you can expell it. There really is a light there but you

won't see a glimmer for another week or so. Keep your chin up. Good luck.

Vera- Lansdale,Pa

Starting Bmi-61-11/00

Dr. Herron / Dr. Pomp assisting @ Mt. Sinai, New York

Open BPD/DS done 01/26/01

PCP scale ? weeks out -94bs gone forever as of 06/13/01

________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

, this was my experience right after surgery as well! I also had

problems with my surgical " nurse, " and feeling really ignored. I kept

persisting, however, like you are. Thank God for those listening souls

who answer their patients' cries, you know? It's gotten so that I

practically fall down on my knees and grovel before the doctor who calls

me back and is concerned. Seems sometimes an exception to t norm,

sadly. Let the one who is taking care of you do so, however, and focus

on getting better. I am six months post op and have lost almost 85

pounds. I suffer from chronic gas and sometimes still get miserable,

but when I look at how I used to feel, why just last year, it is like

night and day. I too wondered why I did this at first, and now I am

just plain grateful. Everything looks better to me, even the nurse and

surgical team! I have become more optimistic in some respects. Don't

get me wrong, I have my moments of dispair, too, but we all have each

other thank goodness and, well... just keep focused on getting over this

first post op period, which can be so difficult. All the best...

Robin