Guest guest Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 You know the further out from surgery you get, the more normal you feel? We are not normal and will never be. I had a wake up call - a big reality SLAP in the FACE this past week. A 28 year old woman in my local support group, about 1 and 1/2 years out from WLS, was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday morning with abdominal pain and vomiting. They took 1 x-ray and ran some labs, told her that the pain was gas and that she needed to go home and have a " Good Bowel Movement " . She was one to never question anyone, so she went home and by 10:00 pm she was dead. The autopsy showed that she had a TWISTED BOWEL. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, this was a preventable death. However, in her death, I hope we all learn that we are never to far out for risk or complications and that we have to STAND UP FOR OURSELVES and tell the doctors that we are not normal, they need to understand what being a WLS patient means, that they need to do more test on us than the normal person, and if we don't think they know what they are talking about, we need to ask to see someone else. Make sure they call a WLS surgeon who could explain our needs to them. Sharon - ville, FL Open RNY 05/13/02 Dr. Thoburn, Gainesville, FL 5'9 " 310 start/170 current/160 goal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2003 Report Share Posted June 2, 2003 That's exactly why these groups are so important. We have learned that this is always a possibility, but those poor souls who are just cut on, sent on their merry way and are either not given proper medical and nutritional counseling or chose not to research themselves and blindly trust their doctors, would never know this is a potential side-effect of any intestinal surgery. And, even sadder, especially regarding our unique configuration, is that most docs are only as good as the patients who train them. in NJ ************************* > > > A 28 year old woman in my local support group, about 1 and 1/2 years out from WLS, was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday morning with abdominal pain and vomiting. They took 1 x-ray and ran some labs, told her that the pain was gas and that she needed to go home and have a " Good Bowel Movement " . She was one to never question anyone, so she went home and by 10:00 pm she was dead. The autopsy showed that she had a TWISTED BOWEL. > > I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, this was a > preventable death. However, in her death, I hope we all learn that we are never to far out for risk or complications and that we have to > STAND UP FOR OURSELVES and tell the doctors that we are not normal, > they need to understand what being a WLS patient means, that they > need to do more test on us than the normal person, and if we don't > think they know what they are talking about, we need to ask to see > someone else. Make sure they call a WLS surgeon who could explain > our needs to them. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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