Guest guest Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 Hi! I can't believe I'm posting. I want to be able to be honest and open with you guys. I think all of you are post op people. My friend said it would be okay to tell you my story. Most of you have had great success with this surgery and I'm so glad for you. I've been to a few support group meetings and I'm always afraid to tell my story because of pre-ops being there. I was at one Thursday night and told a little and was asked if I would do it over again. I said yes, but sometimes it's yes and when I'm in the hospital with an IV in my arm I wish I hadn't. I do love being smaller. I've lost all my weight but about 5 lbs. I had gastric bypass surgery over a year agon and have had nothing but complications. I had it last April 16, 2002. The first night all the staples came out and my gastric juices got in my system and infected me. After that I remember nothing. I was in ICU in a coma for 3 1/2 months. Almost died 3 times. Was on a ventalor so long that the doctors said I would never get off and probably be have some brain damage. I wound up last year with 6 surgeries. May 12, 2003 I had my 7th surgery because I was so infected inside. I was in the hospital for a week., Went home a week and was back in the hospital by May 27th. I just got home Wed. They have blew out all my veins from blood transfusions and IV's. I still have a staph infection. When I woke up from ICU I couldn't walk, talk or do anything I used to be able to do. I had to go to rehap and learn everything all over again. I have a home nurse that has been coming to my house for almost a year now. I hope this is okay to be honest because I want to help others. Like I said most of you have had great success, but maybe there is one of you that knows what I have gone and am still going through. I don't want to come across as a surgery basher. I had people praying for me from coast to coast. God answered those prayers. He has something for me to do. The reason I'm writing this is to give you guys encouragement to do everything you can that your doctor says to success. I'm a miracle to be here. One in every 200 people died from gastric bypass surgery. You don't think you will be the one. I know what it has done to me. I've been trying to get on disability. I haven't worked for over a year and can't do the work of the Post Office because I could get a hernia lifting and doing manual labor. We've had to file Chapter 13 and don't know if we can keep those payments up so we're going to have to sell our house. We've already sold everything else we could. My family and friends have been wonderful to help us as much as they can. Please pray for me that the infection will clear up. I'm not allowed to do anything which has changed my life and the life of my family. I couldn't go see my daughter graduate in May with her Masters from New Orleans University because of my 7th surgery. I needed it more. My daugter was wonderful. She sent me a box the night of her graduation full of surprizes so I could celebrate with her. I have the best group of family and friends. Thanks for listening. I am getting better compared to where I was last year. I love you guys even though I just joined this group. Thanks for listening. Love, Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 <First...they are not cake!!! Second...they are merely a way for me to send down mass quantities of peanut butter and SF jelly. In my case, that is not a good thing. Cause that would be snacking and snacking is part of what got me to 500 lbs!! (non-stop eating would be the other thing!)>> I so agree with you Sue-however, two of these puppies with SOME pnut butter (no jam unless a bit of sugarfree) or deli meat for a meal or even a controlled snack certainly are satisfying. If it becomes an out of control issue then its never good for me. Lorie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 Sharon, It's not your fault that you experinced complications stemming from your WLS. Those whose WLS went flawlessly are very lucky and should never flame someone who wasn't as lucky as they were. I've experiemced both extremes. My 1992 VBG went flawlessly but had to be revised many years later due to a Staple Line Disruption. My revision to a Medial RNY had many, serious complications including lung infection with multiple fluid drainings required, abscesses in my liver and spleen requiring four more operations and 14 months of intensive intravenous and oral antibiotic therapy. I'm doing fine now but it was a scary experience that forced me to stare my own mortality square in the face. Thankfully, most people aren't forced to do that until their time. Whenever I hear that this potentialy life saving operation goes flawlessly for someone, I am so happy for them. That's why it's hard for me to understand why some people insist on ignoring or flaming someone just because they experienced some bad luck with their WLS. I always wonder if those flamers (some call them WLS chearleaders) ever heard the expresion: " there but for the grace of God go I. " I hope that you experience a full recovery and that your spot of bad luck turns into nothing but good luck for the future. Joe Parks VBG 1992 Revised to Medial RNY 12/13/01 295/205/190 > Hi! I can't believe I'm posting. I want to be able to be honest and open > with you guys. I think all of you are post op people. My friend said it would > be okay to tell you my story. Most of you have had great success with this > surgery and I'm so glad for you. I've been to a few support group meetings and > I'm always afraid to tell my story because of pre-ops being there. I was at one > Thursday night and told a little and was asked if I would do it over again. > I said yes, but sometimes it's yes and when I'm in the hospital with an IV in > my arm I wish I hadn't. I do love being smaller. I've lost all my weight but > about 5 lbs. I had gastric bypass surgery over a year agon and have had > nothing but complications. I had it last April 16, 2002. The first night all the > staples came out and my gastric juices got in my system and infected me. > After that I remember nothing. I was in ICU in a coma for 3 1/2 months. Almost > died 3 times. Was on a ventalor so long that the doctors said I would never > get off and probably be have some brain damage. I wound up last year with 6 > surgeries. May 12, 2003 I had my 7th surgery because I was so infected inside. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2003 Report Share Posted June 7, 2003 Sharon, Thank you so much for posting. You know, sometimes it is humbling to remember how lucky we truly are. I didn't have any complications after surgery. My problem was getting to the surgery. I honestly thought that my health was so bad that I would be the one who died on the table. Most of the people who can post are at least a year out. I am sure though that there are a few newbies and preops out there. Don't ever let that scare you off though. If we can't discuss the bad with the good, we wouldn't need a support group. Lori Owen - Denton, Texas SRVG 7/16/01 Dr. Ritter/Dr. Bryce 479/335/??? On Sat, 7 Jun 2003 09:06:15 EDT dollgirl48@... writes: > Hi! I can't believe I'm posting. I want to be able to be honest and > open > with you guys. I think all of you are post op people. My friend > said it would > be okay to tell you my story. Most of you have had great success > with this > surgery and I'm so glad for you. I've been to a few support group > meetings and > I'm always afraid to tell my story because of pre-ops being there. > I was at one > Thursday night and told a little and was asked if I would do it over > again. > I said yes, but sometimes it's yes and when I'm in the hospital with > an IV in > my arm I wish I hadn't. I do love being smaller. I've lost all my > weight but > about 5 lbs. I had gastric bypass surgery over a year agon and have > had > nothing but complications. I had it last April 16, 2002. The first > night all the > staples came out and my gastric juices got in my system and infected > me. > After that I remember nothing. I was in ICU in a coma for 3 1/2 > months. Almost > died 3 times. Was on a ventalor so long that the doctors said I > would never > get off and probably be have some brain damage. I wound up last > year with 6 > surgeries. May 12, 2003 I had my 7th surgery because I was so > infected inside. > I was in the hospital for a week., Went home a week and was back in > the > hospital by May 27th. I just got home Wed. They have blew out all > my veins from > blood transfusions and IV's. I still have a staph infection. When > I woke up > from ICU I couldn't walk, talk or do anything I used to be able to > do. I had > to go to rehap and learn everything all over again. I have a home > nurse that > has been coming to my house for almost a year now. > > I hope this is okay to be honest because I want to help others. > Like I said > most of you have had great success, but maybe there is one of you > that knows > what I have gone and am still going through. I don't want to come > across as a > surgery basher. I had people praying for me from coast to coast. > God answered > those prayers. He has something for me to do. The reason I'm > writing this > is to give you guys encouragement to do everything you can that your > doctor > says to success. I'm a miracle to be here. One in every 200 > people died from > gastric bypass surgery. You don't think you will be the one. I > know what it > has done to me. I've been trying to get on disability. I haven't > worked for > over a year and can't do the work of the Post Office because I could > get a > hernia lifting and doing manual labor. We've had to file Chapter 13 > and don't > know if we can keep those payments up so we're going to have to sell > our house. > We've already sold everything else we could. My family and friends > have been > wonderful to help us as much as they can. Please pray for me that > the > infection will clear up. I'm not allowed to do anything which has > changed my life > and the life of my family. I couldn't go see my daughter graduate > in May with > her Masters from New Orleans University because of my 7th surgery. > I needed > it more. My daugter was wonderful. She sent me a box the night of > her > graduation full of surprizes so I could celebrate with her. I have > the best group of > family and friends. > > Thanks for listening. I am getting better compared to where I was > last year. > I love you guys even though I just joined this group. > > Thanks for listening. Love, Sharon > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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