The hip pain has steadily gotten worse and occurring daily, so I made an appt with my primary doctor, had the xrays done and it is official, osteoarthritis in both hips.  I am 2 years post op RNY...doctor wanted to prescribe Celebrex.  I thought this was a drug we could not take, so I questioned him and he said since I did not have the sleeve procedure, I should be ok.  Another RX option was Voltaren......I have to get back with MD with my decision on treatment.  I know Tylenol does nothing for the pain, NSAIDS are our enemy.....so what are feasible options for some pain relief???

Missy-h

I have no prejudice towards light weights.....I simply am concerned for this woman.
I also know many people who have fought like crazy trying to get approval and they have been turned down for not meeting guidlines.  Many with multiple co-morbidities.

I merely question if a malabsorption procedure is really the right way to go.....ultimately, it is her and her surgeons decision.  I simply wanted to get a feel for how others felt about the situation....I have the stats correct....she is 5'6" and her current weight is 183....her weight at consult was 200.

Missy

I have sat down with her after she even got on my scales....she is currently 183.  Surgeon told her to lose 10 lbs to help the fatty liver issue.....well she actually ended up losing 17 in 6 weeks following a super strict Weigh****chers plan that she modified a bit  ( made it stricter) surgeon advised her to slow down, as she could end up not being able to have the surgery.....YA THINK DOC?????

At 5'6" and 183....losing 50 lbs will put her in her ideal weight range.  I am just baffled.
Who am I to try and "push" my thoughts on her....I have told her about my complications, that she should not compare her journey with anyone elses, as everyones is different.....she told me that the surgeon told her that she would not lose too much weight, as your body knows when to stop.....well this one just about made me fall out of my chair!!!  I have read numerous stories on this board alone of people who could not stop losing....

Is there anything else I can say???  Or should I just step away and be supportive??

Missy

I am strongly leaning towards this same thought.....I am honestly just baffled as to how she got approved.  I am just really concerned for her, taking on a malabsorption surgery with such a reasonable amount to lose.  I fear she will be trading one set of health issues for another...I hope I am wrong, but typically my "gut" feelings are right on.

Missy-h

I just don't understand going into a malabsorption type procedure with 40-50 pounds to lose....i guess I am more mystified as to why the surgeon is not discussing the possible procedures with this lady.  She is having surgery with a surgeon who has many years of experience, at a hospital with a program of excellence....I am just baffled.

I agree....the sleeve would be a good option.

Missy

I have not been on the boards for many many months.  All of my free time has been spent preparing for final testing and clinicals.  Proud to say I passed everything and am awaiting to take the NCLEX-RN....studying like a mad person and waiting on my ATT.  I am hoping to take it in the next 3-4 weeks.

Definately needing to exercise regularly again....I just devote every ounce of free time to studying.  I really am tired of studying...but gotta stay focused and am almost at the end.  Hope everyone is doing well.  My weight fluctuates between 183-187.  Got some more to lose before I reach goal.  I get frustrated that the scale will not move below 183, but i know it is cause I am not exercising.  Depending on the food choice, my pouch can hold 6-8 oz of food.  I dump from time to time...especially if something is too high in sugar or fat.  From time to time chicken will not agree with me, no clue why.  I take my vitamins faithfully and drink plenty of fluids.  I still have to have flavored waters.  Sugar free or low sugar of course.  I deal with reactive hypoglycemia if I do not eat often enough or properly....too many carbs and my body lets me know.  It is not a pleasant feeling.

Just sharing and letting some old friends I still exist....

Missy-h

This is my luck is about all I can say.....had to have the first internal hernia repair done Sept or maybe Aug 08....exact dates are a bit fuzzy.  It took attacks of intermittent extreme abdominal pain and numerous MD visits and diagnostic testing that finally lead to exploratory lap surgery to discover the culprit.  Fixed it as outpt, home the same eve, healed without problems and was fine up until this past Sunday.....while at work I had a sudden onset of extreme abdominal pain, with nausea, dry heaves, gas and unreal bloating.  I couldn't sit, standing was horrible....i literally was pacing around the nurses station.  I had just finished eating some turkey and kinda figured it was not getting along with my pouch...so I proceeded to chew a bunch of papaya enzymes, took some gas x, and paced.  Would have gone home, but of course I would have had to find my own replacement, and I was in NO SHAPE to make calls to do that.....so I toughed it out.  After about 90 minutes of misery.....things calmed down.  I remained bloated, but the severe pain had subsided.

Told hubby that if it happened again, I would be going to ER as the pain felt way too much like the pain I experienced with the first hernia.  Well another attac****urred Wed afternoon, this time immediately after eating a ground beef patty with cheese.  Against my better judgment, I went to the local ER....I could not make the 2 hr drive north to be seen at my surgeons hospital ER.

Well got to the ER, frantic with pain......they insisted i stop and give them my insurance info!!!!  Oh man, I know they need this stuff, but come on......I cannot speak clearly, stand still.....besides I told them my hubby was parking the car and would be in with that info....no matter....I was forced to give SS# and wait 10 minutes before being taken back to triage for vital signs and a dozen questions regarding health history.  3 different nurses came out of the ER, walked pass me, clearly seen something was wrong, but never bothered to offer help, or even inquire if I had been helped!!!!  As a nurse myself....i can honestly say I would never have walked past someone that so obviously was upset or in need of immediate attention.

Triage nurse was pissed and gave attitude because he couldn't get B/P since I was unable to sit still for the machine to read properly.  He ripped off the cuff and stated he would just have to get someone else to get it later.....GEEZ ya think????

Finally seen by ER MD who was leaving in 10 minutes, her shift was ending.  Triage nurse came in started an IV.  A 2nd nurse came in and finally gave me Dilaudid and Zofran.....no gloves worn and did not wash her hands.......I later confirmed that with my hubby.  Dilaudid not touching pain, 5 minutes later, same nurse came in and gave more Dilaudid, again, no gloves and no hand washing done...finally taken back for a CT scan, back to ER room, given Benadryl IV push because the Dilaudid made me itch like crazy and more Dilaudid because pain was not at an acceptable level.  While awaiting CT results.....I was hooked up to IV fluids, again....no hand washing and no gloves.

New ER MD entered room, said I had a small bowel partial blockage and that I needed fluids and pain management and they would go under DR. %%%% because my primary DR. was not on call.  I said wait  a minute.....so I am being admitted??  What is the plan of care.....he rudely said I just told you the plan of care!!  I then said if surgery might be an option, then I want to go North to my bariatric surgeon.  He said rather rudely....."was I talking too fast, did you not understand me?"  "I didn't say surgery, and to be honest, this late in the evening, arranging transportation and getting you up there will be next to impossible, and besides, even if we could get you up there, they will A:  do no more for you than we would here, and B:  there is no guarantee that they will even admit you"  He proceeded to speak....."in cases like this that are non-emergencies.......(yes he said it was not an emergency) it is common for the bowel to come out of it with total gut rest.

I asked him to leave the room, i wanted to call my surgeon and speak to her or whomever was on call with her group and get their opinion.  Well he left the room, not happy, but that was the least of my concerns.  I had my surgeon paged, she called me within 5 minutes.  I explained the situation and the diagnoses, what testing had been done ect.  She asked if a bariatric surgeon was *****ad the CT results and if I was consulting with a bariatric surgeon.  I said no....she said I needed to, if not her then someone locally.  I said the only bariatric surgeon locally is not on call and therefore they will not page him.  I said besides, if this diagnoses is true, I figure surgery will be needed and I wanted her to see me.  She told me to leave the hospital ASAP bring my CT scan and lab work results and meet her at St. Vincent ER, she will call ahead and have a room ready for me.

Local ER NOT happy....tried to talk me into staying, I proceeded to get dressed while MD was talking.  They made me wait almost an hour for the labs and CT disc......I said I need them asap....the MD smarted off and said...."of course, they are yours, but it takes time"  he proceeded to say...."you can go ahead and leave and we will fax the info up in the morning"  I said NO...I am not leaving here without it, my surgeon wants it brought up tonight"  and he said "then you will wait"

Got to St. Vincent, Dr. Cacucci arrived within 10 minutes, looked at CT disc and said "gotta do lap surgery just like last time....and it is not a small bowel obstruction, it is an internal hernia like the last time.  I asked her if it indeed was "not an emergency" and she said, "I wouldn't be in here at 1 am prepping for surgery if it wasn't"

After surgery, she told my husband we did the right thing....waiting all night and controlling pain and giving me fluids would have killed me.

So...moral of my long story.....learn from my experience,,,,,never ignore severe abdominal pain, demand that a bariatric surgeon review anything that relates to the abdomen and acute pain/ diagnoses / treatment plan.  It could save your life.  I did mine!!!!

 

Surgery took 90 minutes, I stayed in the hospital until 1 pm and was discharged.  Recovering in my own bed, with the help of pain meds.....living and breathing, thanks to my insistance on a 2nd opinion from my bariatric surgeon.

missy

Ok for those who didn't see my post, I posted about an absolutely horrible experience with chicken and rice getting stuck.....I do not have a high pain tolerance, this I admit, but honestly the spasm like pain felt really close to labor pains in the stomach!!  It lasted for several hours, and then my entire abdomen was sore for 2 days...I figured that was from the dry heaves.

Anyway.....the responses for what helps such as Papaya enzymes helped so much.  Those things really do help.  So thanks to all who suggested them.

Here is my issues since that day....any dense food that I eat causes a much milder version of the discomfort that I suffered with the day the food got stuck.  Very tolerable, but just uncomfortable and I get really bloated.....I am thinking the discomfort is gas pains and from the bloating???  Anyone else experience this?  I am wondering if my pouch and stoma are a bit irritated from the stuck food.

Also, is severe bloating and gas a symptom of dumping?  Reason I am asking this, a couple of days ago, I got bottle of iced tea, thought I grabbed the unsweet as I normally get, added my Splenda and proceeded to drink....I thought it tasted a bit "extra sweet", took another look at the label.....and well....I grabbed sweetened.  By the time I realized, I had most of the tea drunk.  In about 20 minutes, I began to feel really tight across the abdomen, bloating, and cramping.  Not my typical dumping symptoms....normally I get really shaky, weak, nauseated and very tired.

Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

Missy

Thanks for the info Susie.  I just placed an order to give the drops a try.  I just cant stand plain water. 

Missy

I totally agree....but ya know something....they all obviously belong to an elite group of people who have had wls, or will have wls that was performed by true miracle workers......their surgeons not only gave them the tool to fight morbid obesity, but they apparently received instantaneous emotional and psychological repair as well.  Damn.....I sure do wish that my surgeon offered an absolutely fool proof 100% perfect nutritionally sound emotionally secure wls package!!!!  What a fabulous upgrade.

We are human, the surgery does not change that.  We make bad choices, and regardless of what they typed, I will never believe that everyone of them make nutritionally sound, wls friendly food choices every minute of everyday!!!  NEVER!!

If this journey was all rainbows and butterflies, then none of us would be members of cyber support sites.  We would all be running around with sunshine shooting out of are asses and aiming it at all the fast food joints, bakeries, ice cream parlors and so on.  I am super post op wls woman.....fear me and my protein supplements. 

I suppose they are all members of that site because they are having such a perfect journey, smooth  as ice, no bumps no glitches, no emotional roller coasters for them....they are just members to bask in each others glorious glitch free success.  Damn....to be so perfect has got to be difficult.

I guess I join MM in saying I too am a member of the majority and I guess that means I am classified as a failure.  I have eaten a Krispy Kreme dougnut, I have eaten Doritos, and many many other forbidden goodies......most of them have made me dump in various degrees, and I have not once felt guilty for eating any of it as post op, as I have not eaten a dozen of Krispy Kremes over the course of a day, I have not eaten the entire bag of Doritos, nor have I eaten an entire bag of chocolate goodies that I did way too easily and much too often as I did pre-op.  Typically, when I have eaten such no no's, it is usually only a bite or two and then I am satisfied and actually find that it doesn't seem to taste as good as I remember it pre wls.  And of course the dumping is not pleasant.

My surgeon, primary md, and nutritionist.....all of which are highly trained and more than qualified enough, have all told me that wls is not meant to place a person in nutritional prison, it is a tool to help you learn how to eat again, via making healthy choices and learning moderation.

I believe that what they posted only leads people to believe that wls magically fixes us and that we never ever have to struggle emotionally and we never make nutritional blunders again.

I want people to know that post op wls life is a daily fight......it helps people to understand that it really isn't an "easy" way out.  There are so many factors that go into consuming nutritionally sound and well balanced meals......everyone surely agrees with me here......kids, jobs, errands, financial worry, job security, time constraints ect, ect, ect.  For many it is a daily challenge beating down the emotional eating security blanket.

When they fall off of the perfection wagon.....I am sure they will need help, suggestions or a cyber hug.  I hope someone is there for them when the time comes.  Perfection doesn't last forever.

My rant is done now.

Missy-h

I TOTALLY love, love, love the Smart Forme Wafer bars.  Vanilla is my favorite, chocolate is ok.  I would like to try the strawberry, but it doesn't come up as a flavor option on their website.

Melting Mama's review introduced me to them.

Missy-h

They have Ready To Drink Low Carb Vanilla or Chocolate drinks.  Minimal sugar....not sure of the exact grams, I am currently out.

Missy-h

I just received my 2nd order of the wafer bars.  This order was the vanilla only, I had the chocolate in my first order, but I found I prefer the vanilla flavor.  I LOVE the flavor and texture of these bars.  They make a great meal for me while I am at work and never have time for a lunch break.

Melting mama and her review is what convinced me to buy and I am so pleased with the product.

Missy-h