Update and Reminder to Know Your Body and Be Your Own Advocate!!

Hi all, I am on medical leave so I finally have time for an update. First i should update my pictures, they are from last summer I look quite a bit different now. I want to remind everyone to pay attention to your body and listen to your instincts! Last Sunday I got a pain in my abdomen, it then started to radiate into my chest and left shoulder. It was not as bad as last year when I had a rupture and was septic but it was there and the same pattern of pain. I called the hospital and the surgeon on call called me back (he is not with the bariatric program mind you) I told him what was going on and he told me that you don't just rupture spontaneously, that made sense, last year I was ruptured by a scope to have a stricture stretched. He told me to come in and get checked out if the pain was that bad but I should be o.k. Well within a half hour I could not stand upright. My husband was at work so I called my brother and he took me the 45 minutes to the hospital by the time I got there I went to get out of his truck and fell to the ground. They picked me up off the ground and hauled me in, after many doses of pain killer I was finally able to straighten out for an x-ray, but it still hurt like h***. Sure enough they could see air pockets, i had a leak. My surgeons work as a team and neither of them were on call but the dr on call phoned them to get some background, they bothe came in on Sunday to do my repair, they are AWESOME!! So I was repaired and only spent 3 days in the hospital this time because I was not septic and am now on the mend. I just don't want any of you to forget to be your own advocate if you think that something is wrong. Even with all of my complications I would not change things for the world my life is so much better! Take Care, Becki 1-18-05 297/119 5'8" ( I am down about 7 lbs this week from being back stage 1 diet. I am sure that I will go back to 126, that is where I had settled since last October)

Becki, I am sorry to hear that you had problems. I am glad to hear that you are doing better and starting to heal. It is a great lesson for all of us that we need to listen to our bodies. Thanks for the reminder, Becky

Becki, So sorry you've had a rough time of it lately, but glad to know you are doing well now. Your post is a good reminder for all of us as our bodies are quite different from other patients and signs or symptoms that may be minor in a non-RNY patient are quite the opposite for us. Take care and continue to be on the mend! Mary Ellen 280/160/160

OMG Becki, Hope your continuing to mend. Sorry to hear about all the complications. My goodness your weight for your height is very low, what do the drs say? I've been stuck at 141lbs for months. Did the drs say why this keeps happening to you? How do you know if you have a leak? I really thought it couldn't happen this late? Hope your feeling better real soon. God bless, Syndi

Thanks, the Dr. has no problem with my weight but wants me to stop which I pretty much have. The Drs feel that because I had radiation in 2001 for Hodgkins Lymphoma in my chest and the rad field hit my esophogus that the tissue is compromised but they are not sure. My symptoms start with abdominal pain, moving into my chest and then up into my shoulder because of air and fluid leaking in my body cavity. I just want everyone to be careful and listen to their bodies!! You know best! Tnaks again Becki