Final Stretch to 1 Year Post Op...What would you do differently?

As Jan is flying bye and I am at a lack of mobility now. I have been thinking, I have been questioning, was this worth it. Up until December, I would have said yes. In the past 30 days, I probably would have said no. I would definitly rethink choosing the original RNY surgeon I chose based on how I was treated recently. I had some pain issues last summer and this surgeon wasn't very effective in my care. I had no major symptoms except nausea and reflux pain during christmas. I wasn't even going to call the dr's office, because i HATE dealing with the surgeon who did my RNY. I decided to call because I was having difficulty eating and drinking. I did find out there's a second surgeon in the group and he was oncall during christmas weekend. So, on 12/26 suffered from an internal hernia in the petersen's space, which is the mesentary colon and removal of adhesions (endometrosis). I thought I was bouncing back from the surgery quickly. I was still suffering with nausea and pressure in my upper chest, however, the surgeon who did my origianl rny wasn't as helpful as he could have been. I went back and forth for 1 week before I was seen again. This time, I went through a day of testing and a week of being really sick. Then, last week, I had a second surgery, there were an assortment of things done at this surgery had a band of scar tissue removed from liver, from bowels, from pouch area, then revision to pouch area, revision to internal hernia, and intestional hernia repaired. I will pretty much allow the doc's to do anything, while I'm asleep. Being in the hospital two times in two weeks has worn me out. Discourging as it is, I'm still suffering with nausea and reflux burning in my throat. Currently, I am waiting for my refereal to the GI dr. I will most likely be having an endo scope next. The thing I would do differently is to have chosen a different surgeon. I don't like the care that I've received when I've contacted them and also during a previous encounter. The distance between where I live and where the dr is located has also become an issue. I'm fighting off letting this turn me blue. I"m laid up, bored, so ofcourse my mind is working over time, over and over. I have everything on hold again, waiting to see what's next. Thanks for reading. Jen 2/22/06 P.S. Hold your criticism for yourself. I have been slammed on another message board for not running to the hospital at the slightest hiccup. If I want to be treated badly, I'd call my dead mother, she did it best.

Hi Jen, So sorry to hear about all your complications/surgeries. It must be so hard to have to deal with all these things & to top it off an unpleasant surgeon. He sound rude. I wonder though, how did you end up with that guy? Did you research him & find other patients of his to find out what he was like before going into this? My husband & I are really lucky to have ended up with a very good surgeon. I say "ended" up because we have HMO insurance and it was our pcp who gave us the referral to see him. So although we didn't have the luxury of choosing him, I did do research on my surgeon & found out nothing but good things about him. So I felt really at ease about going through with the surgery. If I had heard anything bad, believe me I wouldn't have done it. Jen, I hope you feel better real soon. Keep your head up & faith that things will get back to normal soon. *hugs* Elisa

I'm sorry to hear about what your going through. You know, you can find another surgeon to "fix" your 1st surgeons mistakes. I found my surgeon after reading a post on the main forum about how he "fixed" another doctors RNY. The lady who posted was butchered by her first surgeon, and she needed a revision. She searched to find the best (not the nearest, but the best) surgeon that she could find, and she went to my surgeon even though he was over 2 hours away in another state (she lived in CT and he is in NY). Anyway, she raved about how my surgeon fixed her RNY, and she posted a rave review about him. Needless to say, I went to him for a 2nd opinion about surgery and ended up having him perform the DS on me. If your not happy with your surgeon find another doctor to do your follow up, you don't have to let your 1st surgeon know, but you can put out "feelers" pretty easily on OH's forums to find a different surgeon. (your state forum would be a good place to start). As for what would I do differently, it's funny you ask this question. I've asked it to myself over and over again this past few weeks as I near my 1 year anniversary. I think if I had to do it over again, I'd probably not have done anything different Although if I was to have surgery today, I would have had just the VSG instead of the full DS. They offered to do the VSG on me 1st and the intestinal rerouting 6 months later. I choose to just have the full surgery at one time, because in the mind set i was in at that time, I didn't think I'd ever be able to lose weight. The DS truly saved my life, and I don't think I could have done as well with any other surgery, but taking suppliments everyday is a bit of a drag. Again at the time I had surgery, the DS was the only option for me, and I wouldn't change it, but if I had the mindset I have now (where I know I can eat right and exercise), I'd just have had the VSG and waited to see if I needed the intestinal rerouting. I hope that makes sense. Other then that, there is nothing I would have done differently. Scott

Thanks for the responses. Surgery wise, I have an excellent surgeon. Post op wise, I've had someone who doesn't treat his patients decently when there's been a complication. It's like he see's his patenits as failures if something goes wrong. This is why a regret chosing him. I wouldn't publically banish him, but he wouldn't stop and give me 2 cents of respect to listen to me either. Surgery and skill wise, he was excellent. It's funny because the nurses openly criticize him and complain at how picky he is. I think this attributes to their ****ty care at the hospital. It's like the nurses hear his name and cringe. I am being treated by another surgeon to the practice. At this point, I'm regretting that this surgery has premently changed my bodies anatomy and i'm fearful that something bad is going to happen now because of all these complications. Last Feb I felt like, he'd do the surgery and I'd go back to my PCP for my care and be done with the surgeon. I'd be done with needing him. I would say I'm disappointed, but I'm more disappointed to be 10 months out then become so complication ridden. Boy was I wrong. Jen

I'm sorry you are still having troubles. Honestly, if I were not feeling so healthy right now, I'd have big regrets, too. I don't much care about all the weight loss [I'm not going to lie and say it isn't nice], I did this for my health and if I wasn't healthy I'd be scared. I also remember back in the beginning when I was having all my problems [which are admittedly not nearly as bad as yours] it was hard not to get blue. I have to believe that this too shall pass for you. You've had two big surgeries in a matter of a month, and 3 in the past year, give yourself - body and mind - time to recover before you make yourself crazy about what-ifs. {hugs}

I am not real sure what to say but sorry and i know i will be thinking about you!! J

Sorry to hear all you are going thru. Maybe you can change to a different surgeon all together. The one you have sounds very rude and far from supportive. Keep your head up I will keep you in my prayers. Sherri