Me Update

I know I have been lurking a lot lately and not updating. I thought it was time to let some of you know what is going on: 1) After my WLS surgery, I developed a fissure. This is like an ulcer on your rectum that bleeds and hurts. (Sorry if this gets too graphic for you.) I have been on pain meds the last 6 months and finally decided it was time to have the surgery to take care of the situation. The surgery was in May. The pain did not go away like everyone told me it would. So my surgeon's nurse felt sorry for me and allowed me to go see him before my scheduled appointment. 2) Two weeks after the fissure surgery they put me on extended medical leave. They said I had a 2nd whammy. I had a thrombosed hemrroid. Nothing could be done at that time because of the swelling from my prior surgery. 3) On Sunday, June 12th 4 am, I woke up to go to the bathroom. I looked in the toilet and had a large amount of blood along with the bowel movement. I thought...ok the hemrroid burst, I will be ok. I went back to bed and 20 minutes later I was back in the bathroom. I had the same experience again 20 minutes later. I went to ER in my small town and they wanted to life flight me to the Trauma unit in Jacksonville. To make a long story short, I bleed for 14 hours and then stopped. I was in the ER Trauma unit for 30 hours as they did not have a bed for me in Medical ICU. My surgeon was at another hospital and I could not be transferred as I was classified as unstable. I had to have 2 blood transfussions and had an allergice reaction to morphine and the blood. They also put an NG tube into my stomach to make sure I was only bleeding from the lower GI. (That really terrified me.) Finally on Monday afternoon I got transferred to another hospital by ambulance after threatening to "walk out" so I could be treated by my doctors. 4) No one could believe that a hemrroid could cause such massive bleeding. 5) Last week I had a colonoscopy which was clear. No Polyps and no cancer. 6) Today I saw the surgeon again and I am scheduled for hemrroid surgery on July 28th. My life has been evolving around pain and pain pills. I am so so tired of all of this. I still do not believe any of this has to do with the Weight Loss surgery. I lost down to 143 lbs but have gained some of it back. Hopefully, this will take care of everything.

Oh, Martha. We had NO idea! I'm so sorry that you have been through all of this. I agree, that terrible as your ordeal has been, I can't see any way WLS would have caused it. I will be praying for you that the surgery gets you firmly planted back on the road to recovery. Don't worry about any gain. You have to have been very inactive with all that pain and medication. As soon as you get back to yourself, you will do just fine! The Marchers are pulling for you!! Joy

My sweet Martha, I've so oftened wondered about you and am so terribly sorry about your troubles. You appear to be holding up and moving forward with a positive attitude; thank God you are cancer-free! You have crossed that hurdle, now let's get things fixed so that you can regain control of your life. I'm rooting for you all the way. Please, please keep in touch and let us know how you're doing. Is there anyone who can post to the board on your behalf until you're up to doing so again yourself? Also, it seems many of us are gaining a little right now - don't fret it! If I've learned anything through all of this, it's go with the flow of what my body is trying to tell me I need to do. As Joy said, I know that for me, not being able to exercise after being so religious about it, is causing me to gain - along with the pain meds, which it sounds as if you're on as well. All temporary! Don't worry about a thing except getting better, sweetie. Take good care, Love, Reenie

To be honest, I am not worried about the gaining. I weighed this moring at 154. That is a good weight for me. It keeps me in 10-12 clothes. (It would be smaller if my tummy area was not so big.) I decided a long time ago, if I stayed between 150-155 I would be very happy and not sweat the small stuff. I eat what ever I want. I still know when I have had enough. And if I eat the wrong foods, my body tells me that too. My warning system is still there. And if I put the wrong things in my mouth, I pay the price. I have been milk intolerant since my WLS surgery. Just recently, I have found I can eat ice cream in small amounts. And I can eat a candy bar. But I try to use wisdom, experience and logic. I have also discovered that my pouch does not like left overs of any kind. I can eat it the night before and do a ok. Take it to work the next day and get sick. Pork is a no no as well. I cannot get past the smell to eat it. Even if I do not cook it. Taste is worse than the smell for me. I miss the bacon. (Yes, I know I could do turkey bacon.) I can occassionally eat deli-ham. Well that is all of my ramblings for now. Take care. Joy and Reenie, I have been thinking about you both. Joy, I fell in October and broke my right hand in 2 places. Thanks goodness I had to only use a brace and get a thumb balled mouse for my computer. (No one at work likes my mouse so I do not have to worry now about anyone touching it while I am gone.)

Sugarplum, Take care of YOU! Extra protein will help you heal from your surgery, so find a way to get in plenty before and after! Love you, Joy

WOW, You have been through a lot. It sound as if you will be fine soon! You have done fantastic even with all of your problems, keep positive & Get some Champion Whey Protein (Its good) mixes with water and will give you added energy to heal more quickly. Hang in There & no we care & want more updates as you start imporving. Marilyn, The Bearlady

I'm SO sorry to hear about what you've been going through. I've had a thromboid before and the pain is incredible. I can't even imagine what pain you were in...I don't know how you stood it. I can imagine how tired you are of all of it...it's horrible when you can't get the treatment you need. My thoughts and prayers are with you....chin up, sweetie! Joanie