Surgery Complications? YES!

I had a RNY on October 21st. It was an open, not a lap. Four days later I was home and deathly ill. I knew I should not feel SO VERY sick and asked to be taken to the ER ...and my hospital was an hour away. On the way there in the middle of the night I wondered if I would live. A trauma team confirmed my worst fears. I might not live. I looked back at my sweetie as they rolled me into surgery. The look told me everything. I had to live. Two weeks later I was sent home, but not before I had a wicked wound infection. Par for the course. A surgeon friend told me that 100% of wounds that do not get to heal before they are opened again will infect. Mine complied. I kept going to my bariatric surgeon who would dab silver nitrate on the growing granuloma coming from my open wound whenever he saw me. I got wise and figured out that he probably was not the guy who I needed to see for wound care. So I left him. I went to my local hospital first because they had a bariatric surgery department. Disaster. I ended up with a green surgeon who said " I won't treat your doctor's messes" ....but she would treat my wound. That is until she cultured it. Then she found bacteria from the bowel. She said she would not treat me [scared it was a fisula which it was not] and would only recommend that I see the old surgeon that already didn't treat my wound. When I reminded her that I would not go back to a surgeon that was not following up on my wound, she just said "Too bad". Yeah, really...that is what she said. Fortunately, I know a lot of doctors personally. I called the surgeons that did a very, very tricky surgery on my dad from the parking lot after I left her office. They remembered me and told me they would care for my wounds no matter what was going on. I was so happy! I ended up in wound care center for about three months. Weekly, with the wound not responding. Finally they operated....my third surgery. The incision was infected deep into my bowel and stitches had to be removed and the surrounding tissue too. Then I had a bigger wound, but a non infected one! Finally! I was released from wound care just three weeks ago. Not the last of my story. Because I was bleeding for five months I became very anemic. My hemoglobin was 8. They transfuse at 7. I was the one who suspected it I went to my PCP and asked her to run some tests....she confirmed my worst fears. And then I started taking the iron that they give cancer patients. We are hoping it works....a month later my hemoglobin is up to 9! Hooray! A cautionary tale. If you leave your surgeon for ANY reason [you move, s/he is not competent, you don't get the care you need, even a personality difference!] then you may find it difficult to find follow up care. Gee, can't leave this so depressing. I must end on a funny note. I know! You know that sweetheart I was staring at when I decided to live? Well the sweetheart was also scheduled for surgery. Chose NOT to have the surgery....no surprise there! Now 80 pounds lighter...actually has lost MORE than I have, the sweetheart just tells everyone that I SCARED the weight off! Ha! Please know two things. Complications can happen to anyone. And it can be very hard to find follow up care right now because 1] surgeons really don't like to "clean up" after other surgeons and 2] because the insurance companies are looking hard at covering this at all due to the high amount of complications. That rate of 2%....? Nope, according to the Cleveland study...it is 20%. Most are not as severe as mine, but it does happen. It does. Be well...and thanks to everyone on the board who has given me the advice I need when I get scared because I don't always know if my symptoms are serious or not. I am thankful that I am in healthcare and know so many docs personally......that is what saved me. What I worry about? Most people don't know a lot of docs personally....what do THEY do? Be well, Terry [down to 165 from top weight of 246, and went into surgery at 226. Would I do it again? I am not so sure that I would.]

WOW Terry. You had an aughful experience. I know my surgery was no piece of cake either. However, you get the bigger chunk if it is! I know what you mean about surgeons not wanting to touch other surgeons "messes." It sucks. I chose to have my surgery out of state and came back home. My friend who had the surgery before me and recommended my surgeon has had complications lately. She had a bowel problem too and they had to do some surgery on her again. She was two years post op last Monday. Poor kid has actually gone through some trauma, but she's a trooper. The surgeons basically told her the same thing they told you. I guess it's a risk we all take with the surgery...sigh... Thanks for sharing it and make sure you put this in your profile if you haven't already. Not enough people let others know about the bad stuff. Take care.. 257/166/157

Wow Terry, you have had a tough time of it. I am grateful for an uneventful surgery & recovery. Hugs, Maria

Hi Terry, You have had a very tough time Sweetie. i am glad things are starting to look up for you. I am also very happy that you knew some Doctors personally, because it is times like that when it's not what you know, it's who you know really counts. Adrienne

Thanks everyone. I just thought it was important to see what happens to someone that really did not have optimum care or procedure outcomes. I still am having a hard time. I get sick from food very easily. My exercise has just started and is pretty much limited to aquasize or laps in the pool. I am just not strong enough for dryland...and I have always loved the treadmill and weight lifting. I did that when I was heavy....it is a myth that overweight people don't exercise. I did and want to get back to it asap. My weight loss is slow...about 5-6 pounds a month, but steady. I think the slowness is due to two things: 1. I can't really exercise a lot yet because I am still anemic. 2. My healing of my pouch is slow due to the fact all my healing energy....we only have so much...has gone to my anemia and my wound. So, I still get sick from food, I still can't exercise like I want to. I will be summers end. My hemoglobin should be a 10-11 by then...still anemic, but better! I wonder if others still get sick from food. My sick feeling comes on VERY FAST, within two bites sometimes and means stop eating right now! So, I take in about 700 -800 kcals a day and still have slow weight loss. I can eat Wasa cracker [20kcals, low in carbs...eat 4 a day...spred out over day], one box raisens [again spread out over day, for iron] peanut butter [1 tsp. for copper to release iron in foods] 2 tbls veggies, and 3 ounces protein [mostly turkey or turkey ham...chicken makes me very ill] and thats it. I can eat 2 pieces bacon and one egg cheese omelet SOME times, not others. This is pretty limited so I add a bottle of Isopure to get 20 grams protein in also. Any suggestions?