Kathy, don't sweat that 100lbs. mark. You WILL make the century club! It takes some longer than others. Just try to remember - it's not a race! I think the amount of weight lost at this point also depends on your weight at surgery time. So if you were 318.5 to start and you're now at 226.5, that's FANTASTIC!!!! Your 92 lbs loss is WONDERFUL, and you should be extremely proud of yourself. I just celebrated my 6-month anniversary yesterday, and I've lost a total of 115 lbs. I was 402 lbs. on surgery day (10/22/03) and I'm now down to 287lbs. Keep the faith!!!!!! ((HUGS))

6 months down today and 90 lb has gone away. what will i do new today? carolyn

Karen, This was so moving, that I got choked up. I actually had tears in my eyes, while I was listening to Oprah. Don't you feel like that? Like you have faced your greatest fear, and found the courage to do what's right for you? That's exactly how I feel. I am very proud of my decision to have the surgery and change my whole life, so that I can be a better me. Thanks for sharing this with everybody. I hope that everyone gets a chance to view it. Your WL Sister, Jane

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.]

You are NOT alone. I had a bowel obstruction just 4 days after my RNY. I had emergency surgery by a trauma team who said I was 3 hours from death and maybe would not make it. I hung on. A week later I got a surgical wound. That was in OCTOBER. Now it is April and I got clearance to leave wound clinic just three weeks ago. About 5 months or so getting bandage changes every day...and another surgery to clean out the wound in February. Top it off? Severe anemia....a side effect of constant bleeding. Not your "happy post op story" but NOT atypical!! NOT. Please do take your symptoms VERY seriously. I may be thinner but I would really like my health back. I am going to post my story separately so hope I don't bore you all....but I did want you to know that you were not alone here. Terry