One year ago on Saturday Pre Ops please read....

 Do I love my DS???  Not yet, but I am hoping to some day.  It has been a year from hell for me and believe me if it can happen to me it can happen to you.  I will try to make this short but not so sure how sweet.  The night before discharge my oxygen saturation went down into the 80's and even on 6 liters of oxygen I couldn't get it up.  I went for all the testing, no pulmonary emboli, no ateletasis, no nothing, just couldn't breath.  So on respiratory treatments I went which hype the crap out of you.  Couldn't sleep, couldn't breathe, etc.  Kept doing my spirometer hourly which did more good for me than the treatments, kept walking, what ever I could to try to get out of the hospital.  I flew to California from Florida and left my family for Christmas.  Will NEVER do this again!!  I missed my boys so much it was horrible.  I am not a crier but I was then.  Poor Dr. Keshishian, he had no good answers for me.  Finally, on Christmas day I got discharged.  Woo hoo to the hotel I went.  My husband flew in to stay with me Christmas eve per Dr. K's rules......  Finally got back to Tampa and was home for a week before going to the ER with a hemoglobin of 6.7.  I had an upper GI bleed which resolved on its own after 8 days in the hospital and 7 units of blood.  I was on "bed rest" due to being a fall risk.  They put in a filter to catch any clots due to lying around but put it in too late.  Went home and not even one week later was put back in the hospital through the ER with left DVT and bilateral (both lungs) pulmonary embili.  This was an 18 day stay.  I can not express to you how emotional I was, weak, frightened, and out of my frickin head I was.  On TPN, heparin drip, anti biotics, no appetite, got TWO fistulas, you name it.  And got C-Diff from being over dosed on Vanco.  It was pure hell!!!  

There was a lot more going on than I am going into but trust me hell it was.  Went on daily injections, went home on TPN, home health, fistulas, I was a bloody mess.  I went back to work limping, my left leg swollen three times the size it should be, huffing and puffing but had to pay all the bills plus all the medical bills I was racking up.  After 8 months of slowly getting better I went on TPN again to try to clear up the fistulas.  NO liquid of food for 8 very long weeks.  I didn't miss any food bu****er....oh my it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do but it worked.  I healed both fistulas.  I was on high protein TPN which pushed my kidneys to the brink but it worked.  Today I am eating, drinking and trying to get along with my DS.  I have intermittent partial bowel obstruction and a hernia that sticks out further than my tube socks looking boobs.  I still can't do enough protein daily.  The drinks and I are not compatible.   I have tried so many samples and ugh...  I do get in more than enough water.  Used to hate water now its about all I can tolerate.

I know I have gone on and one but I am still alive and thankful for being down almost 130 lbs.  I want to lose more but you have no idea how happy I am that I can finally eat.  So to you pre ops, please go into this surgery well informed, knowing full well anything and everything can happen at any time to anyone.

I wish all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.  I know I am looking forward to a New Year and hopefully loving my DS someday.
Terry 

Terry,
I think of you often. I'm thankful that you survived this last year. I think your story is important to share because sometimes things go so very wrong.

Love to you and congratulations on your weight loss,

Thanks Gail and you keep up the good work too.
Terry

 I notice you have a revision, what surgery did you have before the DS?  
I am pre op and  am very worried something will go wrong, is there really a way to prepre for  something like this? Would you do anything differently? 

Thanks for sharing. 

Cath

 Being somewhat healthy presurgery helps with warding off complications.  I lost 25 pounds presurgery, started a walking routine, and had age in my favor.  

I can't image what she's gone through and I pray she'll get better soon.  I'm not sure there is any way to really ward off complications though.  I was told that with the RNY 1 in every 100 dies from the surgery or from complications...

For me it was just realizing that ANYTHING could (and still can) happen, and then taking a leap of faith.  I wish I had more words of comfort.

Wishing you luck,
Sheri

Cath,
I was a revision from RNY to DS.  There is no way to prepare for something like what happened to me.  I walked, breathed, did all I was supposed to do.  Sometimes **** happens for no reason.  Just do what is expected and hopefully all will be good.  Best of luck to you.

 May I ask how old you are, how much you weighed when you went into surgery, and what if any comorbidities you had?  I'm asking because I know that the heavier you are, the older you are, and the less healthy you are when you go into bariatric surgery, the more likely you are to suffer from complications.

I'm only 2 weeks out so I'm a baby DSr.  However, I went into this weighing only 228 (I'm 5ft 5) so my BMI was lower when I went in the day of surgery. I had been doing a walking regimen for months before and lost 25 pounds presurgery. Also, I had diabetes but had it under control by a few weeks before surgery.  AND, I'm only 37 so my age is still sort of youngish.  WHen I went for the consult with my surgeon, he said he wished he had more patients like me--young healthy patients who are a less risk for complications.  

That being said, I'm only 2 weeks out today and I'm sure complications may arrise in the coming weeks and months (if not years).  All bariatric surgery comes with risks--some of the same risks that you've gone through.  I remember worrying when I went in to surgery that I was being selfish and that I might die and leave my two young daughters with out a mother.  I was so scared the night before that I cried myself to sleep. But I did it for my health and so I hoped that the benefits outweighed the risks.

I'm SO sorry you've had such a rough year.  No one deserves that and when we go into this sort of thing we're thinking that we'll be healthy on the other side!  I'm sending hugs and positive thoughts for your swift recovery. And thank you so much for sharing your story.  You sound very brave.

Smiles,
Sheri

Sheri,
I was 55, RNY to DS, 334 pounds, and the only co morbidity I had was hypertension.  I am thankful most of this is behind me.  I am not trying to scare anyone, just want people to know no matter how young, healthy, by the books, or few co morbidity's you have anything can happen at any time.
Terry

 Terry, I truly am sorry for your horrific experience. I realized after I posted that perhaps my message came across as judgmental.  I had no intention of doing so.  I just thought it important to note that the less healthy we go into surgery, the more likely we are to have complications.  That being said, MOST of us go into surgery at our unhealthiest because when you're obese (on any level) it's hard to get moving and get ourselves to a healthier place.  The insurance companies won't  let us get bariatric surgery unless we're MORBIDLY obese and practically dieing.  

I think your message was important to share.  We had a member on this board die a few months ago--she was only 26! And yet she died of some complications to her surgery--some say it was the surgeon (a butcher of sorts) but no one here knows the exact reason for her passing.  It was a really big wake up call to me that even the young can get sick and die from this procedure.  So many want to walk into it thinking it's a cure-all but your story shows that just about anything can happen and that we should walk into this knowing the risks.

I thank you for sharing your story. I see someone else was also brave enough to share her story here now that you opened that door. I hope others feel free to share as well.

Please continue to get better and keep us updated on your status.

Warmly,
Sheri

Thank you for sharing your story.  It does serve a good reminder that it can happen to anyone and we all roll the dice hoping for the best over and above what we have control over.  Thank God it is less common than positive outcomes.  You will surely be a source of information and support for the unlucky people who do have complications.  I guess that will be the upside to your horrific ordeal.  I honestly can't imagine what you went thru.  It pains me to even think about it. 
I'm glad you are on the road to a better recovery and again thank you for sharing your story. 

Cheers,
Cathy