Newbie here!

Hey everyone! My name is Tavia, 26 and I live on Long Island. I had my WLS back in Feb. of this year. My Dr. was Larry Gellman. I had many complications and was hospitalized three times, two surgeries, over a month stay at hospital and a week in ICU on a respirator, etc etc. Not fun. I am doing very well now and are down 100 pounds! I look forward to posting with you guys and hearing everyone elses story. Please feel free to email me if anyone had any questions about WLS especially about complications. I have become the expert about it unfortunately. Like Dr. Gellman says (in a joking manner) he doesnt want me to come to his practices support meeting because I am going to scare off some of his potential patients. Hee-Hee. I hope everyone is well and would love to hear from you guys! Take care. Tavia [email protected]

Hi Tavia - Welcome to the NY board! I'm sorry to hear you've had such complications and an extended ordeal, bu very glad to hear you're doing very well now. And congrats on 100 pounds gone! You take care as well, Mary Mc

Hi Tavia.... Thanks for sharing your story and congratulations on your loss. I am so glad that all worked out after your complications. Welcome aboard!

Welcome and I am glad to hear you are doing better.What kind of complications did you have? Email me if you get a chance just wondering what else I should expect.

I had many complications. One complication let to another one etc etc. It really was a living nightmare, but I do not regret having gastric bypass at all! Everyone always asks me that question(if I regret it or not). I had it gastric bypass done laprostopically first. My first complication was the rest of my stomach(not the freshly made pouch) filled up with air and I had to have surgery fully awake to drain the air out of my left over stomach. Then I came down with pneoumia a day after . I was constantly gagging and a cat-scan showed my passage was not made wide enough causing anything going down (water, spit medicine) was getting stuck and had to come back up, so I went in for a re-do surgery that ended up being open because my oxygen level went down dramatically low and Dr. Gellman and Gadetala had to finish. Dr. Gellman said my nails were getting blue(a sign of lack of oxygen). I was gagging for air when I woke up. I was rushed up to the ICU and put on a respirator and an x-ray revealed one of my lungs collapsed and my heart rate was very high. It was so surreal. I left like I was watching one of those medical TV dramas where they were rushing me down the hall screaming out medical orders and for people to move. I stayed on the respirator for about a week b/c my pnemoumia was getting worse and so was my oxygen level. My other lung didnt collapse but turned into something called like a pancake lung. I had tubes going in my nose, and an IV in my neck and arms. They kept on sticking me w/the IV b/c the IV kept on falling out or the viens were collapsing. To top it all off, a few days into the respirator I got the flu. I was so weak that they were going to put a feeding tubes in me but my husband told them not to b/c I didnt want anymore tubes in me(I obviously couldnt speak so I wrote it to him) I had a really bad reaction to an antibotic that was given to me and broke out in a really bad rash all over that itched like crazy. I had cold sores all over my lips, bed sores, bactrial and yeast infections and strange rashes all over the place. I was so disgusting. I looked like a complete monster. You would never know looking at me know expect for the IV scars on my neck. So all together I was in the ICU for maybe two weeks. Then I started to get better. The respirator came out and my throat was so sore and I could not talk for days. My lungs were having a hard time taking deep breaths and I couldnt form words with the breaths I could take. I was so weak I couldnt walk, climb stairs, sit, stand, etc and needed physical therapy. The pnemounia and flu went away gradually an was discharged a couple of weeks later. Dr. Gellman admitted me a couple of times back to the hospital for having a fever, problems breathing and dehydration. Turned out to just get a virus but he didnt want to take a chance I would get so sick again. Each hospital visit lasted like a little under a wee****il my fever went away. I was overall such a horrible experience but I was so lucky my husband never left my side and never showed he was scared(even though he was terrified) and was so supportive. He slept next to me every night,(even in the ICU-he told them they will have to drag him out by his hair if they really want him to leave) ask the doctors, nurses etc a million and one questions etc. He was like my personal nurse. He always went to get me cold water, fresh towels, change my sheets, etc. He kept such a positive outlook that I dont think i would have made it if it wasnt for him. I can tell you that I never ever ever want to go to the hospital again!! I had post-tramatic stress and I had a hard time going into see Dr.Gellman b/c I would always think he was going to admit me again. To this day I cannot drive down community drive. I do not want to even see the hospital let alone go in it. Ick! But I do not regret having the surgery. I just wished I could have been more mentally prepared and really said goodbye to my 3 year old son. Sorry if this story is too much for some(understandable) but it is my WLS reality. I do not wish anyone to have gone through what I went through. I hope and pray everyone on this board who hasnt had WLS yet a fast and uncomplicated WLS!!

You had surgery when you were awake??? Yikes.

Yep I was fully awake. It felt so disgusting and painful. I wanted to poke Dr. Gellmans eye balls out and be like "now how does that feel"? They didnt want to put me under General again b/c I was starting to have trouble breathing. Turned out a day later to be the big "P".

Hi Tavia, Welcome !! I am glad you are doing well after having so many complication's ! You must be a very strong person to come through it all !!! Congratulations on that 100 lb loss!!!! Thanks for sharing your experience with us . I will be e-mailing you though to find out what complications you have had..... as I am curious. Take Care, Carol

Tavia, Hun welcome to the NY board and I am sorry that you had those complications. and hope you are doing better now. I see you are down 100 lbs so that is awesome, congrats.. Thanks for sharing. ~Hugs~ Debra P 285/230/125??

Hi Tavia, I'm Joanne, Dr. Gellman was my surgeon also. I love him. I also had complications. Not Dr. Gellman's fault; he saved my life. The story of that is on my profile. If I had to do it all over again the exact same way with the complications, I would. Welcome to the NY board and I'm very glad to hear that you are doing well now. Joanne