Survey question: Complications with WLS?
Hi Pat. I had RNY in October, 2007. Before surgery I had high blood pressure, sleep apnea, asthma, and joint problems. Two days after surgery I couldn't hold anything down. It was determined that I had a kinked intestine and Dr. Boe had to perform another surgery to unkink it. The day following the second surgery my heart took a nose dive, and I had to be transported to St. Mary's hospital, where I spent an additional six days. During my stay at St. Mary's I went into atrial fibrulation, which corrected itself. It was a rocky start, but I have been problem free since then. I have no more high blood pressure, no sleep apnea, and no asthma. My joints still ache, but I'm older and don't expect that to get any better....but at least it won't get any worse either. Would I do it again??? In a heartbeat! I am a new person, doing things I haven't been able to do for 30 years.
Everyone is different...there's no way to predict how you will be. I can only tell you that losing 135 lbs has drastically changed me, the way I live my life, and my whole outlook on life.
Good luck with your decision making. Please be sure to let us know how you are doing.
Everyone is different...there's no way to predict how you will be. I can only tell you that losing 135 lbs has drastically changed me, the way I live my life, and my whole outlook on life.
Good luck with your decision making. Please be sure to let us know how you are doing.
Eileen
Hi there! Short and sweet:
Laproscopic Gastric Bypass
Lost 145 in first 9 months through some serious exercise
Ulcer at 1 year post-op (though probably from too much alcohol comsumption)
Now battling Depression and Anxiety (started meds at 1 and 1/2 years post-op)
Also dealing with transfer addictions
So...call them what you will, but I'd say those 3 fall under "complications"
Laproscopic Gastric Bypass
Lost 145 in first 9 months through some serious exercise
Ulcer at 1 year post-op (though probably from too much alcohol comsumption)
Now battling Depression and Anxiety (started meds at 1 and 1/2 years post-op)
Also dealing with transfer addictions
So...call them what you will, but I'd say those 3 fall under "complications"
~ Jen 
Thank you, Everyone, for your honest responses.
The information you've provided is pretty much what I expected, but I just had to ask. This site is wonderful and I'm so glad to have found all of you to help sort through and deal with all of this.
As before, I'm 99.9 % sure that I'm going ahead with this WLS. That last meeting just had my hubby and I a little concerned. Since I really only know one person that has had the surgery, I thought this would be a great place to ask around. I'm glad that I did!
If you haven't yet responded to my survey, please feel free to do so. I'll take all the information that I can get!
Funny, I can't even imagine what life will be like - or what I'll look like - when all this is over. Even with the ~35 pounds that I've lost so far, I feel like I look different. When I was lifting the little barbels (sp?) at the gym this week, I looked in the mirror and thought - "Whoa! That doesn't even look like me!" (Of course it could be the fact that I was exercising...something I haven't ever done before! Oh, or it could be the incredibly short haircut that I got last weekend in a moment of craziness!) Anyway...I guess I have a lot more of this feeling to get used to!
Thanks again for your posts, and for the good wishes!
You're the best!
Pat
The information you've provided is pretty much what I expected, but I just had to ask. This site is wonderful and I'm so glad to have found all of you to help sort through and deal with all of this.
As before, I'm 99.9 % sure that I'm going ahead with this WLS. That last meeting just had my hubby and I a little concerned. Since I really only know one person that has had the surgery, I thought this would be a great place to ask around. I'm glad that I did!
If you haven't yet responded to my survey, please feel free to do so. I'll take all the information that I can get!
Funny, I can't even imagine what life will be like - or what I'll look like - when all this is over. Even with the ~35 pounds that I've lost so far, I feel like I look different. When I was lifting the little barbels (sp?) at the gym this week, I looked in the mirror and thought - "Whoa! That doesn't even look like me!" (Of course it could be the fact that I was exercising...something I haven't ever done before! Oh, or it could be the incredibly short haircut that I got last weekend in a moment of craziness!) Anyway...I guess I have a lot more of this feeling to get used to!
Thanks again for your posts, and for the good wishes!
You're the best!
Pat
Hi Pat,
I had my surgery Sept. 05. I had open RNY . I was home a couple of days then went back in because of an infection. The doctor had to "reopen" me back up to clean out the infection. I was in the hospital for about a week with IV antibiotics . I had a "wound vac" to help me heal instead of "packing ". This took about 6-8 weeks to heal. The home nurse came in three times a week to change it. My husband thinks I may have had the infection while I was in the hospital after the initial surgery . The smell was awful ! I didn't have any fever or pain ( except the surgical pain) After I healed I also developed an insisional hernia ( because I had been open ) I had to have that repaired but didn't have that done until about a year later. The good thing about that is I also had my panni removed ! Other than that I have to say that I have been feeling good.
Last April I did have to have my appendix removed but I am glad that I had lost over 100 lbs because I can imagine how my recovery would have gone if I hadn't.
Even with my "complications" I would do it again. The only regret I have is that I didn't have the surgery sooner.
It's ok to be nervous. When I first started looking into the surgery it took me a couple of weeks to start "jumping through the hoops" I was still on the fence about having it done.
Now I'm glad I did.
Good Luck
Sandy
I had my surgery Sept. 05. I had open RNY . I was home a couple of days then went back in because of an infection. The doctor had to "reopen" me back up to clean out the infection. I was in the hospital for about a week with IV antibiotics . I had a "wound vac" to help me heal instead of "packing ". This took about 6-8 weeks to heal. The home nurse came in three times a week to change it. My husband thinks I may have had the infection while I was in the hospital after the initial surgery . The smell was awful ! I didn't have any fever or pain ( except the surgical pain) After I healed I also developed an insisional hernia ( because I had been open ) I had to have that repaired but didn't have that done until about a year later. The good thing about that is I also had my panni removed ! Other than that I have to say that I have been feeling good.
Last April I did have to have my appendix removed but I am glad that I had lost over 100 lbs because I can imagine how my recovery would have gone if I hadn't.
Even with my "complications" I would do it again. The only regret I have is that I didn't have the surgery sooner.
It's ok to be nervous. When I first started looking into the surgery it took me a couple of weeks to start "jumping through the hoops" I was still on the fence about having it done.
Now I'm glad I did.
Good Luck
Sandy
Sandy
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Hi Pat,
I realize I am quite a few days behind on reading your post, but here is my response to your survey:
I had LAP RNY on August 2, 2007. My surgery did not go as smoothly as I hoped -- it wound up taking 3 hours instead of the anticipated hour/hour & a half, because I was bleeding quite a bit. I experienced a lot of pain directly afterwards and I ran a fever of 101.8. I was unable to get the pain to subside and needed x-rays and milk of magnesia enemas. My surgery was on a Thursday and by Saturday, I was feeling significantly better than I had been on Thursday evening and Friday. At Barix, if your surgery is on a Thursday, you are typically able to go home on Saturday. I was asked to stay at Barix for an extra day just to be sure everything was ok and I was then able to go home on Sunday.
And that was the worst of it. The first few days at home were painful for me, but thankfully, I have experienced no complications from the time I got home, until now, almost 2 years later.
I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Best of luck to you during this time and congratulations on already losing 35 pounds and now going to the gym three times a week -- that really is wonderful and will help you tremendously in the long run!
Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any more questions.
Lisa :)
I realize I am quite a few days behind on reading your post, but here is my response to your survey:
I had LAP RNY on August 2, 2007. My surgery did not go as smoothly as I hoped -- it wound up taking 3 hours instead of the anticipated hour/hour & a half, because I was bleeding quite a bit. I experienced a lot of pain directly afterwards and I ran a fever of 101.8. I was unable to get the pain to subside and needed x-rays and milk of magnesia enemas. My surgery was on a Thursday and by Saturday, I was feeling significantly better than I had been on Thursday evening and Friday. At Barix, if your surgery is on a Thursday, you are typically able to go home on Saturday. I was asked to stay at Barix for an extra day just to be sure everything was ok and I was then able to go home on Sunday.
And that was the worst of it. The first few days at home were painful for me, but thankfully, I have experienced no complications from the time I got home, until now, almost 2 years later.
I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Best of luck to you during this time and congratulations on already losing 35 pounds and now going to the gym three times a week -- that really is wonderful and will help you tremendously in the long run!
Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any more questions.
Lisa :)
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