My Story......

I had my gastric bypass surgery on 04/05/2005. It was done laproscopically (sp). Which was surgery #1. My new pouch leaked so that had to do open surgery (#2) to fix my new pouch. My stitches would not hold so they had to reopen me (#3) and re-stitch everthing. My stitches would not hold again so my surgeon had to cut away (#4) all of the "dead" skin and put mesh in my stomach and let it heal from the inside out. Soooo.. I had a hole about the size of a grapefruit where my stomach skin should have been. During this time (which I don't remember) I was in a medically induced coma. I was on a ventilator for 2 weeks and then they put a trech (sp) in. During this time also I got a MAJOR infection and my temp ran between 104 and 107 for 6 days. I had to packed down with ice the entire time. A month later I am brought out of the coma. I wake up not being able to move my legs and I have these tubes coming out of my mouth and other parts...I am in the hospital for another month just doing physical therapy and breathing exorcises so that hopefully I can get the trech taken out. FINALLY the trech comes out and I am moved from SICU to a "stepdown" room. Here a plastic surgeon (Dr. Henry Wilson @ Centennial in Nashville) who is absolutely wonderful by the way.... does a skin graft (#5). He takes a good size piece of skin from my right thigh and stretches it to cover the hole in my stomach. During the 3rd month in the hospital I am finally well enough to go home. It is now July. I get married in September In November I have to have my gall bladder removed (#6). Not so bad.... And finally on April 20th I had my hernia repaired, the skin graft removed, and a tummy tuck. I am now 100 lbs lighter (I was only 100 lbs overweight to begin with). I tell people my story not to scare them away from having the surgery... because this surgery helps SOOOOO many people, including myself. I firmly believe that all of this happened for a reason. I made it through thanks to all of the prayers. I simply want everyone who thinks that nothing will happen and that this is the easy way out... ect... that it is definately not. It is very hard work. I would do it again in a heartbeat.... but I would definately make sure that I was better educated. If anybody ever has any questions OR if you need an angel and you are in the Nashville area... feel free to call me or email me!!!!

Wow Jennifer, what a story! Goodness, I can't imagine going through all that and still have a positive attitude. I have been blessed to have no complications but can say that I definitely agree with you. This is not the easy way out. You still have to work hard to control the food demons and stay motivated to exercise and follow all the pouch rules. Congratulations on reaching your goal! April

Thanks for sharing your story. Wow, I can't believe what all you have had to go thru. I thought I had problems because of having to be on chemo for leukemia and potassium levels keep dropping. But you had to endure so much more. Honey, you are in my prayers for this to be the ending of any surgeries, or anymore complications. This surgery isn't the easy way out, we all have to go thru so much just to get a surgery date, then recover and workout everyday which I can't do every day. I don't have the strength to do it everyday. Keep your spirits up, love Kathy