I need help...please.

Elizabeth, Don't settle for a runaround. Make sure you tell your surgeon everything and don't settle for anything less than what you feel is right. I will keep you in my prayers. I hope you figure this out quickly and have a speedy recovery. hugs, Stacey

Elizabeth, Wish I had answers for you and could make everything better with a flick of the Sit your surgeon down and have him explain what that report means and what is going on in your anatomy that is causing you so much grief and pain. Did you try Natalie's Dr? Will he see you? I hope that all is resolved for you very soon. My very best wishes to both you and Mary. This must be so hard for you both. Know that my thoughts and prayers are with you, Kathy

Elizabeth, You are in my thoughts and prayers. I dont have any medical advice to offer, but I too had major problems after my surgery. I went from being in good health, other than the obesity, to ICU with my family being told to prepare for the worse. I too could not get any doctor to help me since they did not preform the bypass on me, leaving me in the hands of doctors who had no business doing this surgery. ( I do take responsibility for picking them.) As a matter of fact the day after I was operated on at St. Marys they refused to let these guys preform another surgury there. I know this because my best friend was left in pre-op the following day, all day, waiting for them to do her bypass and they finally told her that they couldnt after hours on hours of excuses. But she could come to another hospital next week and they would do her. By the next week I was deathly ill and she wouldnt allow them to touch her. After 2 months in the hospital and over 2 weeks in ICU w/ a colasped lung, kidney failure, pneumonia, white blood cell count off the chart, just to name a few of the problems. They finally went in a got 2 liters of infection out of me. Once home they never had anything to do with me and I have been on my own ever since. This site and my primary care doctor has help me with the post op. Like everyone has said, you are your best advocate....just because they have that degree on the wall does not mean they know it all by any means. Raise cain!!! You deserve answers and deserve them now. Dont wait until it is to late......You are in my prayers, you are strong....to take this path you have to be. God Bless you and I hope you get the answers you need. Jo

Wow Jo - you've had a very rough time of it and Im sorry to hear things are still an ongoing challenge. I just shared a link with Elizabeth on a website that has members who are all dealing with one health challenge after another, since having WLS - I don't know if you're already a member, or even have any interest in it, but I at least wanted to share it with you. One thing I really LIKE about their message board? They're very strict with the posters, as far as who can and who can't. Since I have NO experiences with long term health issues I can only "read" the posts, not actively post any of my own. The upside to that - it keeps all the PRO-WLS Bible Thumpers from tossing in their two cents and rah-rah cheers about why WLS is a good thing. I think when people are living with and dealing with LIFE threatening problems from WLS, they don't need to hear the rah rah crap from people like me. In other words, it's a SAFE ZONE, of sorts - for those that truly need it (like yourself and Elizabeth) ....and it's a LEARNING ZONE for people like myself, who (so far) have skirted past the high risks that can come with the surgery. Those that do actually POST to this board have had numerous problems with their surgery - including some that have since had "take downs" and the bypass is reversed. Maybe some of these people have actually walked your path and can share some insight. This is a Yahoo.com message board so you'll have to 'request' to be a member. The turn around time for a reply from the board moderators is VERY fast, usually the same day. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG-gone_wrong/?yguid=222845444 Good luck to you - Lei

Elizabeth I hope you find out what is going on very soon. I would call the insurance company like they suggested. Also if you go to the emergency room speak to the doctor there and let them know how long you've been feeling this way and the run-a-round you've been getting. This is a life & death issue and someone has to address it. I just though about what the tech said about you not having a pouch. Could they have giving you the sausage cut instead? My doctor explained to me that sometimes they have to do a different type of surgery once they get in if there is some type of complications during the surgery itself. I wish I could remember the entire convo my doctor & I had regarding that particular cut. I'm gonna search & see if I can find any info on it.

Thanks for all the support, kind people. I am still feeling punky today, and will go to the doc tomorrow. I did speak with my attorney, and he said pending the outcome tomorrow, we'd talk about what to do. I don't want to sue, I just want competent care. I feel abandoned by the doc and his staff. Desirai, the radiologist showed me the pictures during and after the upper GI, and he went and got diagrams that show various approaches to creating a pouch in gastric bypass. He couldn't identify a pouch at all, just one very small stomach. He thinks the staple line broke down completely. I guess I'll find out more tomorrow. Hugs to all, elizabeth

Hello Elizabeth ~ Im so sorry to hear of the complications you're having to deal with since having WLS. I don't have any sage advice or experiences that I can share with you, but I do have a website where you might be able to share your experiences with others that do? I'm a member of this group, but NOT in "posting capacity" - those that do actually POST to the boards have had numerous problems with their surgery - including some of that have had to have "take downs" (where the bypass is reversed). I don't want to SCARE you, by sharing this link/site with you - but I think KNOWLEDGE is POWER and maybe some of these people "have" actually walked your path and can share some insight. This is a YAHOO.com message board site, you'll have to 'request' to be a member - but the turn around time for a reply from the board moderators is VERY fast. Usually the same day - maybe prompting your questions and concerns there, will trigger some insight and help. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG-gone_wrong/?yguid=222845444 Some people take offense to a site that "speaks so negatively about Weight Loss Surgery" .....I personally think it's in every ones best interest to learn the good the bad the ugly and the DANGEROUS that could come with this surgery. WLS is no walk in the park and the downside of it needs equal billing to the positives. Try posting your question to this yahoo board and hopefully there will be many that can help. Good luck to you - Lei