Repost of My Story... the short version (With Update)

Hi -I wanted to share my story (a condensed version) with others who may have had similar issues and who can relate. It is hard to talk with others who can't relate. I went in for a lap RNY on 8/17/05. That evening I passed out cold on the floor when they got me up to go to the bathroom a couple hours after surgery. The next day they sent me for the leak test and said I could begin liquids. None stayed down. They kept doing swallow tests and they were inconclusive. I eventually dehydrated and had strong pain in my back. By 8/22/06 they decided to move me to ICU. That is my last vague memory. I have been told that I continued to vomit and run a fever. I had bile and BM coming out of my mouth, and they rushed me into emergency surgery. During the surgery I aspirated into my lungs and went into total respitory failure, they continued with the surgery and found that my staple line had ruptured and the pouch had abscessed. They had to cut away the pouch and re-create a new one. I also had a hernia with a twisted bowel,. They had to cut away more of the intestines and re-attach them. I was put on a ventilator / life support. I was not expected to live. My family tells me I had 20 differtent IV's running into me as well as all the other equipment. I kept running high fevers and my blood pressure kept bottoming out. I had no respitory function of my own and I developed phemoia and a yeast infection in my lungs. I had ICU induced phycosis and was very combative and aggitated. I kept trying to pull everything out of me. They put me on paralitic drugs to keep me calm. Everytime they tried to bring me up out of the drugs I would fight the vent and they eventually had to do a tracheostomy. They felt they needed to get me out of ICU so I could be weaned off the vent. They moved me to a special care hospital that specializes in vent weaning. They were able to get me off the vent. I woke up at the end of September. My muscle function was gone (muscle atrophy) and I could not even roll over let alone walk. I was moved to a rehab facillity where I had PT & OT. I finally left the hospital in October,and continued with Out-Patient therapy. I am doing remarkably well for all that happened to me. The doctors still cannot even believe I am alive. My family is still recovering though from all of the stress. How have you helped your families to cope? Thanks for listening and letting me tell my story. Lynne UPDATE- It is now June 2006. I just want to tell everyone that I am doing very well. I am pretty much back to normal......minus 100 pounds. I am physically doing well with just some minor muscle stiffness. My site area from the trach is what bothers me most...but that too is pretty much better. Overall I am doing very well. I wish the best to all.

hello, reading your story brought back horrible memories for me ...sigh....I aspirated on the day of surgery and that night went into respitory failure and was placed on the vent...i was a very hard intubation and it damaged my vocal cords permenatly...I had the halucinations during the coma (drug induced) and they feel like memories...I was on the vent four times in the space of a month never staying off for more than an hour or two....i developed sepsis , pneaumonia and ards.. i am told that my family was told i only had a 30 percent chance of survival....the memories are the worst I thought i was in a foriegn country being used for medical experimentation it felt so real , I thougth they were going to kill me...sob....it has been a year and a half now I am ok , but those memories/halucinations will be with me always....I had an open duodenal switch , I am at goal weight and have lost 145 pounds ... I do not regret my surgery but I cannot imagine EVER eVER willing going into surgery again , my greatest fear is being intubated....I was awake for one of the intubations.... did you find that after your experience your behaviour was affected at all? I had no faith that i would live another day and I acted out in neg. ways...if you would like to chat about our experiences please drop me a note...

THANK GOD you made it.... BOTH OF YOU. I have just had the lap band, and when I spoke of the dangers of RNY or DS on the maine message board I was ATTACKED ... there were 25 replies in ten minutes, none of them even admitting this surgery can be dangerous. I am so glad you made it. Nancy

So am I.....Thanks Nancy! Yes, the risks are real!!! People need to realize that it can happen. Lynne

Well, I can imagine why you would be "attacked." There is a risk of death with ANY surgery when you are MO as we are. Honestly, I think all RNY and DSers know the risks and don't need to be talked down to about them, and no one that I know of thinks that the surgery isn't dangerous.

All forms of WLS carry potential complications. The lap-band's complications at their worst aren't likely to kill you however whereas the the worst of the RNY or DS complications certainly can. In terms of initial mortality rate (all these mortality rates you see bandied around are only for the first 30 days post-op), the RNY and DS are at least 10x higher than that of the band. The RNY or DS hold a mortality rate ranging (depending on study) between 1 in 200 to 1 in 50, whereas the band's is fewer than 1 in 2000. I don't see how stating the facts is "talking down" to anyone.

I too remember my hallucinations as memories. It is very weird! I kept saying that everyone was lying to me. I was very scared to be alone...especially at night when I first woke up. I agree...I can't even think about ever having surgery again & I pray I never have to. My sisters tell me I am "unfiltered" now in how I speak and behave. I really don't see me as different, although they do. I know one thing for sure...I am no longer afraid to go after what I want in life...but I feel that is a good thing. I hope you are doing well. Is the damage to your vocal cords extreme? It's nice to talk with someone who can relate...not many people can. Write to me anytime. Lynne

Hi drena!!! Im marie and I have just read your story. I am scheduled for open duodenal switch 7-17-06 and im excited yet so scared. How are you doing now? Better I hope...How did you aspirate at first? Was that when all the problems started or was there a problem from the duodenal switch itself? Where did you have it done? If you get a chance I would love to hear from you.....

Happy,
I had open RNY on 02/25/04 and developed severe complications on the 3rd day. It was found that my bigger stomach filled with fluid from a leak and ruptured into my cavity. This shut down all of my organs and turned my blood septic. I was placed in a Medically induced coma for 5 wks because I was so combative and I couldn't stabilize. I also had a tracheotomy put it and RDS as well as developed 2 blood clots in my right leg from being immobile.
I completely understand about the muscle loss after waking up it was really difficult.

However, I feel great 2 years later and even though I am still gaining strength back, I too feel lucky and Happy (and sometimes selfish and guilty) to be alive.

It sounds like we had the same thing happen. I am glad that you are doing well. Thank you for sharing!
Amy