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Topic: I posted this as a Blog post, but I wanted to keep you guys updated
Hi,
There are so many of you that have lent your ears and prayers to me over this last year, so I just wanted to share my latest blog post. I feel like there are other people out there with similar problems, so I always think that maybe this will help someone else.
When I was in the hospital at U of C last week, they wanted to check the blood flow through my Celiac Artery to check for a condition called MALS (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome), basically if the blood flow is not adequate, it can account for all the problems that I am having with eating. Let's pray this is it. The first time they tried to do the ultrasound I was so filled up with gas they couldn't see the vessels clearly. So, I got up at 4am to catch the train downtown today to have another go at it and hope they could see what they needed to.
They were able to see past the gas (not sure where all the gas is coming from??), and she kept measuring the velocity in the 200's, but then some in the 185 range...of course at the time this meant nothing to me...she had another tech come in and get a second opinion, the other tech tried to find the arteries herself, but couldn't, so she had the original tech locate them for her (Let me just say that this was excruciating because the exact spot where I have most of my pain is where they need to press the ultrasound wand, and press they did- Yowza!), and when they turned the doppler on they started measuring the velocity, and then argued back and forth about which velocity reading was the accurate one, the 200 or the 185!! This is my life here, and after Googling what some of these velocities mean, their dispute can mean the difference between treatment/further study or not!! Grrrrrr They will have the radiologist do his/her reading, and then get the results to the doctor, hopefully by Monday. I just want an answer and get this over with, whatever IT is.
Thanks for listening :)
There are so many of you that have lent your ears and prayers to me over this last year, so I just wanted to share my latest blog post. I feel like there are other people out there with similar problems, so I always think that maybe this will help someone else.
When I was in the hospital at U of C last week, they wanted to check the blood flow through my Celiac Artery to check for a condition called MALS (Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome), basically if the blood flow is not adequate, it can account for all the problems that I am having with eating. Let's pray this is it. The first time they tried to do the ultrasound I was so filled up with gas they couldn't see the vessels clearly. So, I got up at 4am to catch the train downtown today to have another go at it and hope they could see what they needed to.
They were able to see past the gas (not sure where all the gas is coming from??), and she kept measuring the velocity in the 200's, but then some in the 185 range...of course at the time this meant nothing to me...she had another tech come in and get a second opinion, the other tech tried to find the arteries herself, but couldn't, so she had the original tech locate them for her (Let me just say that this was excruciating because the exact spot where I have most of my pain is where they need to press the ultrasound wand, and press they did- Yowza!), and when they turned the doppler on they started measuring the velocity, and then argued back and forth about which velocity reading was the accurate one, the 200 or the 185!! This is my life here, and after Googling what some of these velocities mean, their dispute can mean the difference between treatment/further study or not!! Grrrrrr They will have the radiologist do his/her reading, and then get the results to the doctor, hopefully by Monday. I just want an answer and get this over with, whatever IT is.
Thanks for listening :)
Jules RNY 10/30/2007
Topic: RE: reverse gastric bypass
what procedure did you have and who ill be your doctor
performing procedure
do you have a fobi pouch
performing procedure
do you have a fobi pouch
Topic: RE: reverse gastric bypass
Aimee,
Thank you for your good thoughts. I'm still waiting, researching, and hoping. My RNY was reversed, and I have a weird anatomy now. The surgeon that did it was trying to put it back together in a way that would still give me restriction when eating, so my two halves form an hourglass shape, but they are together. There is one surgeon that is of the opinion that if it were up to him, he would do an open abdominal surgery and put me back together the way God made me...how he would go about that, I have no idea...some days I don't think he is all that crazy??!
Thank you for your good thoughts. I'm still waiting, researching, and hoping. My RNY was reversed, and I have a weird anatomy now. The surgeon that did it was trying to put it back together in a way that would still give me restriction when eating, so my two halves form an hourglass shape, but they are together. There is one surgeon that is of the opinion that if it were up to him, he would do an open abdominal surgery and put me back together the way God made me...how he would go about that, I have no idea...some days I don't think he is all that crazy??!
Jules RNY 10/30/2007
Topic: RE: ercp after gastric bypass
Kris,
I had the MRCP/ERCP with the Sphincterotomy, they thought I had a Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction. (feel free to read my blog/journey so far) I would recommend ONLY having this done at a teaching/university hospital near you. Even when done 100% perfect, there is a risk (depending on gender/age) of developing pancreatitis after the procedure, which is very painful and can come back again once you have had it once. The procedure itself was not much different than having an EGD/Upper Endoscopy, you will be sedated, the only weird thing is that you have to be laying partway on your stomach for the procedure. Good Luck and I hope this solves it for you!
I had the MRCP/ERCP with the Sphincterotomy, they thought I had a Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction. (feel free to read my blog/journey so far) I would recommend ONLY having this done at a teaching/university hospital near you. Even when done 100% perfect, there is a risk (depending on gender/age) of developing pancreatitis after the procedure, which is very painful and can come back again once you have had it once. The procedure itself was not much different than having an EGD/Upper Endoscopy, you will be sedated, the only weird thing is that you have to be laying partway on your stomach for the procedure. Good Luck and I hope this solves it for you!
Jules RNY 10/30/2007
Topic: RE: hair loss
I have stopped losing hair. I am now almost 8 months out and things are great. I have not noticed any hair on my clothes or pillow or shower etc. I went through a 2 week period where I thought things were bad but it seemed to stop as quickly as it started. For that I am very glad. Good luck with yours. Maybe you just need a shorter hair cut.
Topic: RE: hair loss
I'm 5 months post op and I'm loosing it like crazy. I'm glad to read I'm not alone. I just didn't expect it to be so much. Heavens sakes, enough already. I had thick thick hair and now it's so thin and I can see my scalp in the front.
You guys are sure it will grow back? Please make the madness stop. It has to stop soon right?
You guys are sure it will grow back? Please make the madness stop. It has to stop soon right?
Topic: RE: Stricture??
can you be specific about what your symptoms were? I think I may have this... Any vomiting at nightime?
Topic: RE: Need a reversal of MGB surgery in Missouri
Not being able to find a new surgeon to take you on as a patient after WLS is NOT uncommon. Most surgeons do not want to take on a patient that is "messed up" by someone else. I had the same issue. Could not stop losing weight and my original surgeon said it was my fault. Well 2 surgeries later by a different surgeon and it was NOT my fault. I went through 6 or 7 phone calls of "we don't take on other doctors' patients) before I found one that would take me on. Good luck in her search for a new doc!
Laura
230/104/115
preop/current/goal
Lowest weight 82 pounds
Laura
230/104/115
preop/current/goal
Lowest weight 82 pounds
Topic: RE: unexpected lab results
You definitely need to see a hematologist with platelets that low and the other number you are talking about is your hemoglobin which is 7.0. That is very low and is actually at transfusion level. I would call for the referral immediatly. I have low platelets also. I started with them at 130, then they went to 120 and now they are at 100. My hematologist is getting concerned with them at 100 and yours are at 70. Please get it checked out. There are many things it can be. Don't wait. The prescription your doctor isn't enough for a hemoglobin that low and will do nothing for your platelets.
Topic: low potassium and another surgery :(
I had a rough week. It started on Monday night...I woke up with the chills, my teeth would not stop chattering for over 3 hours. Finally after falling asleep for about a half hour I woke up with the sweats. Silly me STILL attempted to go to work in the morning. I lasted a few hours and went home.
When I got outside (it was 90 degrees) I was FREEZING. I called the bariactric center just to make sure it wasn't surgery related (I figured it was the flu). They told me to come in for a CT scan to be "on the safe side".
So I go to the ER and wait a couple of hours finally I was seen and after they got my blood work back they said I had very low potassium, it was 2.4. They started me on bags of IV potassium (which I must say burns like hell if t the saline that is dilluting it runs out). I was also VERY dehydrated.
So I think okay well they will fix this and I'll go home....ah no. At about midnight the nurse says "your surgical team is here". I started bawling, I had NO idea what she was talking about. So they come in and told me something was wrong with my CT scan but I probably would not need surgery...but that my surgeon was on the way in anyway.
Needless to say I did need surgery. My surgeron said the middle section of my RNY was very "angry" looking. So she needed to look at it to see what was going on. She ended up widning something near the second hookup. She said where my kidneys/liver drain was backing up for some reason.
The best part...she said she had never seen this happen before and she was hoping what she did would work.
So after a couple of days I am home. (this was last Tuesday that I had the surgery). I still don't feel great and went to my primary doc today who took more blood to check the potassium levels.
She (surgeon) said she had NO idea what caused this....so I am wondering has this happened to anyone else? I am a nervous wreck now about my potassium levels.
When I got outside (it was 90 degrees) I was FREEZING. I called the bariactric center just to make sure it wasn't surgery related (I figured it was the flu). They told me to come in for a CT scan to be "on the safe side".
So I go to the ER and wait a couple of hours finally I was seen and after they got my blood work back they said I had very low potassium, it was 2.4. They started me on bags of IV potassium (which I must say burns like hell if t the saline that is dilluting it runs out). I was also VERY dehydrated.
So I think okay well they will fix this and I'll go home....ah no. At about midnight the nurse says "your surgical team is here". I started bawling, I had NO idea what she was talking about. So they come in and told me something was wrong with my CT scan but I probably would not need surgery...but that my surgeon was on the way in anyway.
Needless to say I did need surgery. My surgeron said the middle section of my RNY was very "angry" looking. So she needed to look at it to see what was going on. She ended up widning something near the second hookup. She said where my kidneys/liver drain was backing up for some reason.
The best part...she said she had never seen this happen before and she was hoping what she did would work.
So after a couple of days I am home. (this was last Tuesday that I had the surgery). I still don't feel great and went to my primary doc today who took more blood to check the potassium levels.
She (surgeon) said she had NO idea what caused this....so I am wondering has this happened to anyone else? I am a nervous wreck now about my potassium levels.
~Erica
Dr. Renee Wolff
Start weight: 309.6
Day of surgery weight 267 (June 10, 2009)
Current weight: 194.6
Dr. Renee Wolff
Start weight: 309.6
Day of surgery weight 267 (June 10, 2009)
Current weight: 194.6
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