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I have made my way over to the DS board although i don't remember if I had posted about it my surgery or not, I did take a look at the supplementations, advice, and stories of others. From what I have read I am very lucky with my surgeon being so consistent with making sure I'm not vitamin deficient and checking my labs every 3 months for this first year. It looked as though that's not an all together common thing with some of these surgeons, but it is so very important!
I'm very glad that people like you are looking out for us Newbies, and congratulations on meeting and keeping your goal from your DS. :) Thanks again!!
SW-237 CW-120 GW-130 HT-5' 0.5"
DS - 1/18/11
Marie
yes I gained my weight back, but i also gained my life back. now i have the possibility of being here to see my children marry and graduate from high school and maybe one day grandchildren to love. if i didnt have the reversal it is very likely i wouldnt be here now to type these words that i hope will help somone see they are not alone.
here is a study showing just SOME of the possible complications from bariatric surgery.
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/68/21/1843
if anyone would like to talk you are more than welcome to email me at [email protected].
Grace
on 6/16/11 2:41 am
What jumped out at me immediately was your surgeon. I've never seen his name before as someone performing the DS surgery. It's a very complicated procedure and as a result those of us old timers are really on the lookout for newbies.
If you haven't done so already, I would suggest coming over to the DS board. We are very knowledgeable about this surgery, and supplementation, and a very important place for support for DSers.
wishing you luck.
Sharon
I also heard the "never trust a fart" advice, but have only experienced that once . . . perhaps because I was so paranoid about it that I never took any chances. I can tell you that early on when I was compliant with primarily protein, cutting carbs way down, etc., my normal routine was to have one main elimination (bowel movement) in the morning, then I would urinate several times during the day and maybe a couple at night. Didn't have major issues with gas unless I indulged in carbs or sweets.
Now, I'm getting back on track after a 2 year free for all of eating all the wrong things (food is still my coping mechanism, but I'm conquering that each day now). During the two years I was usually bloated and gassy. Could have several, not-so-solid, extremely smelly eliminations during the day and terrible, terrible, terrrrrrrrrrrible gas.
In the just over three weeks that I have been back on track, my body has gone right back to a morning elimination (smelly, but not NEARLY as bad), several bathroom trips to pay the water bill and so far I have passed gas once each day, later in the evening (again, not pleasant, but not the crime against nature that it was before).
This is just from my experience, but I hope it helps.
Diva Jojo: SW: 440lbs -- CW: 274lbs -- GW: 240lbs
I just wanted to share some of the complications that I experienced after having my BPD/DS procedure in January.
Complication #1- I had the procedure and woke up in recovery fine, got up and walking a few hours after surgery. I started having chest pain and they took some labs and did an EKG but everything came back normal, two hours later I woke up in a panic because I was having trouble seeing and didn't feel well. They took labs again and found that I had internal bleeding (my hematocrit had dropped significantly). I went back under the knife, and they repaired numerous micro-bleeds throughout my abdomen, gave me 6 pints of blood and 1 bag of plasma. I obviously did survive, and started back on the path to recovery.
Complication #2- I was still having some issues with recovery a couple weeks after surgery and "sprung a leak" of clear fluid. I ended up with a softball sized seroma. It took a couple more weeks for this to completely drain with the aid of a "wick"
Complication #3- 3 months out from surgery I got a partial hernia. I have not gone back under the knife for this one, as they believe with restricting my amount of weight lifted for almost a month would allow the muscles time to heal. Considering the inital surgery I was willing to give it a shot. Thus far it seems to have resolved itself.
Complication #4- 2 months after surgery I started having some skin issues (rash-like) going o see a dermatologist soon, but thus far they have been throwing steroid creams and lotions at it even anti-fungals and nothing has worked. :(
Above all I wanted people who are going to get the surgery to realize, there is a chance of complications with any surgery. You have to weigh those options when deciding, but my life is so much more improved even with the complications that I had. I would most definitely do this surgery all over again if given the choice, and I hope others that have complications can keep positive. Good luck to you all in your journey!
SW-237 CW-120 GW-130 HT-5' 0.5"
DS - 1/18/11
I'm so sorry to hear all of your health problems, but am so relieved they were diagnosed and you are somewhat on the mend.
All my best to you and your family!!
Amy
HW 273/ PSW 253/ SW 250/ CW 211/ 1st GOAL 200/ 2nd GOAL 180
Hi Sheryl,
Find a doctor who specializes in bio-identical hormone replacement. You want someone who has you do a saliva test. They look at all your hormones, and replace based on what you're deficient in... Usually it's the anti-aging doctors who do this. I see one in my area who is a chiropractor. She has me send the saliva samples to the lab, we look at the results together, and she replaces them accordingly. She also does more specific tests for my thyroid and blood work. My vitamin D was very low.
After these simple tests and replacing what needed to be replaced, I feel like a million dollars. I'm not saying this is your problem, but sounds like you've tried everything else, and at least it's worth a shot.
Good Luck.
Fistulas suck..they are a nightmare for patient and surgeon alike. I thought for sure that I would wake up without a stomach, but I had a promise from the surgeon that he would not reverse my intestinal configuration if that happened. I did not want my DS taken down. I did have more of my stomach removed, and that was fine, but I have no pylorus now and the thing that I can't seem to adjust too despite having a pouch from my former gastric bypass, is that I rarely ever feel full. I mean, I feel like I could just eat and eat and eat. Thankfully I do eat mostly protein and fat, but I feel like I can eat so freaking much. I struggle to keep my weight around 160-165. I do go poop about 10-12 times in a 24 hour period, but I have notied that when I eat less fat I go less often. That might be what is in my future. I might have to lessen my fat intake.
I'm sorry that you have had such horrible and life threatening complications. I do hope that you will be able to feel better. I'm sure you are working on your vitamin regime.
Maddie
HW (pre RNY) 430 / HW (pre DS) 302 / SW 288 /
Lowest weight 157 / CW 161 / GW 150
"I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight"
Since then I have had multiple surgeries for scar tissue blockage, feeding tubes inserted, supposedly reversal surgery. I didn't get better from any of these surgeries, I was having 15 bms a day. I was on and off of TPN and tube feedings. On one admission to Vanderbilt I was seen by different surgeons (mine was not in Nashville) and they told me that I had fistulas to my colon (this was december 08). I called my surgeon and spoke to him and he said that I did not have any he was just in my abdomen doing surgery. Last after the reversal surgery and still no improvement I asked for a second opinion. They did test that once again showed fistulas in my stomach. I was referred to Mayo Clinic where I had a total gastrectomy. Immediately I did not have anymore diarhrrea My recovery was complicated by my incision opening and requiring a wound vac to heal. I was underweight before surgery and now I have gained 50lbs (not happy). All of that and I still feel like crap. I have to have weekly B12 shots and frequent iron infusions. It has now been 3 1/2 years since the revision.
Trudy
SW 280 CW 170 GW 180
