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Topic: RE: intussusception 7 years after rny
Hi Wanda
I need to travel to visit my 91 year old Dad in Pennsylvania (I live in San Diego CA)...but will not now ever travel alone and will not go until I calm down and feel more stable. We talk on the phone daily.
I also travel to see my son and his family 500 miles away in the Bay area. I plan to go at Thanksgiving (with my husband...only an 1.5 hour flight or 8 hour drive) and I know where the nearest Kaiser facility is (very close to my kids). Do you think this is wise of me? or should I wait longer?
The Bariatric surgeon who is following me suggested the medic alert bracelet (probably because he sees so many the post surgery issues) and said it should say the RNY gastric bypass and that adding "prone to bowel obstructions" or "check for bowel obstructions" would be a good idea. He is very honest and feels we have traded one set of issues for another.
Thanks again for your support
Rochelle
I need to travel to visit my 91 year old Dad in Pennsylvania (I live in San Diego CA)...but will not now ever travel alone and will not go until I calm down and feel more stable. We talk on the phone daily.
I also travel to see my son and his family 500 miles away in the Bay area. I plan to go at Thanksgiving (with my husband...only an 1.5 hour flight or 8 hour drive) and I know where the nearest Kaiser facility is (very close to my kids). Do you think this is wise of me? or should I wait longer?
The Bariatric surgeon who is following me suggested the medic alert bracelet (probably because he sees so many the post surgery issues) and said it should say the RNY gastric bypass and that adding "prone to bowel obstructions" or "check for bowel obstructions" would be a good idea. He is very honest and feels we have traded one set of issues for another.
Thanks again for your support
Rochelle
Topic: RE: intussusception 7 years after rny
You know what? I don't know that I ever asked where the obstruction was, much less the intussusception. I just assumed it was the alimentary limb because they were able to visualize it with contrast on CT and that's not usually possible with a DSer's biliary limb. I assumed the intussusception and obstruction were near each other. Now you have me thinking!! I need to have my PCP get a copy of the op report so I can look at it.
Do you travel for work, is that why you're worried it will happen out of town? Who suggested the medical alert bracelet, and what did they want you to put on it?
Thank you for the well wishes, the same is going back to you. I hope things work out well for you and your issues are resolved soon.
Please take care.
Wenda
Do you travel for work, is that why you're worried it will happen out of town? Who suggested the medical alert bracelet, and what did they want you to put on it?
Thank you for the well wishes, the same is going back to you. I hope things work out well for you and your issues are resolved soon.
Please take care.
Wenda
HW/DOS/Now
300+/273/156
Lap DS 2/3/03
Open Leak Repair 12/5/03
300+/273/156
Lap DS 2/3/03
Open Leak Repair 12/5/03
Topic: RE: intussusception 7 years after rny
Thank you for Replying Wenda. What you are describing is what I expect may occur. Kaiser now has a full time Bariatric surgeon on staff in San Diego who just takes care of post ops who get in trouble and he is now following me. My biggest fear is it occuring while I am out of town. I have been told by the surgeon to wear a medic alert bracelet
My intussusception was in the small intestine near the rny limb...where was yours? They speculate that it was initially caused by swollen lymph nodes in that area as a result fo extrmely svere gastroenteritis I had the week before (treated by antibiotics). The surgeon said we are never the same after this surgery and we are more prone to these sorts of things becasue of our newly designed "plumbing." I am finally getting my head together but am frightened any time I feel the least cramp or gas.
I am glad your surgeon was able to save you....and that you are doing better
Once again thank you for responding and sharing.
Rochelle
My intussusception was in the small intestine near the rny limb...where was yours? They speculate that it was initially caused by swollen lymph nodes in that area as a result fo extrmely svere gastroenteritis I had the week before (treated by antibiotics). The surgeon said we are never the same after this surgery and we are more prone to these sorts of things becasue of our newly designed "plumbing." I am finally getting my head together but am frightened any time I feel the least cramp or gas.
I am glad your surgeon was able to save you....and that you are doing better
Once again thank you for responding and sharing.
Rochelle
Topic: RE: intussusception 7 years after rny
I'm sorry you have had trouble with this.
You and I seem about the same length of time out. In June of 2009 I was in the ER with what turned out to be intussusception. I was referred to a surgeon and and GI doc, this resolved on its own. It happened again a couple of months later, again resolving on its own. October 25 rolled around and again I was in the ER. Again, I had intussuscepted, but this time I threw in on obstruction with it. They got me to the floor and the surgeon I had consulted came to see me early that morning. He said looking at the xray he thought we'd wait and see if both problems resolved on their own. By 5:00 that afternoon I was in surgery. He said the more he thought about it the more he knew it was going to get worse. He was right. My bowel had opened up into a big circle, another part had slipped through that circle, then it decided to tighten up. I was in the hospital for nine days and out of work for six weeks (my incision dehissed and it got infected). Not a fun time. A year later I'm good to go.
You're right that in adults it's not common at all. I work in a children's hospital and we see it in infants pretty often, occasionally in toddlers, but in all the time I've worked with adults, I can never remember hearing about a patient with it. Leave it to me lol.
Consult a good surgeon, tell them your story. Have them in the shadows for when you need them. I hope it doesn't happen again, but you need to be prepared in case it does.
Best of luck.
Wenda
Hope you're feeling better.
You and I seem about the same length of time out. In June of 2009 I was in the ER with what turned out to be intussusception. I was referred to a surgeon and and GI doc, this resolved on its own. It happened again a couple of months later, again resolving on its own. October 25 rolled around and again I was in the ER. Again, I had intussuscepted, but this time I threw in on obstruction with it. They got me to the floor and the surgeon I had consulted came to see me early that morning. He said looking at the xray he thought we'd wait and see if both problems resolved on their own. By 5:00 that afternoon I was in surgery. He said the more he thought about it the more he knew it was going to get worse. He was right. My bowel had opened up into a big circle, another part had slipped through that circle, then it decided to tighten up. I was in the hospital for nine days and out of work for six weeks (my incision dehissed and it got infected). Not a fun time. A year later I'm good to go.
You're right that in adults it's not common at all. I work in a children's hospital and we see it in infants pretty often, occasionally in toddlers, but in all the time I've worked with adults, I can never remember hearing about a patient with it. Leave it to me lol.
Consult a good surgeon, tell them your story. Have them in the shadows for when you need them. I hope it doesn't happen again, but you need to be prepared in case it does.
Best of luck.
Wenda
Hope you're feeling better.
HW/DOS/Now
300+/273/156
Lap DS 2/3/03
Open Leak Repair 12/5/03
300+/273/156
Lap DS 2/3/03
Open Leak Repair 12/5/03
Topic: RE: stubborn leak
Hi,
I had a DS, not a RnY, but I did have a leak. Mine did not heal on it's own as the MDs were hoping. Ten months after finding it I had surgery and it was fixed. I basically had a Nissan. Haven't had a problem since. It took me a bit of time to get used to eating as I hand't really had solid or mushy food for nine months, I was either NPO or on clears all that time. I had tube feedings, TPN, they tried fibron glue....God, I don't remember what all else. I developed a blood clot behind my first PICC line so there was that too.....Sheesh!
Please remember, IT DOES GET BETTER!!
Wenda
I had a DS, not a RnY, but I did have a leak. Mine did not heal on it's own as the MDs were hoping. Ten months after finding it I had surgery and it was fixed. I basically had a Nissan. Haven't had a problem since. It took me a bit of time to get used to eating as I hand't really had solid or mushy food for nine months, I was either NPO or on clears all that time. I had tube feedings, TPN, they tried fibron glue....God, I don't remember what all else. I developed a blood clot behind my first PICC line so there was that too.....Sheesh!
Please remember, IT DOES GET BETTER!!
Wenda
HW/DOS/Now
300+/273/156
Lap DS 2/3/03
Open Leak Repair 12/5/03
300+/273/156
Lap DS 2/3/03
Open Leak Repair 12/5/03
Topic: RE: Ondansetron (Zofran) Oral Disolving Film known as Zuplenz available soon
Available in pharmacy end of October beginning of November. Got call from company.
Topic: RE: Intestinal Spasms! Help pls
I am almost 8 years post op and have suffered from abdominal spasms ever since my original surgery. My GI also prescribed Levsin, which I called my miracle drug. It worked about 90% of the time and within 5 minutes. If it didn't, the only thing I could do was to go to the ER and be sedated, which got old real fast! I got tired of being told that it was in my head or to learn to live with the pain. I got into a pain management program and lived on narcotics for the last 5 years. I started out on Vicodin and ended up going all the way to Fentnyl (sp?) patches.
In January I had a test called an enteroclysis. It is a fluoroscopic x-ray of the small intestine. Radiocontrast is infused through a tube inserted through the nose to the duodenum, and images are taken in real time as the contrast moves through. The test showed that I had what they called as blind loop syndrome or stagnant loop syndrome. It is when the intestine is obstructed, slowing or stopping the progress of digested food, so bacteria grows to the point that there are problems in nutrient absorption. For me I had a loop of bowel that would just become paralyzed for no reason and was always dialated. I was told the spasms were a result of the bowel being paralyzed and then trying to work again and squeeze the food through. I had many catscans and x-rays and no one ever caught it. If I had a test during an episode they just told me I had a small partial bowel obstruction and after several trips to the ER they would say that was just normal for me. I prayed for someone to listen to me and do something. This test was the answer to my prayers.
I was finally referred to a surgeon that specialized in blind loop. He tried antibiotics and they didn't work. So in August I had surgery to remove the bad section of the bowel. He ended up removing a foot of bowel and redoing the Y portion of my roux-en-y. I am happy to say I have made a full recovery. I have not had any spasms or daily pain since surgery. I know it is only two months post-op, but I am optimistic that they are gone for good. I have even been able to go off my daily pain meds!
My suggestion is to listen to your body and be your own advocate! I trusted the doctors and thought it was something I was just going to have to live with. I lost five years because I didn't push the issue. I'm not saying this is what everyone has, but it is worth asking your doctor for an enteroclysis or discussing it with him or her. No one deserves to live in chronic pain! I hope this helps.
Stephanie E
In January I had a test called an enteroclysis. It is a fluoroscopic x-ray of the small intestine. Radiocontrast is infused through a tube inserted through the nose to the duodenum, and images are taken in real time as the contrast moves through. The test showed that I had what they called as blind loop syndrome or stagnant loop syndrome. It is when the intestine is obstructed, slowing or stopping the progress of digested food, so bacteria grows to the point that there are problems in nutrient absorption. For me I had a loop of bowel that would just become paralyzed for no reason and was always dialated. I was told the spasms were a result of the bowel being paralyzed and then trying to work again and squeeze the food through. I had many catscans and x-rays and no one ever caught it. If I had a test during an episode they just told me I had a small partial bowel obstruction and after several trips to the ER they would say that was just normal for me. I prayed for someone to listen to me and do something. This test was the answer to my prayers.
I was finally referred to a surgeon that specialized in blind loop. He tried antibiotics and they didn't work. So in August I had surgery to remove the bad section of the bowel. He ended up removing a foot of bowel and redoing the Y portion of my roux-en-y. I am happy to say I have made a full recovery. I have not had any spasms or daily pain since surgery. I know it is only two months post-op, but I am optimistic that they are gone for good. I have even been able to go off my daily pain meds!
My suggestion is to listen to your body and be your own advocate! I trusted the doctors and thought it was something I was just going to have to live with. I lost five years because I didn't push the issue. I'm not saying this is what everyone has, but it is worth asking your doctor for an enteroclysis or discussing it with him or her. No one deserves to live in chronic pain! I hope this helps.
Stephanie E
Topic: RE: possible internal hernia?
Had my gastric bypass in Sept 07. Gone from 325 to 140 pounds with no difficulties (at least abdominal ones, I did have pulmonary emboli immediately after the surgery****il this Aug '10 when I suddenly had acute abdominal pains. Emergency room visit to local ER confirmed a volvulus (internal hernia of my small intestine with twisting and strangulation with adhesions). They wouldn't touch it at the local ER and they ambulanced me to MGH (Mass General) where I had my WLS for emergency surgery. Seven weeks out from that surgery now (open exploratory, not laparoscopic, which left a nice BIG scar) and struggling with recovery but doing basically OK. Luckily no necrosis of the tissue so no removal of any of my small intestines. They were able to simply put everything back into place without removing anything or ostomies or anything. The whole experience left me pretty shaken though. I thought that I was free and clear of complications, being three years out, only to have this come out of the blue and knock me for a loop.
From what I've researched, volvuli of the small intestines are pretty rare, which explains why the hospital I went to (which DOES do bariatric surgery) wouldn't touch it and sent me to world-class-level MGH for treatment. Has anyone else experienced this?
It sounds like some other folks on here have had internal hernias, but not volvuli, which is life-threatening if not treated within about a day or so. From what I've been able to find in research, it's rare, mostly found in neonates, and in cases of adults, "incompatible with life" is how they put it, which tells me how lucky I am to live in Boston!!!
Anyone else been through this???
Tracey
From what I've researched, volvuli of the small intestines are pretty rare, which explains why the hospital I went to (which DOES do bariatric surgery) wouldn't touch it and sent me to world-class-level MGH for treatment. Has anyone else experienced this?
It sounds like some other folks on here have had internal hernias, but not volvuli, which is life-threatening if not treated within about a day or so. From what I've been able to find in research, it's rare, mostly found in neonates, and in cases of adults, "incompatible with life" is how they put it, which tells me how lucky I am to live in Boston!!!
Anyone else been through this???
Tracey
Topic: RE: So many problems advice needed
can someone tell me how to update my ticker with weight lost.
Topic: old stomach did not deflate?
I am 5 years out and having pain/lots of gas. Tests show the unused stomach never deflated. Does anyone know if this is normal or does this create my problems?
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