What I know about Pepsi98 (Sue S) and her passing
As many of you know, one of our long-term members, pepsi98 (aka Sue) passed away unexpectedly in May.
Her online obit is at www.legacy.com/obituaries/norwichbulletin/obituary.aspx
She was a bypass patient who had BOB (band over bypass) performed in 2010 and fairly soon started having problems GI problems. NOTE: I will post some of her last forum comments: see below.
But here is what I know, provided by an OH friend who was in contact with Sue's son:
Sue had stomach pain, she was bypass to band. Doc did an upper endo, claims there was a weak point in her stomach (family and I do not believe this, she was BANDED and doc did not know to unfill her and use a pediatric scope) she blew right through her stomach.
Dr. Scott Shikora saved her ass. He fixed the perforation, leak, and saved her ass. (Just for the record) Shikora will see banded patients from MX depending on who did their surgery. If it was a crap surgeon, you'll need to find someone else.
They left her band totally unfilled. Removed her port and tubing. That was all the restriction she could get.
Due to massive vomiting (her own fault) her teeny tiny hiatal hernia turned massive and needed repair. NO WLS (patient) does well with a hiatal hernia and WLS, the two just don't mix. So, they went in to repair the hernia. MAJOR complications. MASSIVE infection with daily packing and a drain. Finally, infection resolved and drain was to be removed.
Went to MD, removed drain, doc didn't like how she looked and her BP was up, headache, he sent her to ER. I do not know the surgeon that did the hernia repair.
ER did CT scan and found 5 TIAs (transient ischemic attacks, also referred to as "small strokes.")
Sent her for MRI. She was laughing and joking all the way to the MRI. During the MRI (coincidental, MRI does not cause this problem) a blood clot broke off and she bled to death during her MRI and died. Legally she died 2 days later, technically she died then and there.
I want to stress - as I was told - that in no way, according to her both her family and variety of doctors, was her death caused by the band. I am not a doctor, surgeon or other medical professional, but that is what has been told to me.
Sue was a totally sweetheart who was so well liked. She will be missed, and it is a true shame that she's gone far too soon.
Her online obit is at www.legacy.com/obituaries/norwichbulletin/obituary.aspx
She was a bypass patient who had BOB (band over bypass) performed in 2010 and fairly soon started having problems GI problems. NOTE: I will post some of her last forum comments: see below.
But here is what I know, provided by an OH friend who was in contact with Sue's son:
Sue had stomach pain, she was bypass to band. Doc did an upper endo, claims there was a weak point in her stomach (family and I do not believe this, she was BANDED and doc did not know to unfill her and use a pediatric scope) she blew right through her stomach.
Dr. Scott Shikora saved her ass. He fixed the perforation, leak, and saved her ass. (Just for the record) Shikora will see banded patients from MX depending on who did their surgery. If it was a crap surgeon, you'll need to find someone else.
They left her band totally unfilled. Removed her port and tubing. That was all the restriction she could get.
Due to massive vomiting (her own fault) her teeny tiny hiatal hernia turned massive and needed repair. NO WLS (patient) does well with a hiatal hernia and WLS, the two just don't mix. So, they went in to repair the hernia. MAJOR complications. MASSIVE infection with daily packing and a drain. Finally, infection resolved and drain was to be removed.
Went to MD, removed drain, doc didn't like how she looked and her BP was up, headache, he sent her to ER. I do not know the surgeon that did the hernia repair.
ER did CT scan and found 5 TIAs (transient ischemic attacks, also referred to as "small strokes.")
Sent her for MRI. She was laughing and joking all the way to the MRI. During the MRI (coincidental, MRI does not cause this problem) a blood clot broke off and she bled to death during her MRI and died. Legally she died 2 days later, technically she died then and there.
I want to stress - as I was told - that in no way, according to her both her family and variety of doctors, was her death caused by the band. I am not a doctor, surgeon or other medical professional, but that is what has been told to me.
Sue was a totally sweetheart who was so well liked. She will be missed, and it is a true shame that she's gone far too soon.
Banded 10 years & maintaining my weight loss!! Any questions, message me.
As promised, here are some of Sue's last posts regarding her medical issues, from most recent to least. If you want to read more, search "member list" (above) for her name.
Feb 7, 2011:
No there was nothing wrong with the band or the port. I had a GI bleed in October and when they went in with an endoscope to see whay was going on, they perforated my stomach. The surgeon (a colorectal surgeon who happened to be on call) really didn't know much about bands, so he cut my band but feels that leaving the port in is a source for infection so he feels it should come out. This is in my home town...my band was put in at Tufts in Boston.
Both my band surgeon and my new surgeon consulted while I spent 15 days in the hospital from ICU to exit. Both of these guys are fabulous but it was the surgeon who operated on me in October that saved my life and I love him.
Feb 7:
I need to have my port removed (not replaced...long story) but I really want to know ALL the details. I am assuming it is Same Day Surgery, but I am praying they don't just numb it up and cut it out! Do they give you IV sedation? How long does it take? How long an incision? How long before I can go home? Pain meds??
Please, someone who has had it done, tell me every step of the way from when you got to the hospital until you left
Jan 8:
...since my recent scare in October with the GI bleed and gastric perforation requiring a 15 day hospital stay, ICU etc etc...I am now losing weight by just doing what I should have done before. I pretty much am following a "band type diet"! Who woulda thunk it!! I have a Muscle Milk light in the morning, a salad with protein for lunch and a small protien filled dinner. i continue to have difficulty with snacking, but I am determined to lose this weight and to NEVER go back to 330 lbs again! The interesting thing to me s that the band is still in there, totally unfilled and hacked up, but I do believe it provides me a little restriction and that along with my new found determination is helping me go down a little each week. Also, since my emergency surgery, my stomach is just not willing to allow me to put the same things into it as before. I believe the surgery and whole experience really changed me...inside and out as it changed my willingness to take responsibility for myself and for that I am thankful.
1/7:
I just spent the last half hour responding to a post about the band!!! It is gone!!!!!!!!!! Ok, I'll take a deep breath and start again...I am different...I was a band over bypass. I chose the band simply because it was less out of work time and less recovery. It's as simple as that! If I had to choose again...I would have chosen the DS. I was already metabolically challenged and at that point really thought that restriction would solve all my problems, never taking into account the fact that I was a person who could NOT control myself ! ! Restriction alone would NEVER be my epiphany!! A metabolic answer would have been my Heaven!!
The band is awesome for people who are ready and able to "diet". I wasn't. There are several success stories...Kate, Jean, Lisa O, Naomi and several more who have been able to do the band "with" the "diet"! I was looking (in retrospect) for a WLS to do it for me.
I am disappointed with the "fussiness" and "fickleness" of the band. There were times when I would have to be VERY careful about what I ate and WHEN... and times when without any reasonable explanation, I would be "tight" and unable to eat the dense protein I should have been able to eat . WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!!
I still believe with all my heart, that people choose the BEST, WLS they can! I will say, though, that if "I " had another chance, before my gastric stapling.................I would have chosen the DS, IF it was available at that time . If I had 50 lbs or so to lose the band would have been ok, but for MY particular issues...(.I hate to say it because of some of the obnoxious people associated with the DS who feel that demeaning and humiliating someone who has chosen a different surgery is an OK thing to do, BUT I would definately have chosen the DS and fought for it OVER the band or any other WLS.
That is it. I believe that there is a certain personality and presence necessary for the band to work. I have total respect for Jean, and Kate and Lisa etc who have rocked their band. I really do!!!!!!!!
I will continue to come to the band forum for support (port needs to be removed in April)! Why?????? Because I find support, comfort and a camaraderie that no other forum has.
I do love you guys!
Sue
12/26/10:
It took a 15 day stay in the hospital, on a vent with respirtatory failure and a collapsed lung for me to realize that the band WILL NOT work unless I work with it am willing to diet...eat what is specifed and avoid the sliders. I relized that I really needed to be disciplined, something that I am NOT. The band controlled HOW MUCH I could eat at one time, but it did not control in any way my "grazing". If I could 'diet' well, I know I could have done much better with the band. That was my downfall...the grazing and sliders.
I also think that I looked to my band to "fix" me, and of course it will not and can not. My experience in the hospital taught me that as much as I wanted "something" else to do the work for me, it wans't going to happen, so on I go, each day doing the best I can...sometimes up a little then back down a little. As much as the band didn't work for me, I don't regret it. If I hadn't gone through everything as
much as I had I wouldn't ever have realized the diligence and carefulness that I have to put into place each and every day. I'll stop...I think I'm rambling!!!
Sue
12/16/10:
I went back to the surgeon yesterday for a follow up (after gastric perforation from endoscope) and he said I will need my port taken out. My band is non functional and will stay in unless I have a problem with it.
Does anyone know or have had any experience with this? Can you describe the whole experience for me? How long it took, outpatient?, out of work?, pain? etc etc. For anyone who doesn't know my story I think I posted it somewhere around 11/6 or 7, when I got out of the hospital.
I really am interested in the whole port surgery thing. On a positive note I've managed to lose weight and am at my lowest in probably 12 years!!
Thanks,
Sue
Post Date 11/16/10 5:09 am
Topic: An Update
The last thing I wrote here was several weeks ago about bleeding. This is what followed for anyone interested. I actually had a hard time getting in to see an MD but pushed myself to the front of the line and was able to see my PCP and the following day the APRN to my GI guy who was out of state. It was Friday 10/22 and the APRN decided that since I was obviously actively bleeding (black tarry stool) it would be difficult to manage me outpatient over the weekend so she told me to go to the ED and be admitted which I did. The next day was Saturday and one of the GI MD's did an endoscope on me, and somehow perforated an ulcer which was in the old remnant stomach from my gastric stapling from 1982. This required emergency surgery and the surgeon on call who was already there did an exploratory laparotomy on me (I feel blessed to have had this surgeon because he was fabulous and a Top Doc in my town I found out later). He fixed the ulcer with mesh and I was sent to ICU on a vent and then slowly progressed to a regular floor. He said he tried to remove my band but couldn't so he unfilled it and I believe it is hacked up in my abdomen. I spent 15 days in the hospital and am slowly trying to get my strength back. I ended up with pneumonia which is finally resolving and I feel very blessed to be alive. The surgeon told me that I did really well and that many people have died from what I went through.
It is interesting to me that the band played NO part of this maybe other than the night coughing and reflux I would get by eating too close to bedtime. I was looking into the DS, but after this I have decided to conquer this the best I can without a tool. I believe if I had been a better bandster I know I would have had better than 40 lbs lost, but it is what it is and I am grateful for that. I have had an opportunity to examine my life and it has been eye opening.
Just thought you might enjoy this update.
Sue
Post Date 10/22/10 2:58 am
Topic: Think I'm going to lose my band
I haven't had great success with the band but I blame 90% of it on me and poor choices. I was thinking of revising to a DS and when I had an UGI and CT scan it showed that I had a hernia in the band. At the time I had seen Dr. Roslin in NY and asked him specifically if this was a band slip and he said "No" just a hernia above the band. About 2 or 3 months prior to this I vomited bright red blood but since it was a single even I never gave it another thought. Fast forward to yesterday...I wake up and have dark black stools (sorry if tmi) and I have then 4 more times. I call my GI guy but he is away at a conference so they want to book me in to see him on Tuesday! I start to think if this is happening so frequently, I'm not gonna make it to Tuesday so I call my PCP and get told "she's totally booked" and now I really mad and tell the receptionist that my PCP WILL want to see me considering the 911 call I got from their office in 12/08 telling me to go immediately to the hospital for blood as my hgb was 6! So the call me back and she sees me and I tell her that I think I am bleeding at the band and she agrees.
So today I see the GI guy, (thankfully she has already called over there so they will have her input instead of NOT relying on mine! So my guess is that I am going to lose the band, don't know for sure but that seems the course of events. Just worried because when I was banded about 5 days later I dry heaved and caused a huge hernia in the area of the camera port. So now that adds another component to something that should be relatively simple.
Anyone else with similar experience??
I will let you all know when I can update...I'm praying for a safe solution!!
Sue
Feb 7, 2011:
No there was nothing wrong with the band or the port. I had a GI bleed in October and when they went in with an endoscope to see whay was going on, they perforated my stomach. The surgeon (a colorectal surgeon who happened to be on call) really didn't know much about bands, so he cut my band but feels that leaving the port in is a source for infection so he feels it should come out. This is in my home town...my band was put in at Tufts in Boston.
Both my band surgeon and my new surgeon consulted while I spent 15 days in the hospital from ICU to exit. Both of these guys are fabulous but it was the surgeon who operated on me in October that saved my life and I love him.
Feb 7:
I need to have my port removed (not replaced...long story) but I really want to know ALL the details. I am assuming it is Same Day Surgery, but I am praying they don't just numb it up and cut it out! Do they give you IV sedation? How long does it take? How long an incision? How long before I can go home? Pain meds??
Please, someone who has had it done, tell me every step of the way from when you got to the hospital until you left
Jan 8:
...since my recent scare in October with the GI bleed and gastric perforation requiring a 15 day hospital stay, ICU etc etc...I am now losing weight by just doing what I should have done before. I pretty much am following a "band type diet"! Who woulda thunk it!! I have a Muscle Milk light in the morning, a salad with protein for lunch and a small protien filled dinner. i continue to have difficulty with snacking, but I am determined to lose this weight and to NEVER go back to 330 lbs again! The interesting thing to me s that the band is still in there, totally unfilled and hacked up, but I do believe it provides me a little restriction and that along with my new found determination is helping me go down a little each week. Also, since my emergency surgery, my stomach is just not willing to allow me to put the same things into it as before. I believe the surgery and whole experience really changed me...inside and out as it changed my willingness to take responsibility for myself and for that I am thankful.
1/7:
I just spent the last half hour responding to a post about the band!!! It is gone!!!!!!!!!! Ok, I'll take a deep breath and start again...I am different...I was a band over bypass. I chose the band simply because it was less out of work time and less recovery. It's as simple as that! If I had to choose again...I would have chosen the DS. I was already metabolically challenged and at that point really thought that restriction would solve all my problems, never taking into account the fact that I was a person who could NOT control myself ! ! Restriction alone would NEVER be my epiphany!! A metabolic answer would have been my Heaven!!
The band is awesome for people who are ready and able to "diet". I wasn't. There are several success stories...Kate, Jean, Lisa O, Naomi and several more who have been able to do the band "with" the "diet"! I was looking (in retrospect) for a WLS to do it for me.
I am disappointed with the "fussiness" and "fickleness" of the band. There were times when I would have to be VERY careful about what I ate and WHEN... and times when without any reasonable explanation, I would be "tight" and unable to eat the dense protein I should have been able to eat . WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!!
I still believe with all my heart, that people choose the BEST, WLS they can! I will say, though, that if "I " had another chance, before my gastric stapling.................I would have chosen the DS, IF it was available at that time . If I had 50 lbs or so to lose the band would have been ok, but for MY particular issues...(.I hate to say it because of some of the obnoxious people associated with the DS who feel that demeaning and humiliating someone who has chosen a different surgery is an OK thing to do, BUT I would definately have chosen the DS and fought for it OVER the band or any other WLS.
That is it. I believe that there is a certain personality and presence necessary for the band to work. I have total respect for Jean, and Kate and Lisa etc who have rocked their band. I really do!!!!!!!!
I will continue to come to the band forum for support (port needs to be removed in April)! Why?????? Because I find support, comfort and a camaraderie that no other forum has.
I do love you guys!
Sue
12/26/10:
It took a 15 day stay in the hospital, on a vent with respirtatory failure and a collapsed lung for me to realize that the band WILL NOT work unless I work with it am willing to diet...eat what is specifed and avoid the sliders. I relized that I really needed to be disciplined, something that I am NOT. The band controlled HOW MUCH I could eat at one time, but it did not control in any way my "grazing". If I could 'diet' well, I know I could have done much better with the band. That was my downfall...the grazing and sliders.
I also think that I looked to my band to "fix" me, and of course it will not and can not. My experience in the hospital taught me that as much as I wanted "something" else to do the work for me, it wans't going to happen, so on I go, each day doing the best I can...sometimes up a little then back down a little. As much as the band didn't work for me, I don't regret it. If I hadn't gone through everything as
much as I had I wouldn't ever have realized the diligence and carefulness that I have to put into place each and every day. I'll stop...I think I'm rambling!!!
Sue
12/16/10:
I went back to the surgeon yesterday for a follow up (after gastric perforation from endoscope) and he said I will need my port taken out. My band is non functional and will stay in unless I have a problem with it.
Does anyone know or have had any experience with this? Can you describe the whole experience for me? How long it took, outpatient?, out of work?, pain? etc etc. For anyone who doesn't know my story I think I posted it somewhere around 11/6 or 7, when I got out of the hospital.
I really am interested in the whole port surgery thing. On a positive note I've managed to lose weight and am at my lowest in probably 12 years!!
Thanks,
Sue
Post Date 11/16/10 5:09 am
Topic: An Update
The last thing I wrote here was several weeks ago about bleeding. This is what followed for anyone interested. I actually had a hard time getting in to see an MD but pushed myself to the front of the line and was able to see my PCP and the following day the APRN to my GI guy who was out of state. It was Friday 10/22 and the APRN decided that since I was obviously actively bleeding (black tarry stool) it would be difficult to manage me outpatient over the weekend so she told me to go to the ED and be admitted which I did. The next day was Saturday and one of the GI MD's did an endoscope on me, and somehow perforated an ulcer which was in the old remnant stomach from my gastric stapling from 1982. This required emergency surgery and the surgeon on call who was already there did an exploratory laparotomy on me (I feel blessed to have had this surgeon because he was fabulous and a Top Doc in my town I found out later). He fixed the ulcer with mesh and I was sent to ICU on a vent and then slowly progressed to a regular floor. He said he tried to remove my band but couldn't so he unfilled it and I believe it is hacked up in my abdomen. I spent 15 days in the hospital and am slowly trying to get my strength back. I ended up with pneumonia which is finally resolving and I feel very blessed to be alive. The surgeon told me that I did really well and that many people have died from what I went through.
It is interesting to me that the band played NO part of this maybe other than the night coughing and reflux I would get by eating too close to bedtime. I was looking into the DS, but after this I have decided to conquer this the best I can without a tool. I believe if I had been a better bandster I know I would have had better than 40 lbs lost, but it is what it is and I am grateful for that. I have had an opportunity to examine my life and it has been eye opening.
Just thought you might enjoy this update.
Sue
Post Date 10/22/10 2:58 am
Topic: Think I'm going to lose my band
I haven't had great success with the band but I blame 90% of it on me and poor choices. I was thinking of revising to a DS and when I had an UGI and CT scan it showed that I had a hernia in the band. At the time I had seen Dr. Roslin in NY and asked him specifically if this was a band slip and he said "No" just a hernia above the band. About 2 or 3 months prior to this I vomited bright red blood but since it was a single even I never gave it another thought. Fast forward to yesterday...I wake up and have dark black stools (sorry if tmi) and I have then 4 more times. I call my GI guy but he is away at a conference so they want to book me in to see him on Tuesday! I start to think if this is happening so frequently, I'm not gonna make it to Tuesday so I call my PCP and get told "she's totally booked" and now I really mad and tell the receptionist that my PCP WILL want to see me considering the 911 call I got from their office in 12/08 telling me to go immediately to the hospital for blood as my hgb was 6! So the call me back and she sees me and I tell her that I think I am bleeding at the band and she agrees.
So today I see the GI guy, (thankfully she has already called over there so they will have her input instead of NOT relying on mine! So my guess is that I am going to lose the band, don't know for sure but that seems the course of events. Just worried because when I was banded about 5 days later I dry heaved and caused a huge hernia in the area of the camera port. So now that adds another component to something that should be relatively simple.
Anyone else with similar experience??
I will let you all know when I can update...I'm praying for a safe solution!!
Sue
Banded 10 years & maintaining my weight loss!! Any questions, message me.
In my opinion it just goes to show how much of a disease this really is for us who suffer with obesity and have gone to drastic measures.
It doesn't matter if we have bypass surgery, lapband over bypass, the fact is, we only have a tool, not a miracle.
I did not know Sue and she is no longer here but my heart goes out to her and her family. A very sad situation.
It doesn't matter if we have bypass surgery, lapband over bypass, the fact is, we only have a tool, not a miracle.
I did not know Sue and she is no longer here but my heart goes out to her and her family. A very sad situation.
Thanks for this, Bette.
I only met Sue face to face that one time when I met you as well. But we PMed each other regularly.
She was a kind, generous lady. I will miss her.
Kate
I only met Sue face to face that one time when I met you as well. But we PMed each other regularly.
She was a kind, generous lady. I will miss her.
Kate
Highest 290, Banded - 248 Lowest 139 (too thin!). Comfort zone 155-165.
Happily banded since May 2006. Regain of 28lbs 2013-14. ALL GONE!
But some has returned! Up to 175, argh! Off we go again,
HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOO THEREEEEEEEEE
What a sad story, made even sadder because while she was blaming herself. None of that was her fault. If she had an unrepaired hernia, that would cause all of the negative band symptoms she was having.
She went through a lot, her body just couldn't handle any more damage.
I remember her avi, but nothing about her personally. I am glad she is free from all suffering now.
She went through a lot, her body just couldn't handle any more damage.
I remember her avi, but nothing about her personally. I am glad she is free from all suffering now.
Phyllis
"Me agreeing with you doesn't preclude you from being a deviant."
On August 18, 2011 at 7:13 AM Pacific Time, Bette B. wrote:
As many of you know, one of our long-term members, pepsi98 (aka Sue) passed away unexpectedly in May.Her online obit is at www.legacy.com/obituaries/norwichbulletin/obituary.aspx
She was a bypass patient who had BOB (band over bypass) performed in 2010 and fairly soon started having problems GI problems. NOTE: I will post some of her last forum comments: see below.
But here is what I know, provided by an OH friend who was in contact with Sue's son:
Sue had stomach pain, she was bypass to band. Doc did an upper endo, claims there was a weak point in her stomach (family and I do not believe this, she was BANDED and doc did not know to unfill her and use a pediatric scope) she blew right through her stomach.
Dr. Scott Shikora saved her ass. He fixed the perforation, leak, and saved her ass. (Just for the record) Shikora will see banded patients from MX depending on who did their surgery. If it was a crap surgeon, you'll need to find someone else.
They left her band totally unfilled. Removed her port and tubing. That was all the restriction she could get.
Due to massive vomiting (her own fault) her teeny tiny hiatal hernia turned massive and needed repair. NO WLS (patient) does well with a hiatal hernia and WLS, the two just don't mix. So, they went in to repair the hernia. MAJOR complications. MASSIVE infection with daily packing and a drain. Finally, infection resolved and drain was to be removed.
Went to MD, removed drain, doc didn't like how she looked and her BP was up, headache, he sent her to ER. I do not know the surgeon that did the hernia repair.
ER did CT scan and found 5 TIAs (transient ischemic attacks, also referred to as "small strokes.")
Sent her for MRI. She was laughing and joking all the way to the MRI. During the MRI (coincidental, MRI does not cause this problem) a blood clot broke off and she bled to death during her MRI and died. Legally she died 2 days later, technically she died then and there.
I want to stress - as I was told - that in no way, according to her both her family and variety of doctors, was her death caused by the band. I am not a doctor, surgeon or other medical professional, but that is what has been told to me.
Sue was a totally sweetheart who was so well liked. She will be missed, and it is a true shame that she's gone far too soon.
Sue will be missed a great deal. i'm still in touch with her son.
Previously Midwesterngirl
The band got me to goal, the sleeve will keep me there.
See my blog for newbies: http://wasabubblebutt.blogspot.com/
The band got me to goal, the sleeve will keep me there.
See my blog for newbies: http://wasabubblebutt.blogspot.com/
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