Complications and Solutions

I see so many great resolutions and that is amazing. I don't see many complications or what they did to resolve it... can I ask? I am a realist --- it is surgery a big surgery so have any of you had a complication --- how did they resolve it ? How are you now!

Sorry if this is intrusive - I just like to know all sides.

I developed an ulcer. They put me on meds. Got pregnant shortly after diagnosis (just over 3 months out - failed birth control) doc told me to stop taking meds and ulcer perforated. They upped my dosage. Other than that things have been GREAT

I feel lucky because I have only had a minor issue so far -- when I was a few days post-op my puppy jumped on my stomach and opened the big incision. It ended up getting infected so I was put on antibiotics.

Also, not a complication related to surgery exactly, but I was put on a med this year that gave me crazy heartburn. Even prevacid didn't touch the pain. I had to switch to something else.

I had excruciating pain immediately post op that lasted for months under my left breast. It hurt to breath in, burp etc. (still have a slight remnant of the pain 2/10 now compared to a 9/10). Was told it was normal and should go away but it never did. I ended up having my family doc order an abdominal ultrasound and to her surprise (not mine, as I just KNEW something was very wrong) I had a large spleen hematoma (rare complication my surgeon had never seen before) which had to heal on its own (your body just reabsorbs the blood over time) but that then landed me back in hospital six weeks post op with a resultant left lung pleural effusion (I ignored the fact that I was having difficulty breathing and would become very winded waking necessitating me to stop (which was not the case pre op) and was admitted for 12 days ?). They inserted a chest tube in my back and drained the fluid from my lung. It was a very difficult experience but I'm past it now and doing very well 7 months post op and down almost 120 lbs. Even with this complication I feel so good now. I don't for one second regret my decision to change my life for the better!

Ladies.. thank you!!! Reading that you are all ok now is a relief! Take care!

I was sick with a bad cough for 2 weeks before surgery and was terrified they'd cancel. They didn't, because I had no fever or infection, but they gave me an asthma treatment before surgery and also said they gave me more during surgery, via my oxygen mask.

I had a bad cough while recovering, which wasn't fun, and my asthma wasn't great from the cough and I couldn't blow into that bubble blower thing to help my lungs at all, not without triggering an asthma attack. So one of my lungs never reinflated properly and that was a big worry but it resolved itself later on it's own.

I had a lot of inflammation but didn't know it, so I couldn't go from clear liquids to full liquids for an entire week (my plan only had us on clear liquids for a day, then full liquids the next day, for a week). So I was a week behind. I had a lot of pain immediately after surgery that couldn't be managed properly because the pain meds made my blood pressure shoot up and I almost passed out. They tried me on different kinds of meds and then finally told me I'd have to just take half doses of the pain meds and live with the pain.

They gave me something for nausea which caused an immediate allergic reaction and then I needed to be treated for that. My IV for the treatment wasn't put in properly and the fluid just pooled up under my hand and that hurt, but it did go down after awhile.

Then later at home, after 1 week of clear liquids, 2 weeks of full liquids, and 2 weeks of purees, when I tried to transition from purees to soft foods, the pain got much worse. The surgeon then told me it was due to inflammation and put me back on full liquids for another 2 weeks, then purees for another two weeks after that. I was super bummed about it because I had been looking forward to soft foods, but the pain went away as soon as I went back on full liquids, so it was totally worth it. I also lost weight a bit faster than I think I would have otherwise because of the super low calories on full liquids (I just had 2 protein shakes per day).

Just as I was feeling better, I got sick with pneumonia and was bedridden for 2 weeks. I don't think that was surgery related at all, as when I went to pick up my meds the pharmacist said it was going around town and even he had just recovered from pneumonia.

None of the problems were serious and although I wish I was one of the 99% here who never had pain, I still would do it again in a heart beat.

So glad the pain and struggles are over... congrats on your recovery. Thank you for sharing! Jo