Something else the surgeon never told me before WLS
Good morning OFF buddies:
My cousin who is 4 years post RNY -- and maintaining a 120 lbs. weight loss -- developed acute abdominal pain and underwent an endoscopy. She was told she has a bad case of gall bladder stones and will need surgery to remove the gall baddler. Then the gastroenterologist mentioned that gall stones are 'very common' is post RNY patients.
I Googled it and found out that one third of post WLS patients develop gall stones serious enough to require surgery. The reason is that with an extremely low-calorie, low-fat diet, the gall bladder does not have enough fats to flush out the minerals, which accumulate over a time and become gall stones. Perhaps adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the food every day may help overcome this problem. IF THE PATIENT KNOWS ABOUT IT.
The clincher is that after gall bladder surgery, patients are not able to tolerate 'certain foods.' It varies with the individual. Really!?!?! After making peace with the fact that she will never be able to eat foods such as most raw vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, some beef cuts and the infamous chicken, now my cousin can look forward to having to cut out even more foods from her diet while eating enough calories and nutrients to stave off malnutrition.
Add to this the other nuggets of information our bariatric surgeons failed to warn us about, such as the very real danger of developing acoholism and drug addiction, and we are left facing an uncertain future in terms of possible unforeseen complications.
I'm not saying this knowledge would have kept me from having the surgery. I still feel that RNYsaved my life, but I would have liked to have known what the complications would have been down the line so I could have been proactive in preventing them or at least recognizing them when they cropped up.
Do you have anything to share along this line?
Blessings,
Maria
My cousin who is 4 years post RNY -- and maintaining a 120 lbs. weight loss -- developed acute abdominal pain and underwent an endoscopy. She was told she has a bad case of gall bladder stones and will need surgery to remove the gall baddler. Then the gastroenterologist mentioned that gall stones are 'very common' is post RNY patients.
I Googled it and found out that one third of post WLS patients develop gall stones serious enough to require surgery. The reason is that with an extremely low-calorie, low-fat diet, the gall bladder does not have enough fats to flush out the minerals, which accumulate over a time and become gall stones. Perhaps adding a tablespoon of olive oil to the food every day may help overcome this problem. IF THE PATIENT KNOWS ABOUT IT.
The clincher is that after gall bladder surgery, patients are not able to tolerate 'certain foods.' It varies with the individual. Really!?!?! After making peace with the fact that she will never be able to eat foods such as most raw vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, some beef cuts and the infamous chicken, now my cousin can look forward to having to cut out even more foods from her diet while eating enough calories and nutrients to stave off malnutrition.
Add to this the other nuggets of information our bariatric surgeons failed to warn us about, such as the very real danger of developing acoholism and drug addiction, and we are left facing an uncertain future in terms of possible unforeseen complications.
I'm not saying this knowledge would have kept me from having the surgery. I still feel that RNYsaved my life, but I would have liked to have known what the complications would have been down the line so I could have been proactive in preventing them or at least recognizing them when they cropped up.
Do you have anything to share along this line?
Blessings,
Maria
Well, I didn't have RNY. I had the lapband for 4 years. I loved it and lost 125 pounds. I developed gallstones but I am not sure it was weight loss related. I do know that I am very happy I had my gall bladder removed, because the doctor found a big old adenosquamous cancer in there. After all of my treatment, having my band removed (because it had been unfilled for an NG tube, it also developed a leak with trying to get it filled back to my sweet spot), I then opted for the sleeve, which I am very unhappy with. I can, and do eat anything without any problems. I am now trying to lose my cancer weight with will power alone.
Sooooo, my point, if you develop gallstones, get that gallbladder out of there. No telling what could be inside it!
I still think all of us WLS folks CAN eat a balanced diet. It's just harder to find foods that we can tolerate.
Good luck to you and your cousin.
Sooooo, my point, if you develop gallstones, get that gallbladder out of there. No telling what could be inside it!
I still think all of us WLS folks CAN eat a balanced diet. It's just harder to find foods that we can tolerate.
Good luck to you and your cousin.
Grammylew in Jax
Wow grammy, your story sounds like a weight loss odyssey. I get your point, and no doubt once the gall stones develop, you have to get the gall bladder out. In your case the gall stones were a lucky find, as the cancer was detected in time -- no doubt your guardian angel 
was watching over you.
However, my point is that there are some complications that may be avoidable if we can take the right measures, and others can be detected as soon as they develop, if we know what might happen.
More troublesome than gall stones are alcoholim and drug addiction. If a person has a predisposition to abuse either, then he or she needs to be very vigilant. Even people who never drank or used drugs before WLS have found themselves abusing both or either after the surgery, and bariatric professionals, at least in my area, are not doing enough to address these problems. I am so paranoid about this that even though I have never drunk much alcohol or taken drugs, I have removed all acoholic beverages from the house, and the strongest pain killer in my medicine cabinet is extra-strength Tylenol.
Transfer addictions always come up at all my monthly bariatric support meetings, but the moderator, who is usually a nutritionist or psychologist from the bariatric team, acts as if it is no big deal.
Have a blessed Sunday,
Maria
was watching over you.However, my point is that there are some complications that may be avoidable if we can take the right measures, and others can be detected as soon as they develop, if we know what might happen.
More troublesome than gall stones are alcoholim and drug addiction. If a person has a predisposition to abuse either, then he or she needs to be very vigilant. Even people who never drank or used drugs before WLS have found themselves abusing both or either after the surgery, and bariatric professionals, at least in my area, are not doing enough to address these problems. I am so paranoid about this that even though I have never drunk much alcohol or taken drugs, I have removed all acoholic beverages from the house, and the strongest pain killer in my medicine cabinet is extra-strength Tylenol.
Transfer addictions always come up at all my monthly bariatric support meetings, but the moderator, who is usually a nutritionist or psychologist from the bariatric team, acts as if it is no big deal.
Have a blessed Sunday,
Maria
I know there are many, many people on here with the sleeve that are very happy.
I went from a band with a leak to the sleeve. I had absolutely no restriction before the sleeve and still had none after. I could eat an entire steak dinner with no discomfort. I went back to the surgeon and I guess he tightened it up. But I can still eat anything and in any amount.
I went to Dr. Ortiz in Mexico. The same guy that put in my band. I LOVED my band. I should have just had the leak repaired and gotten it properly filled.
I have been told I can get a band again even with the sleeve. But I now have $20,000 into my gut and I'm not willing to shell out another $8000. So now I am trying to lose my regain with will power.
But it really comes down to you! You have to do what you feel is right for you. Good luck with whatever WLS you decide on.
I went from a band with a leak to the sleeve. I had absolutely no restriction before the sleeve and still had none after. I could eat an entire steak dinner with no discomfort. I went back to the surgeon and I guess he tightened it up. But I can still eat anything and in any amount.
I went to Dr. Ortiz in Mexico. The same guy that put in my band. I LOVED my band. I should have just had the leak repaired and gotten it properly filled.
I have been told I can get a band again even with the sleeve. But I now have $20,000 into my gut and I'm not willing to shell out another $8000. So now I am trying to lose my regain with will power.
But it really comes down to you! You have to do what you feel is right for you. Good luck with whatever WLS you decide on.
Grammylew in Jax
Its been over 5 & 1/2 years now since I had my WLS but I seem to remember my dr telling me about the gallbladder. Not exactly sure what it was now that he talked about...all I know is my gallbladder was healthy when he did my surgery and still going good. So guess I am doing things right. Sorry I can't be of more help to you.
HUGS
Cleveland Clinic Florida is also a center of excellence with an excellent track record.
However, I don't think complications are being addressed sufficiently pre- or even post-surgery.
For example, I developed lower left quadrant pain a year ago, and after all kinds of tests, no one was able to give me a satisfactory explanation, other than IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and none of the doctors at Cleveland Clinic would even discuss possible causes. I have a feeling RNY has something to do with it, but they will not even discuss it. Now I have to take an anti-inflammatory when the pain strikes, but there is no real treatment. The gastroenterologist kept insisting I was constipated and would not accept my denials, so he told me to take daily laxatives (not doing it).
Hugs,
Maria
However, I don't think complications are being addressed sufficiently pre- or even post-surgery.
For example, I developed lower left quadrant pain a year ago, and after all kinds of tests, no one was able to give me a satisfactory explanation, other than IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and none of the doctors at Cleveland Clinic would even discuss possible causes. I have a feeling RNY has something to do with it, but they will not even discuss it. Now I have to take an anti-inflammatory when the pain strikes, but there is no real treatment. The gastroenterologist kept insisting I was constipated and would not accept my denials, so he told me to take daily laxatives (not doing it).
Hugs,
Maria
I also had some pain in my left side about where the stomach is located....went for testing and what it turned out to be was heartburn/acid reflux...so took some heartburn pills for awhile and it went away...I had thought it was a hernia again but no it was just acid reflux.
Sounds like your drs are not up to par...just my opinion though.
HUGS
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