Revision due to Medical Emergency

Alison M.
on 9/13/10 4:24 am - NY

I actually had a perforated bowel. No idea how it happened or what caused it, but I was on vacation when it happened. Cape cod hospital thought it was only an abcess in my small intestine so they inserted a drain in my back to seep out the infection, and gave me a blood transfusion due to beingseverly anemic. When my fever of 104. wasnt going down after 3 days, they contacted my original gastric dr.s in NY and explained to them what was happening. My dr.s ordered i b sent home so they can perform emergency surgery on me because there was no barriatric center in that hospital. Despite the cape cod dr.'s efforts to allow him to do exploratory laprosocpy, i would not allow the cape cod dr.'s to touch me any further, god forbid there was something wrong with my bypass. They rushed me in ambulance back home to westchester medical ctr in NY. My team of 7 surgeons performed a 10 hour surgery to save my life. They began the surgery laparoscopically, but by that time theinfection had started to spread all over and my body was becoming septic. They converted to open procedure giving me a 13" incision from below belly button to the top of chest bone. I lost lots of fluids and bloods so they performed more blood transfusions on me. They removed 24" of my small intestine and cleaned and flushed out the organs in my body. TURNED OUT they DID have to revise my original gastric bypass (7-23-07) because the portion of small intestine that was originally used was infected as well. I am not fully out of the woods yet so therefore I am still on a liquid diet so they can make sure there are no leakages in my digestive system. I also had a feeding tube placed in my UNUSED portion of my old stomach where they may have to inject nutrional supplements if I cannot get enough from my liquid protein shakes and vitamins that I am taking in by mouth! This was completely unexpected and a very scary ordeal for myself and loved ones. My dr.'s say I am one really lucky lady to b alive, and i am forever greatful. I am convinced that God was on my side that day in the OR. I no longer look at friday the 13th (8-13-10) as a supersticious day, instead it was the day my life was saved!! HOWEVER, after being a 3 yr post op, i am now just 1 month old again. I am finding it EXTREMELY hard and challenging to being an infant again... obviously this was not a choice i was able to make, it was what had to be done. As a result of being on liquids for the past month, for the 1st time in my life i am actually at a NORMAL weight for my height. I lost 30 lbs in 3 1/2 weeks. Now they just want me to be able to maintain this weight and not lose anymore... i am thankful, scared and frustrated all at once...

                      ~*Alison*~
                     ~ Don't act like I never told ya ~
~ Now what don't kill me ~ * ~ Can only make me stronger ~