Sharing my RNY 2007/Duodenal Ulcer repair with duodenal perforation
Original RNY was done in August 2007, experienced some complications along the way, gall bladder needed removed, internal hernia repaired, and a second internal hernia repair as an emergency surgery, husband has said numerous times due to the complications, he wished I had never gotten the RNY. I still cannot say that I have regrets. I did not reach goal weight, but I did lose 115 pounds and maintained it, 40 pounds more and I would have reached goal.
Most recent complication and by far the worse; Duodenal Ulcer with a separate area in the unused duodenum that perforated while the endoscopy that found the ulcer was being completed.
Hind sight is always 20/20, and this is no different. Approximately 12 months ago, I started experiencing nausea while eating foods I had never had issues with, kinda thought that perhaps I didn't chew well enough, eating too fast, ect. This happened from time to time with different foods. Since February 2015, it became daily, with almost everything I tried to eat, abdominal pain right below the sternum area. I was eating very little food because it made me sick and hurt, often throwing up. On 7/9/15, I had the worst sudden onset of pain in my abdomen that wouldn't ease. I went to my local ER....an entire nightmare post of its own, after being there 5 hours, Labs, CT scan with IV contrast, I arrived with no bowel sounds, pain of 10/10, I left with no bowel sounds, pain 10/10 and a diagnosis of a stomach virus.
7/10/15 @ 4:30 am, I was in excruciating pain, this time, I woke my husband and said we are going to St. Vincent's NOW. After a painful 90 minute drive, by 8 am, I was prepping for a second CT Scan with oral contrast, 9:30 am I was being prepped for an Endoscopy to see the ulcer discovered on the CT scan, as I was waking from the "twilight anesthesia," I apparently was screaming with uncontrollable pain, my bariatric surgeon told my husband that I had to have a perforation somewhere, she just didn't know where unless she did a laproscopic search, he signed off on it. 7/10/15 at 6:30 pm, I was waking in recovery and was told my ulcer was repaired, but that I had a perforation in the bypassed duodenum, that occurred as the pressure changed in the abdomen during the endoscopy.
I will continue with a second post...
