Question:
Can anyone relate their experiences leading to and resulting from a revision?
I'm due to have a revision on March 1st, one day before my 1year anniversary. I've lost 110 pounds and am at goal. I have a great deal of trouble eating any dense foods without pain or vomiting and have been scoped, x-rayed, upper G.I.ed, and so forth, ad nauseum, but the surgeon hasn't found a cause for my problems and believes I'm well on my way to damaging my body through malnutrition. I chew well, eat protein first, don't drink with meals except perhaps for a sip of water to help something very dry go down and try to follow all the rules. Sometimes I can eat without getting sick but it's rare. Those times make me think a revision is unnecessary but.... Can anyone relate? — debbiecork (posted on February 26, 2005)
February 26, 2005
Have the revision. I have a friend who had WLS twice within a few months
of each other. The first surgery went wrong some how and he ended up in
Intensive Care and the doctors and his family weren't so sure he was going
to survive. The original surgeon didn't know how to handle the situation
and turned his back on my friend, so the hospital called in another
surgeon. The second surgeon was going to reverse the original surgery, but
ended up being able to do a revision instead. My friend has since done
very well and is very healthy. The revision saved his life.
— SnowWhiteDove459
February 27, 2005
dear debbie c.my name is autumn i have the same problem although i still
cant do milk ort vitamins i had mine done in nov of 2004 ive lost 85 pounds
i had the same tests done they couldnt find anything either so my doctor
put me on levsin/sl 0.125mg i take 2 before every meal which is 2 times a
day what it does is relaxes your stomach enough to eat its been working
great for me tell your doctor to give you some my doctor is dr.colella out
of pittsburg
— emtwifeautumn
February 27, 2005
Hi there...I am so sorry that you have had such a hard time :0( I am still
waiting to have my surgery but I did read your profile and have one
question for you. Did you ever have your Gallbladder taken out?? I only
ask because alot of the symptoms you have sound alot like mine did and it
was all due to my gallbladder. Just a thought. I was very ill from it, my
liver enzymes were up the whole works.
God Bless
Chelle
— Chellesgift
February 27, 2005
Thank you so much for your answers! I, also, suspected the gallbladder but
the surgeon tested it and said it was operating at 38%, 37% and above being
considered within a normal range. I'm going to mention it to him again
when we speak before the revision though. I'll also mention the levsin.
And Robin, thanks for the encouragement. I'd appreciate hearing from any
of you others with suggestions and/or comments. I'm kinda nervous about
having the surgery and hearing from you helps me. Thank you all. Debbie
— debbiecork
February 27, 2005
Hello... I am 18 months PO and have lost 156lbs. I have open RNY. I can
realte with you 100% I would look into having an ultrasound done to check
for gallstones. I was unable to eat really anything without becoming sick
or nausiated in anyway. I ended up having a gallbladder attack and was in
the hospital only to find out that I still had my gallbladder. I guess they
thought all gastric patients had theirs removed with the surgery. I have
since had my gallbladder removed and can eat more without being sick. THe
downside is, I can eat more that in the past.
— mdecaire1978
February 27, 2005
Hmmm...That is curious that you should be having those problems. I logged
on here tonight to see if anyone was having similar problems as I have been
experiencing the last couple of months. I've become malnourished. I can
hardly eat-meat in particular-as well as other things. Causes the usual
symptoms of dumping and such. I am 9 years post op. (or will be in june) It
can't be my gall bladder since they removed it when they did the surgery.
Iwent out this afternoon and bought a egg based protein shake-no milk
(lactose intolerant) and mixed it with lactaid and strawberries. That was a
bad idea. I am still searching for a way to eat. I'm hungry. Dr doesn't
know what to do either. Can't see the nutritionist until the end of Mar.
Any ideas?
Cheryl
— molly1226
March 1, 2005
I just got out the hospital yesterday after being in for 3 days and nothing
but tests! All the test you mentioned, I had as well. They found nothing.
She prescribed me a med called protonics and also something for nausea.
Thank god i haven't had any pain in my lower stomach for 3 days now. i have
been sick the past 2 months with the same symptoms. My surgeon turned his
back on me. Says to go to my primary cause it has NOTHING to do with HIS
surgery!
lorie
— lorie bolden
March 4, 2005
I can relate. I went to see my doc a few days ago and explained it to him
this way: When I take a bite or maybe 2 it feels like the esophagus or
pouch is spasming and I have to end up vomiting. It is very frustrating. I
have had 4 strictures prior and had to have GI doc dilate the stoma. I am
only 4 months out. He says now that I may have a partial stricture. I am
not going to have it dilated again unless I absolutely can't eat ever. I'm
afraid it will open it too far. I have read that some others have been
given levisin. That is GREAT. It relaxes your pouch and allows things to
flow through more freely. I would try that. AS for the revision, only you
can make that decision. I have opted to limp along this way in hopes that
it will eventually clear up. I do have to eat several times a day to be
able to get my proteins in and I usually don't succeed. Today is a good
day. Good luck...
— debi327
March 8, 2005
Hello everyone! I'm back from having the revision on March 1st., and
wanted those of you who were having similar problems to know what happened.
The doc took pictures and showed me after the surgery that I did, indeed,
have a problem. He promised to scope me first before cutting anything even
though he had before and found no problem. This time he found a major
problem. A silastic band he places around the pouch to keep it from
over-stretching had slipped or simply caused an allergic reaction to my
pouch and the opening from the pouch to the intestines was closed off.
It's a wonder anything, even liquids, would go down. He then went into my
belly laproscopically to see if anything else was wrong and found lots of
scar tissue and removed it. I can now eat protein foods such as turkey,
chicken; even had a little steak last night and haven't been sick or
vomited at all. I was very concerned about being able to eat more now and
jeopardizing my weight loss but he insists that won't happen if I use the
pouch correctly. He says a little paranoia in that area can be a good
thing when it keeps us on track.
— debbiecork
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