lizv123

Anybody that's been on here long enough knows my struggle with the sleeve. My leak, my inability to lose weight, my capacity still being huge, losing only 70lbs and that's by doing everything by the book. My mother is dying from this surgery because she's SO underweight from it. She's literally in the hospital now in ICU. So, mostly vets, are there any diet pills or supplements you've tried with success? I eat a balanced diet, and with my disabilities I'm not able to exercise like I want/need. Help please? Thanks in advance. And please save any ill remarks. They're unneeded. I was an inch from my life because of this surgery, my surgeon has berated me because he sees me as a failure and has marked me "non compliant" because I'm not physically able to do his exercise routine and because of his slip of hand I have a much larger stomach than 4 oz.

I regret this surgery. And I regret that my mom is in the hospital at this very moment fighting for her life because of WLS. It almost killed me, has made my fibromyalgia 10x worse, given me digestive issues, mental abuse by those in the medical field, take 40-47 pills a day (not counting Vitamin supplements), looking at more possible surgeries from side effects of the sleeve and now it's killing my mother? I researched for a FULL year, every day, all day before surgery. Yes. I have LOADS of regrets.

I'm on micronor now

Pretty soon you'll be at my weight! You're kicking butt Milton!!

That's it. After my year appointment I left my surgeons office in tears. Hell I was crying while talking to the S.O,B. It's time for me to write everything down and see an attorney to see if I have a case. First he sent me out of the hospital despite me begging to stay another day because I couldn't keep down the 4 oz of a fluid an hour that he "demands of all his patients" and I was constantly, I mean nonstop heaving. He also did no leak test which I was ok with because his theory made sense: that soon after surgery the tissue is too inflamed to see if there is a hole or not. Second, one week later I went to their ER with moderate chest pain. I told them I was a patient of his one week out from surgery, they called him with the costocondritis diagnosis and he ok'd it without any scans or tests and they sent me home with some tramadol. Third, about one week after that the chest pain had gotten worse, I was miserable, and was starting to vomit again because he wouldn't refill my zofran. That's when they found the "abscess" in my abdomen and scheduled me for emergency exploratory surgery the following morning. They found nothing but an abscess then, they suctioned it out and put in a JP drain. After they went inside they found MRSA and I am now a carrier. There were several small incidents during my month in the hospital that really need to be written down but it's already on another thread here and I really don't feel like typing it all right now. () After several several tests and about a full week later they finally diagnosed me with a leak and I was on TPN strict NPO for the month to let it heal. The only other option was a stent. He would do nothing else. During my entire month stay I was on a pain pump receiving 1 mg of morphine every six minutes. He unplugged me and sent me home cold turkey with a prescription for antibiotics and 2 days worth of tylox. During my DTs I almost ended up returning to the ER but I refused to go back. After that I developed a mass at my drain site that was warm to the touch and very painful, I called him on the phone (as instructed by his nurses) and while talking to him my drain site popped open and began self draining the MRSA filled fluid that was building up. Almost immediately the pressure was gone and he said, "well there we go. Anything else? No? Good. I guess if it becomes too much for you to control with home bandaging you could come in to the ER goodbye" *click* Fourth- my follow up appointment, I didn't see him, I saw his nurse practitioner. Part of me was relieved because at least she's nice but wouldn't you think a surgeon should see his first sleeve leak patient just a couple weeks out of surgery? Fifth strike- he didn't show up at my 6 month check up either. Yesterday was strike six. My year check up. His attitude again was unbearable. He crossed the line beyond fixing. He said the following: "the reason your fibro is bad is because you're still fat." "Your colon is going to stop functioning if you keep taking these narcotics" "your list of medications is ridiculous I think you have an addiction problem and I recommend you seek treatment and get a different doctor" "you're LYING about your pain as an excuse to not lose weight" I have gone from moderate pain to severe post op. I've had to up my meds (including antidepressants) and have been fighting with my doctors the entire way because they want me to sign up for disability and I'm only 26 and refuse to give up yet. I also have severe osteoarthritis in my hips and plans to start my series of trigger point shots so I can cut back the amount of meds I take. But that doesn't matter. He still said what he said. I'm done. My surgeon is a scumbag.

Thanks! I'll look into that

Linda, is there a pocket sized version of you I can buy? Because you're just great! Thank you again! I think it would be well worth the cost not only for the law purposes but to give to my new follow up surgeon, and keep for myself to reflect. If I have no case at I can look back at the severity on paper and be proud and grateful I'm still alive

How do I go about getting these records? And at what cost?

I never would have thought about the medical notes, and I used to be a transcriptionist. Duh lol that's brilliant! Thanks!

Thank you a million times over for this!! And even more thanks for understanding the difference between addiction and physical dependency. I know I'm dependent, obviously. But in no way do I take my medication to feed an addiction! I'm so happy to feel unjudged. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

I was JUST looking up Baptist East's next seminar! Several years ago when I was looking into the lapband (06/07?) I went there and liked their program but at the time all they did was lapband and I didn't think it was for me. Probably should have gone with them first lol I'm in Scottsburg. How long ago was your surgery?

In the hospital I didn't think much of his behavior because I know surgeons are top of the egotistical list, I saw him almost everyday while in the hospital that month. I wasn't in stable enough condition to transfer. At my one month and 6 month appointments I saw his nurse practitioner and not him. I didn't see him again until my one year check up and that's when he crossed the line. I haven't and won't see him again. But I do understand what you are saying. Pre-op and my initial post-op he wasn't that bad. It wasn't until my leak that he started seeing me as a walking mistake. I know he sees me as his failure and it hurts his ego. As for the stomach thing, they take 85% and he told me after my initial surgery everything went perfectly and my stomach could hold four ounces. In the seminar he "guaranteed" a 4 oz stomach. I only tested my stomach's capacity to prove my theory that I could hold way more than he stated and even promised. But because I know my stomach is larger, I meticulously measure all my food, maxing out at 6 oz if I'm having a low Protein day. Even after 4-6 oz I still physically feel hunger pains. My stomach growls. It's not head hunger, I've killed that beast lol but only eating the four ounces has effected my blood sugar and I'm hypoglycemic now, which poses a huge problem. I asked him about my meds effecting my lack of weightloss and he specifically said "your thyroid function looks perfect, it's not your medication." He's contradicted himself and wreaked havoc on me physically and emotionally. I actually started crying after I posted earlier and still am. That may not seem like much, but I don't cry lol I've never been a cryer, even as a child. This entire situation has me feeling worthless, used, and like a total failure at everything (not just weight loss)....I'm at the point of a breakdown.

At this point I'm completely lost. I have compiled and documented everything I went through and what my mother, father, stepmother, and fiancé witnessed the first week or two when I was in and out of consciousness (thank you morphine!) But I am CLUELESS as to finding an attorney. I've never had any issues with anything legal aside from jury duty. I'm well aware of the slim chance I have a case, and I know if I do it will be settled to avoid totally trashing his reputation. I hate that this is happening. My mother had a DS done by him one month after my complications and she has since lost around 120+lbs. I just say she's lost both Olsen twins. So far her surgery is going perfectly but she is developing a concern. She isn't watching her caloric intake, she gets her Protein, but she also consumes a lot of calories and is still rapidly losing weight. Whereas I have done everything by the book (diet and supplement wise) and in around 16 months have only lost around 50-60lbs. (I no longer look at the scale because it just depresses me.) I'm STILL dealing with complications from the surgery. A VERY elevated SED rate, a higher tolerance to all medications (please save the narcotics speech, I cry almost every time I have to take a pill because I know the damage and the consequences.) I strongly believe he didn't remove enough of the fundus. When I started puréed, 8 oz wasn't a problem. I have been sick once from drinking too much Water too fast, but never from overeating. I did my own cottage cheese pouch test...12 ounces before I even started feeling full! But I still always measure my meals 4-6oz as my "surgery bible" recommends for sleeve patients. As much as I hate that I'm even thinking of this, maybe I need to get the lapband or look into a sleeve revision (different surgeon of course!) I'm 5'4" and weigh 220ish give or take a few pounds. That's after a surgery that almost killed me. After a surgery I was promised by my surgeon that would get me to a healthy BMI as long as I complied. Well I've complied for over a year and nothing. I've tried boot camp, I've tried raising and lowering calories...anything an everything I've been advised to do by my nutritionist and the vets on this board and NADA. Something is not right. I digress...how on earth do I go about finding good attorneys? Not the ones with PowerPoint commercials on local channels or faces on the sides of a bus. I need help finding a handful of lawyers to present my case to, to see if it's even worth pursuing. The statute of limitation in Indiana is 2 years. So time's a wastin'! Any advice?

The Calcium was delicious! I finished a whole bottle before I realized it wasn't calcium citrate :/ The Protein was awful lol but I choked down half a bottle of it before I noticed it was collagen protein. Boo again! It was a nice chance up though.

It's been a year, I've followed my diet to a T. In that year (and 2 months) I've been diagnosed as hypoglycemic, had a huge jump in fibro pain, dealing with permanent leak complications, osteiarthritis has gotten worse, had my surgeon treat me like sh!t, looking at potential surgery for my now almost exposed tailbone, and only lost 60-65lbs (haven't been on a scale in awhile.) a sleeve test showed my sleeve can hold: wait for it- 16 ounces! I've measured and weighed everything. The sleeve has been crap for me. Low carb and high Protein has obviously done all it can and even my dietician is at a loss. So- what do you do when the sleeve stops working? It's time for other diet options. Sensa, maybe? Guide me. Advise me. Help me. I am NOT satisfied, I'm still "obese" and very depressed to have gone through so much with such minimal results. Heeeeelp!

Thank you I pm'd ya! Lupus sounds scary and always makes me want to watch House haha! I need a Dr. House! My body is a mystery, my medical files read like a novel lol

Well turns out my lovely (sarcasm) state of Indiana passed some new bill requiring any pain medication (and other drugs) that is prescribed has to be done so by an office that accommodate a physical for the given condition. This may not seem like a big deal to most people but my doctor (a psychiatrist who has chronic pain herself and also runs a suboxone PROGRAM, not clinic) who has been in charge of all my medications aside from the random ear infection and my gyn stuff now has to stop giving me my medication and I have to find a new doctor. This notice to me came on the same day she delivered bad news about my blood work, my SED rate is 75 and there was some mention of sciatica PLUS lupus, cancer, etc because my white cell count was really high, too. But my increased SED explains why I'm in MORE pain than I was previous to the sleeve. To the surgeon that said I was lying about pain....SUCK ON THAT! So I get to find another doctor. And go through allllll this again. Who knows what crazy diet, drug, or therapy I may have to try next. Mrrrrph. Hopefully something will get figured out about my pain and complete stop of weightloss. She also had done the Hashi's tests when I had my labs done. Everything checked out fine there. Here's to finding the next thing!

I've tried Diva's boot camp and had success the first couple of times (a few months out from my hospital release) but since then, nothing. And I've done a solid Protein sleeve capacity test (essentially the same as a pouch test I think) and was so depressed by how much my stomach could actually hold. I think until I can get this Hashi's testing rolling I may try 5:2 next week. My only concern is with my hypoglycemia. The "fasting" days may not work. It's so frustrating to still be taking the time to measure and pay so much attention to eating protein heavy foods and avoiding carbs as much as possible with no results :/

Crap! I keep forgetting to change that since I use my mobile devices 99% of the time.

Thank you! I'll look into that!

Due to a possible lawsuit I cannot give my surgeons name. But I did have my surgery in southern Indiana

Thank you so much! The only thing I saw on the symptoms that I don't and have never had is the goiter/thyroid swelling. I'm wondering if I do have Hashi's, if getting it under control will help with my pain and fibro? I'm about one step away from breaking down and applying for disability because I can't do anything. I sleep about 10-12 hours a day, most days I'm lucky to have the strength to go to the toilet (the rim hits right on my trigger points and I've sobbed numerous times while peeing just because of the trigger point pain.) I'm 27 and it breaks my heart to even think about being on a fixed income and giving up my dreams of a career and kids, but as things are now, that's where my life is heading. Maybe a full thyroid panel will help diagnose anything to kick start this damn weightloss! This sleeve disappointment was kind of the final straw. :/

Thank you! My D levels are right on target but the rest I will absolutely look into! What's the diet like? What is Hashimotos? That's a new one to me

I'm still contemplating a lawsuit so I need to look for a new surgeon for check ups anyway. I hate that because my current staff and NP are so amazing and sweet. I may have to pursue a surgeon in Louisville, KY instead. It'll be worth the extra drive time, but another operation is an absolute last resort in my mind right now haha

I take neurontin (gabapentin) and I think it may have a small effect on my complete lack of weightloss. Make sure your dr does regular metabolic/thyroid labs.