Hi All.
I'm preparing for gastric bypass reversal December 3.
I had gastric bypass RNY in 2004.
I had little to no complications the first 2 years. Then I started having extreme stomach pain.
After several tests they found no cause and decided I had slow bowels that were causing painful constipation.
After several years of on and off stomach pain, I ended up in the ER where they found an internal hernia that
was strangulated between my liver and my kidneys.
Apparently during the time of my original gastric bypass there was an area of the abdomen that was left vulnerable
to internal hernias. They say that they no longer have that problem in current surgeries.
Anyways, I died on the table that night. But they revived me, and corrected the hernia.
My original rny was laparoscopic. With the internal hernia, I went into the ER with the severe stomach pain, then woke up
with a long vertical scar on my stomach that looked like a large zipper, was a little shocking.
1 year later I ended up in the ER because the scar tissue from the open stomach surgery a year before, had given
me a blocked bowel. Once again I woke up with the whole zipper down the front. This time they had to go around
the other side of my belly button for some reason, so I now had "train tracks" down the lower part of my stomach.
2 years later, after I'd been working out quite a bit, they found that the seam line of my scar hadn't healed all the way properly.
One surgeon said it was like Swiss cheese.
So, they went back in and sewed in a mesh to protect my seam line from further hernias.
After the first emergency surgery, I noticed I had hypoglycemia every 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Year by year, I started needing to eat more often. But I was able to keep the weight off.
About a year ago, I got to where I need to eat every 40-50 minutes or I get "sick."
And started gaining weight.
I asked my primary care for help, but he told me he too has hypoglycemia and just make sure I eat properly.
I finally researched severe reactive hypoglycemia, and severe dumping syndrome, printed out info from the NIH website,
and took it with me.
Finally I got sent to a bariatric surgeon for help.
He sent me to an endocrinologist who implanted a Continuous blood glucose monitor for 6 days. (That thing was so cool! It takes
your blood sugar reading every 5 minutes.)
It was found that any time I ate even just 1 1/2 grams of carbs my blood sugar would drop by 60-80 points within 40-60 minutes...causing me to need to eat again, to keep from passing out.
When I ate only Protein, my blood sugar would stay on the low side, which left me no energy at all. I could go for about 90 minutes before my blood sugar would drop...but even just eating protein would trigger the blood sugar drop.
It was found that the hole between my stomach pouch, which is still quite small, and the attached intestine has become over large, so the food is dropping straight into my intestines, and triggering my pancreas to produce extra insulin.
The hardest part is going to the store etc, and if I get involved and don't pay attention to the clock, I can suddenly feel a flushing feeling, and
feel like I'm going to pass out immediately if I don't eat.
It's become very difficult to go anywhere away from the house.
Would I have gastric bypass if I knew all about this, NO.
I have grown to appreciate Energy. Energy levels. I enjoy working with horses and being active, but have been unable to for the past 2 years. I cannot count on maintaining enough energy from hour to hour.
My goal, to be able to eat something and maintain good stable energy for 3 hours or so.
I didn't have the gastric bypass so I could need to lie down all the time. I envisioned being more active and having More energy as
as a thinner person.
If you have good energy, and you just don't like the way you look etc, Please don't have this surgery.
I only recommend it for people who have immediate heart and serious medical issues due to their weight.
I looked my new bariatric surgeon in the eye and told him I wouldn't mind gaining all my weight back, if it means I can have good
consistent energy every day.
Gastric bypass so drastically alters our anatomy. I may never have proper digestion again.
I hope my story helps someone!
