I wish they knew more about gastric bypass. I am 10 years post of. My surgeries (yes plural) were a nightmare. The first one laperscoptic was fine except unknown to me or the surgeon I had a hernia so when I got home and was throwing up and so ill my best friend rushed me back to the hospital only to be rushed into surgery to operate on the hernia and now I had a full 10" incision on my stomach but still not awful until the the surgeon had them remove my stitches. I went home and within few hours I coughed and my intestines burst out. I called the clinic and they told me to just come in it was just my stomach as I am holding my intestines in my hand. I had seen enough intestines during all my pre-opt visits to know them when I saw them. My best friends loaded me in the car and drove me to the clinic. It took 4 nurses and aides to get me out. I had no stomach muscles so I was no help and a gaping hole where my belly button was. The Dr. (not the gastric Dr.) looked and said yep her intestines have burst out. I was ammbulanced to the hospital and prepped for yet another surgery. I was so dehydrated they couldn't find a vein so I was wide awake in the operating room talking to the Dr's and staff that had done the other two surgeries. The anethesologist had to put in the IV and put me under. I also got pneumonia while I was in the hospital. The only good thing was the original surgeon who did the other two surgeries was unavailable so the Dr. that had assisted him did the third surgery. I have permanent packing and permanent stitches where they put the intestines back in. I am so glad the original surgeon was not available. I had so much pain medication that I was incoherent. It took me two months to be able to get around to the point that I could walk up stairs. Another year and half to really heal. I lost 140#s and have kept off most of it. But I have so many things wrong with me. Things which I believer are directly related to the bypass but no one really knows the long term effect of bypass. The unknown is the scariest part. No one warned me of the complications I endured. 10 years later I have no idea what I am going to face and with age related issues coming into play I just don't know. I have been asked would I do it again and my answer is no. It is no short cut. I exercise and watch my diet. I can tell when I have eaten something I shouldn't have as it feels like a gas furnace goes off inside. I start sweating and feel ill. Medication is only half way effective. I will be on Vitamins for the rest of my life but can't take the gastric chewable vitamins as I have IC and can not have any citric acid because of it and I am lactose intolerant another side effect of the bypass. Bypass is not for the faint of heart. Get as much information as you can before you decide to do it.
