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Another idea - would they let you work from home for part of the time? You may be too tired the first week but by the 2nd week if no complications, you might be up to at least some part time work at home.

Here's a new update. I went home from the hospital Friday, and over the weekend became very short of breath. Monday I was readmitted. I had a moderate amount of fluid in around my right lung which was compressing my lung causing a partial collapse. They also discovered that I have extra fluid in the the sack around my heart. Yesterday they drained my lung which gave me immediate relief with my breathing. Right now the cardiologist is just going to keep a close eye on my heart to ensure it doesn't worsen. All of this extra fluid is from when I went into septic shock, they had to resuscitate me with so much fluid it just collected everywhere. Also yesterday I found out that due to my nutritional status, I am in liver disease. Today we started tube feedings through my G-tube. Hopefully this will improve my nutrition until I get get it my oral intake up. You know...... It just seems statistically impossible that one person would have this many complications. I am over 5 months out from my initial surgery and still going through this. Everyone pray I get to go home tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving with my family. God bless you all.

I'm so sorry that your progress has slowed! I know how frustrating it has to be but look on the bright side, they are just trying to get you into the best shape so you will have fewer complications after! I know it's just another delay in an already lengthy process and I'm sorry. I just hope that it will go away after the first treatment so you can keep moving and get your surgery date!! Keep us posted and know I'm sending you good energy for speedy healing!!

I am so there with you! I lost 80 pounds fairly "easily" but for almost a year I have lost nothing. I, too, am lazy and don't want to exercise! I am so tired from work, have major insomnia that nothing seems to help, and just feel like I can’t find the energy to even start. I am terrified that I am going to gain the weight I lost back and I really couldn’t handle that. Only 4 days ago a close friend who was only 2 years older than me died from complications of gastric bypass surgery. She was 47 and now she is gone. My emotions about what is going on with me are now clouded even further by feelings of guilt that I should feel happy and grateful about where I am and that I am healthy and have no complications. But I still cannot shake being unhappy that I am stuck and can’t seem to be able work my way out of this.

I hope that the doctors and surgeon on your team will use your experience to educate themselves and others about possible risks and complications. You say you had really bad reflux before the sleeve?

Several surgeons across the country have been consults on my case due to the rarity of the complications and no one is 100% sure what caused it. But their best guess has been a combination of me being short 5'3 (short torso, short stomach, shorter sleeve) and my anatomy ( the curvature of my stomach and the way it empties. I have read studies that say short people tend to feel more restriction. Not so sure I could have prevented this one.

When I started thinking about WLS, I was considering all options. I wasn't big enough for bi-pass so I was considering lap band or sleeve. I decided on the sleeve after seeing the complications of people I knew had lap bands. My friend's lap band eroded her stomach after 3-4 yrs and had to be removed. She ended up being horribly sick with infections for like a year before fully healing/recovering from it being removed. She ended up getting sleeved last September and said she wished the sleeve had been around when she got the lap band cos the sleeve is way better. I also have an uncle & aunt who have lap bands. They basically never lost any weight and had trouble eating without feeling sick.

I'm also highly prone to gout. Is this complication only right after the surgery or is it a long-term problem?? thanks

I am definitely feeling a bit discouraged right now. I've had the gastric band since January 2011. Since the very beginning, I've had the throwing up/regurgitating. It doesn't matter what I eat. If I have any restriction at all, I'm throwing up 2-3 times per day. My current surgeon (not the one who did the surgery) also said according to the X-ray, my band is slightly higher than it should be, but not technically "out of place". They had to loosen my band, and since then (2 months ago), I've gained about 15-20lbs back. My HW 300, SW 290, LW 220, and CW 270. My surgeon said he'd do everything he can to help me. I've done the nutrition class (again) and the psych evaluation. They submitted to insurance yesterday, and she said I should hear back within 2-3 weeks if I'm approved or not. But I've been reading A LOT of stories of people being denied for revision unless there is a serious complication with the band. I have BCBSNC. The insurance company that originally paid for my gastric band surgery was Tricare Prime, by Dr. William Richards in Mobile, Alabama.

Scared scared scared Very scared! I just don't want any complications after. I have 2 small kids Very scared!

Hey guys wanted to check in and see how everyone is doing? I am in the hospital again dehydrated and hurting. I will make it through this and I know some of you have had complications so I am praying for you just like you have done for me!!!

Ask about the costs of fills, and how he bills you after surgery Discuss complications Discuss who does the fills (is it him himself? or a nurse practitioner?) Ask about dietary guidelines pre-op and post-op Ask if he had a supportive practice (nutritionist, support groups etc.)

I am pre-op for my sleeve so take my advice for what it is! I had the lap band about 10 years ago, and realize now I was not ready for the band when I had it placed. I am also a over eater and realized through several years of therapy that I actually had BED (Binge Eating Disorder). Once I started to get help for that, everything else fell into line. I am no longer gaining weight but instead am maintaining my weight (I also feel prepared for my sleeve!). Something to think about, as food is a complex and complicated issue for most of us. If you constantly feel like you are beating your head against a wall, sometimes it is time for some outside help to give you some coping skills. I first started with overeaters anonymous, and then went on to counseling sessions.

I really, really hate to be treated like I am stupid; one of my "buttons" so to speak. So here I am on Rants and Raves asking for your help. I had gastric sleeve surgery a year ago. I have told no one that I had surgery. So posting this is my way of reaching out to someone besides my husband. After the surgery, my surgeon told my husband that everything went very smoothly. After a few hours my blood pressure was dropping below 70/30, the nurse called "a staff assist." About ten people suddenly yet calmly came into my room, surrounding my bed, attaching equipment etc. I was rushed back into another 2 and 1/2 hours of surgery. My husband and I were told that the surgeon checked and re-checked everything and never could find the cause of my internal bleeding. "It happens," we were told. We accepted that I was one of the few who have complications with gastric sleeve surgery. I was sent home on a step one, liquid diet for three weeks, gradually progressing to full liquids then mushies and so on. I was hospitalized about two weeks after my surgery when I experienced syncope, i.e. I passed out. I was taken off my bp meds. The hospitalist visited me in my room and casually mentioned that he'd been there when I went into surgery the second time. He said that he'd never seen anyone squirt blood like I did and that they used all the factor X coagulant on hand during my surgery. A year passes. I never see the surgeon again. I've been having follow-up visits and lab work at the bariatric center every three months. I recently went to my general practitioner to update my status with her as I haven't seen her since my gastric sleeve surgery. She calls up my surgical records on the computer and there I see what I expect with one big surprise - "Repair Perf Duod/gast ulc- wnd/inj." I was reading the computer screen, over her shoulder, at an angle and it didn't register clearly while I was sitting there. Wait! My duodenum is the beginning third of my small intestine. Gastric sleeve surgery shouldn't involve that part of my body. No wonder I was on a liquid diet for so long. My husband and I had directly asked both the surgeon and the PA why I needed the second surgery. Both told us the same thing, i.e. that I had unexplained internal bleeding. I haven't been back to this bariatric center of excellence since discovering the new information. Now I've poked around and found my online summaries of each follow-up visit. They bear little resemblance to what actually happened at the visits. We did not discuss mal-absorption, nor did I have Vitamin B-12 or Vitamin D deficiencies etc. It looks like "cut and paste" notes to us. So now I know more about what really happened. What should I do with this knowledge? Thank God that the surgeon was able to save my life and just move on? Stay silent, keep up my bariatric exams, while relying on my GP for my real medical care? Call them on it and change doctors? (The PA always responds to my questions with a blank look and then a smile when I have questions. She usually has no answer and never offers to find out anything.) I live in a remote rural part of the state and would have to travel many hours to see another bariatric doctor. This bariatric center of excellence is the life blood of this small hospital as it is nearly empty otherwise. They ran every possible test that insurance would pay for including echo cardiogram and a scan of my gallbladder. There were no babies in the nursery and only a few patients hospitalized. When I was hospitalized with syncope, they sent my nurse home for lack of work when I checked out a day early. She was NOT happy with me and commented that it was a good thing her husband was the primary breadwinner. I know I need to keep up my lab work for the rest of my life. Perhaps my GP cannot order those tests. She seemed really reluctant to be involved in any potential dispute with the bariatric center. Thank you for reading this. Any constructive suggestions?

My surgery is tommorow and my anxiety is peaking in fear of complications. I have had some pretty horrible events occur in my lifetime and am afraid im going to be the special case with dominoing complications. Please let me know how you got past the anxiety.

In reading your story, I'd be mad too, although why don't you just ask your surgeon specifically what happened? A duodenal ulcer is something you would have had before surgery and if it was torn, it wasn't necessarily a medical mistake. Ulcers in general can bleed, and where the duodenum is anatomically located, in theory they would have had to cross over it to get to your stomach. Just brushing against the area in a person who did not have a pre-existing ulcer wouldn't cause an issue, but for someone who may have an ulcer, which without being traumatized can bleed, a very minor surgical movement that would have had no effect on someone else could have caused the problem. Also, healing from a torn ulcer takes awhile, but isn't the same thing as if they had accidentally ripped open your duodenum and then told you it wasn't their fault. If they had known the ulcer existed, they could have taken extra precautions, but given they may not have, your complication may not have actually been a medical mistake as much as an actual complication where no blame would be assigned. That being said, that could totally not be what happened and they could have absolutely lied to you entirely, but if you give them the benefit of the doubt and you ask for an explanation, it potentially saves you from having to switch doctors and from all of the anger you're feeling right now. Also, if they can explain it, then it saves you the money of a malpractice suit, because telling you that you had a complication, when you did in fact have a complication that had nothing to do with their "reasonable standard" of care, would not give you a valid claim. I totally get that you're mad and I would be too...but maybe just double-check with them the facts of what actually happened to make sure that your anger is as merited as it seems to be. In the end it saves you time and energy, and costs you nothing. If they stonewall you and refuse to answer the question...then see an attorney because that would be a huge red flag for potential negligence and their insurance would likely settle.

I am an er nurse so I understand ur problem here, but all I can say is that it is worth it. I too was soooo scared of surgery since I had never had it before and post op complications and is this still too new of a procedure ect. Looking back now I know it was a little silly to be soo scared, and I did all the research I'm sure u will too about complications, death/mortality rates ect...I even looked up my specific mds rates online... like said above, only u can make this choice, the band won't work for u until u work for it, but ur still young and have children u want to be around for...I think after u do ur own research you will make the best decision for you

None. I couldn't be happier with my surgery experience, recovery, and progress so far. It was my first surgery ever so I had no idea what to expect. The worst part of the whole experience was the pre-op uncertainty. My advice? Do everything you are asked to do by your team (pre- and post-op) even if you think you can't or think it is silly. Everything you are asked to do is for your benefit and to minimize risks and complications.

I hit wonderland too but so unhappy about just spending seven days in the hospital due to my sleeve narrowing where my band was that created scar tissue. I had to have another surgery last Wednesday to balloon it and get it open. I'm so depressed I don't even care about the weight. I had sleeve surgery five weeks ago and had such a hard time recovering and now this. By week five I was supposed to be on soft meats and advanced and I'm still on full liquids with all kinds of surgery pain again where they opened me up. I'm sorry I did this surgery and I'm in a very bad place mentally. I know one day I will be happy to be in wonderland. I'm just so sick and weak I can't be happy and wear jeans and be happy. So for the venting but I had to get it out.

Hi! Welcome to the site. What were your complications? Are you ok now? Donna

Hi! I've had my band for a year (today!), but just recently found this forum. I would get the band again in a heartbeat, but have had a couple of complications and am looking to learn more about others' experiences. Looking forward to getting to know you all! Jeanne

@@emsgirl114, hematomas are a very common complication and it doesn't mean that something went wrong. However, when a hematoma is that extensive it is typically opened up, drained, and sometimes a JP device is placed for 2 or 3 days to allow further drainage of the wound, and patients are placed on antibiotics. If your hematoma was large enough that it caused your blood pressure to drop when it burst opened, your surgeon should have had you come in for treatment. Your second picture does look better but the dehiscence of that surgical site will need medical care.

Hi my name is Bansterboy1 and I'm from Perth Dr Stephen Watson did my band last October and i had 3 months of complications nothing to do with the Dr i have lost 80 KG and still losing never been happier. If anyone needs some advice just ask

Here, here Jacqui. Couldn't have put it better myself. People keep telling me if I lose another 15-20 pounds I'll be too skinny. I'll actually still be at the top of the range for a normal BMI for my height and will still have curves. The bottom line for me is that I didn't get cut open, have surgery and endure all of this (which to be honest, hasn't been bad at all, I've had no major/serious complications, but still, its been a lifestyle change) to still be overweight (which *still* I am now). I want to be slim, fit and healthy, damnit. lol.

Xavtay2, Thanks for taking the time to read and respond. PLEASE do hold on that you will be approved through insurance and keep reading . I will keep fingers crossed for you! There is still the 1 percent chance of complication but, honestly for me it was worth it. My "ah-ha" moment was when someone said to me "how many morbidly obese senior citizens do you see?". I really struggled with that because I wanted to live in retirement with my hubby so nothing was going to stop me. I did have an abscess and end up with a second surgery 15 days after I was released from my sleeve, which required treatments to grow cells/tissue in my tummy area but never have regretted my decision. Wishing the best to you!