Life STINKS after surgery

[4romatl 0]

This is my week 7 post op. I read a lot of messages on this forum and posted a lot of questions before my surgery. So I thought I had done my research and this was the right thing for me. Boy was I wrong. If you are considering vertical sleeve surgery (or any bariatic surgery), and are not more then 100lbs over weight, please read this message.

I have been a healthy person all my life (40 yrs old). The worst sickness I ever got in my whole life was the flu once in a while. I have had a history of weight gain and loss all my life. At the time I decided to go through the vertical sleeve surgery, I was 80lbs over weight, and my knees hurt when climbing stairs due to my high weight. I would have also developed diabetes if I had not lost weight. I also felt that I didn't have enough energy [i wanted to play with my kids].

I had to wait 6 months before surgery (insurance requirement). My nutrition counseling visits were a joke. I gained another 20 lbs thinking o, I am going to loose all this weight after the surgery so let me eat up for the last time. My surgeon told me that I will be out of work for 2 weeks post surgery (which I naively assumed to mean it will take me 2 weeks to get better).

After the surgery, every second of my life has been hell. Now, I am constantly sick. I have non stop nausea. I have bile comming up from my stomach and living happily ever after in my mouth all day every day. My taste buds have changed so that smells from any food make me gag. I am not able to eat or drink ANYTHING to save my life or give myself energy for any length of time. Most days, I don't even have the energy to speak much less walk. I am constantly dehydrated and lethargic. I look and feel like a zombie. [Remember I wanted to play with my kids :-( ]. My back hurts so bad that I have to wake up in the middle of night and support myself with my arms instead of my back.

All my follow up visits with the surgeon have been same. O' you are healing well, the incisions look good. You just need to eat more Protein and drink more Water.< /p>

I recently made a list of all that I used to do with my extra weight and low energy and I am not able to do A SINGLE thing from that list anymore due to this surgery and its consequences on my body!!!!

If I had used the 6 months prior and 2 months post surgery to honestly trying to loose weight, instead of opting for the surgery, I would have lost enough weight to put me in a healthier body. I didn't have to screw up my body to the point that WHATEVER IS DONE CAN'T BE UNDONE!!!

I don't know if I will feel better in 3 months or 6 months or never. Imagine the guilt I feel for turning myself from a healthy person to a sick lethargic one. If you want to loose weight so you have energy to do things, THIS SURGERY IS NOT THE ANSWER.

There is more. The surgeons de-emphasize or blatantly don't tell the long term consiquences. You know how they tell you that you will have to eat extra Vitamins after the surgery. The exact truth is...The part of your stomach that processes some vitamins (B for example) is mostly cut out. Your body is no longer able to process it doesn't matter how much extra vitamins you take. You will have to be monitored for Vitamin deficiencies for the rest of your life. Eventually, you will have to get Iron infusions or Vitamin B shots once you develop these deficiencies.

I wish I had gotten banded instead. Atleast, I had a way to undo the damage I have done to my body and my health.

If my email doesn't convince you, Please go see a gastro doctor or some other kind of specialist (other then your surgeon), who see patients who have gotten bariatric surgeries done. Ask them about long term complications. Since my surgery I have talked to two gastro specialists and both of them told me about the deficiencies and how they see patients like these all the time. And now I have to go through a ton of more procedures to make sure there is nothing wrong with my surgery. I am wasting so much time and money, this surgery has consumed my life.

My goal was to be healthy, not to be screwed for the rest of my life. And I feel the later is what actually happened. Please do more research then read about the happy customers on this support group.

[DougNichols 124]

Did you at least lose some weight?

[goodlife 3]

I am very sorry that you're going through such a rough time.

[mp8btpc 33]

4ROmatl: I am so sorry that you have had this response to the surgery. You are correct this surgery isn't the answer to all lifes problems or even all weight issues. People need to think about it long and hard. I can imagine that if I was having the difficulty you were having that I would feel the same way. I hope that the nausea and other issues clear up and that you are able to live normally. I can state from my own experience that I feel 100% like my old pre-op self only I can't eat a whole lot but I do crave food that is better for me and make better choices.

Thank you though for putting out there the other side of the coin. I think it is always important for people to understand that no weight loss surgery is all roses and candy.< /p>

[Butrcupz622 1]

Sorry to read that you've been having such a rough time. Evidently, this surgery isn't for everyone and it certainly isn't a quick fix for those who may think so. Every decision made has its adverse side effects. I believe this surgery shouldn't be offered to those who aren't severly overweight but we all struggle with our weight, self-esteem issues as well as medical conditions. I hope that you will begin to feel better in the long run and find the energy to spend with your children. Take care.

[Tiffykins 673]

I hate to hear of your complications, and hope you are able to get some answers soon. Since your surgeon isn't addressing these issues, have you considered finding a new surgeon?

I consulted with several doctors including an oncologist, gastroenterologist, my PCM, and my ob/gyn before considering VSG as a second surgery from the band, and none of them knew each other professionally, or personally, all of them had the same general consensus that VSG is the one WLS with the least complications short term and long term. My oncologist actually gave me articles on how having VSG decreases my risk of cancer. The deficiencies and complications you are experiencing are not the norm, and definitely not published in any articles as being the norm recovery based on this surgery as a WLS or for the 100000's of patients that suffer from stomach cancer and ulcers.

Complications happen, I had a whole slew of them, but with my medical team behind me, and my desire to be healthy, I overcame them, and am living a very healthy, active, and fully-functioning life. So, not all journeys start off daisies and rainbows, mine sure didn't, but there is hope, and people do recover from their complications and go on to lead very wonderful lives post-VSG.

Best wishes in your recovery.

[Bryn 3]

I am sorry you had to experience this :-(

My heart aches for you; especially since you are in essence, worse now than before. From reading this, it seems like your surgeon isn't really caring for you the way you need to be; not guiding you in the right direction. From what I know/heard of, I thought any WLS was suppose to be performed on those who are at least 100lbs overweight( I am unsure if it differs from the variety of surgeries).

I truly wish that you get healthier and your quality of life improves. Stories like these make you think twice, but also think "I need to see for myself". No one deserves what you are experiencing. So much luck to you.

My surgeon is making me see a load of other health care professionals including a gastro doc, cardiologist, exercise physiologists, etc so that I understand the magnitude of the surgery and it's complications. I am grateful for that

Wish you well and thanks for sharing your story

[BlackBerryJuice 349]

Sorry you've had such a rough time. While most of us have a good experience with the VSG, it's important to hear that just like any surgery, there are risks. It's too bad you ended up in the minority that encounters difficulties. I'm less than 100 lbs overweight and have been happy with my surgery; I had some nausea and other issues in the 3rd week, but that went away within a few days and I've felt fine since. I think it's very important to tell your surgeon flat out that YOU don't think you are healing well at all and demand that he address your concerns, as it sounds like your quality of life has decreased an awful lot. I'm not sure why you have bile coming up, I think your pyloric sphincter may have been damaged during the operation (bile is normally in the small intestine, not stomach). I would definitely mention this particular issue to your surgeon, as that sounds a bit suspicious to me.

Also, I just wanted to comment for any others who might read this thread - Iron absorption is not affected by this, as Iron is absorbed in the small intestine, not stomach. Iron absorption will be reduced while you are on a PPI, so it's recommended to take an iron supplement until you are no longer taking PPIs. The only things absorbed in the stomach are alcohol and aspirin. B12 is absorbed in the small intestine with the help of something called the intrinsic factor, which is produced in the stomach. The amount of cells producing it is decreased after surgery, so B12 deficiency is, indeed, a possibility. However, taking a shot resolves that problem, and I think these shots are only to be done once every month or 3 months, so it's not as huge of a commitment, as, say, taking care of the diabetes one could develop from being morbidly obese.

[Tiffykins 673]

Also, I just wanted to comment for any others who might read this thread - Iron absorption is not affected by this, as Iron is absorbed in the small intestine, not stomach. Iron absorption will be reduced while you are on a PPI, so it's recommended to take an iron supplement until you are no longer taking PPIs. The only things absorbed in the stomach are alcohol and aspirin. B12 is absorbed in the small intestine with the help of something called the intrinsic factor, which is produced in the stomach. The amount of cells producing it is decreased after surgery, so B12 deficiency is, indeed, a possibility. However, taking a shot resolves that problem, and I think these shots are only to be done once every month or 3 months, so it's not as huge of a commitment, as, say, taking care of the diabetes one could develop from being morbidly obese.

I don't take additional iron as my multi gives me 100%, and can eat iron rich foods. Also, b12 can be taken in pill form as well. My multi has 200% of my daily for b12 and I take a sublingual b12 a few times a week so we don't all have to have injections.

I've never had any deficiencies of any Vitamin or mineral including copper and selenium. Just wanted to throw out that iron is not always required as a supplement on top of our multi.

[MuffinsMom 5]

I'm so sorry to hear you're having these kinds of problems. From the sound of it, most issues arise from your nausea and the gastric acid (probably not bile) coming up from your stomach. Please insist that your surgeon address these issues! You can get anti-nausea med, and start or change your PPI, take it twice a day (or more), take an H2 blocker like Pepcid every once in a while. You won't have to do these things for the rest of your life, but for now they sure can make a difference. I know.

I never experienced nausea, but had serious gas from acid, couldn't put anything in my stomach without tremendous pain/upward pressure and belching. It was affecting my ability to get liquids and nutrition in, same as you. Major change for the worse in my quality of life, and I was starting to question why I did this to myself also. I finally checked with my surgeon's office and was advised that I may have become lactose intolerant, and that my pre-surgery stomach acid issues may have temporarily worsened after surgery. So I laid off the dairy, increased my PPI to twice a day, added Pepcid for the once-in-a-while acid (which I seem to take about twice a day on average), slowed down my eating, took smaller bites and chewed well, and all that has made a HUGE difference. My quality of life has simply turned a corner, and I know yours will too.

Take the bull by the horns. You have a problem to solve, and you have the power to solve it, with your surgeon's help. If you don't get help there, find another surgeon for your post-op care. You can do it!

[Jane_J 117]

I am sorry you are having a bad time. I had the same op and have not had any of these difficulties. It sounds like you are having the side effects of a bypass not a sleeve, which is weird. I take Vitamin suppliments including sublingual B12 and do not need any shots or amy medication at all. I think you need to go back to your doctors as your experience does not sound right at all. Dehydration is dangerous and you need the surgeon to take your problems seriously, or change doctor. I researched the ops myself and believe me this is a far better option than the band or doing nothing for me anyway.

Jane x

[LittleSteve 5]

Thanks for your post 4romatl, would love to here if things get better for you.

[bearwitme 1]

I am sorry that you are having these issues with your surgery. I have not been sleeved yet but I am scheduled for next month. Your message has not convinced me not to have this surgery. Why ?? Because I have done my home work. I know bout the nausea, I know about the Vitamins, Water intake, protien and the B-12. I even know what size bougie my surgeaon is going to use. And also that the hunger harmone is also in the part of the stomach that will be removed. Heck if things don't go well while they are working on me there is always the possiblity that they have to do the By-Pass instead. This is not something to go into blindly. You are correct in stating that one should do more research. I wish you the best and hope that things change for the better. :001_smile:

This is my week 7 post op. I read a lot of messages on this forum and posted a lot of questions before my surgery. So I thought I had done my research and this was the right thing for me. Boy was I wrong. If you are considering vertical sleeve surgery (or any bariatic surgery), and are not more then 100lbs over weight, please read this message.

I have been a healthy person all my life (40 yrs old). The worst sickness I ever got in my whole life was the flu once in a while. I have had a history of weight gain and loss all my life. At the time I decided to go through the vertical sleeve surgery, I was 80lbs over weight, and my knees hurt when climbing stairs due to my high weight. I would have also developed diabetes if I had not lost weight. I also felt that I didn't have enough energy [i wanted to play with my kids].

I had to wait 6 months before surgery (insurance requirement). My nutrition counseling visits were a joke. I gained another 20 lbs thinking o, I am going to loose all this weight after the surgery so let me eat up for the last time. My surgeon told me that I will be out of work for 2 weeks post surgery (which I naively assumed to mean it will take me 2 weeks to get better).

After the surgery, every second of my life has been hell. Now, I am constantly sick. I have non stop nausea. I have bile comming up from my stomach and living happily ever after in my mouth all day every day. My taste buds have changed so that smells from any food make me gag. I am not able to eat or drink ANYTHING to save my life or give myself energy for any length of time. Most days, I don't even have the energy to speak much less walk. I am constantly dehydrated and lethargic. I look and feel like a zombie. [Remember I wanted to play with my kids :-( ]. My back hurts so bad that I have to wake up in the middle of night and support myself with my arms instead of my back.

All my follow up visits with the surgeon have been same. O' you are healing well, the incisions look good. You just need to eat more Protein and drink more Water.< /p>

I recently made a list of all that I used to do with my extra weight and low energy and I am not able to do A SINGLE thing from that list anymore due to this surgery and its consequences on my body!!!!

If I had used the 6 months prior and 2 months post surgery to honestly trying to loose weight, instead of opting for the surgery, I would have lost enough weight to put me in a healthier body. I didn't have to screw up my body to the point that WHATEVER IS DONE CAN'T BE UNDONE!!!

I don't know if I will feel better in 3 months or 6 months or never. Imagine the guilt I feel for turning myself from a healthy person to a sick lethargic one. If you want to loose weight so you have energy to do things, THIS SURGERY IS NOT THE ANSWER.

There is more. The surgeons de-emphasize or blatantly don't tell the long term consiquences. You know how they tell you that you will have to eat extra Vitamins after the surgery. The exact truth is...The part of your stomach that processes some vitamins (B for example) is mostly cut out. Your body is no longer able to process it doesn't matter how much extra vitamins you take. You will have to be monitored for Vitamin deficiencies for the rest of your life. Eventually, you will have to get Iron infusions or Vitamin B shots once you develop these deficiencies.

I wish I had gotten banded instead. Atleast, I had a way to undo the damage I have done to my body and my health.

If my email doesn't convince you, Please go see a gastro doctor or some other kind of specialist (other then your surgeon), who see patients who have gotten bariatric surgeries done. Ask them about long term complications. Since my surgery I have talked to two gastro specialists and both of them told me about the deficiencies and how they see patients like these all the time. And now I have to go through a ton of more procedures to make sure there is nothing wrong with my surgery. I am wasting so much time and money, this surgery has consumed my life.

My goal was to be healthy, not to be screwed for the rest of my life. And I feel the later is what actually happened. Please do more research then read about the happy customers on this support group.

[GayleSBennett 0]

Thank you for your post. Since I'm a newbie, its nice to know the information isn't filtered on the board to only give positive posts.

I am sorry that you're going through a rough time. I also know that I can't offer any additional words of comfort that the other wonderful people have. But know I'll be thinking of you and would like to check in with you every so often to see if life gets any better. Unfortunately since there is no turning around.. all you can do is move ahead and be the best mom and playmate for your kids. =)

Take care.

[anninva 12]

thanks so much for your post. i'm just in the pre-op stage and it's vital for me (and others who are just starting out) to be reminded that this is serious surgery and that we will be living altered lives for the rest of our lives. it's easy to read about success stories, but so important to hear the other side of the coin as well.

i'm so sorry that things suck so much right now. it just sounds awful. lots of good ideas from others, so i won't go into advice that i'm not even qualified to give, but it does seem like your surgeon sucks at aftercare and i wonder if another doc would help??

take good care. you are in my thoughts.