Post Gastric Sleeve Surgery Pain - Md's Giving Enought Attention To Emergent Conditions?

[Pookeyism 1,143]

I pose this to everyone. I have noticed alot of posts, blogs or mentioning (here and elsewhere), that post operative pain and persistent conditions are beginning to trend to MD's, their staff and other MD's post op - and even sleevers - that pain and discomfort is typical. If it is not easily diagnosed or found in a test it is "probably ________", fill in the blank. Gas, bloating, settling (wtf you aren't supposed to "settle", they took out a part of your stomach, they didn't detach it and leave it to float around)!

This alarms me. We are taking this big step, and the improvements on mortality are getting better everyday for post-op sleevers, but there seems to be a trend for post-op pain to be explained away into this category of "it is what it is". If you had an apendectomy and you still felt pain months later, or developed pain in another area of your bowel, no doctor would go "it was where you had an apendectomy, it happens".

It should not be OK within the medical community to allow themselves to ignore cronic pain of any kind - that means the patient is still in pain! You should not be left alone afterwards, you should be offered therapy for the pain if a solution cannot be found. Pain meds, qualified abdominal massage, heat therapy. If nothing else works, why aren't people being offered anti-inflammatory meds or antibiotics? If you experience relief after, you at least begin to pinpoint the situation. Hit and miss with drugs is a last resort, but is an accepted therapy in other people - why not sleevers? I very rarely come across posts where the doctor checked a patient out for an emergent heart condition or heart attack!!!

We were an ignored group for so long. Shadow sufferers that are just now being understood in the medical community as this being more than just willpower to loose weight. Why now are we faltering in this fight, and allowing ourselves less that complete recovery?

Is this a rant? I do not know...I just feel so frustrated, and concerned, and ANGRY that I see so many posts for my VGS fellows that are hurting, and it does not seem to always get enough attention - and the more it persists, the less attention it gets.

My science theory and eval teacher would now tell me that I have pinpointed my general topic, isolated a target, recognized the problem, and now I find a solution...but I can't find a solution for everyone, for anyone. I am not a doctor. This is damn frustrating. Does anyone know of a general advocacy group for post-sleeve chronic complications?

[Lissa 2,631]

One of the reasons I chose my doctor is that my best friend is an ER nurse in the hospital where he performs VSG surgeries. She has seen him drag into the ER at 2am because one of his patients was there for something unrelated to the VSG. He IS an advocate for his patients. I like that about him.

The other reason I'm so happy with him and his staff is that I can call in and ask what I think are stupid questions and they are never snarky in their answers. My pulmonary doc had a cow when I told him I wanted to start taking Calcium and immediately ordered me to take Tums instead. I called Dr D's office and they took my question directly to him and came back with an affirmative answer in seconds. I've called for other minor questions and been treated exactly the same.

I think it would be great if everyone's surgeon was like mine, but most are not. My PCP stinks, IMO and will be changed after the first of the year. But, our responsibility to ourselves is to keep insisting on medical help/care if we aren't getting the care we need. I'd be dead if I didn't have a big mouth and lots of chutzpah. When I had pneumonia last year, the original doctor treated me like a drug seeker and sent me home. I took the antibiotics for a few days, then trundled my happy self right back into that ER and insisted that I was going to be checked out. I ended up being admitted for six days and on major antibiotics.

So, I agree that there is a double standard in the medical community. My PCP kept blaming every problem I had on my weight. But, I think that you also have to factor in that many obese people have underlying issues that make us reluctant to rock the boat. We often eat our problems rather than dealing with them. It's often harder for us to stand up and be proactive for ourselves because we have learned to hole up somewhere and be quiet.

[Pookeyism 1,143]

Very true. I went undiagnosed as a diabetic for about 5 years. The doctor doing my VGS is actually the doctor that diagnosed me! He has helped me save myself once, I am counting on him doing it again!

[Lissa 2,631]

I diagnosed my son's diabetes and still had problems with the doctor when I took him in for the "official" diagnosis. That's a tough row to hoe. I'm glad that you are finally getting the care you need and that you will soon be sleeved. Hopefully, your diabetes will soon be a thing of the past!

Good luck!

[Pookeyism 1,143]

I diagnosed my son's diabetes and still had problems with the doctor when I took him in for the "official" diagnosis. That's a tough row to hoe. I'm glad that you are finally getting the care you need and that you will soon be sleeved. Hopefully, your diabetes will soon be a thing of the past!

Good luck!

Thank you. I am sorry your son was diagnosed, but very glad you were able to catch it!