Weight regain and outcome after revision

[WendiM1971 5]

Well, hello everyone! I just happened to come across this site while researching. I wish I'd have found it much sooner!. So, I need some assistance. Please be forewarned, this will be a rather long post so, if you don't want to read too much, I won't be offended....feel free to stop reading!!

I had DS surgery in 2013 and until the end of 2015, enjoyed a wonderful outcome of weight loss (down to 155 lbs) and pretty much, eating as I pleased and staying at the same weight, within 5 lbs. I decided to have the plastic surgery for the removal of excess skin from my arms as well as a breast lift and augmentation (but with my own tissue, not implants, a story for another time!) in January last year. A couple of days before my scheduled surgery, I was having some issues with something I had not experienced since DS...constipation. I didn't think much of it. Just rolled with it. The night before surgery, I started with horrible stomach pains, continued Constipation and cold sweats. Because I didn't want to lose my surgery deposit, and I was feeling ok the next morning, I went ahead with the surgery. It went well and I was sent home the same day to recover. I was still constipated and the following day, began vomiting and started with the worse pain I'd ever felt in my life. (Side note: I am disabled with permanent nerve damage in my neck and can no longer work.....and I have had two neck surgeries (among MANY others). So, I feel like I've experienced pain unlike most people have.) The pain on that day got so bad, I could not get up off of the bathroom floor and ended up calling 911. I was left on a gurney in the ER hallway for hours screaming in pain. The EMTs decided that since I had had surgery the day prior, that was what was causing my pain instead of letting me see a doctor right away. When I finally got to see one, the CT scan he ordered scared him so much that he immediately called one of the doctors in my bariatiic practice (of whom he was a friend) and sent me 45 minutes away to another hospital via ambulance for emergency surgery. I had an obstruction that was so severe, my small intestine had become necrotic. The doctor told me a couple of days later, if I had arrived at the hospital an hour later, I would be dead. After a miserable six day stay in the hospital, I was sent home to recover, finally able to eat somewhat normal food again! For the next couple of months, I stayed full of Fluid to the tune of not being able to get in my clothes. I was also still expierencing constipaation. About two months later, I gained 20lbs in a three week period. I was devastated but was comforted by my surgeon who was certain the weight gain was a symptom of the consipation. Regardless, going up from a size 8 to a 12 put me even deeper than my normal level of depression (related to self esteem issues, family issues, etc). I started on a journey of doctor visits, medications and other "remedies" for this problem I was having. I even ended up giving myself daily injections of a prescription laxative that threw me into the Medicare donut hole to the tune of $2000 for 60 days of medicine. During all of this, my surgeon even did a laparoscopy to make sure everything was functioning properly. He did say the other doctor had repaired my intestine during the emergency surgery but made it more of a loop DS so, he put it back the way he did it for my DS. With all these things, my bowels finally started moving again and I was able to back off from the injections. I did not, however, lose any weight. In July, I had another plastic procedure to remove the excess skin from my thighs and back. After a very long and painful recovery (infections not to be believed), I actually, despite having a great deal of tissue removed, had GAINED more weight. Another 10 pounds! That eventually came off and I got down to the 20-25 lbs above my "settled" weight. BUT, despite exploring EVERY avenue, could not lose any more weight. I was even seeing other doctors to explore things like hormones, etc that could be keeping me from losing the weight. It was almost like this was my new settled weight. NOT acceptable to me.....not after knowing what it's like to wear a size 8 after being overweight since age 5.....forget the entire wardrobe I now have and cannot wear! I finally went back to see my surgeon a few weeks ago and he did an x-ray that showed that my stomach was a bit larger than most of his DS patients at my stage and since I have continued to suffer with GERDS, set me up with a procedure they dubbed a "partial gastrectomy". He essentially, stapled my stomach to make it smaller, thereby reducing the volume in my stomach giving food less time to become acidic and travel back up the esophagus. I had surgery on Monday. Came home the next day. He told me I would not have to follow the same prolonged diet as when I had my DS but could do things in 3 day increments (3 days of Clear Liquids, 3 days of full liquids, 3 days of puréed food, etc). I am swollen again. I am wearing my jogging pants instead of anything that will restrict my swollen stomach. My weight is the same (175 lbs)....which I know consists of some Water weight from the swelling....I DEFINELTY feel a difference with the volume I can take in. And, I have actually experienced some vomiting if I overfill with fluid, which rarely happened to me before (and not so close to my DS). I am just having THE HARDEST time consuming liquids only. I've allowed myself to migrate to the puréed food stage a couple of days early and have kept things down fine. I just wonder how long I really need to wait to eat regular food again. I mean, this ain't my stomach's first rodeo, if ya know what I mean! Just wondering if there was anyone else out there that had gone through a similar experience and came out on the other end and what that result was.

Anyone willing to share a similar experience will be greatly appreciated! However, NO JUDGEMENT PLEASE. I do suffer with depression and have more stress right now than I care to admit (outside of the whole weight situation). Thank you if you took the time to read this far! I'm glad to have a forum I can now refer to if I have questions or issues and, perhaps even make a few new friends!

~W

Edited February 11, 2017 by WendiM1971

[WendiM1971 5]

Guess I included too much info and made it too long for anyone to read ((


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[Postop 411]

Sent you a PM.

[WendiM1971 5]

Thank you!


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[ladyslim2015 74]

I read it.

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[WendiM1971 5]

Thanks ladyslim2015!!


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[Kathy812 794]

I read it too. So Sorry you're having such a difficult time.

Wishing you find answers soon and that you get the results you're looking for.

Hopefully someone on this forum may have advice/suggestions.

[WendiM1971 5]

Thank you Kathy812!


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[Black911 87]

Thank God you're better! I pray you get answers soon. Take care and hang in there.

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[ZetaStar 11]

Aye! I read it, too. I am so glad you made it to the Dr. in time! I've not experienced what you were speaking of, but if anyone that read this does, they will know what to do. Thanks for sharing your experience. Praying all is well with you.

[MarkieZ 11]

I read it and appreciate it. You might save someone's life, too. I am doing so well, as you, so how easy could it happen to anyone of us, this year or five years from now. The lesson=Growing pain in stomach=see surgeon immediately! Gratz on being your own advocate and getting them to fix you! I hope the revision works.