The Ah-mazing/complicated/best & worst journey I have taken these past 5 years!

[mallary_christine 2]

My name is Mallary, and this is the story of my wls.
Height: 5'3"
HW: 250
CW: 125
I began my journey just like many others. Being tired of carrying the extra lbs, frustrated that I couldn't shed them, and feeling like I was out of options. On top of that, I also had a mix of feeling depressed, unattractive, and overwhelmed from failing normal diets that seemed to work for everyone except me.
My first surgery was actually the Lap Band in March of 2012. I would instantly take that decision back if I could. I lost 40 lbs here and there over the course of a year. I felt like the Lap Band had failed me. Or maybe that I had failed it. So, I researched, and found that the most common solution was a revision surgery, from the Lap Band to the Gastric Sleeve. So I researched and found a great Dr,. There were no insurance set backs (I was extremely lucky for this), and on May 2013, I had my Lap Band revised to the Gastric Sleeve.
My starting weight was 246lbs.
I instantly began shedding weight. I was so ecstatic to finally see the numbers on the scale going down! I was finally on the right track! I was losing weight so fast, it was hard for me to fit in my work clothes for longer than a couple of weeks, so I was constantly shopping at my favorite thrift store, and for the first time, I was going DOWN in sizes! I feel the need to add into my story that almost the entire duration of my weight loss journey, I was also taking my add medicine, adderall, which I feel played a pretty strong role in how much and how fast I was able to shed the extra lbs.
At my 9 month mark, I had reached my goal weight of 129. But I wasn't completely satisfied, and I kept losing.
There was a point in time where I was seriously overworking myself. I was managing a very busy salon and was also the lead stylist. Most weeks I worked 80+ hours. This led to me actually getting too thin (I was down to 103lbs) something I never in my wildest dreams could have imagined happening to me.
For the second year of my journey, I was very good at maintaining my weight, and the scale never tipped above 125. I was fine with that, as it was healthy.
Then came the ongoing downhill slide...
I'm sure many of us have been warned about the risk of developing gallstones as a result of rapid weight loss. Any bariatric doctor should seriously emphasize this when a patient is even considering and form of wls. You'll see why, just keep reading...
In September 2015, I was having celebratory weekend for my boyfriend's birthday, when I began feeling sick to my stomach. A few short hours later, the sick feeling had escalated to sever abdominal pain, so bad to the point where I couldn't even stand up straight. My boyfriend rushed me to the nearest er. They did tests and scans, and came back to tell me that I had a form of colitis. I spent a few days in the hospital hooked up to an iv of antibiotics. Then I was released. 2 days later I returned to work after a week off being ill. I was doing my first client of the day when all of a sudden I had an extremely sharp pain in my abdomen, and a sick and prickly heat feeling took over my entire body. I called my mom, and she rushed to get me and took me to a different er this time. After blood tests and imaging, the doctors told me that I had Acute Pancreatitis, most likely caused by Gallstones and that my gallbladder was packed full of stones. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital, waiting for my condition to improve so that the doctors could take me in for surgery to remove my gallbladder. But my test results were getting worse, not better, and they finally rushed me in for an emergency surgery. After my gallbladder was removed, I spent a couple more days in the hospital recovering and then was discharged.
That round all ended a week before Halloween. So I had basically missed an entire month of outside life being trapped in the hospital, waiting.
I spent the next year in and out of the hospital with constant gastrointestinal issues and complications.
3 times I was in for a condition called intussusception. What happens is part of your intestines telescope, folding in to each other, causing a bowel obstruction.
1 sever episode of intussusception, the doctors had to go in surgically to repair it.
It is now October 2017. 2 years after this down hill slide began, and I am still not back to 100%. I have constant digestive issues and constant bathroom issues. I forget what it feels like to feel like a normal human being.
I forget what it feels like to not be constantly aware of my insides, becaus3 I am always in pain or discomfort.
My life almost literally revolves around the bathroom.
I don't leave the house a lot, as a result of it.
This is a warning to any one considering any weight loss surgery.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my body now. That will never change, or cease to amaze me. Getting the Gastric Sleeve surgery was completely life altering. I was able to come out of my very deep shell and was suddenly overcome with this amazing feeling called CONFIDENCE. I never knew that feeling before wls. But I have an incredibly strong sense that, had I never undergone weight loss surgery, I wouldn't be battling the issues that I am today.


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[eden30 111]

I’m so sorry you’ve had that experience. Is it ultimately resolveable? I do hope things get better for you [emoji22]

[Walter.Sobchak 978]

Yeah, it’s tough to say. It might have happened even without WLS. Unfortunately there is no way to know for sure.

[DropWt4Life 957]

I am sorry to read this. I hope that you get relief from all of the issues that you have been dealing with. I wonder if being on a low carb diet has aided in the issues you've experienced. Lack of Fiber in a diet can wreak havoc on the digestive system, and gall stones can form with a high protein/high fat diet. I don't know what you've been eating over the past four or five years, so it is hard to tell if this might have caused your issues.

My cousin had diverticulitis issues after GB surgery until she stopped eating low carb, and started eating way more fiber. My wife's friend also had digestive problems after lap-band surgery until she started eating more fiber. She started eating more whole grains, vegetables and fruits, stopped drinking shakes, and lowered the amount of meat that she was eating. Her overall weight loss slowed down, but she was still able to get to a normal bmi that way.

Anyway, I wish you the best of luck, and hope that you've been able to put these issues behind you.

[Berry78 4,261]

I looked up intussusception for general knowledge's sake. Here is the published list of causes.

Adults

In adults, intussusception is usually the result of a medical condition or procedure, including:

• A polyp or tumor
• Scar-like tissue in the intestine (adhesions)
• Weight-loss surgery (gastric bypass) or other surgery on the intestinal tract
• Inflammation due to diseases such as Crohn’s disease

A bypass could be expected to have this complication from the change to the intestines.

You had the sleeve, which shouldn't pose much risk, but because you also had the band (which loves to create scar tissue), followed by more surgery.. adhesions from excess scar tissue is definitely a real possibility.

I'm so sorry to hear you are having to live with this. Have your doctors indicated a special diet may help?

[Maggie1955 158]

So sorry to hear your ongoing GI issues. I can say I’m rather glad that I had my gallbladder removed last year due to my own GI issues. One less thing to worry about, as my surgery date is the beginning of January. I hope that, going forward, your GI issues are a thing of the past and I wish you well.

[Krista27 341]

I havent had my sleeve done yet. But after having my gallbladder removed a few years ago I've had tummy issues. There's things I absolutely cannot eat it makes me so ill. I'm hoping things get better for you fingers crossed!!

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[angyplus5 470]

hoping they can resolve your GI issues quickly!!! I am truly sorry this is happening to you.

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