latest update after October bowel obstruction surgery

[buffalobillsfan]

The background:
I am 5 years out from my DS which was an easy surgery, easy recovery, successful, no difficult complications....until.........
- October 25th - had weird/new/never experienced this type of pain in my stomach a few hours after eating, went to ER, CT scan indicated a partial bowel obstruction
- October 26th - transferred to San Francisco to be under the care of my DS surgeon, Dr Rabkin. He recommended surgery which I did opt for.
- Cue nervous breakdown and flood of post-surgical posts to forums!!!
I had a TON of pain after surgery (I stupidly never demanded more pain control) which wore on my mental condition (I also suspect that the drugs I was given contributed). I also had some issues with one area of my stomach and felt something was wrong. A few weeks after surgery I had another CT scan which indicated there might be a partial bowel obstruction, there was some kidney stones and various other abnormalities. Bring on the hysteria. I had moments where I thought that death would be easier than living in fear of having surgery or complications again. I became afraid of life and afraid of death. I seriously regretted my DS for the first time ever.
All of my character flaws came out. My type A personality that hates to be bedridden and unproductive, my fear of standing up for myself or appearing like a hypochondriac to professionals, hating to be a burden or needing help, not liking to question authority figures.... It was scary, confusing and extremely lonely. People who know me for my strong character were baffled at my weakness during this time. No one knew how to react to me or comfort me. If it wasn't for the kindness of people on my forums I would have been locked up. It seems so dramatic now looking back but it was real to me.
Dr Rabkin, whom I adore and trust, kept telling me it was normal healing and he wasn't too concerned. I wanted to believe him but I felt like it wasn't ok. He took me off work for 6 weeks. It was almost at the end of the 6 weeks that things turned around both mentally and physically. Once I got back to work, my extreme gas/bloating went away and I was able to wear pants again without pain, everything started looking up. I think it took a long time for the effects of the painkillers and other drugs to completely leave my system. Also, I think that time does heal some of the mental wounds of emergency surgery. Today I can handle anything that comes my way. I have learned that true healing takes a loooooong time in a world where we are used to instant gratification and easily lose patience.
I see Dr Rabkin for a follow up on February 9th. I will humbly tell him that "he might know a thing or two more than me after all" and that I am sorry I didn't trust his prognosis. I am SO very grateful to feel 100% recovered and back to normal. I am not having any issues at this time. Thank you all for being here for me when I needed it most. I am in awe of the people who have one complication after another. I pray for you and my heart goes out to you. I feel so blessed and hope I can give back in support. If there is ever a way my experience can help others, please let me know. I didn't want to be an "authority" on bowel obstructions but I can turn it into a positive and help others thru the experience. First and foremost, if you feel stomach pain that is different or intense, don't take chances or wait it out. I knew what to do because I read about others having bowel obstructions on the forums. I knew exactly what it was.
Best Regards,
Cathy

 

[southernlady]

Glad you are healing so well...you have a very important message.

 

[DianaCox]

And I double and triple this - as many of you know, I had a TERRIBLE post-op experience after my first (and thus ONLY) reconstructive surgery, which was "only" brachioplasty, a lower face lift and upper blepheroplasty (eyelids). I was having suicidal ideation (for NO good reason), panic attacks and severe depression, which - although I still attribute it to the Reglan they gave me, was long-lasting and debilitating. And completely unexpected, so I had NO tools to deal with it. I now know these things are pretty common, but it doesn't change the fact that they are VERY difficult to deal with. Knowing they happen, that they are common, and that they DO go away with time, is a a very important message. As is the fact that getting emotional support while going through it can really help.

 

[Munchkin]

Very glad to hear you are doing well!

 

[star0210]

So happy for you that you are passed all of that and all healed up both physically and emotionally!

 

[newanatomy]

I am glad you are doing well now.

 

[aaa]

Glad things are going well.

 

[buffalobillsfan]

And I double and triple this - as many of you know, I had a TERRIBLE post-op experience after my first (and thus ONLY) reconstructive surgery, which was "only" brachioplasty, a lower face lift and upper blepheroplasty (eyelids). I was having suicidal ideation (for NO good reason), panic attacks and severe depression, which - although I still attribute it to the Reglan they gave me, was long-lasting and debilitating. And completely unexpected, so I had NO tools to deal with it. I now know these things are pretty common, but it doesn't change the fact that they are VERY difficult to deal with. Knowing they happen, that they are common, and that they DO go away with time, is a a very important message. As is the fact that getting emotional support while going through it can really help.

Knowing you had this experience made it possible for me to hold on to hope that it would pass. If I hadn't seen you go thru it firsthand I wouldn't have attributed to the combined drugs and unexpectedness of surgery. I would have just thought I was crazy and hopeless. This is why I am never far from these forums. Lifesaving...sanity saving!

 

[revisionDS]

maybe it is just me, but I have noticed a few complications lately here. bowel obstructions (never had one) sound very scary, but it appears you were treated fast and no othere issues developed. Hope you are doing well.

 

[robs477]

I was wondering how you were doing just last week. Very happy you are doing well! Your post was real informative and should benefit a lot of people just hearing your story.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

maybe it is just me, but I have noticed a few complications lately here. bowel obstructions (never had one) sound very scary, but it appears you were treated fast and no othere issues developed. Hope you are doing well.

You will always hear more about complications in a place like this than you would in a "real world" sample of WLS patients. Forum participants are a self-selecting group, not a randomized one. This means you have to be cautious about any inferences you draw--in a data/statistical sense--from forums. Several folks seem to have recently reported complications, yes. This does not mean that complications are anywhere near "common" or "frequent," not in our self-selected sample and definitely not in the population of WLS patients in general.

 

[southernlady]

You will always hear more about complications in a place like this than you would in a "real world" sample of WLS patients. Forum participants are a self-selecting group, not a randomized one. This means you have to be cautious about any inferences you draw--in a data/statistical sense--from forums. Several folks seem to have recently reported complications, yes. This does not mean that complications are anywhere near "common" or "frequent," not in our self-selected sample and definitely not in the population of WLS patients in general.

I could have sworn we had a thread for those who have not had any issues to pipe in but maybe I am thinking of elsewhere.

So, I will start one.

 

[buffalobillsfan]

You will always hear more about complications in a place like this than you would in a "real world" sample of WLS patients. Forum participants are a self-selecting group, not a randomized one. This means you have to be cautious about any inferences you draw--in a data/statistical sense--from forums. Several folks seem to have recently reported complications, yes. This does not mean that complications are anywhere near "common" or "frequent," not in our self-selected sample and definitely not in the population of WLS patients in general.

This is also why I stopped looking for online forum posts from people with bowel obstructions. I kept finding all the horror stories of people on their 6th bowel obstruction surgery and it was scaring the hell out of me. I also wanted to make sure that I posted an update to say I was doing great because it's often at those times that people don't post. It's good for people to see the whole story instead of just the doom and gloom. I also think that when you do see posts where people have issues it's hard to also post how great your life is.

 

[Larra]

So glad you are fully recovered and back to helping our furry friends.