![]() | | Brandon's Bariatric Surgery Story - September Update
Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:52:51 PST
Sometimes the best laid plans don’t always pan out the way you’d hoped. In the case of bariatric surgery, there are always things that can go wrong, but you try to remove those negative thoughts from your mind and hope for the best. Unfortunately one of those negatives crept up on me in late August. I awoke on August 29th with some pain in my abdomen; I’d been dealing with that pain for more than a week by this point. It seemed to start after I’d begun doing sit-ups, and I think I’d convinced myself it was muscular. I had contacted the Dr’s office a week prior, but when the pain seemed less intrusive the following day, I didn’t consider it a matter of severity, and didn’t harass them as much as I probably should have. Which brings me back to the 29th. After my breakfast; a cup of yogurt, my pain began to skyrocket. Within minutes I’d told my wife to take me to the ER. For those who don’t know, this is a big deal! For me to willfully choose to go to the Emergency Room, the pain and awareness of my situation were beyond significant. Before I left the house, and on the way, I began dry-heaving profusely. By the time I’d gotten to the hospital I’d been hyperventilating for a while, everything was beginning to go numb. For added drama, the entrance to the ER was closed at that early hour, and figuring out how to just get in there took me through the whole building. Apparently my arrival aligned with a shift change (or so I was told). This meant that while I was being seen by nurses, I did not see an ER doctor or receive pain medication for approximately 2 hours. During that period I have vague memories, though I do recall having involuntary spasms, and being quite sure I was going to die before a doctor even showed up. I had never experienced that amount of pain before, not even post-op. Thankfully I’m still here. Eventually a doctor shows up, orders pain medication and a CT scan. The scan revealed I had an internal hernia, which Dr. Gornichec later identified as a “Petersen’s hernia.” This particular type of hernia is apparently exclusive to patients who have had Gastric Bypass. The gist of it is that my new Y shaped intestine slipped through my other intestines and became strangulated. Dr. Gornichec discovered this during a laparoscopic procedure that evening, and placed a stitch which should prevent this from occurring again. Obviously there are no guarantees. There is a lesson here; don’t ignore pain. Call the doctor until you get in, or go to the ER. The severity of this situation could have had fatal consequences. This situation serves as a reminder that just because you survive the surgery it does not mean you’re out of the woods; be diligent in your care. Post hernia, I’m doing much better. According to my scale, I’ve just broken the 100 lbs (since surgery) mark, which brings me up to approximately 140lbs lost since August of 2011. Previously I’d discussed tacking the mental aspects of food prior to surgery so to better mitigate the grieving period post op. I am notorious for never following my own advice and this is no exception. As a result, I have been dealing with depression issues which stem from years of food addiction. While my body is becoming more tolerant of different foods, having bad experiences with some of my favorite foods have put me in a position of feeling a major loss. But the truth is, moderation, and good chewing could go a long way towards allowing me to get back to those foods. It’s certainly no easy task to de-program your body’s compulsion towards large bites, or to chew more aggressively. Mentally I’d rather not associate those pleasure foods with pain or vomiting, so I avoid these foods altogether, and that has become destructive in a different fashion. As with all problems, identifying the problem is the first step in solving it. Hopefully I’ll make some progress with this soon and have more positive news to report next time.
|
|
