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UPDATE: I went to have an upper GI done on Tuesday and my whole abdomen, stomach, colon all were still full of barium contrast from 2 MONTHS ago when I had a CT scan!!!! It was all stuck to my insides. My surgeon had me drink magnesium citrate for 2 days and basically poop my insides out (that's what it felt like, anyway.) I saw him yesterday and he's concerned. He has scheduled me for another upper GI and he said that if things didn't improve he would refer me to a colorectal surgeon to check if my colon is functioning correctly. I asked about the pelvic exam and he's scheduling that too. I'm not gonna lie I'm scared but at least my surgeon is aware and treating me and I trust him completely. Wish me luck you guys. Thank you all for all your kind words. <3

4 hours ago, ElusiveQuality said:

Try to be mindful on what you're doing before the pain starts. I've found that if I sit a certain way I can cause the pain to start after a while.

Also, try stretching your back when you have the pain to see if that alleviates it.

I definitely will. I'm tired of not feeling healthy and just feeling shitty everyday when this should be one of the happiest times in my life. I'll try anything for this to stop, seriously.

On 8/30/2018 at 8:08 PM, Bryn910 said:

Where was the CT scan done on your body? Was it your abdomen, chest or pelvis? I only ask because maybe it’s a gynecological issue and they didn’t catch anything that high up? I know what you’re going through, I had the same thing but the pain magically went away.

my doc said it could have been a gallbladder attack, but no need for the gallbladder to come out. If I were you, I would ask for a pelvic CT scan and/or ultrasound to make sure it isn’t gynecology related. When I had cysts, I could the feel the pain into my chest, back, thighs and abdomen...and I legit looked 6 months pregnant from swelling

Thank you, they'e always just scanned the stomach so I'll definitely ask my doctor about doing a pelvic ultrasound.

On 8/31/2018 at 11:25 PM, ElusiveQuality said:

Go to an orthopedic and get checked out for referred back pain. If you have compressed, bulged, or herniated discs, they vertebrae could be pinching the nerve and it feels like pain coming from the area of the body that nerve serves. I have sciatica on my right side and I have pain in my buttocks and down my right leg.

They'll start off with a poke and prod test and likely take an xray of an area of your spine.

-EQ

That actually sounds like it could explain a lot. I've had sciatica on my right side also, so I feel you on that pain. Thanks!

On 8/30/2018 at 4:13 PM, SummerEssence said:

Have you thought maybe it has nothing to do with your bypass.

At this point, I'm willing to consider anything. They seem to have checked other things off the list and now are considering the bypass so we'll see.

They have but they’ve never been able to see my appendix in a CT scan even though I have one (idk how that happens) but since I didn’t have elevated white blood cells or a fever they’ve ruled it out.

Hi all, I dunno if any of you have read any of my posts before. I recently ranted about an ER visit due to this issue I'm having and I'm hoping maybe someone else has experienced it? I had RNY Gastric Bypass in 2009, Galbladder Removed in 2010 and a Hernia repair in 2013. I've regained weight for several reasons but I'm getting back on track and you can find more background on that on my other posts. I just need to see if anyone has experienced something similar.

For a few months on and off now I've been getting this pain om my lower right quadrant. It starts dull by my belly button then slowly goes to the side and it starts getting so unbearable, reminds me of when I used to get gallbladder attacks. Sometimes I also feel it on my right mid to low back as well. The pain gets so unbearable I've had multiple ER visits and every time the CT Scan comes back clear and they just send me home (with an attitude because apparently everyone is a drug seeker now , but I digress). I even saw my surgeon's resident at the ER on Monday but instead of a CT she did an X-Ray and she said she couldn't see anything weird and I'm probably just constipated and make an appointment with my bariatric surgeon in a week. I will.

But, has any of you ever experienced anything like that? The pain comes in waves it's never fully gone but it can be bearable. As of this week I'm really not into food at all and have just been living off Water and Protein Shakes or coffee and the occasional cheese stick. If you've had this happen did anyone ever figure it out? Did it get better? Did I break something they can't see? This is maddening? Please feel free to comment with any idea you may have even if you haven't experienced this. Thanks in advance.

Quote

Yay! I hope I can start helping out that ticker soon!

12 hours ago, Frustr8 said:

Some sort of spasms they can't put a finger on- so they put you down? Typical medical reasoning WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THIS IS---THEREFORE YOU HAVE NOTHING WRONG! It is a miracle they are not killing a chicken, setting a fire , counting smoke rings to diagnose you. That's what they did in the Middle Ages,after all.Seems not,to have changed too much.

BRUH. SERIOUSLY!!!!!

15 hours ago, J San said:

That sucks. Hope he figures it out soon and you get some relief. Good luck to you.

Thank you, I hope so too. I'm barely even eating now from the pain and I'm just exhausted all the time. It's hard putting on a happy face at work.

15 hours ago, Swanton_Bomb said:

I am so sorry that you are going through this. I think this is going to happen more and more because of all the media attention to the opioid crisis. I'd rather see a thousand drug seekers get their fix than one person suffer in pain. I worry about this being a problem after surgery because we can't take NSAIDS. I hope you get a decent doctor to see you soon.

Thank you! And honestly, there are ways doctors can tell you're in actual pain. High heart rate, high blood pressure, I had all of that, you can't fake that. Ugh, I'm still fuming!

I'm calling my surgeon's office again today if not I'm gonna have to find a new bariatric surgeon.

Okay, so I've been having this unexplained pain on my lower stomach for a few moths and it comes and goes but sometimes it gets so severe I end up at the ER. And usually they start out super nice, treat the pain then do CT scan but can never see anything. Then they just do a 180 with their attitude with me and act as if I'm faking the pain and just sent me home. A couple of times I've been admitted and they found a hiatal hernia but the doctor said "everyone has those, it wouldn't cause that pain" and again, sent me home feeling humiliated for being treated like a drug seeker. I'm convinced it says that on my chart now. So I go see my bariatric surgeon's NP yesterday to go over my regain and I tell her about the pain and she's like omg that's awful! Your surgeon is actually at the hospital you had your surgery at, go straight to the ER, I will page him and make sure when you get there you tell them you're there to see him. By now the pain has gotten so bad it's not just on my lower right abdomen, it loops to my lower and middle back. I tell them I haven't been able to have a bowel movement or pass gas. The ER doctor saw me first, very nice she said don't worry we're gonna get you comfortable while we page Dr. De La Cruz. They gave me 4 mg of morphine and guys, IT DID NOTHING. I was sobbing! The nurse was like, I got you, I'll ask for something stronger I'll be right be right back. While waiting, finally my surgeon sent his "chief attending" cuz I guess he was in surgery and she examined me, asked questions, poked me around a lot and saw how I howled in pain

n the areas she touched that hurt the most. And she goes "Well, you had a CT scan like a week ago so I'm not doing that again, we'll just do an xray but I'm sure you're just constipated and you don't need pain medication, it'll just make it worse." So the nurse comes back and she's like, I can;t give you anything until after the x-ray." I hold out crying for the x-ray. The guy and lady who did it manhandled the heck out of me then I had to wait an hour for the results, still almost yelling I was sobbing so loudly and no one would come to even check on me. Finally the ER doc comes in and was like "well, we couldn't see any impacted stool or anything but the resident from your surgeon's team chose against scanning youand to follow up w your surgeon in a week so I'm gonna send you home. Just drink lots of Water and you can take ibuprofen and I'm like 1) I'm allergic and 2) bariatric patients can't take NSAIDS. She's just like "I'm not giving you narcotics" and I'm like "I'm not asking for narcotics! I just need someone to find out what's wrong with me and fix it, please" I didn't even finish my sentence when she just turned around an walked out of the room. WHO DOES THAT! The nurse came by to take off my IV and help me get dressed and she was like "I'm sorry but they made a bad call. You call your surgeon tomorrow and complain because anyone can see you're not faking" She was the one person that was nice to me.

I'm sorry for the wrong rant but I'm so discouraged. I thought my surgeon would at least see me himself or admit me so they can really take a look at what could be wrong. I've left 4 messages at his office today and no call backs yet. I know it sounds crazy but maybe it's because I'm one of his failure patients cuz I gained weight so he doesn't want to really deal with me. My pain is so bad, the only way I can deal at work is if I take one of my husband's muscle relaxants. It doesn't make the pain go away but it makes it bearable. I'm barely eating but I look 6 months pregnant and I feel awful. I hope I can get to see him again and make sure it's HIM soon.

I don't know what else to do. I hate being treated like a junkie when I'm legitimately in pain.

4 minutes ago, Jingle123423 said:

The something worse has me worried for you. Are you safe?

As far as the weight gain, your doctor isn't there to judge. Just be honest. And you are taking steps in the right direction by going to therapy and working towards getting your pill/alcohol consumption under control.

I struggle with self-harm thoughts but as of right now I'm lucky to have a supportive husband so I think I'm safe. He knows what I'm going through and is there for me when I'm going through my bad days. Thank you for asking.

So, a little bit of background... I had rny gastric bypass back in 2009, lost over 200 lbs, I was sexually assaulted in 2013 and developed seizures after a car accident the same year and drinking and taking pills I was prescribed for anxiety got out of control since I couldn't eat like before surgery as a means of comfort and slowly put on about 20-30 lbs. Drinking and taking pills has gotten A LOT better in the last year but I started eating as a coping mechanism when the drinking stopped so I've gained about 60 lbs in the last 12 months.

I've started seeing a therapist and this time I'm trying to get to the bottom of why I started eating the way I did which led to surgery and why I'm doing it again now, while at the same time trying to deal with PTSD from the assault.

My rant? I KNOW that I'm hurting myself with food. I KNOW what I SHOULD be doing and I can be pretty good for a couple of days, then I binge and then starve myself to punish myself, then I go back to basics for another 2 days and the cycle starts again. My therapist says that it's going to happen and to just keep going to therapy and working through things but I'm freaking out because I'm finally going back to my surgeon's office after this regain (has been about 5 years since I've seen him) and I'm scared about what they'll say after me putting on all this weight.

I come to this forum daily to get inspired to do what's best for me and some days it helps but most of the time I just hate myself for this regain and feel worthless. I wish there was a way I could do things differently but here I am, feeling hopeless and like I can't kickstart me losing weight in a healthy way.

I don't know what to do, I see my surgeon's NP on 8/27 and just the thought of stepping on the scale fills me with so much dread I want to start crying or do something worse.

Anyone can relate or have any advice?

I started therapy today. Not bad, the therapist seemed nice enough and hopefully I can start getting something good out of it soon. I did have a rough last week with panic attacks and then this weird side pain that was so bad I had to go to the ER. They admitted me but they were so rude and kept acting like I just wanted pain meds when the CT scan looked normal. The GI team finally was nice to me and did an endoscopy and found a small hiatal hernia and said it'd be up to the attending doctor to see what would be done. Well, the doctor was basically like "everyone gets those, it's not a big deal, you're getting discharged." I'm so f-ing pissed but at least I know my bariatric surgeon, who I see later this next month will take care of it.

UGH. I hate doctors sometimes.

6 minutes ago, Travelher said:

start with the therapy, possibly medication. The real problem is the depression/mental, that is what is derailing you. that kind of trauma causes chemical changes in your brain. that really needs to be addressed first. if you can solve that I think you'll find everything else will fall back into place. Best of luck to you.

I'm starting with seeing the therapist at work, he just confirmed our first appointment on 7/27. If that goes well then he can recommend someone outside or I can keep seeing him outside work hours at his private practice. I feel better that I'm getting help.

On 7/9/2018 at 1:22 PM, SGirl35 said:

Oh darling... I’m so sorry for all you’ve gone through.. sounds like things are great with the wedding and new job! Keep your head up- as you haven’t gained that much.. I wouldn’t personally do carb cutting or anything that you can’t stick to- but find a high Fiber balanced plan.. drink lots of water- and if you’re not- get therapy and spend time doing things that make you feel calm and happy. You’re worth it and life is about more than our weight.. YOU got this! You’re in control. When I’m feeling low- I turn to long walks, good music, good movies, fruit, etc... I’m sorry your mom was nasty toward you... I can relate. ( sisters) I wish you the best.

Thank you so much. I'm trying to slowly make changes this week, one big one (and one I struggle with ridiculously too much) is the drinking Water while eating. Ugh. Wish me luck.

On 7/8/2018 at 10:52 PM, Orchids&Dragons said:

You need to start out by giving yourself credit. Despite all the crap you've dealt with, you haven't put all the weight back on. That's amazing to me. Your life is in a better place right now (best wishes on the wedding and congrats on the good job!) It's the perfect time to start putting back together the parts of your life that are still not where you want them to be. If I were you, I'd start with your surgeon's office. They can probably recommend the best options for you in your area. I wish you the best!

Thank you for the kind and encouraging words. I'm going to reach out to my surgeon's office this week. Should I tell them what happened and specify I'm coming in for help not lectures or does that come off whiny?

On 7/8/2018 at 10:57 PM, sideeye said:

If you haven't had therapy for the sexual assault issues, give that a go. I benefited enormously from EMDR therapy after a sexual assault; I tell people that the event basically rewired my brain during a moment of extreme trauma and EMDR was required to un-weld all of those connections.

PTSD is no joke and it sounds like you've had a fair number of traumas recently. Shame is only going to reinforce all of that, so it's time to bring in the professionals. The weight gain is a symptom of other stuff, so deal with the mental stuff first.

Thank you so much. I've heard of EMDR but haven't found anyone that does it in my area.

10 minutes ago, brighterdaysahead said:

I don't have any advice to offer, however I can say you are not alone. As time goes by we may gain some or all of the weight we have lost. I hope things get better for you and try not to let your family make you feel any lower then you feel now. Peace ✌🏽

Thank you so much.

Hi all, my first post here and really first time I'm reaching out. I need help. I had RNY in 12/2009 at 382 lbs and did great, I got down to 150 lbs even after giving birth. First it was hard dealing with the medications after having post-partum depression but after a few setbacks we were able to find the right combination of meds but then on 6/2013 I was sexually assaulted and that started the snowball that ends with all the weight I've put on. After the assault I was put on more medications and was in a car accident where I suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury) and now suffer from seizures. The years between then and 2016 were really bad. In the past eating was my way to cope with things but I couldn't do that so I started drinking instead. Needless to say that was atrocious and it all culminated in a very painful break up with the father of my daughter and me moving cross-country for 18 months. The drinking got better slowly but then to compensate the not-drinking I started eating for comfort instead.

That's where I'm at now, I'm weighing 200-some lbs (I'm terrified of weighing myself) and go back and forth between weeks where I almost starve myself trying to get some control or cut out carbs or something like that but then I want to drink every day because I can't cope. When I stop drinking then all I want to do is eat. I've moved back to my town and for the most part things in my life are better (less medications, I'm getting married in 3 weeks, good job) but no matter what I'm constantly depressed and hate myself. I feel like the biggest, most disgusting failure for all the weight I've gained. My family isn't the best to turn to for support (my mom recently said to her I look fatter than when I had surgery, even though I'm nowhere near 382 lbs) so I know that I probably need therapy and to go back to my surgeon but I don't even know where to start.

I am so ashamed that I'm fat and I think that's why I feel so out of control. This post is the first time I've even written down a lot of what's happened or admitted that I feel out of control or need help.

I don't know that I'm asking for advice or just support or just anything but I needed to get this out there. I want to start looking forward to living my life again.