Post Surgery Complications

[Sojourner 2,446]

I am now 11 weeks post op, and during this time, though I have lost weight at the slow and mostly steady rate by remaining compliant with my diet plan. During this time I have had more medical issues present than in the previous 50 years of my life. This is no exaggeration...

First, it was severe dehydration as a result of having a minor intestinal virus. I did not recognize the nausea as a symptom for dehydration. I attended my first post op appointment with my surgeon, and was sent directly to the ER from his office for IV hydration treatment. That has not happened again, life lesson learned. I am fanatic about getting all of the recommended fluids every day now.

The week before last week I was admitted into the hospital again, with a sudden onset of a severe pain in the upper left side of my chest, and some mild nausea. The doctor could not do a CT scan because of my allergy to contrast dye, and instead did a VP (?) scan to check for a possible blood clot in my lung. I was very thankful that this test result was negative. I was given IV pain medication. Tests were run to check my cardiac enzymes every 8 hours, and they were also normal. The surgeon's diagnosis was that this was muscular/skeletal in origin, though I had no memory of injuring myself. I was discharged, and told to follow up with my primary care doctor who is Board Certified in Internal Medicine.

I saw my primary care physician last week, who requested and reviewed the records from the hospital. He immediately noticed that my pancreatic enzyme level was elevated, and asked me if this had ever been mentioned by the surgeon. No was my response...my doctor then pushed on several spots on the upper left side of my chest, under my left arm. I almost went through the ceiling the pain was so sudden and intense. He asked me if I still had my gall bladder; yes, I do. He said that there was no way for my pain to be the result of any injury, as where he pressed is where the tail of the pancreas is located. Then he told me that he suspects that I am experiencing a mild case of pancreatic inflammation related to my recent weight loss. His other suspicion is that I may have some gall bladder issues, as these are very common with significant weight loss patients. More tests need to be run...

This week, I am scheduled for additional blood work, an ultrasound of the gall bladder, and an MRI of the pancreas. I still have the pain, though it is no longer constant, and not quite as intense. The periodic nausea continues...I continue to be compliant with my diet and Fluid intake. I am finding that not feeling well, the pain and nausea are wearing my coping skills down to almost nothing.

Does this ever end? One issue after the last...instead of feeling better and having lower medical costs, I am experiencing the opposite. I was told by my surgeon last week that my rate of weight loss is by percentage well above the average for his patients, yet I was also told that I "need to get with the program and have my first fill"??

Thanks to all for allowing me to express my growing frustration and discouragement. I like to think I am a resilient individual, but now I am questioning the wisdom of my decision to have the band surgery. I never anticipated all of these health issues, but I did not want the complications my weight was creating either...

[Rebecca Cain Salpacka 100]

Sorry you are having so many issues since the band. Please know that I dont think its common for so many issues to arise...everyone is different. There are thousands of members on this site and in the couple of months I have been a member, I have only read of two other ppl having other medical issues coming up after the band. I point this out because i dont want you to regret your decision to have the band. I know it can be frustrating to get sick when you are doing what you are told to do in regards to your eating, but some things are out of our control. I will pray that the pancreas and gallbladder issues can be addressed without any major procedures or surgeries and that there will be no further medical issues arising. You are on a tough road right now and things have to get better for you, prayer, faith and positive attitude will help guide you to that happening.

best of luck

[Humming Bird 275]

I'm in no way a doctor, but ........ some of your symptoms sound like fibromyalgia to me .... just a thought

(gallbladder is on the right isn't it?)

[honk 780]

I'm sorry that you are having trouble. I'm not trying to be mean but it seems the only thing that could be considered band related is the gall bladder. It also seems like the ER doctor who did not think your pain could be gall bladder related dropped the ball. Did they even ask you if you've had recent weight loss? One description of people ripe for gall bladder problems is Female, Fertile, Fat, and Forty. After loosing over 100 lbs when I was 18, I was getting these random side back pains that were debilitating. When I told my mother (though I did not say how bad they were) she said it sounds like gall bladder pain "but you are too young". When a college friend saw me experiencing this pain she physically dragged me to the car to get to a hospital where I was diagnosed (though the doctor had never seen this in someone my age). I had my gall bladder out 3 months later.

[Sojourner 2,446]

Sorry you are having so many issues since the band. Please know that I dont think its common for so many issues to arise...everyone is different. There are thousands of members on this site and in the couple of months I have been a member, I have only read of two other ppl having other medical issues coming up after the band. I point this out because i dont want you to regret your decision to have the band. I know it can be frustrating to get sick when you are doing what you are told to do in regards to your eating, but some things are out of our control. I will pray that the pancreas and gallbladder issues can be addressed without any major procedures or surgeries and that there will be no further medical issues arising. You are on a tough road right now and things have to get better for you, prayer, faith and positive attitude will help guide you to that happening.

best of luck

Thanks for your words of encouragement...I always try to take a day at a time. And will remain compliant with what I am supposed to do...Like I said, my coping skills are compromised with the pain and just not feeling well.

This is a journey of faith to some degree...I am down another pound today, so onward with this journey.

Best of luck to you as well!

[Sojourner 2,446]

I'm sorry that you are having trouble. I'm not trying to be mean but it seems the only thing that could be considered band related is the gall bladder. It also seems like the ER doctor who did not think your pain could be gall bladder related dropped the ball. Did they even ask you if you've had recent weight loss? One description of people ripe for gall bladder problems is Female, Fertile, Fat, and Forty. After loosing over 100 lbs when I was 18, I was getting these random side back pains that were debilitating. When I told my mother (though I did not say how bad they were) she said it sounds like gall bladder pain "but you are too young". When a college friend saw me experiencing this pain she physically dragged me to the car to get to a hospital where I was diagnosed (though the doctor had never seen this in someone my age). I had my gall bladder out 3 months later.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with your gall bladder issues. No, the doctor never asked me if I had recently lost weight, but I did disclose to him that I had a lap band...

I know that medicine is an inexact science, and often there are no definitive answers, but when you are feeling poorly and you are not accustomed to it, it has worn me down.

I will have the testing done, and feel certain that it will be one or the other of the two possible problems. I was interested to hear from a friend who had the original gastric bypass done over 10 years ago that they routinely removed the gall bladder as part of the bariatric surgery as the post op gall bladder issues were so common.

Thanks for the feedback, and congratulations on your excellent and very motivating success with your journey!

[Mimi1980 27]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with your gall bladder issues. No' date=' the doctor never asked me if I had recently lost weight, but I did disclose to him that I had a lap band...

I know that medicine is an inexact science, and often there are no definitive answers, but when you are feeling poorly and you are not accustomed to it, it has worn me down.

I will have the testing done, and feel certain that it will be one or the other of the two possible problems. I was interested to hear from a friend who had the original gastric bypass done over 10 years ago that they routinely removed the gall bladder as part of the bariatric surgery as the post op gall bladder issues were so common.

Thanks for the feedback, and congratulations on your excellent and very motivating success with your journey![/quote']

Nothing feels worse than knowing that something is wrong, but not knowing exactly what it is. I used to have really bad attacks that sound exactly as you described, when I was in high school. My mother kept saying it was gas pain or indigestion. One night it got so bad that I called a cab to take me to the ER. It turned out that it was my gall bladder so they removed it. Incidentally, I had just lost about 50 lbs around the time the attacks started.

I hope you find out what's wrong so you can be on the road to recovery and good band health. Feel better