Hi Vets!

I have been here learning and growing on VST/BP since before my surgery Apr 2011. These forums have been such a significant piece of my WLS adventure. But I did not start doing any posting until a few weeks ago--all of the knowledge I gained from here has been just by being a "lurker arounder." There still is REAL POWER in just staying in the background. For me, I felt I needed the face-to-face support groups to get a firmer footing on this new lifestyle. I still attend 4 groups per month. It's just now at 3 years that I feel comfortable using an online forum.

So many of you vets who post here regularly--I feel like I know you personally already, especially those of you who are out from surgery in the 3-5 year range. But there seems to be many of you whom I followed for years that have vanished. Itis really important to me to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you who have so unselfishly shared and continue to share so much of yourselves to further the cause of all of us on this bariatric adventure. (Special thanks to pdxMan who helped me finally figure out that I had to have 100 posts to unlock Vets Forum. New screen name--I was a "princess" person before. I've graduated from feeling like a princess for the first time in my life to now knowing what it feels like to be LivingFree from food addiction.)

Looking forward to a long life here, and proud to be a vet!

I understand your frustration but my surgeon offered to do a bunch of tests and things but we talked it over and i decided to try working with my PCP and counselor first (both are ARNP) who embrace alternative medicine. They run the view of holistic and are both aware of my mood issues. They have slightly different theories but the point is we are digging into it in a partnership way. I am only down to 140 so not a severe situation in terms of weight loss by any stretch.

There is nothing wrong with that. If I could get away with that I would.

I just can see blaming everything on mood or mental issues until all the physical ones have been taken care of first. I also can't see giving some one a depression label because they lost their cat and cried about it for a week and they need to be on medication for months. I had a study showing about 1/2 of the diagnoses given by PCP's, etc. didn't fit the medical criteria they were being treated for, and then more than that for other wrong things. So I tend to want people to be treated appropriately and effectively.

Of course when I asked for that I got in trouble. LOL.

Wow, what an education I am getting here!

swimbikerun, I tried to go back in the posts here to see if I could learn a little more about your complications you spoke of that you said were getting worse, but couldn't really find anything. I am really blown away about the complications you are having. This is all new to me. Sleevers don't have the malabsorption problems (so they said . . .???). I am so sorry you are going through this. I cannot even imagine, after this long process, having to deal with these issues. Did I understand you correctly that you actually have kwashiorkor or marasmus? There should be no question that you need agressive treatment--3rd world diseases that we no longer see in the US.

I'm sure you have already explored this possibility, but can you find another bariatric physician or surgeon to treat you? Or even just a registered dietitian who specializes in bariatric patients. There's more and more out there. I know it must get so tiring to just keep fighting for the care you need. You sound like a strong lady. Don't let 'em get you down. You CAN get your health back. And you deserve to have it back. Keep up the good fight!!

CGJ, I also really embrace holistic/alternative medicine (especially the mental/emotional benefits); it has dramatically changed my life. Of course, there is definitely a place for Western medicine in my world, but I think more and more, the two and becoming intertwined. It sounds like you've got a pretty good team working with you; hope you get to the bottom of what's going on with you. You've come too far to not keep your good health! I know you'll be keeping us posted with your test results.

OMG, after reading your stories, no more will I just "take for granted" that my HMO has a full bari dept with bari physicians/surgeons on staff. Counting my blessing doubly today. . .

Wishing good and healing thoughts . . .

Edited June 11, 201412 yr by LivingFree!

Complications of malnutrition. Look up neurological complications of bariatric surgery, cataracts (India has it in droves), circulatory collapse, muscle weakness, various off and on vitamin/mineral deficiencies, muscle weakness ...

Uh huh ... if you look at the medical literature I've found one or two that indicate that since the food should be moving thru a bit quicker, then there can be some that goes with it.

The problems I have are that the gastroparesis is still here (motility disorder) and then I developed GERD/reflux, IBS, intolerances to fish, shellfish, dairy, nuts, treenuts, and now we're finding backing off gluten has settled down my system. You're talking the combination of all that together is what is the issue.

Yes, I was diagnosed with both and cachexia 6 months after surgery. Food and I have not gotten along well. It looks more like kwashiorkor at this point, rather than the mix of both I had before. I thank God for raising enough stink to get the surgeon to get the gallbladder out. I'd been in MAJOR trouble I'm sure if not.

Ah, I'm pretty tough. I don't get anxious I get mad. I stand my ground. I want appropriate healthcare. If there's a mistake, apologize, figure out why and fix it. That is NOT what my surgeon did. Even his own PCP that he sent me to put in the records my care is going to be a lot harder without them. On top of that, once it showed I got some care what things were investigated and not "all in my head" they found a number of problems.

You do see these things but really only by models. Not off someone of normal weight. The reason why is the edema masks it and doctors can't figure that out. They also never figured out how I was of "normal" weight before but went cachetic (as in dying from malnutrition). This is why I should have been monitored and when I complained about the HIPAA violation, the callous way I got dismissed, the non answers, etc. was just plain WRONG and in one case illegal. I have the records that back up my story.

Nope, there are agreements both legally and recusal wise that no one can treat me. That's why I tell people investigate your options. If you have a surgeon problem and can't go elsewhere, that's not something you want to get into. Then again, there's no excuse for what I've gone through. You don't tell a patient (in a nutshell) that if you dont obey them then you'll ruin their relationship with other doctors, blame it on me being mental, and then I come up with a load of issues above because of the half type care I got.

As for RD's, let me tell you, most of them can barely treat diabetes. I actually had the previous PCP try to get a couple and they're like we don't treat that. Even then it is not covered by insurance and its not like I can afford it. The surgeon I was with, lost their RD. It took them TEN MONTHS to get another one and I don't know how long of a background her stuff is in that. They have an NP who is pretty nifty though. She can at least read medical research and that's putting her one up.

I get physically tired but not mentally tired. My job is to tell people investigate. Check them out and ask questions. I've heard too many times once they get the surgery done, pfftttt and they do some perfunctory stuff and off you go. WRONG. Every person deserves to be treated as a human being and taken care of - and just to fill out their stats for the ASMBS. Easy money gravy train when they don't have surgeries.

I appreciate it. It is for all these wonderful people here who deserve the chance to live a dream that I'm telling people they ARE worth this and to FIGHT for them to be taken care of and not tossed by the wayside. Including mine appears to be illegal (HIPAA violation retaliation is a no no.)

Whatever you all do, pass the word on to make sure they take care of you, that they haven't any complaints to the medical boards, HIPAA laws, or they can refer you to their worst cases that they fixed (and I don't mean weight regain). Make sure they take care of YOU because YOU are worth it. That is my message to all.