Gastric Bypass Reversal

[Ronnysgal 56]

Hello there,

I want to share my story and see if anyone can relate. I actually emailed my physician recently and think it will be easier to simply paste it and then we will talk about his response.

Dear Dr.,

Where do we go from here? I am simply exhausted from the Dr’s visits, ER visits, and it has been nothing but one thing after another since the surgery.

Just as a reminder since I only get to see you when we are scheduling another surgery, I want to revisit what a horrible experience this has been.

Initial surgery done Feb 2017 for the first few months felt like someone who had just had surgery, and nothing was happening that I deemed out of the ordinary based on research.

The next few months agony, as pain and nausea were a part of my everyday life, whether or not I chewed slowly and several times, whether or not I sipped some Water during a meal or not, whether or not I took 10 minutes or 30 minutes to eat while putting down my fork. I consider myself a very disciplined person so these were not hard rules to follow.

Then came second surgery to remove scar tissue, in October 2017 as you felt it necessary to do exploratory surgery and that is when you found some scar tissue. I received a brief reprieve, but then back to the nausea and vomiting and pain.

The pain and nausea affected my everyday life, work, sleep and well everything as being nauseated all the time makes anything difficult. This continuing issue sent me to the ER multiple times, and I do mean several. These visits lead to multiple stomach scans, that of course continued to show nothing.

Then you grasping at straws to help me, or at least I felt like that is what we were doing, you did a third surgery where in you did a bowel resection. Unfortunately, this surgery accomplished nothing at all.

Back to the ER several times, and more stomach scans revealing nothing, finally I went in and begged to be admitted while at NW in Bentonville so they could help me find out what truly is wrong , as no one would listen to me. I told the NPA that I really felt like what was happening could be stomach ulcers and I was correct.

I know in your office you did a brief stomach scan, which at the time pre-surgery, they said they saw nothing. I am skeptical, as maybe they did not go down far enough to see the ulcers, as the pain and nausea that I was experiencing prior to the third surgery never changed after.

I have recently been given Carafate and Protonix for the stomach ulcers, and you had actually added a third medication, that I am unable to take as it upped the nausea and vomiting and added diarrhea and extreme weakness to the point of another ER visit where not one but 4 different Dr’s and Physician assistants recommended I get off that medicine.

I was told by one of GI Dr. but am unable to remember his name, and probably would misspell it, that sometimes some peoples body rejects the bypass.

I cannot continue to live this way. I am miserable every day of my life. I used to be able to eat things bland like grits that would at least sit okay. Now even they are problematic.

Is this it? Am I stuck for the rest of my life feeling sick to my stomach and throwing up. Do I now have to live with the pain of ulcers as the Carafate and Protonix have accomplished only so much, and my body is continuing to lose weight and stay strained all the time. Recently I was low on potassium again and it’s no wonder as even the Vitamins upset the stomach and sometimes even sips of water.

This morning I got up and the scales said 182 and I am still losing. I am assuming a reversal is dangerous and out of the question but truthfully I cry a lot over this and am unsure how to proceed with my life.

One of the things I looked so forward to accomplishing was being able to run the track by my house, if the surgery helped my back enough to do it. Unfortunately I barely have enough strength most days to put one foot in front of the other.

Signed Confused, hurt, sickly and totally disheartened.

The office response was one that shocked me but I am scheduled to meet with him next week. The response was please come in to clinic next week to discuss possible reversal of your gastric bypass.

Has anyone been through a reversal before and what were your results if you please.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Ronnysgal

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

Wow, this is just tragic. I feel so bad for you. ((hugs)) I hope they find some way to make you feel better soon. Can you not change to another surgeon?

Edited July 12, 2018 by Orchids&Dragons

[Ronnysgal 56]

Thank you Orchids I have been on the 3 different meds to control the ulcers and unfortunately they are not as successful as they need to be. I am 5'9 and 50 years old and have actually lost over 180 pounds and am still losing so it is not a good situation to be in. I am hopeful someone on this site may have been through this,

I am a Consumer Loan Officer at a bank and it is very difficult coming to work and putting on a smile when you are nauseated after every meal you have eaten.

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

4 minutes ago, Ronnysgal said:

Thank you Orchids I have been on the 3 different meds to control the ulcers and unfortunately they are not as successful as they need to be. I am 5'9 and 50 years old and have actually lost over 180 pounds and am still losing so it is not a good situation to be in. I am hopeful someone on this site may have been through this,

I am a Consumer Loan Officer at a bank and it is very difficult coming to work and putting on a smile when you are nauseated after every meal you have eaten.

I can't imagine having to deal with customers every day when you're feeling so bad. This site is a really good place to just get some of this off your chest and get some support. Hopefully someone can give you some helpful advice.

[Ronnysgal 56]

I hope so, but if they cannot you are right it does feel good to let someone know it is not always peaches and cream. I am very pleased for all those that have great stories to tell and continue to be successful. Some of my friends and co-workers that have had the procedure done tell me they sometimes feel guilty having had so much success without the pain and anguish. They may not have lost the amount of weight I have lost but they did not have to go through the suffering to get there. Some of mine has been malnutrition due to the stomach not being able to absorb correctly.

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

You've definitely lost the weight the hard way. The doctors definitely make it all sound like sunshine and daisies, but on this site you see a wide range of experiences. I haven't been around all that long, but I haven't seen anyone post about a bypass reversal. I looked through the site and found a couple of threads you may want to look at. They're kind of old, I don't know if the posters are around anymore.

https://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/362637-rygb-revisionreversal-into-a-sleeve/?tab=comments#comment-4098099

[Ronnysgal 56]

Thank you. I actually could have answered on the revision as that is the surgery that I had February of this year but it did not fix anything. The Dr. thought I might have something called candy Cane Syndrome and so he did a bowel resection and as mentioned it was unsuccessful. I am actually a pretty strong person but going through this has even affected my poor husband. We have been married August 8th 31 years and I hate that he has to be so sad over watching the situation but he is my strength even though sad and a very strong advocate for telling others to really think twice before going under the knife.

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

I had to look up candy cane syndrome, had never heard of it. But that wasn't your problem since the surgery didn't help, I guess. Well, I sure hope someone can give you some relevant advice.

Btw, my husband and I will be married 29 years this coming Sunday. I know he would be like your husband and really suffer along with me.

[Orchids&Dragons 9,047]

On a separate note, have you tried the vitamin patches? Even my doctor recommends them.

[Ronnysgal 56]

I have not and my Bypass Doctor doesn't want me taking anything different right now until he can decided what in the world to do with me lol.

Congrats to you and your husband that is not a drop in a bucket but a good long union you have to love it in todays world where some view marriage as disposable. Not all but some

[Creekimp13 5,841]

2 hours ago, Ronnysgal said:

I have been on the 3 different meds to control the ulcers and unfortunately they are not as successful as they need to be.

This is very weird. Your case is extremely unusual.

Do you, by any chance, have an autoimmune disorder?

Do you take any other medications that might be causing the ulcers? Do you smoke, drink or use other substances? Do you take "natural supplements" of any kind?

One of the biggest challenges in medicine...is the fact that human bodies can be unpredictable. Even though we know a LOT about what to expect, what signs to look for, the potential causes for issues.....individuals with idiosyncratic physiological reactions can be really troublesome. Some people will scar more, throw a lot of adhesions, some people will be crazy sensitive to a particular medication or food. I'm guessing you're one of zebras in a field of horses that drive doctors crazy.

Sometimes I think people think of their bodies like they think of their cars....if there's a problem, you take it to the mechanic and the mechanic should be able to read the manual and fix it correctly on the first try. To fail to do this is a sign of a bad mechanic. But it's not that simple. Human bodies have all sorts of weird surprises they like to manifest. And while most of the time we can figure out the issues and get help....once in a while, it's just going to take a few tries. It sucks, but it's the truth.

I really do hope you get to the bottom of your problems soon and that they find a good solution for you. Best wishes.

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

I feel so bad for you for your situation, so sorry for all this suffering.

I have no medical answers to give. I try to imagine what I would do, a few things cross my mind - get another bariatric doctor's opinion, take ALL your records, tests, everything to another doctor NOT in the same practice.

I might consider a feeding tube to give my stomach and esophagus a rest, Vitamin infusions - I think a couple other posters with extreme issues have had feeding tubes - it sucked but they did improve. Yes that is drastic, so is reversal - and it has no guarantee either. The unused portion of your stomach that was left in still produces acid and can get an ulcer - it has to be checked laparoscopically, I believe - ask.

I wish you the best possible outcome, relief, healing and (((hugs - lots of hugs)))

[Ronnysgal 56]

Thank you so very much for your kind words. I am apprehensive about the reversal, but want my life back so am unsure yet how I will proceed. I have a wonderful surgeon, and he has sent me to other specialists that say he is the best and let him fix the issue. I work with so many other people that have had the surgery and used the same physician or others in his practice, none of them have had issues. The feel bad for me. I am simply pleased they have not had the same issues.

I never had ulcers before and due to cancer in my family EGD's and Colonoscopy's have been a regular part of my life since my 20's. They simply do not understand what has now caused them.

Thank you so much for the hugs right back at you.

[Ronnysgal 56]

Hello Creek imp.

Thank you so much. I will try and answer your questions.

Never diagnosed with autoimmune disorder. No other medications. I am taking Protonix, Carafate and my multivitmains that I will be on for the rest of my life, Calcium, promethazine for the nausea and vomiting. They tried Zofran it did nothing. They also had me on another drug for the ulcers called Cytotec which I had a severe reaction to. I do not do natural supplements. I have limited any caffeine products and as we all know nothing carbonated.

After three surgeries I think the reversal could be the only thing to save my life and it comes with risks. I have a great gastroenterologist and he simply thinks my body is rejecting the bypass, whatever that means.

I do not hold the issues against my physician he is actually a great " mechanic " lol. Although I do not get to see him much when I return to the practice for check up I see his other staff members unless he is scheduling a surgery. I expect to see him Tuesday due to the seriousness of the issues and the amount of new developing surgeries. At one point I was even throwing up blood.