I have joined this forum simply for one reason. A post I saw and YOU. The kind reader who I hope can offer absolutely any advice, help, insight - anything!
I can be honest and say immediately, thank you for any reply and I’m desperate for your reply with insight.

im just about to look into posting my story but could not do so without first attempting to seek any help I can before I literally lose the plot!

I am now around 16 weeks post mini gastric bypass. Valentines Day I underwent the surgeons scalpels

I paid privately after the usual circumstances of hitting rock bottom and saying quite literally… ENOUGH! Money is not plentiful and I used my small inheritance from my late father. Lucky, I was able to do so.

but… I’m struggling. I have zero support network with experience. A loving family yes but no one I feel can validate or reassure me.

I have medical study experience but not enough experience or knowledge to explain my symptoms away.

my most recent message I’m still awaiting reply to from my surgeons medical secretary as follows:-

Hi (name removed for anonymity)

Did you receive my message yesterday please?

I spoke to the Dieticians yesterday too and they’ve arranged a consultation with surgeon to discuss further issues. Next Wednesday. I am hoping to attend in person but currently struggling with flu type symptoms.

I don’t have other people who have had bariatric surgery to speak to who could be a support network or provide support. Do you know if there is a professional forum, overseen contact group or other network or other supportive services? I don’t feel I am having a good recovery and feel I am struggling. Plus, I feel I am that poorly now perhaps I was dismissed too readily or swiftly in my previous contacts.

I am losing weight much much faster than all my peers I read. I’ve lost over 4 stones in just 13 weeks. Far too fast and I’m drained, lethargic, can barely hold my head up (albeit have flu too) but in May too! Not normally a fluey month as the norm?? Infact, I microsecond passed out yesterday and cracked my head on our bathroom sink - simply due to standing up from the loo!

I do not have a supportive GP or GP surgery and am currently in the process of changing surgeries now BUT am writing to them and conducting a private appointment firstly as I do not trust full follow through handover transparency. My surgery requires professional evidence or correspondence of everything to even follow up. For example, they have borderline eGFR results and two scans showing kidney stone and cyst in situ YET won’t conduct further tests or refer until surgeon sends a letter too! It’s absurd! it’s the main reason I paid to get this surgery completed to try to be well and improve my life and stay away from GP Doctors who possibly practiced nothing more than general medicine for 5 years!

I’m constantly having to contact you directly, but seem dismissed by quotes of it’s week 4, or week 6, or only week 8 or now it’s only week 16, go back to Soups and fluids, try a quarter of an egg instead of a full
Egg. I’ve gone back to fluids only 3 times now! When then can I tolerate real food? Something I can use my teeth with would be nice now?

I cant eat any meat barely at all now, (not even minced), swallowing gets more difficult, indigestion, heartburn is agony, my nails are like paper, my periods have disappeared completely albeit this could be normal as I’m 10 years post menopausal, my face is gray and sallowed. I look like death. I’ve just returned back from holiday but spent 5 days in bed due to tummy pain, bowel problems, agonising indigestion, feeling unwell. I also take 3 x baricol chewables a day, a Multivitamin tablet and a calcichew a day. I’ve read everything I can find, researched this surgery for 6 months prior to having it, watched videos on YouTube, nothing seems to validate or reassure me. I studied medicine myself for 2 years albeit I know this is extra bit of knowledge of human anatomy and practice,

I certainly do not have the knowledge to explain my symptoms away. I know this is not psychological as I cannot tolerate warm, cold, mashed, puréed, anything I’ve been told to try and going back a step to try again. When then am I to carry on until? Perhaps until I pass out again or end up in A&E on a drip?

I cant get anything down me. If I do manage one meal a day, it’s a quarter of a starter portion and I’ll nearly always vomit it back up or experience the pain in my tummy or severely painful heartburn or severely offensive and debilitating flatulence.

How long until I can eat?
How long until I can drink plentiful fluids without issues? Ie. More than 500 ml in a 24 hour period?
How long until I feel well?
How long until I can eat what my family eats albeit in a starter portion? A healthy clean hearty non processed meal!
How long until I look and feel well?
How long until I can eat without severely offensive flatulence? It’s disgusting and far too painful to keep inside or even attempt to get to a more private location! Once it’s there, it’s impossible to hide and I don’t feel confident even in taking my children to school!
How long will my stools be pale yellow or grey?
How long will this horrendous pain in my tummy last? Because it’s interfering with my daily life now too. I’m now buying omaprezol over the counter. Lamazeprol isn’t available over the counter like I was advised yesterday.

How long until I can sleep a full
Night without being woken by agonising heartburn or stomach pain?

These are the questions I’d like to ask a support network rather than mither yourself, to then mither surgeon to then mither dieticians or worse my GP.

I’m getting very frustrated now, mainly through a lack of support I think. I don’t like to join public forums or online networks normally but I don’t feel I can get the answers of validation or reassurance currently. Yet, I’ve paid over £12000 for the surgery and 2 years post surgery support. Where is the support please?

Once I receive your reply I’ll
Know whether to mention the letter requirements in my appointment too.

I am so sorry I have to keep contacting you, mithering surgeon but I’m getting frustrated and upset now. I want to be well not worse. Plus, the more issues, symptoms I have the more neurotic I feel, yet I have nowhere else to ask.

Regards

So after reading this I hope you or anyone could offer some guidance or insight.

simply put I am also at my wits end and do not want to regret this life changing surgery but I’m beginning to do so with intent and massive frustration.

looking forward to any replies. ❤️❤️???

@ShelleyBelley Hang in there hun.

Yes, I would have thought that a smooshed up banana would have been fine too. When the surgeon gets to see what is happening it all may make sense then. Yoghurt is something that I struggle with after my RNY. Other kinds of food should be more problematic but no. Maybe three baby sips of fluid and stop after that will allow things to go down.

You eat what you can even if it is pistachios Sucking on an icy pole (freezie) or ice lolly what we in australia call an icy pole (lemonade) is my favourite. Hope I didnt just mangle the language but I hope you know what I mean. You can also get Hydralyte Ice Blocks from a chemist and suck on those.

Vegies in a slow cooker for 6 hours onion, celery, carrots, sweet potato, tin of kidney beans and tin of tomatoes and a litre of vegie stock is tasty. You would need to blend it up. Then again if a banana doesnt go down........ Mind you I portion it up and put it in the freezer so that it is ready to go when I need it.

I hope that the coronation and all that went on in the UK was a distraction of sorts for you. Are your children of the age where they can look after you a little bit?

It is Wedesday here now. Hours away from your procedure ??? Looking forward to further recovery for you. You got this... xx