Jaded1968
I am a 39 year old (40 next month but we won't talk about that!) female from Nortjh Carolina. I had VGB in 1985 at the age of 17. This was a very new procedure at the time and I had no preparation or follow up, but hey- I was 17 and I knew it all! I was working part-time at the hospital where the surgery was performed. This was a very small, rural hospital and one of the surgeons there had just been trained in this surgery. He had some sucessful cases and at over 450 pounds, I jumped on it!
Trying to keep this story within reasonable limits, I did fine for 13 years. I went down to 180 pounds and was the 6 feet tall, bleached blonde I had always wanted to be. I couldn't eat much "real food" but hey-I was "skinny" and young and who cared! In 1999, I realized I couldn't eat anything. Of course, I didn't know anything about GI obstructions but I was about to find out. After several months of looking for a doctor who could diagnose and treat whatever was wrong with me-we found one. The opening going into my stomach had completely closed up and would have to be "recreated". At the time, I was sick and likely closing in on starving to death. Of course, not having a very healthy attitude about weight, I thought I looked great and coudldn't understand what the problem was with living off of Mt. Dew! Needless to say, with the support and determination of my family and friends, I had the surgery and a new opening was created. I did fine, though I did gain some weight which freaked me out a bit, it wasn't extreme and I was okay...until about 3 weeks ago.
I have just returned home from a week long hospital stay. The opening at the bottom of my stomach has now closed up. I have kept down no solid food in over 3 weeks. I knew what was going on. If you ever have a GI obstruction (stricture), it is a feeling you are not likely to forget. It feels as if someone has built a wall at the bottom of your throat. I am told that is food that has no where else to go. This time, I did not let it go on so long. I couldn't. I am older and I am tired and frankly, I am hungry. I went back to the same surgeon who fixed the upper opening in 1999. He is concerned about operating again in the same area where so much has been done. He had a Bariatric Surgeon go in and dialate the closed opening with a balloon. They hoped this would work long enough to allow me to eat and get on the "fast track" to a R&Y revision. If not, I will need a feeding tube until the revision can be done. I had a feeding tube in 1999 and let me tell you, it is not somethng I care to do again. Two days after the dialation, I was able to eat a little soft food so I got to come home. I am to see the Bariatric Surgeon in 2 weeks. As soon as I got home, I started throwing up all food again. That was Thursday and today is Sunday. I am weak, hungry and tired. I do not want to call tomorrow and tell them I can't eat but what choice do I have?
Strictures, also called obstructions, are a real and very serious complication with the VBG. I was 14 years post-op before I had any problem like this. I also read that R&Y has the same complications so I will really have to be convinced otherwise before I understand why this is an option. I will be honest-I don't want it. I have been where people who are doing these surgeries are, the ones thinking about it, the ones doing well several years post-op and the ones starting to have some problems. I can't say that I wouldn't do it again...I probably would. The fact that I say "probably" though makes me wonder. In 1999, I was so afraid that the surgeon would do something that would "make me gain weight"...this time. I just want to be able to eat something and live a reasonably functional life again. I don't want to R&Y-I don't want all of the food measuring, liquid diet mess again...but at this point, it may be my only option. My surgery can not be reversed-after this long, the portion that was stapled off is "dead". It frightens me and that is putting it lightly. I do not have the attitude I think one needs to be sucessful and I know that.
I guess what I am saying is this: We are all welcoming the change in our digestive system and in essence, creating a "disease" there. It isn't natural and there will be complications. Know that going in and realize that saying you are a sucess (which I think I am spelling wrong) is more than what you weigh and more than what you see 2, 5 even 10 years post-op...and can change in a flash. Be informed, ask questions and most importantly, take care of yourself. I feel strongly that 10 years from now, the R&Y patients will be on here asking where all of the R&Y patients have gone...and hey, I may be one of them. I don't have the answers folks, but I am full of questions.