Intestinal Armageddon!!!!!!!!

First, I am so sorry there has been such a lapse in posting a new blog. I will explain in a moment. I was getting ready to post a few weeks ago and decided I would try to post a recipe with most of my new posts and also my goal was to post two new blogs a month. Something happened. Something bad. So I will start by saying something I will likely start most of my blogs with from now on. If you have had Gastric Bypass DO NOT under any circumstance (unless your DR says it is OK), however, never ever take it upon yourself to take aspirin, ibuprofen or any other NSAIDS, ever. EVER! DO NOT TAKE THEM!
Welcome to my story of intestinal Armageddon.

For a couple years I have been having intermittent abdominal issues. I would get pains for a few weeks, be unable to eat much, etc. I would get these spells and get x ray’s and they would tell me I was ‘backed up’. Having IBS, well, it seemed logical that was the reason. The problems always worked themselves out eventually and I would get back to being able to eat like normal (for me). I did take a lot of antacids though, for heartburn. This went on and even when a friend of mine got an ulcer (same situation; sudden, took NSAIDS, etc and of course, also post RNY, I still thought nothing of it).

Friday, July 1st, 2011, I woke up in the worst abdominal pain I have ever been in; worse than labor, worse than when I had my old gallbladder attacks before I had the gallbladder out, worse than even pancreatitis and that was BAD! I laid on the couch in misery all day sipping on liquids but eating nothing. Finally when Paul came home from work we said we were going to the ER. LONG WAIT! DO NOT BELIEVE THOSE LEWIS GALE BILLBOARDS THAT SAY 20 minutes wait! They LIE!  Anyway, finally after a CAT scan, we dozed off and a nurse came running in the room like a scalded cat, almost hysterical, saying, “Wake up! Wake up! You have to have surgery; NOW! You have to have surgery; N-O-W!” . Paul and I were shaking the cobwebs out of our heads, trying to grasp what was happening. Someone else, I think the ER DR. came in and said there was a perforation in the intestines somewhere and a surgeon had been called and was on his way. As soon as they finished an emergency C Cection, I was on.
Dr Kessler arrived; a 60ish, very stately man. I have never seen fear in a Dr’s face, but I saw it then as he explained how very serious this situation was. He did not know where the perforation was. I could wake up with a colostomy bag and/ or all kinds of things. Or worse……. I just muttered, “Paul!” and looked at my husband who had the same look of fear though he was trying his best to hide it.
Once the other surgery was complete, it was like something from “Grey’s Anatomy”. They ran like scalded cats to get me to the 2nd floor (I had 3 previous surgeries at LG so I knew that 2nd floor was the surgical floor). Paul was actually able to stay with me in pre op, I was quite surprised. I talked to Dr Sleepjuice and his sweet tech, ‘check’ was ok to hold the mask tho in the end I didn’t and I will explain. Once they got me in the OR they were rushing like I have never seen before. This was my 8th, 9th surgery…. I have lost count….. but usually is it paced; methodical. This was like URGENT; STAT! So what happened is they started tying my arms down and the anesthesia tech said, “Kelli, I am going to hold the mask, I have to because they have to get started, but I am not going to hold it any closer than this until you are asleep”.  And she held it a good 6-8 inches from my face, bless her heart. It was OK, I trusted her.She said they were giving me the medicine to make me go to sleep and in a few seconds I was out. There is a bunch of us boomers that had BAD, BAD! Ether masks experiences as children. I am not alone and it is so sweet that they understand.
I woke up groggy, but in keeping with my record, in the OR; Praise Jesus, no colostomy bag but I did have this NG Tube. It was the most miserable thing. I dubbed it, my ‘snout’. I did not find out until later but I had peritonitis (the same thing you get if your appendix bursts). That’s why they were giving me a bazillion antibiotics. I am glad I found out later rather than sooner!
 I spent 3 days in ICU and a week in the hospital. It was awful, miserable. However, as Dr Kessler, who would become very dear to my heart, said, “I was very, very sick”. You find out who TRULY cares about you when something like this happens and who has hearts of stone. But I did find out a whole lot of people care and I am blessed. My sweet, wonderful Uncle David was worried sick, and I am finally up to giving him a call this weekend.
So what now? My appetite is slowly getting there. My weight is back down to 139 lbs today and I hope to keep it here. The ulcer/perforation was right where the small intestine meets the pouch. Dr Kessler said it is just a bit bigger (he had to ‘re do’ it) so food may travel a big faster through which means I just may have to eat a bit more maybe. I will go see Dr Lucktong and see what he reckons. I know with all those fluids and crap in hospital, I was up to 160 lbs!!!!! BAD BAD! But, it’s OK now because I am 139 lbs. Also, tho he cut me from breastbone to navel, it is the most pristine ‘scar’ you would ever see. If it looks this barely visible now, I can only imagine in a few months what it will look like and who cares? Only Paul, me and my health care professionals see it. Dr Kessler saved my life!
So, again, Gastric Bypass vets and Gastric Bypass waiting to have surgery; what do we never ever take?   NSAIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Next post will be on the foods I love, crave, eat on a regular basis and perhaps a recipe. Be blessed! xxxxxooooooo