Weight Loss Surgery - DS postop having problems

dawnajoy: i hope you see this and respond..

a friend had a DS recently [april], and has been having terrible problems... she's back in the hospital with intestinal bleeding and dehydration. and this isn't the first time. a few days after she came home, she decided she didn't need to drink water and got so dehydrated she got herself a 5-day hospital stay.

those who are closer to her than i am say that she's eating all the wrong things and she's not watching what she's doing. unfortunately, they might be using me as a model, and that's not right, since rny and ds are so different.,

so, my question is what can i do to help? are there online DS support groups so i could send the url?

what SHOULD this woman be doing at this point? restrictions? are there any?

or is she one of those who is having lots of complications? she had her surgery at a great hospital with wonderful care and an experienced surgeon. in fact, she has been airlifted there by medevac helicopter both times this has happened. so i doubt that it's the quality of care she's getting, but i have no real idea what's going on, just suspicions.

thanks.... i KNOW you have some wisdom..

Wow, I am so sorry to hear about your friend having such problems!

Each DS surgeon gives slightly different postop instructions, so she should do what her physician recommends, especially regarding food intake as a postop. My physician had us eating solid foods in the hospital, and gave us a list of somewhat soft protein foods to eat for the first few weeks at home. After that, everything was okay, but protein first always.

About fluids, however, I've always heard the same thing. Sip constantly. That is the only way to stay hydrated. And at first, it is a real effort to sip enough liquids.

I worry about the intestinal bleeding. That doesn't sound good at all.

There are several groups on yahoogroups regarding the surgery. Duodenalswith, DSproblems, and each surgeon tends to have their own group.

Please feel free to email me or have your friend email me when she is up to it.

Dawna

thanks dawna...

i went to a party today that had a lot of her friends.. apparently, she's been bleeding by the pint, and they've been transfusing her. the endoscopy was fine, so they did a colonoscopy today, and no one knew the results.

there should be more info by monday... and one of us will be in touch with you soon...

she has preteen kids, and a husband who adores her, and she wants to live.