Weight Loss Surgery - hubs update!

keep those prayers and happy thoughts coming!

Yea she's been on my mind! I hope she's out of surgery by now and doing alright!!

D.

Ditto's!!!

Not doing so great. Here’s the thing. They booted me out of the hospital way too early. When I got there, the first thing was the surgeon didn’t even know what procedure he was doing on me. Thought it was just the straight panniculectomy and I had to TELL him I’d paid him 5g for the full meal deal. Then they were telling me they didn’t have a room to book me into after surgery and I’d probably go back to Day Surgery right after. Which is just a stinky old ward that’s used as a holding area to process day patients. Right.

So after surgery (I didn’t crash in recovery, just had blood pressure that held in for two days at around 79/38) I was back in a stretcher in Day Surgery and the next two days all I heard was how I wasn’t supposed to be there and I’d be discharged right away. So I’ve got low pressure, and two drains that are filling up like crazy. Dr. comes in and says don’t worry, we’ll get you a regular bed for the second night. We like to see your drains at 30cc’s a shift. I’m draining more like 5-600 on the left and about half that on the right and I have a major HISTORY with drainage problems. And I'm running a fever. Good plan to keep me in, and keep the drains in. Then another day of how I should be there from nurses that wouldn’t even bring me a face cloth. And my genitals are purple. Did I mention that?!?! I finally lost it in the afternoon and started to cry when they told me that one too many times and I’d been behind a curtain in the back of the room all day. You know what happens when you complain to nurses right?

So then the next day in comes his resident. I said so did you get all the scar? She said he got all but about an inch. Ok. Good. Then she says we’re taking out the drains and discharging you. I’m like WHAT?!?!?!?! Yup. He’d rather drain you manually with a syringe than leave the drains in and risk infection which really means you’re a pain in the ***, we don’t have a bed for you and you’re outta here. So she rips out the drains. I said what about the fact that I’ve been running a fever? She said we’ll compare your white cell count to yesterday’s and see how you’re doing. I said WHAT white cell count from yesterday. Nobody drew blood yesterday! She said well then we’ll do it today and if its ok you can leave. I said do you REALIZE home is 6 hours away for me?!?!

Then the big man himself comes in. Proceeds to tell me how all natural medicine is just home remedy nonsense with no science behind it. I see. Thanks for your informed opinion but what about my drainage, my fever, my need for CARE and what?!?! He says go home to Regina, see me in three weeks and see your family doctor in the meantime. Well Hell Lo. ANYONE, and most especially HE knows that no surgeon in Regina is going to want to treat me for HIS surgery and I’m going to damn well need surgical care because of the drainage issues. And without further ado, I was out.

So… I’m now home with purple genitals, swelling so sever in my thighs it has literally busted apart the bandage material. I can’t even describe how it did this but I can’t even separate the glue and bandage from my skin its like bonded to it and penetrated the tissue. I have huge pockets of fluid on top of each thigh and I’m headed for emergency. I don’t have effective pain management and extra strength Tylenol isn’t cutting it.

Oh, and he didn't get ANY of that scar he mentioned as a btw.

I'm not doing so good. So please continue to pray. I'm very, very worried about this drainage issue.

Oh Hubs, that is just a nightmare, I am so sorry :( I really don't know what to say, I'm beside myself here. What hospital did you go to, or should I say butcher shop... my stars.

Hon, your post brought tears to my eyes.... you are certainly in my prayers :hug:

Oh Hubs,
I'm so sorry to hear of all of your complications. How dare a hospital with any ethics send you away so quickly and with so many issues. It sounds like after you start feeling better, and get all healed up you need to find yourself a good lawyer. Document everything they say and did or did not do, hun... you'll need it. That dr and hospital sound negligent to me. To send you away without even antibiotics and pain meds.... unethical if you ask me. And here to think I had it pretty bad. Still I wish my last meal wasn't in MARCH.
Hugs and prayers being sent your way,
Sharmel

So, afternoon at emerg. With the exception of a first year resident who told me the problem was I should have just learned to be happy as I was and not had the surgery and that my problem is pain management and I need morphine, I got good attention. There is no plastic surgeon on call this weekend but the other doctors and on call general surgeon agreed I need an abdominal ultrasound and any drainage will be done while in the scan room with the doctors hands guided by the imagery. They changed my dressing. The nurses were wonderful. They all took turns expressing disdain for the whole damn mess. So they have to bring in a special technician for this and the radiologist so I go back in the morning. At least I know I’m clean and headed for appropriate treatment. The surgeon commented that randomly inserting a syringe to drain blood offers an opportunity for infection at every single insertion and in his view is absolutely no less threatening than leaving the damn hemovac bags in. But I knew that. It was good to be validated.

soooo, now that i'm no longer SPEECHLESS and SHOCKED and APPALLED by all of this - tell me this:

do you have a good lawyer??????

this is disgraceful - and it's a testament to your own strength and determination that you're making it through all of this.

OMG! This is outrageous!! I am sorry you had to go through all this hubs! And I agree with the other ladies,, you definetly should see a lawyer!! Sue the he** out of them!!
Meanwhile, I am glad that you got what seems to be decent care! I pray to God that all goes well and you start feeling better soon!

D.

Oh Hubs, I don't even know what to say about this except it sucks majorly! Use your anger and indignation to help you get through this and get well. You are so strong and intelligent. Thank God you know your own body and aren't willing to just be ignored. And I'm sure it was wonderful to have the nurses validate what you've known all along. Geez Louise woman, you deserve better!

Hang in there Sweet Thing!

Chickadee

I'm sitting at my desk which is a good thing (instead of using the laptop beside my bed). I've spent the past two days at the hospital, today all morning, and go back in an hour.

I have three accumulations that are going to be drained this afternoon. One at the groin and the other two on both of my sides around my waist. They are bloody accumulations but still fluid (meaning they haven't turned to full clots yet) and the drainage may have to be repeated multiple times over the weeks to come but this is the correct process.

I'm really uncomfortable because these drainage accumulations are causing intense pressure but that should be more comfortable later this afternoon.

I'll have plenty of time to be vocal when I'm feeling better.

Taking legal action in Canada is NOT EVER like it is in the U.S.. Because of our legacy of socialized health care the 'old boy' protectionist thing kicks in and if you can't fine at least three other doctors who are specialists in the same field to categorically state they would have treated differently you don't have a case. Now the fact that this is an 'out of province' physician may mean he won't benefit from that protectionism. But if it was a local guy, unless you suffered loss of life or limb you'd be SOL.

You know, as I read this, I'm just pissed and in tears. I'm upset for you Hubs and how you've been (mis)treated. I don't get it. I don't have words to express myself right now. I just want you to know you are in my prayers.

Hugs to you Angela.

Hugs to me? Now that's amazing. You are going thru so much. My heart just aches when I think about it. I was driving to work this morning and started thinking about your situation again. I just get so angry when I think about how we can be treated by medical 'professionals' not EVERY medical professional, but some - like we as people who have struggled with weight, etc. don't deserve to be treated professionally, ethically, etc. I personally have been very fortunate, but it breaks my heart and pisses me off that one of my 'sisters' in this deal is going thru this. Just take care of yourself and keep us posted.

.... and thanks for the hug :)

So my new belly button just blew a gasket. I'm draining profusely. Damn. Just this past half hour it started.

I saw my family doctor today and is she PISSED!!! She got the report from the radiologist at emerg yesterday and the report said the radiologist won't touch me without at miminum an Operative Report from the surgeon stating some detail about the actual procedure he did. Everyone here is so pissed that this man sent me home with no drains, no care instructions, no follow-up ARRANGED with someone local. Nothing. My doctor said 'how am I supposed to even make a responsible referral to a plastic surgeon here to pick up your care when I have nothing to go on from the surgeon?!?'

I'm trying to keep focused on how lucky I am to be alive and to be recovering. But you know, really...

*&^^%^%$#&^%*&(&)(_(_)(*&*^%$#@#$%^&*()_ so there.

and the surgeon who did your surgery was supposed to be THE BEST., and gave you EVERY ASSURANCE.

maybe - just maybe - your PCP can help you with the legal aspect of this - but only after you stop draining. you're not reading this tonight - are you? you've gone to the ER, right? RIGHT?>??

Ok. I need to rant and rage and fume.

Yes, I went back to ER. Thank GOD for this bunch of people I tell you. I now have bigger problems than just simple drainage.

Not only am I draining but upon examination I now have necrotic tissue starting at my belly button. That means gangrene in simple terms. This starts JUST below the scar he was supposed to remove to PREVENT necrotic tissue.

I have to see two surgeons tomorrow, the general surgeon who has watched me the last four days and then a new plastic surgeon here.

I may well be looking at another major surgery in short order to remove the necrotic tissue and everything below it. As in there are still about 4 inches of tissue between the new belly button (gangrene) and the current incision.

I'm so, so angry.

The good news is I'm only a few blocks from the hospital so for now I can be back and forth.

GRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... you're in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted.

{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}} to you Hubs. I can't imagine how awful it must be. Okay, I can, but don't really want to b/c I could be there myself sooner than later. You're in my thought and prayers... I even put you on the prayer chain at my momma's church. I told her I'm lucky compared to 'hubs' (she asked what a 'hubs' was :)) Then I explained your situation.
Lots of love headed your way sweetie,
Sharmel

Well, here's where I'm at tonight.

Some of you might remember (not sure if I wrote this here or not but I think I did) about my 'dream' prior to the surgery about a circle of nurses and doctors and medical people standing together while one nurse held a stone that held a view into my life energy. They were all very focused on my being well. Then I found the stone in real life and it was actually given to me as a gift. I realized a couple of days ago that the circle of individuals focused on my care are the people here. Not in Winnipeg, but here at home in Regina. That has given me a real sense of comfort and strength.

It is always in fact, the fact that I believe in the power of prayer, mindful intention, faith, Reiki, positive thought or whatever language frames it for whomever directs it, to call on the incredible source of love/light/life that sustains us all. So my dear Sharmel and all of you others, thanks from the bottom of my heart for all of your best intentions and thoughts and prayers in my direction.

My abdomen is very, very swollen and distended tonight. Very painful. Huge really. I'm back on antibiotics of course and the necrotic tissue is the main concern coming front and center. Tomorrow at 7:30 I will be meeting the plastic surgeon here who today agreed to take on my care. I will have answers more after that as to how he will best manage the necrosis and drainage issues.

I have one objective at this point. To survive this.

Sharmel, I think its wise to be careful about having your empathy taking you to anyplace outside of where you need to be with yourself right now if you know what I mean. Don't even THINK about imagining where I'm at right now! lol

Being in this kind of space is like setting your sights beyond where your body is now and reminding yourself often it won't always be like this. You have to SEE yourself on the other side of this kind of hell and I've always seen you on the other side of your own Sharmel. Because anything else is simply unacceptable. And that's all there is too it.

OMH Hubs that is just horrible, I can't even start to think about what could have gone wrong at that hospital to cause this. I am so so so very sorry.

I know in my heart your going to be okay but my gosh, what an awful thing to go thru. I pray your recovery is a gentle one. :hug:

I don’t have a lot to say. Really, just very depressed. The new plastic surgeon said that all the promises Dolynchuk made to me would have been ‘impossible’ to deliver to begin with. When I told him the guy said he’d remove the scar and cut off 75 pounds he just snorted and said ridiculous. He’d only ever removed 85 pounds from one person one time in his career and it was from a man who weighed 620 pounds to begin with. He also said it would have been impossible to remove the critical scar that needed to come off to prevent the necrosis I’m now dealing with. And totally freaked out by. Back to betrayed, lied to, ….. depressed.

Yesterday I drained over a liter or quart of fluid into the collection bag off my belly. Today is slowed down some for sure but I’m sure with two days of draining profusely I’m getting caught up with myself and staying more current with the drainage. I don’t know how they are going to handle the necrotic tissue but for now, the main thing is the drainage and preventing infection. So its good the fever broke and of course I’m staying on antibiotics for a good bit of time now.

Hubs, I am so, so sorry that this is happening to you. I am a lawyer, and although I don't do PI, that doctor seems pretty damn negligent in my book or at least from what I recall from Torts. (Although I'm sure that Canadian law has its own quirks.) I think you should talk to one in your area to see if you might have a case.

I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about you Hubs. I was angry, anxious and worried. I prayed for you and fell back to sleep in the middle of that. (guess I got a little 'wordy' LOL)

There are no words to express how I feel. I will just continue to lift you up in love and light...

:hug:

Wow. Just wow.

As a huge believer in the power of positive thinking and positive energy, I do believe that everything will end up okay for you. I'm so sorry that you're having to go through hell to get there.

I've been trying to think what would help me get through it all if I were in your situation and frankly, I'm not sure what would help. I do know that you're very strong and intelligent and that you will continue to fight for all you're worth. It would help me to know that I have a strong and caring community at 3FC that is available any time you need some positive words. Even though we're faceless, we really are your friends and we really do care. Hopefully all that positive energy helps you heal.

The other thing I know about most women is that we tend to worry about everything else and make our own needs secondary. I hope you're able to concentrate on yourself for now and let the other stuff go. It will all wait because nothing is more important right now than YOU. Please take care of yourself!

Hang in there my friend. Know that all kinds of positive thoughts, energy and love are being sent to you.

Chickadee

Ahhhh hubs....I haven't had a chance to check in for a while. I've been so busy and lots of drama going on in my family. I'm so sorry you're having all these problems. But, I just know you're going to be all right. I, too, believe in the power of our thoughts and attitudes. And I've felt all along this was going to work out. My thoughts and prayers are with you (((((BIG HUG)))))

Hub's we'll be praying for you!

Hubs,
I'm going for my #9 here in about an hour... Just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you. If you can make it, so can I! That's what I've decided to concentrate on for now. I'll update as soon as I'm home... hopefully that will be sometime tomorrow night. :crossed: I hope to see an update from you when I get back.

Lots of hugs and prayers headed your way,
Sharmel

I've had a rough couple of days. Seemed to have crashed Thursday with fever and all, and I'm having congestion problems where the drainage is accumulating at the top of my left leg so I can't sit upright for too long. The more I lay flat, the better off I am it seems. But frustrating to spend so much time lying around. I'm also having really severe nerve pain and the new surgeon says I have to have the tissue massaged frequently because of the way its healing or I'll have pain for the rest of my life so again, lying down and keeping it from locking in seems to be the key.

The necrosis is still freaking me out big time but for now, no sign of infection and I'm still draining copious amounts. So I'm taking the attitude of 'it ain't broke so I won't fix it'. In other words, the main issue is to keep draining and prevent infection and so far that's working.

Faith. Well, I totally 100% believe that is what is helping me heal. There are some deep lessons to be learned here for me and this is profoundly shaking me. And I also realize I don't have to figure it all out right this moment. It comes in waves really and in some moments I feel like such a fool for having trusted this doctor to deliver. I know its not my fault and my trust that he would deliver was legitimate. But... I feel like a fool nevertheless. This feels so much like a rape victim feels because if she hadn't gone out alone at night with reasonable expectation that her date would respect her, if she hadn't let him come up to her apartment to say goodnight, if she'd dressed more conservatively, if she hadn't said anything flirtatious.... you know. She wouldn't have been raped. Keeping yourself out of harms way. So I have a lot of processing to do.

Invisigoth, litigation in Canada when it comes to medical negligence or malpractice is very, very rarely successful. We have such a legacy of socialized health care that there is and extremely protective environment among doctors. The fact that this man is from another Province and his actions are so blatant may make it easier. I certainly intend to follow up one way or another. And I thank you for your input. I really do need the validation right now.

Chickadee, you're so, so very right about needing to have that sense of community, support and caring. Honestly, it carries me and especially when I know there is such a strong statement of faith behind that support. I don't know if I've ever talked about this here, but several years ago my youngest son at the age of 16 slipped into a very deep coma with encephalitis. My mornings started with the doctors trying to prepare me for the worst so I wouldn't hold onto any 'false hope'. I raged against that! I told them nobody had the right to try to destroy anyone's hope. For any reason. They said it would take a miracle and I had so, so many people praying for him by individual and by network I truly believe that is why he's still with me. And whole. He had to learn how to walk and talk again but he still is today the extrordinary person he was before the coma.

So, I will continue to process these deep within issues that compel me. My sense of purpose in life is front and center. I'm trying to give myself time and even that is a huge task for me. I'm drained of energy so quickly though, I don't seem to have much choice!

Sharmel, I'm with you too in this journey. What a challenge to walk this path. All so we can feel like we walk in step with our bodies.

Hubs, I haven't logged on for a while, but you (and Sharmel) were always on my mind and in my prayers! I totally admire your strength and your positive outlook on the whole thing! Keep it up girl!!!

Hugs/Kisses/Prayers/Good Thoughts ~~~~~~~~ >HUBS<3

Hi there!
My thoughts are with you, for sure!
As for legal action, AFTER YOU HEAL:
1. Lay a complaint with the surgeon's licensing body. It HAS to be investigated, and despite the "old boy's network", it WILL have an effect.
2. Litigation in Canada, although socialized medicine, is absolutely possible. Where the difference is between Canada and the US is that the amount of money awarded is much, much lower here in Canada.
3. I think that you said that you paid for this operation ($5K for the full meal deal?). This might put it out of the realm of "socialized medicine" and over into the "fee for service" liability area. This is why ALL physicians carry malpractice insurance by LAW - the protection offered to malpracticing physicians by the system is limited.
4. Find a good lawyer for a simple consultation - get two opinions from different lawyers - one in your home province and one in the province from which this physician is from.
5. Try this website for help: http://www.lawmedmal.ca/
It will give you a head start.
Our thoughts are with you - heal well!!!

You raise some good points. The issue isn't that this was a fee for service which it was by about 50% of the cost. The issue is that socialized mindset has resulted in a highly protectionist collective of physicians who come hell or high water won't trash each other because they could be next to stand alone. You're right that the settlements are for significantly less here, but the whole concept of litigation of this sort is generally frowned upon, discouraged and just simply seldom happens. There is a blind trust that a) doctors are infallible and always do their best b) because doctors are motivated by altruism when they do mess up we should forgive them because they are only human after all c) its 'the system's' fault because the government doesn't give enough money to properly meet health care needs and if there were better resources bad things wouldn't happen d) our socialized health care system assures that doctors don't work for 'the money' but rather for the greater good of all.

Surely, they are all Saints.

I have already advanced this considerably by writing a letter to the surgeon stating overtly my concerns. I Cc'd a copy to the head of the Medical Services Branch who coordinated payment arrangements for the $5 thousand the province contributed to this procedure (my $5 thousand was over and above that). He IMMEDIATELY contacted me after receiving the letter to assure me of his concerns (through is practice manager of course) and they wanted me to chat on the phone and still come back in so he could 'explain' things to me. Which I have patently refused to do. I've received a total of 5 emails from his office today alone.

My family physician is standing firm without flinching on this and has also said she supports him being reported to the College of Physicians and Surgeons and any other regulatory body as well as demanding my money back just for starters.

I'm proceeding very, very cautiously and documenting everything.

I had a dressing change yesterday and had the necrotic tissue removed at the same time. The instrument they used went 'in' about 4 inches and I'm being told to prepare myself for more surgery to repair this damage as soon as the drainage stops but for now, its still pouring out of me.

I'm still depressed but I'm trying hard not to feed into it. So much to process here, within myself that is. I'm very lucky to have such an awesome, strong PCP.

:hug: