Our hospital is a major bariatric surgical centre and we perform many gastric bypasses and Lap Band procedures. Thus we see many patients who need, are awaiting, or are having complications of the above surgeries. Some of these complications are mild but I always get worried when one of these patients come in to the ER with abdominal pain with +/- vomiting. As I described in a prior post (this one), the complications can be catastrophic (and fatal). In addition to that case, I have seen innumerable people with internal hernias (causing bowel obstructions), anastomic ulcers, adhesions (also causing bowel obstructions), fistulas, and God knows what else. In fact, some series have shown complications of various kinds as 10-15% (or higher). Lap bands are generally safer but weight loss is slower and less pronounced. In either case, it is very prudent to try your best to lose weight the old fashioned way!
Tonight night I saw a woman who is three years post-op from a gastric bypass (she is only moderately obese now) who had sudden, excruciating abdominal pain and nausea. She was extremely tender and looked pretty miserable. Pretty much you just have to order a CT on these patients as you never know what you are going to find – and I believe physical exam is very unreliable on them as to localising the problem. Anyway, I ordered the scan and labs, fluids and pain meds and then signed out at the end of my shift. I will let you know what the result of the scan was. I bet it is an internal hernia and a trip back to the OR.
Update: This lady was lucky. Her CT was completely normal, along with her labs and other studies. She strangely had complete resolution of her symptoms about two hours after I left and signed out. Either she had a transient obstruction or a very low pain threshold.
I’m six years out from my roux-n-y. I had none of the expected complications. I rarely dump, even. Last fall (so 5.5 years, roughly), I ended up needing my gall bladder out, and over the last year and a half, due to a combination of the malnutritive portion of the surgery and having weakened them myself with sugared sodas and coffees while working graveyard shift (pre-surgery) and a pregnancy, I’m now facing having my upper teeth, or rather, what’s left of them, pulled and a denture replacing them. I’m 30.
Overall, though, the nearly 200 lbs I lost balances it out, I think. I’ve got other health stuff going on, unrelated, but overall I think I’m still much healthier than I’d be if I were still at my prior weight (started at 310). I’m extremely grateful that, due to my skilled surgeon, my young age at the time of surgery, and luck of the draw, that I didn’t end up with complications, but it does make it interesting every time I see a new doctor and especially when I end up in the ER.
One of the big misconceptions about bariatric surgery is that the person has it, goes home, and lives happily ever after.
Too often, that’s not the case.
Another HUGE misconception, in my opinion, is that gastric bypass is the “easy way out”. Anyone who is really dedicated to losing the weight after surgery, and keeping it off, knows it’s not “easy”. The surgery isn’t a magic weight loss fix. It’s just a tool to help in the process and help maintain once you lose. If, post-op, you still drink a 12 pack of Coke every day and graze on snacks for 12 hours a day, you’re not going to lose weight.
I’ve looked into Gastric Bypass twice now and, both times, found out my insurance didn’t cover surgery. They will cover diabetes treatment, heart attack, back/knee/joint problems, cancer, UTIs, etc, but not surgery that will help prevent those problems. In fact, my husband works for a hospital and their insurance (I’m on his policy) won’t even cover a nutritionalist or even a visit to my GP for weight loss. When I finally have insurance that will cover surgery, I will seriously consider it again. Until then, I’m trying to go it on my own, with minimal success.
My feeling is, I know I can lose weight without surgery, and I have, frequently. But, I can’t lose the amount I need to and keep it off. If I have surgery and lose the weight and then go back to crappy eating habits I’ll have “dumping” and I’ll feel like crap. Great negative reinforcement, in my opinion.
JUNE, stop making excuses and just do. If you really think you will benefit from the surgery and it will prevent all those diseases, the pay for it out of pocket. Nothing worth while in this country is for free. If your dental insurance wouldn’t pay for something that you needed, you would pay, so suck it up and get it done.
Go luck to you.
Save the money for surgery and hire a personal trainer instead.
The big difference between paying a dental bill, and self paying for surgery, is cost. I can come up with the couple hundred dollars for dental work (and I have been seeing my dentist for MANY years and he’s kind enough to let me make payments). On the other hand, it’s not really possible, as a stay at home mom with 2 young kids, to come up with the $25,000 to self pay for surgery. I have done self-pay at my doctors for weight loss and with the nutritionalist. I’m working on making several changes in my diet and exercise now. I’m also saving to pay the $200 membership fee (for 6 months) to a local gym.
I’m not just sitting by, throwing up my hands and sighing, and saying “Well, I can’t have surgery so I’m just giving up”. I’m working on weight loss and lifestyles changes on my own. But, I also know the reality of the number of people who 1) don’t lose what they need to or 2) lose but aren’t successful in maintaining the loss.
I’ll keep working on it, on my own, and achieve whatever success I can. Hopefully, sometime in the not too distant future, our insurance will change and surgery will be an option. If that’s not the case, once the kids are older and a little less expensive, we’ll get a loan and I will self pay.
I too had a roux-n-y 5 years ago this month, and lost 150 pounds, and have since gained back 30. Best decision I ever made, (other than having my tubes tied after my youngest). I feel great! Just have to eat as much protein as possible, and take supplements because you don’t absorb as well.
The only two problems I have, is that I HAVE to eat some sugar, because I produce too much insulin, my pancreas is throwing out the same amount for my huge body, and now I get very low bgls if I don’t have a little sugar after a meal. Too much though, and I dump, it’s a fine line.
And, if you get stomach flu, the pain is excrutiating, I guess because of the new configuration. I literally passed out from pain because I could not take a breath it hurt so much. Called an ambulance, thought I was dying and had torn things loose or something. An iv later, I was all good. I can’t remember if they gave me compazine or not but I think so. No pain meds, just fluids. Still, thought I was gonna die at the time, and have never ever had that kind of pain, and I am the queen of pain, and refuse pain meds usually, but I tell you, it was rough. I read something when I was just preparing to get it done that said that a pt with a gastric bypass and stomach flu is the sorriest person you will ever meet, and it’s true.
Anyway, what I started to say was that I am sure that was what your pt had, anything that causes stomach cramping is painful in the extreme to a gastric bypass patient. Keep it in mind, dump a shitload of fluid in them, give them something to keep them from cramping, and I’d bet they’ll be fine. Especially if they are that far out from surgery. Within the first year of surgery, then no, do the ct scan, but after a year, I’ll betcha 9 times out of 10 its cramping from flu or regular stomach upset. If the surgery is done correctly, you can’t tell if you’ve eaten something that has upset your stomach, you don’t get heartburn anymore, or any reflux, so you can’t tell unless you cramp, and when you cramp, it’s like death, you can’t even breathe.
I have seen several problems from gastric bipass several years after the surgery- 10 or more years. Many bowel obstructions, internal hernia, and even cases that the person has lost so much weight that they develop malnutrition.
One problem with some grazing. People eat all day long a little bit. A bag of oreo’s a day, protein shakes, high fat foods, all lead to weight gain.
I have even seen problems with the gastric banding procedure. Most of the time it comes from poor after surgery care and over inflation of the gastric band which can be fixed by deflation of the band, but only by a properly trained person.
I am a 36 year old wife, mom of 5, and full time workaholic. I am getting ready for my gastric bypass procedure on Oct. 8th, 2008. I have taken nutrition classes and prepared for this day for 9 months now. I have tried to lose weight on my own and have been successful in the past when I had less children. However, with 5 and a husband, and a full time job, and a small home business…I cannot find the time to go to the gym or REALLY watch what I eat. My biggest concern is that you HAVE to do these things as a GB patient. Am I setting myself up for HUGE consequences and probelms that could shorten my lifetime instead of really giving me better quality of life? It’s getting down to the wire and I find myself on the fence now. Can someone offer some advice?
I was wondering my daughter and a friend both had it done the gastric bypass and they have both been really sick shakes,blackout spells,blood lose,and they both complain in so much pain and the feeling that they feel like they are dieing, and my daughter has even has her chest racing and feeling like it is coming out of her chest and her sugar will sometime bottom out down in the 30’s please does anyone have any answers for these girls I’m worried about them more now then before and they are 6 yrs out from surgery I would not recommend this to anyone I can count at least 10 people who there life is much worse now all kinds of health problems.
thanks,
Veronica Moore
Hey i had the gastrict bypass operation 2 years ago. I have no regrets i feel both physically and mentally stronger. In 2 years i lost 38 kilos, yes i have had minor problems dumping ,but you soon learn what you can and cant eat to much sugar and full fat products give you sweats and nausea. Try to eat fresh fruit and vegetables for the vitamins use skimmed milk and low fats for cooking.Meat can be difficult to pass through if you dont chew it to a puree go for softer meats so as chicken ,turkey, cook pastas and rice to a very soft texture and they go in perfect; Trial and error and listen to what your body is telling you if you get pain YOU are eating something you shouldnt be.Good luck to all of you that are going to undergo the operation you wont have any regrets.
ROZ ADDISON
I am curious…I am feeling a pain on the left side of my stomach, does anyone know what that can be from? What and where does the pain feel like if you don’t chew your food well or if you eat something that doesn’t agree with you? I’m only 2 weeks into the post op portion of this and I’m sore, sometimes sharp pains, but on my left side of my ab. I feel it alot when I am trying to exercise or if I walk a lot.
I recently had gastric bypass on January 8th, 2009. Everytime I eat now ( certain foods) I immediately throw up and do not feel good. Does anyone know if this is due to me eating too fast or just eating the wrong foods??
My gastric bypass surgery was in Jan. of 2007. There were problems immediately following surgery, because the surgeon had cut through a vein, which caused me to vomit blood for over a week. 8 days and 3 blood transfusions later, I was sent home.
A year after surgery I suffered excruciating abdominal pains and went to the E.R. It took 6 injections of pain medication to ease the pain. Morphine didn’t help, in fact it made the pain increase. Dilaudid (5 injections) finally gave me relief. I had a CT scan with contrast, x-rays, and pretty much every conceivable kind of test. Everything came back ‘normal’. I was released with a diagnosis of Gastritis.
2 months later, another episode occurred, and off to the E.R. I went. Same tests, same number of pain injections, same results.
Fast forward to now; I just had my 4th E.R. visit (a mere 3 days ago) of the past 8 months. The treatment and results were identical.
Now, I’d like to know what’s at the root of this and how to correct it. I live in constant fear of a recurrence, and the stress enough could trigger another episode. I realize I should see a gastroenterologist, but have a horrible fear of getting an endoscopy. After once waking up prior to surgery while the tube was being shoved down my throat and I was unable to convey that I was still conscious, the thought of having an endoscopy causes instant panic attacks.
Does anyone out there have a similar situation, or have some answers and/or suggestions? Since these attacks happen on an average of every 2-3 months, I can only pray I’ll find some answers before the next one.
Thank you so much!
Hi i am a 45 year old woman and i had the gastric bypass
1 1/2 years ago, I weighed 297 and I am 5′8 1/2″.
Best thing I ever did for myself. I have had excellent health and excellent labs all through this.
The onlt advise I have for anyone is be ready, very ready. Not only you but all your family and friends.
My family and friends have been very supportive. I have lost 145 lbs. I followed the program exactly how you are suppose to. I have not been to a Dr or Er since my surgery (although I wasn’t a sickly person anyways. Was only approved because of sleep Apnea and my cholesterol was a little elevated) yes I was a very healthy obese person, and my husbands medical insurance paid for this 100%.
This took me 2 years to do this, with alot of praying and research I did it and I have not 1 regret, well i take that back 1 regret, I wish I would of been taught to eat the way you eat and the little secrets of being successful, my husband was almost 300 lbs and over a mo period lost 60+ lbs eating exactly like me and walking. Only thing is is he is eating approx 1 cup instead of 4 to 6 oz at a time about 6 times a day.
Back to why I am commenting to this is I came down with the stomache flu and it has been 2 days so far and I still feel terrible, went from throwing up to the runs and I have lost 3 lbs. Does anyone know if this lasts longer because of the bypass? I guess I have really not ever had the full blown flu because I feel weak and just yucky. Does anyone know at what point you need to be worried?
Like I said I have only had to call my surgeon to confirm an apt. They released me to have yearly labs because of my labs being so good.
Would like input but only if you’ve been healthy and no horror stories because everyone has their on personal stories. I just want to know without having to go to the hospital, I can call the Dr but working in the medical field they will want to see you because they can’t diagnose over the phone… Help just want to know if because of gastric does this stay longer??
My initial surgery was in 2000 and I lost over 170 pounds. Starting at 446 pounds. This surgery saved my life. Two years later I had all the excess skin removed and I looked amazing at 270 pounds. My problem is since 2002 I have gained 60 pounds back. Mainly eating junk food and candy. I still eat very small amounts of food and throw up if I eat to fast or don’t chew the food enough. Has anyone else experienced the problem of gaining weight back and also I have heard that people have 2 bypass surgeries. Is this true. I am thinking that my stomach is still small since I throw up if I eat to much “real” food. No problem with the sweets or junk (potato chips). I am so mad at myself for doing this again.
Any suggestions or information is much appreciated
Today is my 9 year post op anniversary! I was able to lose my full 140 lbs and have kept every bit of it off! Have I had problems, absolutely. I am severly anemic – I have to have 2 irons shots a month plus take B12 pills several times a day. Vitamins are a must. But I am 9 years out – I’m not sure that I would still be alive if I hadn’t done the surgery. There are times when I feel like death warmed over, tired, lethargic. But everytime I can go right back to my diet or my hydration level and know it was because I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to do. I have had the flu 2 times in 9 years and like the other ladies said – those are days you will never forget, no matter how much you would like to!
There are days when I look at my sagging arms, belly and butt – but I’m alive to look at them and watch my kids grow up!
I remember my nutritionst telling me before surgery that there will be a day when I can eat almost everything I did presurgery but I would eat 1 cookie instead of the whole tray – thank goodness she was right. I could sit and eat the whole tray – but I now know that I will have dumping or feel absolutely miserable for several hours – I decided my life was worth more to me than eating junk and missing out on life. Trust me, it took me several years to figure that one out the hard way!
It’s all a learning process. It’s a tool – it won’t do it for you.
I had my surgery in 96. It was the best thing I ever did. But I do have a problem with pain sometimes, that I don’t know what it is caused from. It has woke me up in the night and I have had it in the morning before I’ve eaten anything at all. It is an extreme pain. I’ve given birth to 4 kidney stones and the pain is right up there with that experience. Once I passed out from the pain. It has taken me to the floor a couple of times but normally I just walk very fast and it will stop. I have thought maybe it was a gas pocket of some kind. But just not sure. Has anyone else had this happen.
Problems with Pancreatitis and malnutrition after bypass
I had my surgery in Dec 2002. Approximately 3 months later i started to have pains that began midchest and radiated to my back. My surgeon had left to go to another state so I was assigned the nurse practitioner. I told her of the pains and after supposedly running tests I was told I had an ulcer. I continued to have the pain periodically over the next year, approximately 3-4 times a month. Soon it became incessant and I finally told my primary about it because I kept begging the nurse to do more tests and she insisted that it was an ulcer. They even sent me to a specialist and he said the same thing. Well when i told my primary about the pain going to my back she told me to come right in. She ran more tests and found no evidence of an ulcer and proceeded to call the nurse who could not give her an reasonable explanation as to why, she and the “specialist” treated me for a year for an ulcer when there was no proof of one. Well my enzyme level came back high from the tests by my primary. She called me to set an appointment but that very night I had the worst pain attack of my life and felt like I was dying. When I got to the ER my pancreast levels were in the 3000 levels and I spent 2 weeks in the hospital. Come to find out post surgery the scar tissue blocked my bile ducts and caused my pancreatic duct to become enlarged. I have suffered for 7 years with the worst pain of my life. It got to the point where there was a never ending pain. It never went away and I had to be put on Fentanyl patches and take Dilaudid every 4 hours to control the pain. I have been in the hospital so many times its ridiculous. I had to go on leave from work and had an ERCP done on Sept 2, 2009 to clean out my bile duct and other areas around my pancreas. My pancreas was receiving very little blood and my liver was becoming affected. Now I have a severe malnutrition problem that I have to see a hemotologist about because my body wasnt absorbing vitamins and minerals because of the blocking and the surgery itself.
The bypass itself was fine. The scar tissue is what caused my issues. When I first had the surgery I had to learn what not to eat to avoid dumping but I kept a diary and figured it out quickly. I was 297 and now weigh 155. I have maintained my weight because I completely changed the way I eat. You have to. I have seen so many people who have had this surgery, lose weight and then 4-5 years later gain the weight back. That is ridiculous. This is not an easy way out. This requires a complete change of eating habits. You cant just eat what you want. Bad eating habits will completely destroy the point of the surgery. I eat sweets but I will eat maybe 1 or 2 cookies, or maybe a bite or two from a peice of cake. I absolutely refuse to over do it. I was only overweight for 4 years but that was long enough. I developed sleep apnea, diabetes,extreme edema in my feet, migraines, etc with the weight gain. That was following the death of my spouse when I was 3 months pregnant and then alot of depressive overeating afterwards. The surgery cleared up every single health issue I developed. I truly feel that the surgery was a good thing and the development of the scar tissue was not typical. I know that had the nurse knew what she was doing then there are meds that I could have taken to keep my ducts cleaned out. She just did not listen or take the time to find out. Please make sure you have a good doctor that truly listens to you. Dont overeat, Dont eat sugary foods, keep a diary of foods that cause dumping and it will be okay. For those people who said that their friends are having bad cramps,feeling run down, sweating, feeling clammy then most likely they ate something that wasnt good for them, like a sugary food or they over ate.
The surgery works if you do the right things and have a good doctor. Good luck to everyone.
I had bariatric surgery in Sept. 2009. After almost every complication one could have, except death, I am home. I am still dealing with the aftermath. I have an opening at the incision site….mine was not laproscopic, that is draining and won’t heal…anyone experience this. My surgeon said nothing to worry about, it is just healing, but it’s been four months! It looks very deep, not a large hole right on the incision scar. I too had to have a balloon to stretch the opening from the pouch to the intestine…what is the average weight loss each month….seems like I loose a few and then stay at the same weight for a couple of weeks…I have lost sixty pounds since the surgery. Thanks, Eve
I was reading the stories on this site, and entry #15 sounds exactly like my story. I had an artery bleed after RNY surgery and vomited a lot of blood and landed in ICU for a week getting 5 units of blood in July 2008. A month later I had extreme abdominal pain and went to ER and was admitted with pancreatitis. A few days later I had my gallbladder removed. Every few months since then, I have recurring pain episodes. I have been taking dilaudid for these attacks, but during my lat attack in Dec 2009, the docs refused to give me more pain meds. Last week I met with a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic reguarding this issue in hopes something can be done. If anyone else has had this proble let me know!
Hello, my name is Sara and I just recently had surgery 3.5 weeks ago. So far everything is fine, I’ve lost probably 38-40 lbs since the surgery. I had the RNY surgery and I want to say that having the surgery was scary, I remember thinking I just want to wake up I can deal with the recovery after. Well, obviously I woke up, I’m writing on this now. I haven’t really experienced any complications since I’ve been home but before I came home the doctors couldn’t regulate my blood pressure it always stayed under 100. That’s fine probably something with me anyway. I received 3.03 units of blood because I was anemic when I went into the hospital.
I want to say that, so far everything’s gone fine. My incision is merely a scar now though when they did my RNY they also took out my gallbladder and my spleen at the same time. The gallbladder was expectant, my doc said most of the time people have to come back to get their gallbladder removed anyway, so he just removes it right then. My spleen was because it was enlarged and he said it wasn’t sitting right, so he took it out too. The result of that is merely 8 vaccines a year for the rest of my life, no big deal.
I tend to learn that if I eat something my body doesn’t like I get a small pain in my chest and that’s my body telling me no no. There has only been one occasion where I’ve had to throw up as a result of that pain, but it relieved the pressure and pain in my chest after throwing up, so I now know what that warning sign is for. I’ve also learned that cottage cheese is very high in protein and while my doc wants me to eat yogurt and such, I bought the protein powder to make the protein shakes/smoothies whichever you prefer, but I really just can’t stand the taste.
Watching my kids eat food, makes me want to eat just one bite, even though I know if I swallow it, my body will reject it. I’m only to the point where I can eat super mushy foods right now, no meat. I’m certain it will get better. I went into the hospital weighing 349lbs and I’m 33. My overall goal is to lose between 200 to 220lbs. I don’t expect it to happen overnight, but I will work as hard as I can, without pushing myself over the limit.
If you listen to your body guys, it tells you what you can/cannot do. Don’t ignore it, your body knows best.
Good luck to everyone and God Bless!
I had revisional bypass surgery 7/15/09 After 5 days in the hospital and pain that not even Dilauted would take care of , they sent me to x-ray. They did the scan and found a retractor in my abdoman a lorge one too. On 7/20/09 I went in for another surgery to remove this foriegn object. While in there they found an abccess, and gastro gastric fistula. They placed two drains and a nasal tube(awfull thing) I went home after a month in the hospital on TPN for nutrition and all sorts of IV anti-biotics. by March this thing still had not healed so I was scheduled to go under again 3/25/10 they place an extra piece of fatty tissue to reinforce the hole and sewed it up removed the fluid pocket and placed n three more drains. I went in for my fist Upper GI and CT scan two weeks post op, they discovered no track leading to the fluid pocket and the leak still leaking but contained. So three more weeks of NPO and I would come back for another Upper GI and CT scan. at this time they found still no track and no leak. The DR advised that because I have beat the odds of time for healing and we have not had luck with things healing as they should, I should wait another week before starting to drink clear liquids. I started May 4th, 2010 on clear liquids and went in today 5/11/2010 for what I was hoping to be my last Upper GI and CT scan however when I met with the DR he informed me that the track and fluid pocket is back! I am still leaking! I have to start another series of anti-biotics and go back to NPO this three surgeries in less than a year, 319 days since i’ve had something solid to eat and I’m going crazy trying to figure out what the heck is going on! Plus my DR who has tried everything possible to get it healed without compromising my health is just as frustrated! I don’t know what to do anymore so i’m asking has anyone ever dealt no of or heard of another going through the same thing?????
Please someone respond i’m desperate!!!!!
I HAD GASTRIC BYPASS RNY SURGERY 4 MONTHS AGO AND I STARTED AT 349.6 IM NOW 277.THE LOWEST WEIGHT IVE BEEN IN 19 YEARS,NO COMPLICATIONS EXCEPT OCCASIONAL VOMITING.I FEEL WONDERFUL AND I DO THE SURGERY OVER A MILLION TIMES. IVE DONE EVERY DIET IN THE BOOK AND THE PERSONAL TRAINER THING, NEEDLESS TO SAY I BELIEVE THIS IS THE TOOL TO HELP EVERYBODY THAT IS MORBIDLY OBESE LOSE THE WEIGHT. I USE TO THINK THAT SURGERY IS THE EASY WAY OUT AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE WEAK. I WAS DEAD WRONG. THESE PEOPLE WHO FOUND THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL WEIGHTLOSS MEANING BARIATRIC SURGERY ARE STRAIGHT SOLDIERS. EVERYDAY IS A NEW BEGINING AND IM LOVING TOMARROW
GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS ALL
I had a gastric segmentation in 1989 and my weight was 365, I now weigh 152 and can not stop lossing for some reason I eat all the time and my bone mass has become very brital I don’t no who to turn to because I throw up everything I eat and I have gone to all the gastric doctors and they don’t know how to treat me someone please help I’m only 46 and I would like to be around to see my grand kids!
I HAD GASTRIC BYPASS THIS MARCH 2009 ,THE SURGERY WENT GREAT THE ONLY PROBLE WAS AFTER THE SURGERY I WAS THROWING UP EVERYTHING I ATE SO THE DOCTOR WENT BACK IN AN OPEN MY HOLE SOME MORE.I STARTED OUT 422POUNDS NOW IM 270PDS 5FT9 AN MOST SAY I LOOK DAM GOOD.MY CONFADENCE IS THREW THE ROOF.I FEEL A LOT OF MY FRIENDS AN FAMILY ARE JEALOUS OF MY NEW LOOK.MY HUSBAND ATTIUDE HAS EVEN CHANGED HE DOSNT LIKE THE ATTETION MEN GIVE ME.IF I HAD TO I WILL DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN I FILL GREAT AN I LOOK GREAT,DONT GET ME WRONG THERE ARE DAY TO DAY STRUGGLES LIKE MAINTAININ YOUR WEIGH LOSS.I HAVE BEEN AT A STANDSTILL FOR 6MONTHS MY GOAL WEIGHT IS 240PDS IM ON A LOW CARB DIET TRYIN TO JUMPSTART MY WEIGHLOSS AGAIN,GASTRIC GAVE ME MY LIFE BACK(LIFE ITSELF IS A RISK)
Had mine 5 years ago. No regrets. I have IBS (Irritated Bowel Symdrome) later due to stress. My episodes sounds like some I am reading. First episode had me on the floor, vomiting in pain and helpless. Taken to ER, treated with fluids and pain meds. Fine and dandy the next day. Three months later a repeat. Both during high stress times, one was a death and the other was excitement while on a vacation. I am seeing a gastric doctor and under control. I know the starting symtoms, they are light, and doing something then stops the problem. Do not be offended if you are treated for stress, that causes it, but you cannot control it as it has gone into IBS. You can control not getting too angry or excited most of the time. This helped as I thought it was the By Pass at first. Similar at the start to dumping. I do have acid now and them and vomit just after eating. OTC acid pill stops that pretty much.
My problem is I never lost my appitite. So I eat and be sitting for about 20 minutes total. If I stand the food goes through three “stomach” and I do not feel full. All this validated by test and scans. Anyone else?