My story of the RNY gastric bypass surgery performed June 11,2012 in PVR, MX
Hi everyone, my name is Kelli and I had the RNY gastric bypass surgery on June 11, 2012 in Puerto Vallarta, MX...Yes, Mexico because I didn't have insurance and the price was so much cheaper but I paid the price...I went into surgery June 11th, the surgery was the laprascopic type but immediately into the surgery I had a leak when the Dr. started stapling me back up so they had to take out the staples and pretty much re-do the surgery all over again in the same day. I was in surgery for almost 8 hrs and was told I had yet another leak so the following day I had to have a laporatomy surgery performed in which they cut a 4-5 inch opening in my stomach to repair the leak...It was honestly hell and I didn't think it could get any worse but it did...After that surgery we thought everything was ok and I started the liquid diet but 2 days later while I was still in the MX hospital I all of a sudden felt like I was having a heart attack and was in the worst pain i've ever experienced, I thought I was dying! The next day the Doc came in to check me in which he unstapled 3 staples from the bottom of my incision and literally dug his finger inside my stomach and it was determined that I had yet another leak...this time another surgery was not an option and they said that it would hopefully heal on it's own within 6-8 wks but until then I would have to have a feeding tube so that I could still get nutrients...so, that same day I decided to have the feeding tube placed in because the very next day my fiance and I were leaving to go back home...which included leaving MX and flying to Phoenix, AZ with a 2 hr layover and then flying home to GA!!! I had the feeding tube placed in around 9:30pm that night and we left at 5:30 the following morning to go home...I absolutely could not stay in MX any longer, I had to get home...didn't know if I would survive it but I had to attempt to get myself home to the U.S.A.!!! It was an absolute nightmare in MX, they treated us very bad and took everything we had...and yes, there are some ppl who judge me and say I was stupid for having it done in MX but I was desperate, I was pushing close to 400 lbs and I've had major orthopedic surgeries and problems and had to get the weight off some how so I chose that route. My Sister in law had hers done there 5 yrs ago and everything went well, she referred 3 of her friends there that had no problems as well. I know that most of mine was probably caused by the Dr. and the way they do things there that are very unsanitary and unsafe but this also happens all the time in the States too so I want everyone who is looking to have or planning this surgery to look at the dark side as well as the good side!!! I am very very lucky to be alive, as soon as I made it home June 17,2012 I had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance and it was found that I was over taken with infections and I had 8 abscess's and I was hospitalized for 19 days. I could not eat or drink anything for almost a month, I got nutrients and food by Iv's and feeding tube...it was PURE HELL!!! I am doing better now but I am still unable to do barely anything due to the wounds in my stomach and not being able to eat hardly anything at all. I have lost almost 70 pds to date and although I went through all of that I will not lie, I feel so much better already with 70 pds gone. I no longer have high blood pressure and no borderline diabetes...YAY!!! I just want everyone to understand the pros and cons of this surgery because NOT EVERYONE comes out of the surgery as planned, there are so many complications that can happen...the Dr. that I am seeing now in my hometown doesn't even perform the gastric bypass any longer because he said that it was just too risky but he took me on as a patient because I had already had it. Good luck to anyone and everyone who has had it or planning to have it!!!! It still is not easy, you have to fight this battle every single day and do a major lifestyle change!!!!