A long way traveled, a long way to go ...

Jan 16, 2013

It will be 3 months tomorrow (Jan. 18) since I had my gastric bypass. So many things have transpired in those scant 12 weeks that my head is spinning, but even though I've had some scary moments it's all turned out okay. 

Just one month following my successful surgery I found myself in the emergency room of Buffalo General Hospital. I had been experiencing horrible bouts of heartburn (something I'd never had before in my life), and I was vomiting frequently, with no relief from the constant burning pain. I was regretting my decision to have WLS, even though I underwent the procedure in order to get on the kidney transplant list, freeing me from thrice-weekly hemo dialysis. I was in pain and afraid to eat anything for fear of the return of the fiery pain. At the ER, labs were taken and I was sent for a CT scan to make sure my gastric bypass wasn't causing the problems. The CT was negative but I was told I was extremely dehydrated, the result of over-ambitious dialysis which was taking too much fluid from my body. Two bags of saline later, I was released and from that day forward never again experienced the heartburn. Thank God!

However, the CT scan found that my kidneys were covered with cysts, a new finding as my renal ultrasound in 2010 was negative for cysts. I researched intensively and discovered that I probably had "Acquired Cystic Disease of Dialysis," a condition in which the kidneys develop cysts from the process of dialysis. These cysts can and often do become renal cell carcinoma. Kidney cancer. An ultrasound was inconclusive so I was sent for an MRI of one cyst that was "complex," meaning it was of a more solid nature which could signify renal cell carcinoma. The other cysts were harmless and fluid-filled. The two-week wait for my results (my doctor was on vacation) was excruciating, but the wait was worth it - the MRI was negative!! However, because these complex cysts can become cancerous, I'll have imaging every 6 months to keep an eye on it. Phew!!

While all this was going on, my left knee swelled to giant proportions and was so painful I could barely walk. One Friday at dialysis the nurses were concerned that it might be a blood clot, so they called my son to get me and take me to the hospital. No blood clot, thankfully, but I had an advanced case of bursitis, on top of moderately advanced osteoarthritis, osteophyte formation, degenerative disc disease and joint space narrowing. In other words, a classic case of garden variety arthritis, no doubt cause by my obesity. I received a cortisone shot in the knee (ouch!) and now it feels perfectly normal - no pain, no swelling, no limp! Yay!

At any rate, it's been a rocky journey and I've been surprised by the steep learning curve associated with this surgery. Even though I prepared for it for 14 months, there were still many things I learned after the fact, including total loss of appetite, loss of hunger signals, significant changes in taste and how difficult it would be to get enough protein, especially because dialysis removes protein. That has been a constant struggle.

But all said, I'm glad I had the surgery, I wish I had done it a decade ago, but there's no looking back. I'm within 30 pounds of my BMI target for the kidney transplant list, and I'll be able to start the process very soon. Another exciting goal to look forward to! As the long, cold month of January ticks by, I'm trying to focus on eating as well as possible and getting more exercise now that my knee is no longer paining me. I want to get out more with my camera (I'm a photographer), shooting landscapes in the outdoors, especially along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, a very beautiful place. 

It's so good to feel optimistic once again. 

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