Several emailed and called yesterday and I did not have a chance to get back in touch with all of them so here is what you are asking for.
Seen the surgeon yesterday and really there is no good news. He is still operating on the 18th and that is the only thing that I already knew. Pretty much the best surgeon at UK is nervous and concerned about what all he might have to do when he opens me up again. He said there is 3 options when he gets in and it all depends on what he finds once he is inside. Option 1, which is what I want, is he gets inside and he will repair both of my current hernias and he will put back together my stomaches (basically reversing my gastric bypass which started all my troubles) but only if he can get to my "pouch" without doing more damage than good. He is really concerned about doing this because it is at the top of the list in difficulty, about 12 hours on the table and basically 70/30 if I make it thru the surgery alive. Option 2, he repairs the 2 hernias and does some work to my small intestine below my pouch and leaves my gastric bypass surgery as it is. Option 3 is he repairs my 2 hernias and can't do anything to my small intestine or reversing my gastric bypass. If it is option 3 then I will have to have several procedures where they put a balloon down my throat and push it thru my pouch and blow it up in my small intestine below my pouch every couple of months to try and expand it so I can eat food properly. No matter what it looks like the feeding tube will stay in place and if/when it comes out it will have so be done surgically as well. My surgeon will have another surgeon with him, basically the 2 best at UK will be in there plus a couple of anesthesiologist and a cardiologist to help my odds at coming thru it. He is very concerned and border line scared to do the surgery but he is my only hope. I signed the consent and basically will go under and into the operating room not knowing what he will do but I trust him to the fullest. He went thru all the complications that could happen and several of them are very likely due to all of the other surgeries and stuff that I have had done to me. I have not slept in 3 days and very worried about my wife and son, not scared but worried. I want to be here for them and want to see my son catch his first Smallmouth at Dale Hollow but there are no guarantees. At the same time I want to "either get busy living or get busy dieing" as Morgan Freeman said in The Shawshank Redemption. Time for me to get on the road to permanent recovery or the other.
If you are reading this then don't take life for granted. Give your wife and kids a little longer hug and tell them you love them a couple more times today because you don't know what is around the corner.
Not posting this for any sympathy from anyone but really don't want to tell the same things to all those that have inquired. If a moderator is reading this then please lock it. Thanks elnut
