New life struggles with RNY - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Dreaminghealthy · 12-10-2008, 06:39 PM

I am thinking of getting a revision from lapband that I had done 2 years ago. My surgeon said the lapband just isn't working for me. Not that I was doing anything wrong, but the band won't get properly filled no matter how many times he fills and unfills it. He suggested that I get the VSG, which sounds awesome to me, but my insurance...like most insurances will not pay for the VSG due to it being experimental still at this point in time. I still do my best with eating healthy, but at times I eat high calorie foods. I did so well for a year trying to get results from my band, but no matter what I did, the weight would not come off. It felt like another failed diet.

So now, I thought I would check into information about the gatric bypass. I know there is good things that come out of getting the RNY, but I was wondering what are the day to day struggles, or routine that is part of life after the RNY is done. What complications, if any, you deal with. Is there a lot of "dumping" and do you feel sick a lot of the time? Are there a lot of foods you can't eat? I am not talking about sugar...I am aware that can cause dumping. What about whole wheat bread...chicken, beef, any types of meat. Can you eat fresh/raw vegetables?

How are your bowl movments, and do you get gas a lot more since surgery? Do you feel weak a lot....I know after surgery for a short time it is normal, due to anesthesia and stress on the body from surgery. Has anyone had problems with staples leaking, or any other huge problems. Also, does anyone know the statistics of severe problems after surgery. What is the outlook 6, 12, 20 years down the road after having gastric bypass as far as health is concerned?

I am just trying to find out what the ride is like after having RNY. I want to know about the emotional ride as well as the physical one. I want the facts and the truth to make a decision that is best for me; what better way then to get stories from those who have been there and done that.

To be honest, I am a little scared of having my intestines re-routed, though I want to live a healthier life, without being obese. First, I went the direction of getting the band so I would not have anything switched around, but that didn't work. Now I am left with fear of gastric bypass surgery, and fear of not living long without the more invasive surgery. Then there is the thing of what the surgeon can and cannot do, as far as revising me. At this point it looks like gastric bypass is the only card on the table for me, that my insurance will pay for. I don't think my surgeon does the DS surgery.

I am pretty depressed over the band not working for me. I had sooo many hopes and dreams of losing weight, feeling better, doing more...being more active. After I had surgery, I felt worse physically, and developed rheumatoid arthritis and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I am not sure if this was going to happen without surgery, but the docs are thinking it could have triggered it all to happen quicker. I surely don't want to feel worse with another surgery. After all my goal is to feel better...healthier. One of my biggest battles is exercide due to all the pain I am in from the arthritis. I am still pretty active though. I walk a good deal, and do a good deal of house cleaning. I do strectches also with yoga. I am can't do aerobics because if kills my knees, and back, so my docs prefer I don't do areobics at this time. They tell me to keep walking.

Thanks for reading my post, and I appreciate anyone who can offer me some information on your journey with the gastric bypass, and how it affected you emotionally and physically.
Sorry for such a long post.

88Shelly88 · 12-10-2008, 07:00 PM

I am sorry to hear that the band is not working for you. I would be devestated as well. I am almost 5 weeks out and can only tell you how I have been doing.

My surgery went GREAT, a little under two hours, and two nights stay in the hospital. I have not had any complications thus far. My incisions (5 small ones) have healed well, I had no leakage or drains attached to me when coming home like some have. I still do not quite understand why they get sent home with drains, but NEVER with my dr.

I have dumped twice thus far. I ate pured lean ground beef on week two and I think that it was to dry for me. I had horrible chest pains, for about 30 minutes until I threw up. After that I was fine. Honestly I will take the POST RNY puking any day over old puking. You do not have the nasty stomach acids anymore so it was more of a cough up which was foamy. I hope that this is not to much info. I want to be honest with you. I also dumped on week four when I ate one piece of breaded zuchinni. I have been fine on this in the past but a friend brought some over, the breading was beer flavored and it just did not sit right with me.

As long as you eat slow like you are supposed to, you will know if something will make you sick within the first few bites. So I have been having better luck now.

I am not going to say that this is easy, beacuse it is hard. I am still struggling with getting in my 64 oz. of fluid everyday, and also the 60-80 grams of protein. I am taking this in stride and know that this will be a long journey for me.

I keep telling myself that I am only 5 weeks out and that things will get easier in time.

As far as "Fresh" fruits and veggies, the doctor told me to lay off them until month three. I am eating soft veggies and fruit from a can that has no sugar added.

I do not think that the high calorie foods will work for you with the RNY. You have to eat a low fat diet for the rest of your life, or you can dump due to the fat being to much.

I have eaten a few bites of TOAST with my tuna here and there and it goes down ok. But I was advised by the dietician to stay away from soft breads for quite some time beacuse they can cause problems. I know that a lot of people on here do not even eat breads due to the carbs. I eat a very high protein bread, and keep in mind I can only eat maybe a half of a piece if I am lucky! I am not a carb freak.

I did try one tiny bite of my sons Auntie Ann pretzel the other day and almost dumped, the bread was way to soft and I thought I was going to die. So there again I learnered real quick that I can not have that.

My bowel movements are back to normal. The first two hurt a little but I am fine now. :O) Again TMI~ (to much info sorry but you asked!)

I hope that this helps you in making your decision. I say go for it. Will you insurance cover RNY after paying for the lap band? I thought that was pretty rare.

Dreaminghealthy · 12-10-2008, 07:26 PM

Shelly,

Thank you for your response. I can be approved if I do the 6 month supervised diet, which I did already because I thought I could get the VSG. I was told by my surgeons office my insurance should pay for me to have RNY as a revision now that I have done the 6 month superv diet.

I know there will be HUGE changes in my eating. To be homest, I want that, but I fear that at the same time. I was on a great track for a year, so you would think I would be ok with the changes, but they still we not as drastic as with RNY. If I wanted a 1/2 cup of low fat ice cream, I could eat it without worry of "dumping" or getting sick. I guess I will always deal with the head issues, no matter what surgery I have. There is a love hate feeling I have about the RNY....that is, I like that it will stop me from eating high calorie foods, and I hate that it will stop me when I reach for my friend food to comfort me. I guess we can't have our cake and eat it too...lol.

I can also see I need more support in this area then I thought. It isn't that I don't want to be healthy. I just and so used to depending on food to comfort me and get me through life. Unfortunately, that dang food is going to kill me. I hate that I know what is good to eat, and what isn't, and I make bad choices sometimes anyway. I am definately a food addict. I hate being addicted to food. I hate being unhealthy, and I hate being fat. I hate that with my weight my arthritis is so much worse and it makes it harder to move around. I get so stiff if I sit for longer then 15 minutes. I want to be able to be thinnner, healthier, and to be more active. Hopefully, being thinner will help my arthritis not hurt as bad, for the most part anyway.

Thank you for your honesty. I did ask for it and I appreciate it. I am glad your surgery went so well. I hope if I commit to doing the RNY, that my surgery goes well too. I guess being scared is all normal. I am afraid of my hormones and withdrawal after surgery being bad. I already take meds for depression. I need to make sure I have plenty of support when I have this done. My hubby is a skinny thing that can eat whatever he wants and never gains a pound. Don't you just want to slap these people upside the head...lol....no, I really just wish I could be like that. I breath food and gain 5 lbs.

Weather permitting I will see my surgeon tomorrow, and I can talk with him about what plans to make, and what he feels about the gastric bypass. I don't have good wind shield wipers and we are supposed to have heavy rains tomorrow. If it isn't too bad out, I am driving to my appointment. I bought new windshield wipers and the suckers don't fit....GGGrrrrrr. My hubby is getting them this time instead of me going and getting them wrong again.

Thanks again Shelly for your info and support.

MiladyB · 12-10-2008, 08:47 PM

Hi welcome to the forum.

Making the decision to have a RNY is a huge decision and is one that should never be taken without weighing everything. I had my RNY in Jan. '06 and have lost over 200 pounds.

Physically the biggest complication that I have had is that I needed my gallbladder removed this past June. Presently I am dealing with complications from my gallbladder. They aren't directly related to having my RNY but the RNY has complicated the treatment.

Complications that could occur in the future include: unexplainable pain, malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, stricture of the connection between the pouch and the intestines, weight gain, inability to eat certain foods, nausea, vomiting, gallstones, diarrhea, constipation, bowel obstruction, ulcers, and death.

One thing I think is important for people to realize is that the RNY is only a tool, just like the lapband is a tool. There are ways of eating around your tool and it is possible to gain weight back. It is important to get your head in the right place because it is a life long struggle. It really is but the RNY has brought me down to a level playing ground with any person who has to watch their weight.

In regards to eating? I eat what most people would consider 'normal' food. I have some difficulty with breads, pasta, rice but I need to limit those things anyway, so it really isn't much different than anyone else who is eating a low fat, low calorie, low carb meal. I have no problem with meats, fruits or vegetables. I also am ABLE to eat cookies, crackers, candy, cupcakes, pizza, ice cream and donuts. I tolerate sugar fairly well. But there is a point that I know I've had too much. The same goes for higher fat foods. I don't have what I would call major dumping. High amounts of sugar, fats and sugar alcohol will make me feel gassy. I'll get really tired feeling and sometimes a little nauseated. Its enough for me to know that I've pushed my limits. But just because I am ABLE to eat those things doesn't give me the right to go crazy eating.

I can pretty much eat anything I want in moderation. But that's where the head stuff comes in, making sure I'm eating in moderation. Making sure I'm in control. The surgery really isn't going to force me to eat in moderation. It may slap my hand from time to time but I'm still the one who makes the decision to put that food in my mouth. I can pay attention to that slap and I can ignore it and keep eating. Sure I can't sit down and eat an entire pizza, in one sitting, like I could pre-op. BUT if I grazed all day on that pizza or that bag of cookies, or crackers or whatever food it is? I can tell you I would still be able to eat it all, it would just take me all day instead of an hour.

The majority of my meal is protein. I eat a small amount of vegetables and a small amount of starch. Basically it is about 1-1/2 cups of food per meal.

My nutritionist has given me guidelines to follow in regards to calories, protein, fat, etc.

1000-1200 calories
<30 grams of fat
70-90 grams of protein

For me, my weight will always be a battle. I really can't let my guard down. I pay attention to what I eat. I weigh myself often and if I see a weight gain I get back to the basics (measuring, weighing, counting). But this tool has helped me to be in control, not the food in control of me.

Longterm complications? The thing you have to pay attention to is the fact that you will have to take vitamins the rest of your life. You will run an increased risk of osteoporosis and anemia. There are certain vitamins and minerals that your body won't absorb as well that can cause complications years later. You need to be aware of that and stay on top of your health. Lab work, vitamins, yearly appointments. They are all important to your health.

On the emotional side? I would say that for me that was the hardest part. The surgeon does the surgery on your stomach but you have to do the head surgery. If you don't you run the risk of failure, you really do.

RNY isn't a magic bullet. But it is a tool to help put you in control...but its all up to you. If you use the tool correctly it works. If you don't, it will fail. Its really as simple as that.

Phoenixfire · 12-10-2008, 11:00 PM

When you see your surgeon I strongly suggest you ask for a referral to someone who can help you start working on your food addiction. The pouch won't fix that addiction. You'll have to deal with the pouch controlling your addiction and it ain't pretty if you aren't ready for that pouch to take charge.

You would do yourself well to see someone ahead of time and continue that therapy relationship post-op. It's a huge addiction and surgery won't fix that part.

I hope your doc has someone to refer you to!

You won't regret it, especially if you get started on that issue right now. It will have to be faced at some point right? Why not now?!

rachalrg · 12-11-2008, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phoenixfire

When you see your surgeon I strongly suggest you ask for a referral to someone who can help you start working on your food addiction. The pouch won't fix that addiction. You'll have to deal with the pouch controlling your addiction and it ain't pretty if you aren't ready for that pouch to take charge.

You would do yourself well to see someone ahead of time and continue that therapy relationship post-op. It's a huge addiction and surgery won't fix that part.

I hope your doc has someone to refer you to!

You won't regret it, especially if you get started on that issue right now. It will have to be faced at some point right? Why not now?!

Phoenix took the words right out of my mouth...I did this and it has helped me TREMENDOUSLY...it is also a different thing for me now though. I can't just go into the kitchen and grab a cookie or whatever because #1) I refuse to have them in my house, #2) I would pay for it and #3) in the end, look at what good cookies did for me right? I didn't go through all the crap from this surgery just to fail at this one too, you know?
If I wanted to continue to fail I would just have continued to diet and exercise...lol

Sue0609 · 12-11-2008, 11:39 AM

"but I was wondering what are the day to day struggles, or routine that is part of life after the RNY is done."

Struggles...well, sometimes I miss eating certain things, especially at events (buffet at a party with all kinds of good stuff, pies and desserts at holidays). At first your routine will be making sure you get all your liquids and protein. It gets easier as time goes by. I have no issues with that now. I had stopped counting my calories and protein, but my calories were getting too high, so I've started counting again. Exercise and vitamins should be part of the routine.

"complications, if any..."

I developed an infection post-op in one of the incisions. This can happen with any surgery. They opened it back up (in the surgeon's office under local anesthesia) and I had a drain for several weeks. It was more an inconvenience than anything.

""dumping" and do you feel sick a lot of the time? Are there a lot of foods you can't eat? I am not talking about sugar...I am aware that can cause dumping. What about whole wheat bread...chicken, beef, any types of meat. Can you eat fresh/raw vegetables?"

Early out I dumped very easily (I never did one of the full, horrible dumps because I quickly learned my sugar threshold, which was lower than usual at 8 grams). As far as I'm concerned dumping is a good thing. Unless you are a glutton for punishment it will stop you from eating sweets that slide down easily (such as ice cream). If I want something sweet I go sugar free. Other than sugar and deep fried food, I can eat anything. I don't eat much bread because carbs slow weight loss, but I can. I eat chicken, fish, steak, sushi, rice (some have issues with rice, I don't as long as I keep the serving small), vegetables, etc. I've been nervous about fruit due to the sugar, but yesterday I had 6 ounces of apple (microwaved with Splenda and cinnamon) which is 17 grams sugar. I ate it slow so I recognize the "pre-dump" symptoms, but it didn't happen.

"How are your bowl movments, and do you get gas a lot more since surgery?"

Mine are normal, just every 2-3 days instead of every day. I don't get gas, didn't before surgery either (I've always been sort of freakish that way). Right after surgery it is normal to get some gas as your body adjusts, but mine was minimal (gas pain, but no gas exiting).

"Do you feel weak a lot....I know after surgery for a short time it is normal, due to anesthesia and stress on the body from surgery."

My surgery was in June and I definitely felt a little weak all summer. It's better now. I think the surgery combined with the heat and trying to keep up with the water in the heat got to me. No issues now.

Has anyone had problems with staples leaking, or any other huge problems."

I didn't have a staple line leak. I already mentioned my infection above.

"Also, does anyone know the statistics of severe problems after surgery. What is the outlook 6, 12, 20 years down the road after having gastric bypass as far as health is concerned?"

Your surgeon should give you documentation on their complication rate. I don't know how far out those statistics go (remember the surgery has been perfected over time, so the real old statistics might be irrelevent). I also would only go to a surgeon that is part of a Center of Excellence. Only go to a surgeon that has done AT LEAST (absolute minimum) 100 GBS.

I was originally going to do lap-band but my surgeon and psych talked me out of it (they do all the surgeries). They just feel gastric bypass is more proven in terms of expected weight loss. Lap-band has a high failure rate (failure meaning failure to lose an adequate amount of weight). I had an ice cream issue

before surgery and lap-band pretty much allows endless ice cream.

Emotional? I think it's different depending on your life experience. I was never a heavy child or teenager (I was never skinny, but I was normal). I gained some weight in college and then a lot in grad school and then lost it all (gained it back in my 30s). I still thought of myself as a normal weight person, just inside a fat body. The attention, etc., is not an adjustment for me. The skin thing is bothering me a little (well, maybe more than a little), but there's not much that can be done about it until I get plastics, which is a long way away. I just have to remember the glass is half full, not half empty. I'd rather have saggy skin and be a size "normal" than filled out skin and a size "plus".

If you feel depressed I think you should meet with a psych. They can talk you through your feelings about failure, your fears, etc. I was nervous about the surgery, having my guts rearranged (so to speak), etc. There was a highly publicized gastric bypass medical malpractice case in Boston (the Charlie Weis case), so that had made me nervous. My surgeon and psych talked me through it all.

Here are the complication rates for my hospital, in case you want to do a comparison. Tufts Medical Center - Risk Rates for Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass

Here's some more info: Tufts Medical Center - Results of Gastric Bypass Surgery

Good luck. I have no regrets.

Dreaminghealthy · 12-12-2008, 06:34 AM

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to give me such wonderful information. It has given me a lot to think about before making any commitment. This is a big life change/decision, and I need to make it with as my info as I can get. You all have provided so much.

It looks like everyone who replied is doing so well on your weight loss journey. Congrates to all. I wish you all the very best of health and joy in life.

staraex · 12-17-2008, 06:00 AM

RYN was the best thing I've ever done. I did have 2 weeks of being emotionally drained and resentful, but that passed. I suppose eating soup everyday had me a bit depressed. But now I can eat/tolerate anything except tofu (which I used to love). I can also go out to eat ANYWHERE and find something I can eat and love. And I'll have left overs for days!

I'm a big promoter of exercise, and as long as you eat those small amounts and never over do it and exercise, you'll be so happy you had the surgery! I know I am. I've never felt better or more healthier in my life!

Raw veggies are a no-no for a few months, but then they're game as long as your stomach can handle them! If you like fish, it'll be your best friend! Gas comes and goes. I can go days and days without passing gas, and then on another day it'll happen a few times! Nothing to make or break the deal though.