Great for you!!!! I wish I could say the same for me. I have not kept the weight off - it is coming back in leaps and bounds. I, too, would do the surgery again tomorrow and may very well have to if I keep going. I need some sort of help and the only support groups I can find in my town are for lap band - I had RNY in 2002. My surgeon is no longer practicing - other drs in my town say they won't touch a patient of another dr even though he isn't practicing anymore!! UGH!!! I'm thinking of a food addiction 'place' - just to see what kind of help they offer. We will see.

congradulations!!! I feel the same way !!! it was one of the best things i could have done for myself.. Take care... im very happy for you .. you should be tooo..

My journey has been on a bumpy road at times, but I have made it! One week after the initial surgery I was back in the hospital having emergency surgery for a bowel blockage . I was very disappointed for a variety of reasons and the first was I'd had the RnY bypass surgery laproscopically and the second surgery had to be a large vertical cut into my abdomen - a vary big OUCH! However I went on to lose 100 pounds and I have maintained fairly well. My weight fluctuates, but I am able to gain control and reduce it back to the initial 100 pound loss so that is a good thing. I sometimes crave sweets so I have a little now and then. Everything that I should not eat is done infrequently or in moderation. I sometimes still have difficulty getting down certain meats, especially anything that is dry. Sometimes I am so hungry that I forget to chew well and then I get into trouble, but the frequency of that has lessoned over the years as well. I am not going to cook Thanksgiving dinner this year. Instead I am going out to a restaurant that is serving all you can eat Thanksgiving dinner. I eat very little so I will fill up fast! The rest of the family can gorge if they want! There will be no left-over's the next day, but for us that will be a good thing. If I want to I can have a nice dinner planned for the next day that does not take so long to cook! Next month I will be 60 and cooking a big dinner like that absolutely tires me out anyway. I am a tall big boned woman and I currently wear a size 16 or 18 pair of jeans, depending on the manufacturer. At first I used to freak out when I'd have to go to a size eighteen then I compared the 16 to the 18 and they werte both the same size. So it is a manufactures fault that they are not using standardized sizing or what is called true to size. I still love going clothes shopping, and being able to pick out clothes that are not totally in the plus sizes section. I still wear some of my plus sized tops, but I wear them more like a over shirt - like what is called the big shirt look. I feel good for the most part, but I continue to have trouble getting in enough protein. I continue to take my calcium and vitamins and I take a spray B-12 every day. I get my vitamins from http://www.bbvitamins.com/default.aspx (I do not work for this company - I just order my vitamins from them) they are created especially for the bariatric patient and I love the spray B-12. Note: Take you calcium as it will help you lose weight. Calcium supplementation is important to help prevent bone loss, to prevent teeth from becoming brittle, and to reduce the risk of heart disease, hypertension and colon cancer. Calcium is also necessary for muscle contractility, including that of the heart, for nervous system activities, and for the actions of numerous hormones and enzymes. Furthermore, dietary calcium helps to regulate body size, i.e. low intake causing weight gain and high intake leading to weight loss. I can not stress more that you take your vitamins every day and monitor your weight daily. Some people say do not weight yourself daily, but that is how I have been able to maintain my weight. Weighing myself daily helps me see if I have kept on that ten point gain or if it was just bloat. If the weight stays on for more than two weeks I immediately take action to get it off. I revert back to the bypass diet rules and the weight just falls back off. I have become more susceptible to weight gain which is what happens over time to bypass patients. Bypass patients lose weight rapidly after surgery - if they had the right kind of bypass surgery - the R-N-Y type - which seems to be the best way to go for many stops being as affective after 18 - 2 years out due to the bodies attempt to adapt. However your pouch still works if you fall back to the original plan, but you must do it right away and not wait until the weight becomes established within your body. Just know that the bypass surgery is a wonderful option to those whose health is failing rapidly or they are so overweight that they can not exercise without experiencing pain or permanent damage to their body. Most people who have the bypass surgery are at their last hope to lose the weight and are ready to make a drastic move to save or extend their life. This was the case for my decision as all diets and tactics I had tried failed. Just know that you can gain back the weight after a time and you must always be on guard. We are the gate keeper to food intake and we must control the flow of the type and amount of food we consume daily. A daily varied exercise routine is also highly recommended as it will help you rid yourself of the daily caloric intake. I like to cook my meats long and slow so that it is like a tender roast beef, I eat fresh or frozen veggies and fresh, canned or frozen fruit. I still eat off a smaller plate and have learned to make my portions small. I sometimes wish I could eat more when the food tastes good, but I have learned that too much will create pain so I abstain! I know that some bypass patients are grazing food all day and they are gaining weight. I eat only two meals a day and sometimes if I want a third meal I snack on proteins and fresh fruit, or a yogurt. During times when I crave something I have it but in a very small amount and I do not have it again. I do not bake or buy sweets very often and when I do I only but a slice of pie or cake to share, or I have a small piece of chocolate. Depravation is not necessary - what is necessary is extreme moderation when it comes to foods that are not protein or those listed on the gastric bypass diet. Many people do not drink enough water, and I had to learn to drink it myself as I used to hate drinking it if it wasn't flavored with something sweet or it was in the form of soda, coffee or tea. Now I prefer bottled water to any other liquid. I still need to work on getting in the daily amount of water though, but most days I do ok in that area. The ultimate outcome for me is great health and abounding energy. So for those that are just getting started, hang in there and follow the pouch rules it will pay off in the end - this much I do know! I wish every one continued luck and if you are doing well keep doing what you are doing - because it is obviously working for you!

Hi Deb, Just wanted to ask you a question. Do you have to go through all the same testing and see all those doctors again when your having a Revision??? I had a Gastric Bypass on Nov. 22 2002 I was 288 pounds the day I had my surgery. I went down to 178 that was my lowest now almost 4 years later I am starting to gain weight back and I am scared to death I will gain all that weight back I am now 198 lbs. I read on this site you can have a Lap Band put on to slow down your eating. Is that what your having done? thanks for your time!!! Janc57

Heidi, Don't lose hope! The more depressed you get, the more you will eat! I, too, bounced up about `10 pounds and one pant size from the lowest I had gotten. I go to a suppport group that gave me an idea that seems to work. Go back to your protein shakes! Drink one whenever you feel like eating (not just at meals, but a snack too- whenever you reach for food, make a shake) It really seems to fill me up and "reminds" me of what my goal is! I use the "Jay Robb" egg white protein in chocolate and it tastes delicious even though it might not be the highest protein content. (I figure if I won't drink it, it doesn't matter how good it is for me, right? ) Another thing I really like is Dannon "light n fit" smoothies. The peach one has little bits of peach in it, so you get to chew a little as you drink. It tastes the best to me- the strawberry and other berry ones are OK if you like super sweet taste. They're just too sweet for me. They only have 70 calories and can fill you up for a couple of hours. And water! Don't forget your water! I also live on Minute Maid Light lemonade or Tropicana sugar free lemonade. They are the best! It's the only thing besides water that we can have (no sugar, no carbonation, no caffeine) and they come in 12 ounce cans so you can take them to parties, picnics, beach, etc and feel like a normal person. I hope this helps! Whatever you do, don't give up! You can do it! Do you have a support group you could attend? I find it helps, even to just make me feel accountable! Kathy