HELP NEEDED FOR A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE!!

I HAVE A GOOD FRIEND WHO HAD HER RNY SURGERY ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE HAS SLIPPED BACK INTO HER OLD HABITS. SHE ONLY LOST HALF OF HER WEIGHT DURING THE FIRST YEAR AND HAS PUT BACK MOST OF IT. SHE IS REALLY STRUGGLING AND I AM TRYING TO HELP HER AS BEST I CAN. SHE IS TOO EMBARRASSED TO POST THIS SO I OFFERED TO DO IT FOR HER, BUT SHE TOLD ME SHE WILL CHECK TO SEE WHAT SUGGESTIONS COME HER WAY THROUGH THIS POST. SHE IS REALLY DEPRESSED AND WORKS VERY HARD IN HER VERY STRESSFUL JOB WHICH SHE IS ALSO UNHAPPY IN.  IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR HER AND HAS BEEN THROUGH THIS YOURSELF, PLEASE ANSWER THIS POST AND LET HER KNOW WHAT SHE CAN DO. SHE IS REALLY REACHING OUT AND NEEDS AS MUCH HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT AS SHE CAN GET. I HAVE GIVEN HER A LOT OF ADVICE BUT IT NEVER HURTS TO GET MORE. THE GOOD THING IS SHE STILL THROWS UP WHEN SHE EATS TOO MUCH, SO I GUESS SHE STILL HAS THE TOOL TO WORK WITH. THANKS.

Joanne - I would say for her to pull out her nutrition book and see if she can try to follow the diet that we were on in the early months after surgery (not necessary the liquid portion of it.) Or as in my case as well it's time to use conventional diet methods to lose weight - like Weigh****chers, Atkins or low carb diet. At this point if nothing has worked then there is a new procedure called the stomaphyx perfomed by Dr. Overcash in Ocala she might want to check out. They will be conducting a seminar and she should attend to see if this is an option for her - ya never know! The procedure is (at this time) for post RNY or bypass surgery patients who pouches have stretched or people who have had a high regain amount.  Call the office and see if this is an option for her (352) 368-2828.  Best of luck!

Joanne, your friend needs to just get back to basics of pure proteins as though she just had the Surgery. A very good starting would be to do the Plateau Buster and she'll need to start going to Support Groups. The more the better like at least one a week but deffinently at least one a month. She needs to get over being Embarrassed as only she can Change herself. And start to post herself will show us she cares about herself. We can't help is she doesn't care about herself first! What made her decide to get the Weightloss Surgery Two Years ago in the first place? Possibly she should go talk to the Pysch Doctor who passed her to received her surgery & a Nutritionist. As to the job she needs to start looking for something else to do as it won't get any better even with a weight loss. They've learned to take advantage of the depressed employees everywhere. Excusses as in lossing will only deter/comtinue non-changes. 

Hi Joanne,

Hopefully your friend was given some type of nutrition manual pre-op. If not, I would schedule a consult with a nutritionist, pronto. Previous suggestions also very good. Also, the Pouch Rules for Dummies is reprinted on the bottom of my profile.

We will always have the physiological tool, we just need to work it.

HTH,

Kristen

"THE GOOD THING IS SHE STILL THROWS UP WHEN SHE EATS TOO MUCH, " This is a good thing?  Perhaps your friend has some sort of mechanical failure.  I did not have RNY I had DS, but I would think a trip to her surgeon is in order to rule out something physical.  Sometimes we eat because we do not feel well.  Particularly in the case of acid reflux or ulcers. Red

HI RED, THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY. I MENTIONED THE THROWING UP AS A GOOD THING BECAUSE SHE STILL HAS THE PHYSICAL FEELING OF A BYPASS PATIENT EVENT THOUGH SHE IS NOT FOLLOWING HER PLAN ANYMORE. I PERSONALLY HAVEN'T TRIED SWEETS OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD POSSIBLY MAKE ME DUMP BUT IF I DID I WOULD RATHER EXPERIENCE THAT RATHER THAN BEING ABLE TO TOLERATE IT AND GIVE ME THE CHANCE TO TO RUIN EVERYTHING I HAD DONE IN EATING THAT CRAP AGAIN. MY FRIEND ADMITTED TO ME IT IS BECAUSE SHE IS EATING TOO MUCH, BUT DOESN'T EXPERIENCE ANY KIND OF OBSTRUCTION FROM EATING TOO MUCH. I AM HOPING THAT SOON SHE WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH THE BARIATRIC OFFICE AGAIN TO GET HERSELF THE HELP SHE NEEDS. HOPE YOU ARE DOING GOOD. TAKE CARE

Just by virture that she is no longer feeling the restriction makes me wonder about mechanical failure. I am doing great in about two weeks I will be a year out from DS surgery.  I am down 130lbs and I feel terrific.  I can eat just about anything I want in moderation.  I can even enjoy desserts on occasion.  The DS is a miracle. Red

GLAD TO HEAR U ARE DOING GR8. ARE U AT GOAL NOW? PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT THE DS IS EXACTLY. TAKE CARE

Well my hematologist has told me to put the brakes on -- so I guess I am at goal although I would like to lose another 10 pounds.   The DS (blilopancreatic bypass with duodenal switch) is two parts; the restrictive part and the mal-absorption part, it is similar to the RNY in that way, but that is where the similarly ends. The restrictive portion of the surgery is accomplished through a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). The VSG removes ½ to 3/4 of the stomach. Now, yes this does seem drastic and scary. But what is accomplished is that you get a much smaller fully functional stomach and the portion of the stomach that produces gherlin a hunger producing hormone is greatly reduced.

How does this compare with the RNY pouch? Well, first off there is no blind stomach. You see normally our stomach is about the size of a football. With the RNY all of that stomach remains in your body producing gastric juices. However, once it is stapled off or transected the only way to see what is going on inside is with another operation. You cannot scope the blind stomach. The DS stomach is completely accessible. Plus because it is a whole fully functional stomach one can still take NSAIDS and many other medications that are not permissible after the RNY. Then there is the connection. Since there is a natural connection between the stomach and the intestine the chance of marginal ulcers is practically eliminated. The DS retains a good portion of the pyloric valve so the food is regulated going into the intestines -- hence, no dumping. The DS also retains most of the duodenum this aids in the absorption of iron and B12.  Because of the malabsorbtion I do not have to restrict fats either.  I malabsorb 80-90% of the fat I eat.

Yes, the DS does produce the most malabsorption of the WLS. But it is this mal-absorption component that makes the DS so effective at long-term weight loss and maintenance. According to many the DS has the best record for long term maintenance of weight loss.  Red

THANKS FOR THE INFO - DOES THE DS HAVE A BETTER LONG TERM WEIGHTLOSS THAN RNY?