anyone have a revision surgery at UNC hospitals in Chapel Hill??
(deactivated member)
on 9/7/08 1:44 am - raleigh, NC
on 9/7/08 1:44 am - raleigh, NC
Hey I'm Jamie... I'm 25 years old. I had a lap RNY procedure done September 2002 at the age of 19. I went from 350 lbs to about 220lbs in the first year and the the weight loss just stopped.... Over the last few years my weight crept back up to 270 and now I am back down to 250 and it seems as though thats where my body wants to stay...
I honestly feel like such a failure. I feel like so many people supported me with my surgery and I have let them and myself down. Its not that I want to be super thin, just healthy and happy... I want to be able to get through a day of work and still have the energy to have a life instead of sleeping each day away. I want to be able to walk up the stairs to my apartment without feeling like I'm going to die. I want to life a very long and healthy life with my fiance', Adam.
I'm considering a revision surgery. Another shot, I guess. When I had my surgery at 19, the surgeon made my pouch larger than what they normally do for RNY patients because I wasn't finished growing and he was afraid that I would suffer too much from malnutrition. I think that really set me up to fail. That and the fact I left for college soon after surgery where one's diet is made up of pizza and beer. I really think I was too young to understand the need to make this a real life change. I thought the surgery was a fool-proof way to get me into those bikini's all my friends were wearing. I thought it would "fix" me. I was wrong.
I understand now, that WLS is a tool, not a cure. But, I'm afraid that my pouch is too stretched out to be a useful tool for me anymore. I blew it. I'm hoping someone is willing to give me a second chance. I have an upcoming appointment with the bariatric surgeon at UNC Hospitals. They are performing an upper GI series to see if there is anything wrong with my "hardware" so to speak. I have never in my life wished that a doctor would find something wrong with me. But that is all i wish for right now, every minute of every day.
Just wondering if anyone had a revision done at this hospital.. if so, what did you have done? Do you recommend your surgeon? Did insurance cover it? Any comments and advice would be much appreciated!
I honestly feel like such a failure. I feel like so many people supported me with my surgery and I have let them and myself down. Its not that I want to be super thin, just healthy and happy... I want to be able to get through a day of work and still have the energy to have a life instead of sleeping each day away. I want to be able to walk up the stairs to my apartment without feeling like I'm going to die. I want to life a very long and healthy life with my fiance', Adam.
I'm considering a revision surgery. Another shot, I guess. When I had my surgery at 19, the surgeon made my pouch larger than what they normally do for RNY patients because I wasn't finished growing and he was afraid that I would suffer too much from malnutrition. I think that really set me up to fail. That and the fact I left for college soon after surgery where one's diet is made up of pizza and beer. I really think I was too young to understand the need to make this a real life change. I thought the surgery was a fool-proof way to get me into those bikini's all my friends were wearing. I thought it would "fix" me. I was wrong.
I understand now, that WLS is a tool, not a cure. But, I'm afraid that my pouch is too stretched out to be a useful tool for me anymore. I blew it. I'm hoping someone is willing to give me a second chance. I have an upcoming appointment with the bariatric surgeon at UNC Hospitals. They are performing an upper GI series to see if there is anything wrong with my "hardware" so to speak. I have never in my life wished that a doctor would find something wrong with me. But that is all i wish for right now, every minute of every day.
Just wondering if anyone had a revision done at this hospital.. if so, what did you have done? Do you recommend your surgeon? Did insurance cover it? Any comments and advice would be much appreciated!
Hi Jamie:
I just wanted to say hello and welcome to the NC boards. Please don't feel like a failure. I do know that this weight loss thing is such a mindset and that you need to think positively in order to be successful. I hear your distress and I understand that you are frustrated with what you feel like is a failure. You may have ventured off the path and not used your tool to the best of your ability but there are people that have gotten off the path and then got back on and had success so you can do that too. I am not slamming you.... just saying perhaps you really need to try and focus on eating healthier and see what happens while you are being tested to see if your RnY is done correctly.
I have learned that our minds play a really big part in all of this. I know there is someone on here who had two babies postop and gained 80 pounds and now several years out is working her tool and has lost most of that weight now and will surely go past that. You have really not gained it all back and are 30 pounds over your lowest weight. You got off track and didnt do what you needed to do as you said. So try and get back on track and just concentrate your mind on that. Please keep us posted as to the progress you make.
I hope you don't take it as me preaching at you. Just some suggestions perhaps for you to try.
Lisa
I just wanted to say hello and welcome to the NC boards. Please don't feel like a failure. I do know that this weight loss thing is such a mindset and that you need to think positively in order to be successful. I hear your distress and I understand that you are frustrated with what you feel like is a failure. You may have ventured off the path and not used your tool to the best of your ability but there are people that have gotten off the path and then got back on and had success so you can do that too. I am not slamming you.... just saying perhaps you really need to try and focus on eating healthier and see what happens while you are being tested to see if your RnY is done correctly.
I have learned that our minds play a really big part in all of this. I know there is someone on here who had two babies postop and gained 80 pounds and now several years out is working her tool and has lost most of that weight now and will surely go past that. You have really not gained it all back and are 30 pounds over your lowest weight. You got off track and didnt do what you needed to do as you said. So try and get back on track and just concentrate your mind on that. Please keep us posted as to the progress you make.
I hope you don't take it as me preaching at you. Just some suggestions perhaps for you to try.
Lisa
Hi Jamie,
Dont beat yourself up over this sounds like to me you know what you were doing and what maybe caused some of your weight gain.
I had my RNY at UNC in 07 and I cant even begin to tell you how grateful I was for having it done there.
I think Dr. Farrel is the best.
The whole team at UNC is very caring and understanding you will be in good hands there.
I have bcbs and they have been wonderful with paying for my surgery.
Welcome to the NC boards and please know you arent alone in this.
Maybe you could come to our next meetup on the 20th it will be in Raliegh.
Many of us go and we always have a good time.
http://wls.meetup.com/101/
Good luck and it would be great to meet you.
Ask the nurse at UNC when the next support meeting is I noramlly always go.
Annie
Dont beat yourself up over this sounds like to me you know what you were doing and what maybe caused some of your weight gain.
I had my RNY at UNC in 07 and I cant even begin to tell you how grateful I was for having it done there.
I think Dr. Farrel is the best.
The whole team at UNC is very caring and understanding you will be in good hands there.
I have bcbs and they have been wonderful with paying for my surgery.
Welcome to the NC boards and please know you arent alone in this.
Maybe you could come to our next meetup on the 20th it will be in Raliegh.
Many of us go and we always have a good time.
http://wls.meetup.com/101/
Good luck and it would be great to meet you.
Ask the nurse at UNC when the next support meeting is I noramlly always go.
Annie
Hey Jamie:
Just come here and you will get a ton of inspiration from some very very special people. I am 7 months post and have lost 101 lbs. I could never have done it without the help from my wonderful NC OH family. Good luck on your exam and you can do whatever you need to do to get to your goal.
Take care, Pam
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