Sleeve to RNY
on 9/15/14 10:37 am
I"d be very careful with the information coming from an office that can't offer you all choices (the DS). There are plenty of folks around who have been told occasional NSAIDs would be ok, only to find out how fast that remnant and UNSCOPABLE stomach can get ulcers with supposedly a dose or two. I'd also be wary of being sold how much less manageable the DS wold be, when I know plenty of RNY folks that take far more in supplements that I do (especially in the B vites and iron).
An honest surgeon - rny or DS, will tell you there may be many vitamins to take, and you may have to adjust carbs or lactose for gas, with EITHER surgery. Just hearing a surgeon say you can take nsaids occasionally with RNY has all kinds of alarms going off for me, as he sounds like he's desperate to make a sale.
The years I spent obese did damage to my joints. Having the weight gone (and easily maintaining because I have the DS) has relieved my pain for now. BUT. I know the damage was done, and even though I'm not making it worse now, the aging process will start in the joints and my spine where the damage already exists, and I WILL be taking NSAIDs to relieve the pain. Base on all the data I've read, there is no type of NSAID (oral, liquid, patch, injection) that is not dangerous for the RNY pouch.
One thing about Keshishian is that he can undo RNY and make it into a DS, and he will not sugar coat facts. It does sound like you are talking to a surgeon sugar coating RNY. If you don't think you can afford the supplements for DS, you can't afford them for RNY. They CAN be more.
Some folks go into this thinking that if they fail another surgery, they can always revise again to DS in the future. But insurance companies are making that harder by adding once in a lifetime clauses (regardless of who paid for a previous surgery) and the number of times you've been cut into makes it harder, and possibly unlikely for future revisions. It looks like you've been reading and learning about your options. I hope you find a solution that you can live happily and healthily with.
I do trust Dr. Lyass because he did my sleeve as well. I originally had it scheduled for June 2010 and I freaked out and cancelled the morning of! Dr. Lyass called me personally and I was so nervous he would push me. But he was very understandig and not upset at all. And told me he wanted me to be sure and that I can contact him if and when I feel I'm ready. It was supposed to be lap band at first too until I was discovered to have gastroparesis. So Dr. Lyass suggested I do the sleeve because the band wouldn't help with my digestion like the sleeve would.
I have been talking to a couple family members that had bypass as well and they are a couple years out and only taking 2-3 supplements. I take 5 as it is now just since my sleeve so I'm not too worried about that. But DS feels too drastic for me personally. I understand it's great for others but for me it's just not an option. Thanks for your I out though. :)
-Amie
Also I didn't talk to him about the DS. I researched it on my own and made my decision. I told him I read a lot about it and decided RNY was my choice. He didn't have anything negative to say about the DS. He only said there was about 25% chanceof permanent diarrhea. But then I went on to ask other RNY questions. I also spoke online to other DS recipients as well before making my decision.
-Amie
My RNY will be seven years old next month. My malabsorption is long gone, my capacity to eat is about the same as before surgery. I maintain my goal weight by counting calories, tracking food, and exercising.
What RNY did for me is let me get down to my goal weight. After that it is up to me to maintain by eating and exercising correctly.
You can outeat any surgery, even DS. They are all a tool. Success depends on how you use that tool.
Real life begins where your comfort zone ends
I totally get that! Sometimes just thinking about it makes me have anxiety and I don't even have a date yet. Lol it's hard to read all the comments for and against the surgery. But I try to remember there will be arguments for both sides for any WLS. I went through the same thing when I had my sleeve done. There are many successful people with each type of procedure. In the end it's up to us. I just like the malabsorption affect in the first year to give me a fighting chance to get to goal. Then I know I'll have to fight like hell to stay there. To be honest, I don't like the thought of permanent malabsorption with the DS. Not sure why but it scares me to have that long term. The RNY people I have spoke to in person are having to take very few supplements and I already do that so I'm ok with that.
-Amie
I totally get that! Sometimes just thinking about it makes me have anxiety and I don't even have a date yet. Lol it's hard to read all the comments for and against the surgery. But I try to remember there will be arguments for both sides for any WLS. I went through the same thing when I had my sleeve done. There are many successful people with each type of procedure. In the end it's up to us. I just like the malabsorption affect in the first year to give me a fighting chance to get to goal. Then I know I'll have to fight like hell to stay there. To be honest, I don't like the thought of permanent malabsorption with the DS. Not sure why but it scares me to have that long term. The RNY people I have spoke to in person are having to take very few supplements and I already do that so I'm ok with that.
"To be honest, I don't like the thought of permanent malabsorption with the DS. Not sure why but it scares me to have that long term. The RNY people I have spoke to in person are having to take very few supplements and I already do that so I'm ok with that. "
How far out are these people, and how often do they get full labs drawn? I've been in the bariatric world for 11 years now, and what I see that over time *most* people with either the RNY or the DS need more supplements as time goes on. Also, I see far fewer RNYers who get good, thorough labs done. Dsers seem to be more pro-active about vitamins and labs.
YOU WILL HAVE PERMANENT MALABSORPTION WITH THE RNY, TOO. Permanent malabsorption of VITAMINS AND MINERALS, just not permanent malabsorption of CALORIES.
Choose very carefully. If you have your Sleeve turned into an RNY pouch and stoma, there will be NO going back, no revising to a DS later on. Just won't be possible.
