Trying to find a surgeon that will work on me!!! (long)

I had my first surgery, a stomach stapling, in 1982. Did well, went from 260 to 165 in a year, got PG and ate around the surgery and weight 215 one month after delivered baby by c-sect. Had to have gallbladder removed in 1989 and Dr. "tightened up" my stapling and added a band to make exit from stomach smaller. Only lost from 250 to 210 in about a year, then slowly gained back up to about 225. Had problems keeping food down right from the beginning of that surgery but thought it was all my fault because I had over eaten, part of it was that, but part was due to a growing obstruction to the banded area. By 1998 it had gotten so bad that sometimes even water came right back up!! A different surgeon was suppose to remove the blockage, but he reversed the stapling as best he could. I had NOT wanted it reversed, only repaired!! Went from around 225 to 280 between 1998 and now!!! I am checking into finding a Dr. that will do the open RNY on me. It is really hard to find a Dr. who is willing to take the trouble to work with me because of the previous surgeries!!! They either think I am a lost cause or that it would be too complicated to fool with me. I have done my homework and know that the RNY is 50% more effective than the old stapling, and I have been working on discovering the reasons I overeat and how to deal with them. I have recently joined a gym, the looks I get from some of them!!, and work out on cardiac(stationary bike) for 30 min at a time for 3 to 5 days a week and I do Aquasize for 1 hour a day for 3 to 4 days a week. I have really bad knees so I can not do the treadmill or walk much until I take off a good amount of weight. I know that I can make this work for me if I can only find a doctor willing to do the surgery!! Back in 1982 and 1989 there was NO support or training in how or what to eat!! We were on our own after the follow up check up after surgery. We were on a regular diet by the time we left the hospital and were just told if something bothered us when we ate it, not to eat it again!! I am 52 and my grand mothers live to be 86 and 90 years old and Mom is still living at 74 and doing as good as she did at 50!!!, so I feel that I have a good 30 to 40 years ahead of me, IF I GET THE WEIGHT OFF!!!! Patty