Who has had problems with RNY???

I had a distal RNY two years ago (which I found out after the fact- was not informed nor did not consent to one prior).  For the first year, I definitely had to drink protein drinks to meet my protein needs, but now I can meet my goals without using them.  

ummmm, I would wonder what your labs are like. If you are a distal, I'm sorry, but my surgeon, who is one of THE best and his office would have you on supplements and on protein shakes. You do not have a long common channel, so, as a distal, you are malabsorbing everything. How often do you get a complete set of labs done? I get a complete set every 6 months. I get comprehensive meabolic, pre-albumin, lipid profile, HEP panel, phosophorous, magnesium, uric acid, thyroid panel, tsh, hemogram/platelets, iron, ferritin, zinc, vitamins A, E, D, B1, B6, B12 & floate, serum, vitamin K1, Pt, Ptt, LDH, cortisol, selenium, protein, 24-hour urine and am thinking about adding copper.

I know that as a distal, I am malabsorbing, there is no way around it. The part of the intestine that absorbs each of all those things above, is now bypassed. 

I would ask you to please talk to your surgeon - if you are not supplementing and are not doing protein, you are headed for a horrible fall. At two years out, you should have now lost all the excess weight that you wanted and your body is going to begin to cannibalize it's muscles, one of those being your heart.

My first instinct is to be insulted at your "concern" and assumption that I am not monitoring my own health care.  You could not be further from the truth. 

I get my labs done every six months and they are complete as well.  In fact, my surgeon's office does not automatically order the labs that I want and I always have to special request some, such as the vitamin K and Bs.  I track them and am well aware of my downward trends, as well as how much protein I am consuming daily, which is no where near your 198g of supplementation in addition to food.  I strive to get 80-100g per day and have been doing fine.  My next set of labs will be taken in Oct (I already have the lab orders, in fact...just waiting for the day), so I will know if what I have been doing is sufficient.

Further, at no point did I not say I was not supplementing (I'm assuming you meant vitamins) and I am "doing protein," just not through regular usage of artificial bars or shakes. Truthfully, I would worry about the stress you are putting on your kidneys with such high protein numbers.  

I responded merely to give a different perspective to your situation, as truthfully, in the two years I've been frequenting these forums, I've never read someone who supplements to your extreme (distal or not).  Hopefully it will be determined at some point with your own labs that it may not be necessary. 

'Distal' and 'proximal' are indefinite terms---they simply refer to whether a thing is 'far from' or 'near to' something else. Your 'distal' may be very dissimilar to her 'distal'. Do you know your limb lengths?

You seem to be supplementing---and malabsorbing---more than anyone I've met during the 10 years I've been in the bariatric world, DSers included.

Sharon I think those of you with distal probably have more problems with malnutrition than someone with a proximal. I haven't had any problems with nutrition. It seems to be less common nowadays for a surgeon to do a distal RNY.

I had my RNY on April 17 2013 so far I have had no problems I would do it again and any asks I would tell them this is the best way to go.

I had my RNY surgery in Dec. of 2008.  Since then I have a whole host of problems.  I have even had two revisions and so many endoscopies, I lost count.   I am probably going to have another revision soon to try to help.  If this also fails, I probably have to have a reversal.  To keep this post short, I won't write all my challenges - I'll write about the biggest one.  I have some amount of pain anytime I eat (anything) and if I drink something thick, the pain can be extremely intense.  Not only that, but it has lasted up to six hours!!  Sometimes the pain is tolerable too.  It is no way to live when I am AFRAID to eat.  I must go to the hospital every month to have iron IVs done and B-12 shots.  The list of meds I take is two pages long! 

However, my husband also had the surgery and he has been the perfect role model for the RNY.  He can eat practically anything he wants, just no where near as much as he used to.  He has lost over 100 pounds and feels awesome!! 

What I am trying to say is, each of us are different in every way.  What happens to me might not happen to you.  I can see how some of the posts we all put here can cause fear in some that are considering having WLS.  If your life is out of control and it is mostly weight related, have the surgery.  It is not a solution, it is a tool to build the solution.  Whatever happens, no matter what type of of surgery you decide on, it will be your choice. Go with what your heart says - instinct is your best friend.  Keep me posted on what you decide or if there are anymore questions you may have.    

Liz

I am only 9 weeks post-op RNY and the only problem I had (surgery related) was rejection of the JP drain.

 

I also am unable to tolerate protein meats, which kind of sucks because we need that.  I am sure I am deficient.

 

Anyway, best of luck to you! :)

8 years 5 months out and haven't had complications. I do have iron problems since year 5 but handle that with iron infusions twice and I've had to add separate B-6 and B-1 with these getting low. I'd have surgery again in a minute with no reservations at all.