11 years post op RNY today!

I am 11 years out today from my Open RNY.  My surgery was a huge initial success and later a failure (305 to 175).  I went from 305 to 188 then 175 after Plastics.  Size 26 to Size 10.  Then after five years, the surgery became hard when I hurt my back which kept me from working out everyday for 1-2 hours a day. I contributed my success to not only the RNY but also the exercise. Yes, the RNY allowed me to lose some initial weight  - making easier to work out - but it was the daily exercise that sustained me.  Looking back, I replaced my food addiction with an exercise one (also shopping too and later alcohol but only for a short time in the early days).  

2 years ago June, I revised to a BOB (Band over Bypass). A CT Scan of my abdomen and Endoscopy relieved my stomach had stretched.  Further research revealed my initial Surgeon had been quite conservative with my pouch and made it very large (make sure you have access to the pre & post-op surgery notes).   So, I went the revision route and chose a Band over Bypass.  I have restriction for the first time in years and no appetite.  I have successfully lost all that I regained (75lbs). Is the band hard – hell yes!  Much, Much, Much harder than the RNY.  But, you know what I don’t care. I like many others took the RNY for granted.  Anyone can lose weight with an RNY. 

I am posting this today on the Main Board for several reasons.  One, for myself and to keep myself honest and accountable.  Two, to tell the newbies and those contemplating surgery that there are old timers here still if you ever need advice.  We are here for you but please remember that regain is possible and this is not a magic bullet but rather a tool.  Three, to tell old-timers that re-gain is not only possible but probable and there is no shame in a revision.  Everyone I've kept in touch with from my support group has regained and all but 2 have regained most if not all of their weight loss (some have regained all and more).  And Four, bc I believe in paying it forward. Many helped me along the way.  And for that I am grateful.

As long as I live and breathe, I will be proactive about my health. If I fail this or it fails me, I will continue to seek another option bc Nothing Tastes As Good As Skinny Feels.

 

Congrats on your 11 year anniversary!!  I will be 9 years out on the 24th of this month!  I was on this site right after surgery,  but have been gone for a number of years and thought i would come back to re-train myself into getting back into good habits again.  :-)

There are still some old-timers here most days (I'm 9 years out) who haven't had significant regain.  

Don't want newbies to think everyone regains a lot or that it is inevitable, because that's not completely true!   I'm glad that you are happy with your revision.

 

Sue, you are one of the few I know.  Regain happens for more than 50%.  More than 50% is a significant number. People just need to be aware that its possible.  

Congratulations! I love your positive post.

I'd never heard of the BOB before. It's great to know an option is there just in case. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Always happy to hear from "old timers", as you put it. Lol.  I am over 3 years out and maintaining.  I have completely changed my eating habits along the way.  Do I still have an occasional treat?  Sure. But I have to be really careful because, as some others on here experience, I have reactive hypoglycemia.  Thank God it is not severe, but it is enough that I don't want to mess with it.  So I don't overdo.  A bite of this, a taste of that.  Never a whole slice or a whole serving of something that is sugar/carb laden.  I guess I look at it as a blessing and a curse.  But, anyway, the key is to change the way you eat.  My RNY has forced me to do that.  My surgeon has admitted to me that my stoma has healed larger than it should have.  So when I eat at mealtime, I feel restriction.  However, after about an hour, I could eat again.  It goes thru faster than it should and I don't have that lingering full feeling.  He has mentioned to me that at some point in the future, if I should begin to regain, a BOB would be an option.  Many on here claim that the BOB is not effective.  I'm glad that you have had success with it.  Congratulations on 11 years!!

Hey.  How are you. I, too, changed the way I ate initially.  I have never ate like I ate before either surgery.  I am not sure how the BOB works for those whose pouched has stretched. I don't know if it would work for those with stretched stomas. The Band over the bypass wouldn't fix your stoma issue so I am not sure.  If you regain in the future, you could always do an RNY revision where they fix the size of the stoma.  Best of luck.

Congratulations on your surgiversary!!  Anniversaries of our WLS are special dates to remember, reflect back on your journey and celebrate.

Thanks for sharing so openly about your journey and revision.  The four reasons you posted on the Main board are all very relevant to pre-ops and post-ops alike.

Happy Decade + 1 year surgery anniversary!! 

Hi Heather!

Thanks for posting.  Somehow, your post showed up on my start page; I am so glad, too.  I recently came back to OH pages.  I had RNY in April of 2008 and lost max of 130...have gained back 30 over the last couple years, but not sure what to do, so have done nothing and continued to gain - mostly just not wanting to get back on the dieting roller coaster and all that.  I never did make it to goal, so the 30 pounds is not all I need to lose - probably at least 50-60 total.  We moved to Nevada at the end of 2011, so I really became disconnected from all my support.  I went to a bariatric surgeon here and had an endoscopy to see how my insides look and see what options I might have for revisions and to make sure there was nothing wrong with my pouch, stoma, etc.  The surgeon said to take advantage of all their support groups, including the Nutrition classes, so that is what I am doing and it is helping.  The support groups have helped me connect with others like myself, as well as remember what it was like in the beginning, the nutrition class showed me some of the advances made since I had my surgery, so I made some tweaks to my supplement routine, and I am checking out each support group.  At this practice, they have one support group run by the doctor, one run by the psychologist, one by the nutritionist and I think one that is about eating...I have not yet been to them all.  I had some big time lift stressors at the same time that I had my surgery and for the next couple years and what I got out of the groups I have attended so far is that I may not have learned my new "normal" way to eat....LOL.  so I am open to finding out just what that is...all I do know is that I feel a whole lot better about myself taking some action to get back on track.  I also am signed up with a weight loss clinic and started on some meds to help me get going.  I have done a lot of research on this and some of the bariatric practrices are also getting behind these programs as well, as the medications are focusing more on targeting the cravings and appetite - either way, you only get out of any of these processes what you are willing to work on and change.  So I have gone on long enough....thanks again for posting!  Have a great day!