Stop putting down people on the boards

How are you Stacy?  tell me about your surgoen and where you had surgery?  I am open to doctors and suggestions and than I do my own research of course.  I have been in the medical field for over 15 years and I even went as far last time to write to my own insurance and appearl for my surgery for over a year.  I imagine if I do choose to have revision surgery I will be doing the same thing this time around. 

There is a very long history and a lot of good reasons for the posts being written.

I would suggest that you use your block icon and block anything you don't want to see.  Nothing is going to change until these boards are used for their intended use instead of what some are using them for today.

Block.. it's easy.  Honestly, I don't mean that as snitty as it sounds, it's just a suggestion.  Then you won't need to start more threads complaining about other threads, you won't even see them.

Thank you for your suggestion and you mention nothing is going ot change until these boards are used for their intended use.    Well lets talk about that, I posted this thread in order to seek support and make friends.

I know ten years ago that is why this board was created for people to gain information and get support.  I would not want to block anyone in particular only becuase that person may actually have some support to offer or good information.  So tell me about yourself and how has your experience been?

Yes, YOU are using the boards as they were intended, not everyone does.

I originally had a band, worst mistake of my life and a huge waste of money.  Many do not do well with banding... I don't believe most keep it long term.  Went back to my surgeon and he revised me to a sleeve and it's been great ever since then!  I actually had my revision at goal, I had no choice as I couldn't eat solid foods and so I revised so I could eat a better diet than protein shakes. ;o)

And you?

You know I have been away from the boards for a long time and I don't know much about the sleeve so correct me if I am wrong.

Is it your stomach is partially structured off and the intestines are not bypassed correct?  Back when I had my surgery I was most familiar with RNY and the Bands.  Of course I even had my RNY so long ago I was open, which I love and do not regret by any means.  My surgoen was old school he actually came from Mayo Rochester and did the RNY out there too and he retired about 5 months after my surgery and some new surgeons came in such as Dr Swain and now I can't remember the other one.  I  worked for Mayo clinic for six years so I knew all the surgeons or at least used to.. :)

 I never got to my goal I was 336 the day of surgery, got down to185 two years later, but of course I was young, started feeling confident dating, going out, eating more, drinking more and fell into some really bad habits.  So here I am now 265 and it scares me to think I am so close to my original surgery weight.  So I want to go back to the basics of surgery however I did find out a year ago I have a rupture in my staple line.  Now I am not saying I can't lose weight at all I am sure with or without the rupture I can lose weight but I am finding it hard to get back on track.  I have written a few times on the Back on Track forum and probably should go over there more often.  .

what kind of diet do you follow today?  Are you at goal? 

A sleeve is where they remove about 85% of your stomach.  I have a fully functioning stomach but it's just a whole lot smaller.  It's restrictive only and not malabsorptive.  They basically remove the Fundus, which of course, over produces Ghrelin in the obese population.  Ghrelin is a hormone that tells your brain you are hungry so I'd say about 95% of my hunger has been gone since the day of surgery.

The sleeve was only used as a 2 part procedure pre RNY or pre DS in SMO folks 10 years ago.  They would sleeve someone and have them go home and lose 200-300# and when they got down to a safer weight they would go back and do RNY or DS.

They were finding that people were losing quite well and started looking at it as a stand alone procedure.  Today they use a much smaller bougie and it's working quite well.  It's the fastest growing surgery type today.

Yes, I am at goal and my diet is mostly veggie.  Some meat but not a lot.  I just don't care for it anymore.

Have you considered the 5DPT to get started?

Are you considering a revision?

What is 5DPT? 

I am thinking about revision and I have seen a few doctors but right now I feel it would be a incorrect choice for me until I start being compliant and eating the right foods again.  I learned to snack a LOT and on cookies, crackers, etc which I know ultimiately I am responsible for my weight gain and if I am going to go through another surgery I will not do the wrong thing again.  But I figured I better get myself mentally in a better position if I do choose to go down that way.

 5DPT = "5 day pouch test" - google it (with the quotes) and you can try it out.   It measures the size of your pouch to determine if it has stretched too much since having the RNY.

BTW, if you are considering the ERNY, you'd better unblock some of those you may have blocked.   Interesting reading there about the surgery and its aftermath.  

I've been reading the revisions board for 3 years and those who have common channels of more than 75 cm aren't losing more than 50 lbs. and the ones who are losing the most are those who were never bypassed very much to begin with and, because of this,  the malabsorption from their revision is equivalent to a fresh surgery.  

Those with common channels of 75 cm or less are doing the best in terms of weight loss, but many  have had difficulties getting the proper nutrition resulting in vitamin and mineral deficiencies and a few are considering reversals.

I do the 5DPT a little differently than others.  I use it to get off white carbs.  The true 5DPT is for RNYers to remember restriction again.  Creamed soups, puddings, etc.  That isn't what I need.  I don't overeat, I eat the wrong stuff sometimes and it becomes a cycle.  I do it this way:

Days 1&2:  Protein shakes
Days 3&4:  Soft proteins
Day 5:  Dense proteins.
Day 6: I start adding GOOD carbs like veggies and beans.  I just cut out white carbs.

This is something that works for me and keeps me at a 20-20.8 BMI.

We ALL learn to start snacking again, we simply unlearn it... again. ;o)

So am I understanding this right when you say Days 1&2 you only do protein shakes all day, no foods.  Are you doing low carb, high protein shakes?

And what are soft proteins?  I would like to try this if not this week maybe I will do it the week I get back from my holiday vacation.  If nothing else and I do not get full I am sure it will be good for me in general ...LOL. 

I will have to google it too and see what else others say about the pouch test.  I have heard others talk about it but I just never considered it for myself since I have a rupture in my staple line and my food is not going through my new pouch into the new channel and also my old stomach and through the old way.  Hummmm something to look into. 

I have to admit over the years I have been good about getting my protein in still which I am proud of.