Wishing I had been forewarned

I would not in a million years make the same decision to have lap RNY.  Although I haven't had all the complications many of you here have had, I've had enough to regret the surgery.  Initially, lots of pain and wondering if I may have an adhesion beneath the main port scar.  Also massive hunger but inability to eat or drink without being very sick.  I have dumping syndrome on protein supplements but not high sugar/high fat food.  Now, last week I had 6 episodes of supraventricular tachycardia and needed adenosine conversions in five of them.  The sixth reset itself because I had uncontrollable vomiting and dry heaving.  I'm now on the heart med Digoxin and see the cardiologist tomorrow.  I had right bundle branch blockage before, but usually only had 1 or 2 episodes in a year.  Having six within 3 days and four ambulance trips scared the heck out of me.

I've lost 50 pounds in six weeks and feel pretty tired most of the time.  The surgery was supposed to relieve my diabetes (it didn't), lower my blood pressure (somewhat), get rid of my gnawing hunger (not a chance) and suddenly I'd feel lighter than air and happier than ever.  What a bunch of hype that fools unsuspecting and desperate people into having someone rearrange your guts for you!

I've tried posting on the regular RNY board but feel like I'm whining (sometimes it seems others there made me feel that way).  I don't want to be a rain cloud on someone's sunny parade but this is my experience and feelings.  I wish I'd have read this forum before deciding on the surgery.  It might have made me think it over more.

Feeling the same way. I cant eat anything and can barely drink.

Unfortunately the complications of this surgery are kept very quiet (in my opinion anyway)...I actually am 5 years out and did not have complications at all until about a year and a half ago...but now...if I had to do it all over again, I would try harder to exercise and lose weight on my own.  I am of the opinion now that at least when I was fat I felt well and had a life.  Now I am super skinny, have no energy, have no life, and feel like ****but hey...I'm skinny!

You are fairly early out, so I hope that maybe things will settle down for you.  Many, many folks do not have any problems at all.  I hope that after things settle down, that you will start feeling better and maybe the surgery will be successful for you!

Laura 

Thank you, hon, I hope things improve too.  I didn't know that vomiting and chronic diarrhea aren't usual with this surgery, both of which I have in spades.  So after posting about it, was advised to call my doc, which I did.  I'm supposed to come in for a cat scan on Monday.  Maybe they'll find out what's wrong and I'll begin to feel better soon.

I hope you are starting to feel better; I have been having some problems from my revision last year. So far a small bowl obstruction and now a stone in my bile duct, after gallbladder surgery 3 years ago. I felt like crap for a good 3 months after my surgery, then it started to get better. I have have the diarrhea and dry heaves as well. I have never had the constipation I was anticipating. Keep following up with your doctor, change your food around and stay on the boards for support. Please update on you ct scan, wishing you improved health and happiness! Katrina   

Well, the cat scan was all fine, but the doc says I probably have a stricture which is easily fixed.  The cardiologist I'm seeing switched up a bunch of my meds, and I'm already feeling better.  Still tired, but at least I won't collapse on the way to my kitchen anymore.  My surgeon also said that I'll probably be feeling better within no time and be glad I had the surgery.  He understands that I've had a few problems and am unenthusiastic about the whole process so far.  He wants to see me next week to check my progress, and I also see the cardiologist next week as well.  I'm being cared for and trying my best to move forward on this.  Thank you so much for your well wishes!

 I am 4 years out now and for awhile my surgery worked great, but as life went on, it got worse. I always called the surgery my life saver, thought it was what helped me from getting diabetes and high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all that stuff they tell you. Well, I never got any of those, but I still can't sleep, I am still tired all the time, i have horrible diarrhea all the dang time and I can't enjoy a meal with family without getting up and going to the bathroom a few times. Forget going anywhere, I go to the fair and I can't eat the food so I am miserable and if I do eat something I am in the bathroom all night and can't enjoy the rides I lost all this weight to go on. Yes, I am thankful for losing the weight, I tried many times to lose it the good old fashioned way with no avail, but I often wonder if my life would have just been better without having this. At least I'd be able to eat and not get up and have my horribly smelly (and embarassing) diarrhea. I am extremely pale and I never got my hair back so I truely look like a cancer patient and I frequently get asked if I am. It's embarassing. I look bloated a lot, mainly probably because my gas is so smelly I don't want to pass any, plus the worry it might really just be dumping or something will leak out, which I have often. I am always hungry still too. I also crave foods of course I am not supposed to have. I just feel sometimes like my doctor gave me this story of a perfect life and I never got any of it. I know I have to work at it, but for some reason it's not working as well as everyone else. I am thinking about a revision because I don't want to go back to before I had the surgery, I can't gain all that weight back because that would make me more unhappy. I wonder if the DS might be a better option, but then I look into it and I will still dump and I know that is a lot of my problem. I do not want to cook for my family and then make something different for me because they want "normal" (has fat, calories and carbs) food and I am stuck eating lunch meat and some cheese or peanut butter or something while they are having mac n cheese. I get asked a lot from my bf why I did this and looking back all I can say is because nothing else worked, but look at me now. I am skinny and my insides don't work right and I think he is worried about that too. Wants to make sure if we have kids they will be ok since I am not and make sure I am not going to get really sick and die early. I've already had a PICC line and blood transfusion. Been hospitalized for lack of protein. Now that I moved I can't go to my surgeon, not that I want to, so now what do I do? I heard most surgeons won't usually see another surgeon's patient. I am scared now. I am worried I am going to be like this forever. I just want to be able to eat with my family, play games with them, go to the movies, watch a movie at home, go to an amusement park and not have to go to the bathroom literally every 5 - 10 minutes. Going around 10 times a day is just not normal, then when they smell and make the house smelly, it's even worse. I'm just wondering what my options are, what can I do? I'm only 28, I don't want to live like this forever, I want a normal life.

Looks like your not eligible for WLS at this point so a revision is most likely out of the question.  I'm sorry to hear your having all these problems.    Have you ever been treated for a bacterial overgrowth?   Ever been put on a round of Flagyl?    Have you been tested for C. difficile?    

Usually DHR and Gas can be controlled by diet and use of probiotics.   Have you done a food elimination diet to see what may be causing you problems?   There are many things to look into and not knowing your history I don't know what has been done so I'm just throwing these out there.   Good luck to you.  Feel free to come to the DS board and ask for some other suggestions on your issue.

Tom

I am sorry you are going through this.  The good news is, you may be able to have a revision to a DS if you are having complications such as you describe.  Please read this paper (http://www.dssurgery.com/aboutus/Research/safeoperation.pdf), and then contact Dr. Keshishian (www.dssurgery.com) -- he is one of the best revision surgeons, and he operates out of both Delano (25 miles north of Bakersfield) and Glendale -- both are a ways from Lake Elsinor, but he is worth it.

You will NOT dump with the DS -- I don't know where you got that idea.  Since you don't need to lose any more weight, I assume your stomach could be put back together and a reasonably large sleeve constructed, and you could be given a longish (maybe 200 cm) common channel to maintain the weight loss.

Good luck -- nobody should have to live like this, and I hope you can get the relief and the life you deserve.

I second what Diana says.  You shouldn't have to live with this misery for the rest of your life.  Living with a DS is much easier, and you can eat very normally as long as you follow the DS rules for getting in all your protein and avoiding too many carbs.
You should definitely look into it.  You deserve better!