RNY to DS revision surgeons

Hi again Lee,

I'll answer your questions in the order you asked them.

It depends on what kind of snacks they are.  If they are full of carbs, then you won't lose weight if you eat too many and will upset your stomach (very gassy with diarrhea).  You only absorb 20% of fat...I think you still absorb all carbs, if not all, most.  

With my RNY, I started out good.  I walked normally daily for about a year, then work, kids, there was always some excuse for me not to do it.  Right now I haven't been exercising.  I would like to start back up since I know the weight will come off faster.

Pain for the first few days in the hospital was actually less then when I had the RNY.  I was walking every few hours.  Had my catheter out the first day so I could use the bathroom on my own.  The one thing I had that was worse with this surgery than the RNY, was the tube down my nose.  They kept it in for 2 days and it was agonizing!  I think I stopped taking the liquid vicodin the 2nd day I has home even though I had more than half a bottle and 1 refill left.

When I'm not eating right, having too many carbs etc. I feel like I can't get enough to eat, but I don't feel good either and I think it's my body's way of saying "hey, you need to eat right".  When eating at least 120 grams of protein a day (with the help of protein drinks), stay under 50 carbs a day and drink a lot of water, I don't feel hungry really at all.  I still try to eat every few hours, but sometimes at work or on the weekend I get busy and forget to eat and then I get very dizzy and feel faint.  Which actually happened to me yesterday.  I slept in, had a protein drink and 4 pieces of bacon around 11am. Got busy around the house, doing laundry, cleaning, took a shower and then decided to go shopping.  At 4:30 in the grocery store waiting in the checkout line, I thought for sure I was going to pass out.  And then I realized that I hadn't had anything to eat for 5 1/2 hours so I had some almonds in the car before I headed home.

No regrets only that I wish the first surgery would have worked better.  That I should have tried harder.  Exercised more. 

YES! I take A LOT more vitamins and I will for the rest of my life.  I pretty much follow the vitamin regimen from Vitalady for DSers with a few changes due to my lab results. 

The average monthly cost is about $50.

My insurance did cover it.  I have United Healthcare.  It was a total out of pocket expense of about $3,000.

I never dumped even with the RNY. So I couldn't answer this question.

A different identity? Not really.  I feel like my normal self now that I'm nine months out.  I feel much better now that I'm down 80 pounds (122 pounds total from both surgeries).

The bathroom situation is not pretty.  The smell is much worse..especially when eating a lot of carb or eating right.  I carry small purse size body sprays with me at all times.

As I said before, I can eat a lot more food now then when I had a pouch.  Which is very scary to me.  I used to throw up with the RNY if I ate too much meat, pasta, bread, rice, etc.  But since the DS, I haven't been sick once.  Which is weird to me.  My friend who had the DS in Dec 2011, does throw up every time she eats rice or red meat, even if it's just a small amount.  But she didn't have a revision, so maybe that's the reason.  Or more likely everyone's experience is different.

I hope this helped.  Good luck with your decision making!

WOW KristicK ,  I appreciate this information so much.   Thank you for taking the time to answer all my questions so thoroughy.

Did you have a open revision?

I'm glad I was able to help.  Both surgeries were done laparoscopically.  

Ummm......glad that you were one of the lucky ones.  Juarez is NOT RECOMMENDED for ANYTHING in this DS community.  

For anyone reading this...if you have a death wish, by all means go to this man.  Otherwise, consider the wise words of the vets here who have gone before you and know what they are talking about.  A RNY-DS revision is serious business and only a handful of surgeons in the WORLD can do it successfully.  Don't take chances!  Please!

Yikes.  I wasn't aware that he wasn't a recommended surgeon.  From my understanding he is the most experienced in Arizona and has done dozens of revisions.  I know several people that have had different WLS from him with no issues.  I did meet one person in the waiting room once that was losing too much weight and she said they were considering a revision, but I'm not sure which surgery she had.  What experiences have the vets had to make them feel so worried about Dr Juarez?  I would like to be more informed so I don't recommend him to anyone else.  

If he's done ONE DS, he's the 'most experienced' DS surgeon in AZ. (It's like that joke "What do you call the gy who graduated last in his medical school class? Doctor!")

Wow Cpeltz,  that is scary.   If I get it done I plan to have Dr. Rabkin here in California do it.  He is the number one doctor doing it so I figured I would go to the best, even though it cost as much as a expensive nice new car and I will have to pay myself.

You guys are great, thanks for the quick replies and all the information.

Dr. Jaurez did a wonderful job with my surgery.

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