Need Revision on an RNY - Anyone Else? Need to find a doctor too.

Hi. My name is Kimberly. I live in NY, about 24 miles NW of NYC. I have a Roux-En-Y back in 94' and weighed 364. A little over a year later I was down to 178 and I looked and felt GREAT!!! Even though I was overweight for my height (5'3") I still felt on top of the world. I even had a "little black dress" I wore any chance I could. And I LOVED wearing clothes with JUST the letter "L" on them, and no 4X or XXXX. I got pregnant and gained 54 pounds. With my second child I gained a few more. Now I have been about 255-260 for the past 5+ years now. Try as I might (and I have HONESTLY tried!) I cannot lose weight. I can get to about 250, then I hit a plateau that I can't get off of. I mean, portion control, watching what I eat, counting calories, excercing and walking at least a mile and a half 5 days a week.... and it just STOPS once I get to about 250. For a while now I have TRIED to accept that perhaps I was just meant to weigh 250. I TRIED to accept that, but I honestly can't. I know what it looks and feels like to be under 200 pounds. And I know that my life was better and I was so much happier about myself when I was 178 and I want nothing more then to get back to that weight. I had a scope done on my Roux-En-Y and it was found that my pouch lost it's shape, and I really don't have a pouch anymore. And I'm a ALWAYS hungry! 24/7 I'm hungry. I TRY and eat "bulky" foods, but it fills me up for a short while, then I'm starving again. I have had to get up in the middle of the night just to have a slice of bread or something because the hunger wakes me up and I can't stand the feeling in my stomach so I have to eat something to feel better. I HATE LIVING THIS WAY!!!! Has anyone ever had to have a RNY fixed? If so, can you please share with me what procedure you had done? Was it easy to find a surgeon to fix it? I have tried to find one, but as of this moment have yet to find someone who will fix it for me who is local. I cannot travel out of state or far away. I don't have the money. Also, did your insurance cover it? I have United Health Care. I am curious to know if they will cover the cost to fix my surgery. ANY advice, direction or ".02 cents" would be GREATLY appreaciated. MANY, MANY, MANY thanks in advance!!!!!! Kimberly

I also had RNY and gained back all I had lost. I went from 310 to 240 and then gained to 320. My RNY was 13 years ago and I gained all that back within 5 years. In the last 1.5 years I have lost 67lbs and will share what I did. Everyone is individual, of course, but you are welcome to my experience. I can eat alot, at lunch a whole 6inch subway sandwich with fat free chips. I can eat 6oz of salmon, 2 cups of salad, 1 cup of watermelon, a roll, at one meal. My pouch is stretched and any fluid in the food makes it pass right through. I picked up the South Beach Diet Book and took some ideas from them (although I hate to diet and am trying to just change some bad habits) I found staying away from simple carbohydrates took away that constantly hungry/got to eat feeling. I try to snack on string cheese, nuts, cottage cheese with diet jello and walnuts, sliced meat. I also do about 60min of cardio exercise daily. I also lift weights about 3 hours a week. I lost 40lbs being quite strict with the SBD for about 3 months then maintained for 6 months on my normal eating habits with the exercise taking up the slack. I then started counting calories and eat about 2000 a day with the 1-1.5 hours of daily exercise have lost another 25lbs. I found the "Pouch Rules" on the teen message board. If you email me I will send them to you. They are rules for eating when you are several years post op that have really helped me use my reduced capacity to my advantage. [email protected] I had also considered a revision. I still have 55lbs to go, but am working this right now to see if I can make it work. I have changed so many eating habits that need changing no matter what, constant snacking on simple carbs, eating sweets, drinking diet pop all day...I am making good progress and I try to measure my success, not only in weight loss, but did I avoid these pitfalls...today? Am down from size 30 to a 20. My goal is 200lbs, as my lean body mass is very high for some odd genetic reason coupled with lots of weight lifting. Good luck, this is the hardest thing I've ever done.

Kathy, Best wishes and good job. I,m proud of you for getting back on tract. I too am having a bit of a problem. I,m 2yrs out and have put on 20lbs which doesnt sound like much but that is how it starts. I'm struggling alot with myself I snack alot and eat junk which I know is wrong. I,m also not exercising. Keep in touch maybe we can support each other Keep up the great work and I know you will get there soon Diane

hi my name is kimberly teague and i am from wf tx. i had my wls in 88 and i weighed 342 i have been down to 172 about 11 yrs ago and now i weigh 225 and i was thinking about a reviseon. but i would like to have the pouch rules and give it a try. thanks

Wow, you sound like me. I had the RNY i***** also, and had two children one in 1996 and one 1998. I declare the scale was stuck on 250. When I logged everything that went into my mouth, and I exercised 3X a day, with weight lifting, and supper cardio session I lost 100 lbs but I could not keep that up so I gained 60 lbs. Now at 260, and anemia, and low B-12 I'm finally doing the right thing....Proper diet and vitamins, and protein shakes, I'm finally losing. I have made up my mind to look into a revision( lap band around RNY pouch). This is a second chance to do thing RIGHT( no eating and drinking at the same time, no sweet binges, and late night... excuse me all night snacking). Please email me if you need anything, I understand and we all help each other rebound, and obtain our goals. Check out this Yahoo group they are great, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WLSrevisionsupport God Bless Lana

Hi ladies. I'm sorry for not relying sooner. It's been a busy couple of days. Thank you all very, very much for taking the time to post a reply to my post. I appreciate that very much and I'm sending you "thank you hugs" too! YES! I would love to have those "rules". THANKS!!! You ladies are really trying to take control over the situation. I admire that greatly. Some days I am all into doing something and getting it fixed. Then other days I just say to myself "You are destined to be this way". I'm so torn. But I know I am NOT happy the way I am right now. My husband always tells me how "gorgeous" and "beautiful" I am and I have such a hard time accepting that when I look in the mirror and see my thighs the size of tree trunks, or see those "back boobs" (massive amounts of fat on my back) or my triple chin. I was just so much happier when I weighed less. I truly hope that I can be like you ladies. Thank you for providing me with some inspiration and hope. THANK YOU!!!! Kimberly

I truly feel for you! The large chance of regain with RNY, along with a more normal "eating lifestyle" after surgery are the main reasons I've chosen the DS instead. If you are looking at a revision, I would look to the DS if I were you. It has a VERY minimal chance of regain... RNY fails quite often after the first few years; DS does not. There are a lot of people having revisions from RNY to DS. I don't know of doctors in your area, but it is something to think of instead of just banding your pouch or making it smaller again. If you do, you could always regain in another few years... Good luck to you in whatever you decide. I wish you the best! ~Amanda

Hi Amanda, I read your post and thought I would reply. I had a DS in November of last year and have lost 93 pounds to date. The reason I chose this surgery was there was much less chance of weight regain (I knew I couldn't stick to the "pouch rules.") I also realize you are in Idaho, but you might want to check out Dr. Ara Keshishian in Delano, CA who does quite a few revisions (RNY to DS.) Also, his website is "www.dssurgery.com" Let me know if you have any additional questions. Good luck. Best regards, Fern B. 267/174/150 (who knows?)