Starting Over, please help me

Maria, I understand the pain you are going thru. I to had a revision but my revision was from a failed Vertical Band Gastroplasty that was done back in the 80's, to the Open RNY in 2002. I had the same fears you are having. I got over it as I was diabetic and was outeating my stomach stapeling as you did the band per say. I had stapelline disruption and didnt know it. My doc found it when he was taking down the old surgery before he redid the RNY. I was at rock bottom and was close to death I had diabetes that was going into insulin if I gained another pound. I got very depressed and didnt want to live. This RNY saved my life. I am down 150 pounds and living life again. I became a cosmetologist at the tender age of 50 and am enjoying my new career finally after moving to Florida from Colorado. I learned how to eat right and eat like a skinny person will eat per say.  If you follow the rules and that is hard to do sometimes but the scale will help you with that one truxt me. I weigh everydayand that keeps me in tact!!!!!! You will do great. We do wonder off sometimes but who doesnt. Food is out there and we go after it!!!!! I pray for you that things will go your way. I know how dealing with a death in the family is. I lost my mother at the age of 10 and that was 42 years ago. I still am not over it.  Loosing your parents is a hard one to take. Prayers are with you. If you need to talk my Email is [email protected] I do have a sympathetic ear.  Welcome to the board. Carla Klein- Bradenton Florida

Maria- Please accept my heartfelt condolences for your loss.  I know how difficult it is to lose your Mother.   Please never be embarassed or ashamed to post here.  You are truly among friends.   I did want to tell you that Dr. Gagner is moving his practice from New York to Mt Sinai in Miami.  Dr. Gagner is one of the best WL surgeons.  He is highly respected and well published.  While he might not  be well known on this forum he is very well known on the DS forum.  He has been doing the DS surgery for years but I also believe he does the RNY and the VSG.  Since you will be having a revision you need an experienced revision surgeon.  Not all experienced surgeons are experienced revision surgeons. I wish you much success and again my deepest condolences. Red

Red beat me here!  After the first of the year, Dr. Gagner is moving to Miami, and he is well known for his expertise.  I was also going to suggest that you might want to look into the Duodenal Switch as a possibility if you are afraid of the RNY.  The DS is not right for everyone, but it's a good idea to do your research and really weigh out your options and find the WLS that is the best fit for you.  Best wishes and hugs.

Hi Maria, Anything new is fearful .. especially surgery.  There wasn't a question as to what surgery I wanted other than the doctor originally wanted to do a "sleeve" and my insurance wouldn't pay for that kind of surgery.  I had the RNY on June 5, 2006 and although every surgery is different for each person.  I can say I didn't have any pain after surgery went through it with flying colors.  I am not as young as some of the ones in this forum.  I was 63 years old when I had my surgery done.  It was the best thing I ever did.  I weighed 325 pounds (check out my profile .. hope the pictures show up of the before and after)  and now 17 months later I weigh 172.  I know that sounds like a lot but the way I am built I am wearing a size 12 in pants and a medium top,  I even have a couple of dresses in a size 8 that I can wear.   My goal is 145 pounds.  I was taking two high blood pressure pills .. now on one, was on almost 3 mg of Synthroid for hypo-thyroidism now taking 1.5 mg and a few other prescriptions  I was on don't need to take anymore.  I did have some complications .. 3 months after my surgery was in the hospital 3 times for dehydration .. then finally the last time discovered I had a fungal infection that was pushing against my pouch.  After antibiotics I was OK.  Then in February, 2007 I had a perforated ulcer that blew the stomach out and had to go back for the first part of the RNY surgery to be re-done.  That was worse than having it done the first time.  The doctor that did both surgeries was great .. but I wouldn't recommend the hospital or the nursing staff at Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Weston, FL.  I never want to go back there again.  The hospital was dirty and to give the nursing staff the benefit of the doubt they may have been short staffed during my stays there.  The second surgery I begged to come home and was released two or three days before the doctor really wanted to release me.  It was so bad there I had to get out of there!!  Other than that I am happy with the RNY.  I have found a bariactric doctor where I live now.  He started his practice in Port Charlotte, FL in April, 2007.  He is the greatest doctor and the hospital is the very best.  Have been to the monthly bariactric meetings here .. couldn't go before I started seeing this doctor .. due to the 160 miles drive to Weston, FL from where I live.  I must say there is a drastic difference in the weight loss between the RNY patients and the lap band that have been out of surgery about the same time.  There is a risk with any surgery but if you have a good doctor and staff I feel those fears can be lessened.  Have you looked at the percentage rate of the risks?  They are low.   Wishing you the very best!! Karen

"I must say there is a drastic difference in the weight loss between the RNY patients and the lap band that have been out of surgery about the same time. "

Weight loss isn't a race!

I am in full agreement weight loss isn't a race.  Some patients lose differently than others just as some patients can eat foods that others can't.  My comment on the drastic difference in the weight loss between the RNY patients and the lap band was based on going to my first bariactric monthly meeting (I am 17 months out of the original surgery) and seeing people that had the lap band about the same time as I had my RNY, which I had not seen before.  This meeting was a mixture of all my doctors patients ... those that haven't had surgery yet; those that had the RNY and those that had lap band.