RNY questions-need to know your experience

I'm doing research on RNY and lap band surgery.  Can those who have had laporascopic RNY give me their experience with "Dumping" syndrome and what you have done about any loose skin after the surgery.  Thanks.  Michele

Knock on wood I have not had any boutsof dumping yet.I am almost 6 months out.I dont have to address skin issues yet but when the time comes I'll sell my hubby if I need to to get it all taken off lol.I must tell you having RNY is by far the best thing I have done for ME!Good luck

Hi, I had open RNY and I am 9 months post op and never really experienced the dumping syndrome either.  I don't have a lot of loose skin because I chose to work out and tone it up.  I never had a big stomach so I don't have any loose skin there.  My legs is where I have a little loose skin but am toning it up.  I do a lot of walking since I lost so much weight.  I believe the excersize will do the trick.  I am not trying to be a beauty queen by getting any cosmetic surgery,  I just want to be healthy and feel good physically.  I will pray that you have a sucessful journey.  Keep us posted!!!

hi michele i had open rny because the surgeon we have prefers open -- both ross and i were open on the table for an average of 25 minutes - my scar is pencil thin and only about 3-4 inches long -- no big deal to me  -- i show ppl -- i don't care haha -- as for dumping i dump on bread -- i can have toasted bread like a grilled cheese or toast -- but not plain bread -- puts my butt to sleep!! i mean CRASH sleep -- i can eat sugar -- dumping isn't necessarily sugar -- it's what your body can no longer digest and process properly -- ppl dump on different things -- as for the loose skin -- my thighs hang down to my knees -- my belly is all sqwishy wishy -- my arms sag -- but i'll live -- i would love to have boobs again -- just not sure what to do about that yet -- no money=no boobs haha ross will need his belly skin removed -- he is starting to get rashes now at 2 yrs out -- he stopped losing weight about 8 months ago -- just trying to find a plastic surgeon that takes his insurance -- he has BC BS but there are so many different arms of BC BS now that it's not umbrella anymore -- it really depends on what kind you have -- so the search is on :) his legs aren't to bad and being a man his arms aren't too noticeable -- neither one of us had any complications with the surgery -- i had surgery on wednesday - home on friday - driving on monday - back to work 18 days after surgery - to a physical job doing physical restraints on individuals with behavior issues -- fun fun fun :) i believe that alot of your recovery and success is due to your own perceptions and expectations -- positive thinking goes a long way :) if you want i can give you my number since we live next to each other  roberta

I've only dumped once, and that was from white rice. I'll never do that again!

I haven't dumped from sugar because, simply, I don't eat sugar.

I have to say, I'm about 20 lbs. from my goal and I'm not having too much of a problem with loose skin. I do wear my Spanx everyday to smooth things over, but I'm not having much a problem yet.

I dump.... bad. Even still at 4 yrs post op. Any liquid sugar or liquid dairy (honey, maple syrup, ice cream, milk, yogurt etc) is my nightmare. There are stages to dumping depending on the amount and type of food that's causing it. A mild dumping for me is nausea sometimes, dizziness. Moderate dumping is nausea, vomiting or dry heaves (usually... I barely vomit anymore) dizziness, dry mouth or extreme opposite watery mouth. I have to lay down and sleep for at least a 1/2 hour for it to pass. Extreme dumping I have all the above... chills or shivering, usually have bad diarreah and have to sleep it for for 1 hr or more. I've only had extreme dumping once from maple syrup and never repeated that mistake! Loose skin is still here. I'm waiting until I finish having my family (we're going to try for one more baby) and then have all the tucks and nips I need. -Janine

Janine,  Do you think all of what you experience is still worth having the surgery?  Thanks for being so honest with me.  Michele

Michele- I would do this surgery (RNY) 1000 times over and over again. A little history- I tried for 6 years before surgery to get pregnant. My OB (fertility specialist) finally told me after 2 years of treatment that I had to drop 100 lbs before I could even get pregnant. He said he'd try every fertility treatment I wanted and even if I got pregnant, I probably wouldn't be able to carry the baby to term at 320 lbs. I was devistated and booked my appointment almost immediately. Three months later- I had my surgery. Ten months post op (and -150 lbs) I finally had my dream come true- I was pregnant. No fertility interaction needed. 4 years out I have TWO beautiful boys... and I thank my surgeon and God every day I look at them. As for the dumping.... I'm 4 years post op. 99% of the time, I make good food choices. I know what I should be eating and what I shouldn't. The "fat" girl in me sometimes gets carried away and wants to push the limitations. I give in and I pay for it. Sometimes it's worth it to feel "normal" again and have a couple of licks of my sons ice cream cone when he offers it. In the beginning, there's a lot of trial and error. You learn quickly what's going to go down good and what wont. My surgeon was a strong believer in "everything in moderation" and not denying myself what I wanted. At 1 yr post op, my body could tell me immediately if I was going to dump on something or not- so after a taste of something I could pu**** away and say "no more or I'll get sick". That way you avoid the big dumping episodes- I might still have the mild ones but they're something I've learned to live with and not push myself to get sicker. Best of luck on your journey- hollar if I can help with anything else =o) Janine

fully agree with you janine :) and congrats on your wonderful journey :)  roberta

Thanks Roberta and congratulations to you AND to hubby on great accomplishments. I'm in the process of doing this all over again for hubby. MUCH easier the second time around- I know what questions to ask this time -Janine