Failure help needed

I am such a failure, I had my rny in 04 and was doing very well. I then hit a wall, I developed an ulcer that didn't respond to meds and erroded throught my pouch and made a fistula to my old stomach. I since have had the old stomach removed, the ulcer repaired but in the intrum I lost my spleen and lost all but 1 unit of blood. I'm almost back to normal (whatever that is) but I have developed another ulcer and have been put back on all my pre surgery meds.

My question to the wonderful people here is I have never reached my weightloss goal and since have gained back 50lbs. I want to see about having my proximal redone to a medial or distal. What does the group think?
I desperatly want to be thin again.

I certainly can't speak for "the group" BUT....I can send you a cyber hug for all you've been through along with a chastisement for calling yourself a failure!  You didn't bore a hole through your stomach and cause a fistula!  .....Do you deserve a 2nd round?  Of course you do!!!  So sad that in one of those surgeries you've mentioned, they couldn't have redone at the same time.  Depending on your insurance, you may qualify for a revision but if not, then shoot for "medically necessary" cuz of all the stuff you've got going on.  I was about 40 pounds over ideal weight and was revised to an Extended (pretty much the same thing as a Distal).  It's drastic but takes care of the weight loss!  I guess you'll be free from DS campaigners since you've had your old stomach removed; there wouldn't be anything to cut away and make  a sleeve from?

Good luck and hang on!  After all you've been through.....you should be able to report in at goal weight with all kinds of healthy goin on!

Thank for the very kind words. I am making an appt to see my surgeon soon. I dont know what I have left to tell you the truth. I'm scared because I ended up in ICU on the last one and I don't want to die to be thin but I don't want to die to be thin if you know what I mean.
I don't see myself as a very good person right now and I did before I gained the 50 back.
I really do appriciate your kind words.

Thanks,
not at 176 more at 220

Nice that you found a blessing in the OP having no stomach left to put a sleeve around....the very part of the stomach that is less susceptible to ulcers.  Nice to pour salt in her wound.

This sounds like a nightmare.  I'm so sorry (cyber hugs) from me too!   I don't think you are a failure.  I think your surgery has failed you.  I saw the "tongue in check" remark about at least us DSers will leave you alone because you don't have a stomach anymore.  Actually, as a DSers I feel REALLY bad for you.  My common channel is 150 which is approximately the length of a distal RNY.   I pray you find the right answer. 

 Michaelle,

My heart goes out to you and the issues you have and are experiencing.  Hang in there it will get better.  I also regained some of my weight from my original wls in 2001.  Some of it my own doing and some mechanical.  I have since been revised to an ERNY (Extended RNY).  My CC is 75 and I am back on the loosing track and loving my revision.

YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!  You have had tons of issues that must be causing a lot of stress for you.  Please keep us posted on how you are doing.  I will send a prayer your way.

 

HI EVERYONE, i am new to this site and i am hoing you all can help me. I had an rny back in nmay 2002. i was 316 and went down to  160. I dont think i hvae ever felt as good as i did then. Now i am getting derpressed , enbarrassed and dont even feel like going out.my weight has escalated to 224,possibly a few more since the Holidays. I read an article about something called stomaphyx.Are any of u famiar with this , and if so can you share what you know? I also found a docotor locally who does these. I have been going through premenapausal hell  which i think has alot to do with my weight gain. I'm not saying its not my own fault , it is , I still am trying so hard. I need help before i get back to 3 something . help help help ty Jean

Jean,

Are you exercising? I had a gastric bypass in 1980, lost most of my excess weight, then the staple line came apart and I stared to gain again. The only way I could control my weight was lots of exercise and activity, once I got the exercise going I was able to maintain for almost 15 years. I had some other health issues in 1997 that made it pretty much impossible to exercise and I lost control of my weight.

For me the only way I could control my weight with the bypass was with lots of exercise and activity. IMO you have to move, move, move, if you don't move the weight will catch up to you and glomm on.

I have not read of a single success with stomaphyx, I've read of a dozen or so that have tried it and gotten no help what so ever. You can do what stomaphyx does; (shrink your pouch) without doing the proceedure. Fast for 24 hours then eat and drink very small amounts for a few days and your pouch will shrink. You can always stretch it back out if you eat too much whether you get stomaphyx or shrink it your self, that part is all up to you.

Good luck on your battle, I know it's not easy.

Kerry

Hiya Jean!
There are certainly metabollic reasons for gaining weight as well as meds, poor eating choices, ...y'know...kind of the same list as BEFORE your original surgery.  Hold your head up and own that you are almost 100 pounds down from your start weight......then, start researching your options ahead.  (you made the first brave step by posting here).  You'll want to start with a good check up with your Bariatric surgeon and all strongly recommend you get 2 or 3 or more opionions from other surgeon's/pcp's as well.  They'll want to run some tests to see if there was a mechanical failure with your Rny.

The short version of responses that you'll receive here include:

Check out the DS forum for help from those who have been revised from Rny to DS. 
The DS population are very positive about their stats and their results.  IT's a great option if medically possible for you.

Check out the option of being banded over your Rny.  Results vary but there are some on this site doing very very well.

Haven't heard one positive comment recently on Stomaphyx, ROSE, EROS (all temp fixes to reduce the size of your stoma ...aka opening of pouch)....Schlerotherapy falls in this same category as a band-aid approach to a big fix.  A couple of positives have been mentioned about schlerotherapy.  My experience wasn't positive at all with that route and was expensive.

There are other possible revisions as well, like:  keeping your pouch as is and increasing the malabsorptive piece of your existing Rny.  This can take you from a proximal (assuming that's what you have now since that is most common) to either a Distal (around 100 to 150 cc common channel) or Extended which is similar but is more like 100 to 50 cc common channel)  There are some fabulous results with this option and there are some awful possible complications for some as well.  Results vary.  It is possibly the most bang at the least surgical risk. (again, results and opinons will vary)

or...you could be rebuilt and have a sleeve which is the top half of a DS and is becoming more and more popular.  It gives you restriction and restores the use of your pyloric valve while removing the "hungry" juices ...aka greyhlin (sp?).....My thought is that if you're going to reverse to a sleeve you might as well seal the deal with the lower malabsorptive piece as well and complete your DS ...aka deudenol switch (sp?)

I've generalized and will surely have the masters jump in to correct....I think the one thing we can all agree on though is that you should hunt for a very experienced surgeon for a revision.  Don't just accept their opinion.  Get what YOU want.  You are the consumer so shop around.  Docs don't walk on water but the educated and experienced ones are reverred in that manner and often rightfully so.

On the side blue strip of this site is a ton of writings and postings by surgeons, peers, etc that provide revision info.  Also, you may type ABC's of Revision in the search window.

DS surgeon lists are happily provided on the DS forum.

Kudos to you for tackling the weight issue before the regain is out of control.

Take a deep breath and find your path!  Let us know how we can provide support and help!

Hugggzzz,

HI KERRY , THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING , I WILL DO AS YOU SAID ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,AND I THANK YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE FOR YOUR HELP,,,,,,,,,,,,,HUGS JEAN P.S. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ADVICE PLEASE GIVE ME A SHOUT.