my erny story

As I was seeking my revision, I was so very grateful to all who shared their stories and experiences, that I have felt like I should do likewise. A little explanation for those who tend to get "not nice" on this board. I was a member of OH for many years way back when, and finally pulled my profile and left because I got so tired of people who think that the definition of "different" is "better" or "worse." Different just means different, look it up. I have known many WLS patients over the years, with all surgeries in their glorious varieties and I have know successes and failures in ALL groups. We are all different, different needs, different solutions, different strengths, different weaknesses. I applaud different. I am not going to put a profile up, I am just going to tell my story and I won't argue or get drawn into anything with anyone. This is my experience for what it is worth and it may be different than yours.

I had RNY in NYC with Dr. Inabnet in May of 2001. He is a wonderful physician and I felt very good about the entire process. I lost 105 pounds going from a size 24 to a size 6/8 (yes, I am very short) and I stayed there for about 7 years. Very happy customer. Dr. I did regualr labs and I did fine. I moved across country and was still fine until 2008 when I started to gain weight and felt little if any restriction. Although I no longer kept a profile on OH I turned here for information and started reading the revision boards.

After researching many doctors, and many procedures I felt frustrated frankly, because I couldn't find a doctor in my area that did revisions. I think many more will in the next few years, but not too many do right now and none locally. I am a long way from Dr. I and didn't want to travel back to NYC to consult with him as much as I think he is great. Since I like Doctors who are liked by their patients, I called the common revision names on this site. I most liked Dr. Schlesinger and I happened to have relatives in his area that I could stay with. I had an ERNY done on October 28 and I couldn't be more pleased with the results.

I feel great, I have lost 39 pounds, my recent very thorough labs came back pretty good, Dr. S asked me to take "A" two more times a day to keep it where it is. The bathroom issues are no worse than I expected and I can control how bad that gets by how carefully I eat, which I confess is not very carefully. If I could successfully control myself I wouldn't have had WLS in the first place! LOL! Frankly, I eat like a pig and the weight still drops off. I am really , really happy, cause I really love food.

Not that I expect the suspicious cynics to believe me, but I don't know any of the other people from these boards who saw this doctor, but I am grateful for their frankness in sharing their experience. If was hiring someone to paint my house I would want the painter everyone raves about. I don't owe Schlesinger anything other than my thanks for what I felt was a great benefit to me. He gets talked about a lot because he is one of the first and one of the few revision drs out there. In a few years I am sure there will be many more as my generation of WLS patients begin seeking revisions more and more. Learn to do it or lose business, so they will learn to do it. Just like when I was one of the early laparascopic patients, people on these boards told me I was crazy and I was going to die and my dr. was a butcher, now they nearly all do it, no big deal. Its just was just different. Anyway, I can't even speak to how nice Dr. S or his office staff are, or how responsive they are because I am not a very touchy feely person and except for scheduling I never really needed anyone to talk to me. I did my research, chose my doctor, had my surgery and have pretty much taken care of myself. I did get a letter informing me that he had changed offices (Dr. Inabnet has changed to a new group also) ,so what.

I am happy to answer private questions if you have real ones. I won't engage in any negative dialogue, so don't bother. You can email me at [email protected].

Once again, thanks for all who have shared their experiences here. It was a big help to me and I ended up right where I wanted to be. I look good, I feel great and I am very satisfied with my weight loss journey. Woo hoo!

Thanks for hopping on the boards to share your experience with us!  I LOVE your gmail addy!  LOL!  I think I'll try "IluvmyErny" to see if it's available.  ....  Sharing experiences is what this forum is all about and all of us should feel comfortable giving a shout out to whichever surgeon we feel has been fantastic and helped us on our WLS journey's!

.......also loving my Erny and eating like a pig!  Yikes!  But, I'll admit that it would be one healthy pig cuz I don't let too much along the lines of crappy foods enter my mouth.  I find I crave fish of every kind like crazy.  Whats up with that?  Maybe my next labs will indicate some need of tweaking with the vitamins.

I am a little worried about a comment regarding long term or lasting results of an Erny.  My lengthy participation on the yahoo Grads site lead me to believe that Distals (almost the same as Erny) have had very impressive long term results.  Vitalady is my hero and though her common channel is a little longer than mine; she remains a very petite woman and at goal after 11 years post surgery.  I have not seen any studies that indicate a failure of an Erny long term.  We are not counting on restriction but rather the malabsorption and that shouldn't change, right?

I think we're good to go as long as we get ahold of those inner "pigs" and develop some better habits.

Here's to good health for all of us!  Take Care!

Thank you so much for sharing your story.  I really appreciate your honesty and telling us how you are doing.   Continued success on your journey.

Thank you Deanne, reading your story helped me too.

BTW, for those looking for info and not trying to pick a fight, in case a post here led you to believe that I have "stench" problems, let me assure you all that I don't. I have loose stools, yes, probably will for all my life, but not terrible diahrea, nor do I have explosive liquid gas. I do have oil slicks in the toilet every now and then when I eat a lot of fat, but I thought that was why I had a masabsorptive procedure. I LOVE seeing all that fat in the toilet, I ate it, but it is not going to my hips. Hurray!!!!  Hee hee!! Truly, it makes me silly happy.

As I also said, my labs are pretty darn good. I should havae written originally that I am very compliant about my supplements, and I personally do not think you should consider erny or any other malabsorptive procedure unless you can committ to taking everything everyday, and some things several times a day.

I have lots of energy, I don't spend the day in the bathroom, my size 8s are close to fitting again and I feel really happy. I love the world!!

You and Joyce both seem to have stench problems with your ERNYs.  Assuming, of course, that you are in fact different people.

For some reason, Joyce the Schlesinger ERNY cheerleader is posting over on the DS Problems Yahoo Group about her horrible stink and other problems from her wonderful 50 cc common channel ERNY, and yet she doesn't mention them here.  You really ought to read some of her complaints -- terrible.  Put in "Rainy" as the search term:

From a year ago:
"My days vasilate and for the most part, my explosive sharts have stopped and
my diarhhea is minimal. I continue to have a slight "drip" (orange grease)
that smells awful and have started wearing panty liners which I change
frequently at work.

My biggest concern now though is that my skin seems to have a fowel odor and
my mouth continues with a sour taste that smells continually in spite of
teeth brushing, garggling, gum, mints.... My job is very much in the public
as I am into marketing, patient coordination, and event planning and
executing. I was just moved to an isolated location at work and though
everyone is nice (mostly sympathetic), I feel alienated and humiliated.

I'm ready for another surgery to stop this!!!! I can't imagine continuing
with this awful quality of life."

A few months later:
"The awful
orange/oil slick SMELL and gas pain is managed as long as I'm on Flagyl.
The liquid poop continues around the clock. I'm shakey and get disoriented.
My labs are being drawn every 3 weeks and my iron/Ferritin is borderline, my
K is very low, as is my A.....There's a few other defiicent areas that
should be higher.

One surgeon wants me back into the O.R. when I hit 120 to lengthen the
channel to 100 cm. My surgeon wants to keep trying out different
combinations of things (high fiber, continued increase of vitamins, drink
juice when shakey, etc)....I feel he is more concerned with how badly he may
look for doing the 50 cm than with my outcome. He thinks my body will
eventually adjust and that I'll be able to manage with regular labs! My
insurance doesn't cover all the labs so $$$ each month!

I'm whining! I'm just worried about the future. I don't want to be a
slowly dying piece of skin and bones without any energy! .... Gheesh! I
get compliments lavished 24/7 and can't even get excited about it!

I continue to read each post that comes through here...cut and paste the
suggestions into my file....forward them to my surgeon......and research
vitamins and DS issues in any spare time I have. I'm just trying to be
pro-active with my health care and guess I feel kind of stupid that I wanted
a 50 cm channel in the first place!"

From earlier this week:
"Just wondering.....I have chosen to work from home and "in the field" to
avoid the tight office space situation and the worry of offending others. I
can control my odor farely well with short meetings and/or at events that I
plan for well in advance (clean eating and lots of odor fighting meds)."

Let's hear it for Joyce, the ERNY CHEERLEADER!!

I don't have a stench problem either.  I love my ERNY and I do not have constant diarrhea or orange oil slicks.  If I do eat to much fat, yes you see the results of that.   I do take my supplements everyday and I need to continue to tweek based on lab tests like we all do.

I believe you are missing the point again.

I have always believed that there has to be a certain camaraderie between WLS folks.  We may not agree with one another, we may not like writing styles and such.  But isn't there an unwritten rule somewhere saying that we owe it to our fellow fatties to be honest?

To push a doctor non stop on boards, encourage people to fly to see him from all over the country, talk about him ad nauseam, be head of the cheer leading squad, behave as though this doctor is nothing short of a God... but in private tell the truth about how bad he is or what a butcher job was done.  That's just not right.

What Diana posted is not all that has been written.  There is much much more that doesn't come out on THIS board and the reason is that THIS board is for recruiting newbies, that is obvious.

I don't know if she was working for Schlesinger a year ago when she was pushing him non stop but what I do know is that she was working for Gitt and Schlesinger was Gitt's employee.  She didn't mention that little tidbit.  Tell me this isn't all about the almighty dollar and I won't believe you.

If my doctor did to me, what hers has done I'd be shouting it from the roof tops non stop warning people about this doctor.  I darn sure wouldn't be pushing every wide eyed newbie in his direction!

This is a doctor that can't even do a revision from band to sleeve via a lap procedure.  This is a doctor that has far too many patients confused about what surgery type they have.  This is a doctor that uses paid posters to push his name.  This is a doctor that up and moved and didn't tell his patients how to reach him!

Is this a good man or a good surgeon?  You and I are going to disagree on this point.

We don't have to agree on this and I know we aren't going to.  You guys just want to make me with all your attacks. 

I am not missing the point.  I only posted to an accusation that is not true, I do not have a stench.  I don't care what Diana or you post and a few others and they know who they are.  Most of it is irrelevent to the topic at hand. 

I don't have the same issues as Joyce and the majority of us do not.  Joyce has a much shorter common channel than any of the rest of us, that was a decision between her and her surgeon, that we are not privy to.  Joyce doesn't hide that she has issues, she comes here and other boards for support and all you guys do is give her a hard time about her issues.  I don't care where or what Joyce has posted on other boards, etc.  They are her issues and she is trying to resolve those issues with her Dr.' or Dr.'s help and the help of others.  Posting and Reposting these issues are getting old.  Give the lady a break, all you guys do is beat her down.  Joyce only has the best of intentions, she has been only supportive of me and my journey since 2004.  I don't know Joyce all that well as we don't live in the same area.  I live 120 miles away and I only have met her a few times, but I know she means well.

Joyce never worked for Dr. Schlesinger she worked for Dr. Gitt and it is a 3 story building and they were on different floors in that building.  Dr. Gitt did own the practice and Dr. Schlesinger was his employee.  That's the truth and when I was at Dr. Schlesinger's office Joyce wasn't there in his space.  Who else people worked for, etc. I don't care.  We all change jobs periodically for whatever reason.

If someone decides to fly from all over the country that is their prerogative to chose their surgeon of choice.  If they don't fully know what surgery they are getting and ask questions before, that is their responsibility.  My_Time also posted that she got more information from Dr. S when we suggested that she do that and not go into this surgery blind, but do you post that, NO and I am not going hunting for it, it's a waste of my time.

Just because he doesn't do all his surgeries lap doesn't make him a bad surgeon.  He has skills you have no clue about.  You discrediting him is not right when you don't know his credentials.  He tends to clean up all the messes that some of the other Dr.'s create in the area, I had a 30cm almost non-existent bypass by a COE Dr. and alot of scar tissue from my lap procedure that was wrapped around the intestines that he needed to clean up, he wouldn't have seen these issues if it wasn't open, I had major pain issues for a year before I found Dr. Schlesinger and none of these issues showed up on any of the tests that I had.  Open's are not all that bad, they do have risks like any surgery, I was willing to take those risks, if not, I wouldn't have had him as my surgeon, especially since having a friend died and was buried the day before my consult with Dr. S and he put me at ease about hese issues.  She died during a lap sleeve when she should have been opened up when they encountered problems and Dr. S was not her surgeon.  There are so many deaths and issues that are never brought up by these other surgeon, why?  who knows, they still claim they never had any deaths, who is not telling the truth, these are the Dr's. we should worry about.  I don't care what kind of surgery (wls, gallbladder, appendix) or who the surgeon is, complications do happen.

Even the touted COE Dr.'s are not necessarily the best Dr.'s so you can't use that excuse either.  They are mostly conservative RNY and lapband factories and that's exactly what you get.  Herd them in and herd them out and they are done with you, they tout lifetime support, but you don't really get it.  Talk about a bait and don't deliver the lifetime care, is more hideous in my opinion, at least we have a surgeon who is committed to lifetime care.  I didn't have a choice in my original surgeon or surgery as I had an insurance company that dictated what and who you had.  I did have a lawyer and had to fight to just have the RNY.  At the time of my RNY, I don't think I would have even considered the DS, it was mentioned, but it wasn't a type of surgery that I was interested in at the time it was in 2004.  I am thankful that my original RNY got me down 100 lbs before I developed mechanical problems at 1 month out of surgery.   

I am not pushing Dr. Schlesinger, I only give my opinion of my surgery and share my story.  It's a public forum and we are are allowed to give our opinions.  If people ask me about my original surgeon, I give my honest opinion of them as well, but they are one of the surgeon's that defintely does not promote this site because of all the negativity as they want you to follow their program only.   Dr. Schlesinger never up and left us high and dry.  I knew for a long time that he was planning on moving.  He gave notice to Dr. Gitt, he wasn't allowed to say where he was moving to.  We knew how to get a hold of him, I had his coordinators cell phone #, she gives it out to the patients.  I didn't have an emergency situation.  If you are going to say that it was his responsibility to tell his patients where he moved to, that's not true as most practices you are not allowed to do this when you leave a practice.  I would like to know where my pulmonologist and neurologist moved to, I have no clue and they didn't send me notices.  He did inform the medical board as it's correct on their website.  I did received a letter from Dr. Gitt Administrator not even signed by him that was dated 3 days after Dr. Gitts post here on the board regarding Dr. Schlesinger moving.  It was Dr. Gitt trying to make himself look better, didn't work on me, I know where the some of the problems with the office was is as I experienced it first hand.

I found this site in 2004 when I was looking into the surgery, I have watched and posted on the boards since then, and I have never seen the ugliness that l have seen in the last 6 months or more.  OH is definately not what it used to be.  People come here for support.  I don't even want to post questions here as I know all you guys will do is tout that I chose the wrong surgery and wrong surgeon.  I don't care what your opinon of my choice was, I only want to hear is how to solve the specific issue that I posted about.

Dr. Schlesinger is a GREAT surgeon and a GREAT man!!!!!  Go Dr. Schlesinger and I raise a toast of Java to you!!!!!  Your the BEST.

I don't even know where you get some of these issues.  When have you EVER seen me write that a COE is better than a non-COE facility?  What in the world are you talking about that i use this as an excuse?  I happen to think some of the worst surgeons happen to work out of a COE, a lady from Scottsdale comes to mind.  I don't know that she even deserves the term, "Lady," to be honest.  You can sit and debate issues I have never brought up all you want.  It does not change the facts in the least.

I never claimed you stink, I don't care who stinks.  I care about the level of honesty on this board and you are right, the boards are going downhill.  But you know what?  As long as OH puts up with paid posters and certain doctors using a support board for their own personal form of free advertising then OH gets what it gets.

I could have had my revision done by insurance and by Schlesinger.  I opted to self pay by my surgeon in Mexico because I believe he is a much safer surgeon.  You are happy with your choice, I'm happy with mine.  But you don't see me talking about my surgeon in every single post pushing people from all over to go to just him.  That's the difference.

I don't agree with what Joyce does, my personal view is that it is unethical.  You may agree or not but it doesn't change my feelings.  I don't have to give anyone a break, I don't believe showing truth is a bad thing.   I never claimed Joyce worked for Schlesinger, quite the opposite.  I already explained it in detail, what part of my stance wasn't clear?  Need I explain again?

Not all revisions have to be done via open.  Schlesinger does pretty much all band to sleeve revisions by full open procedure instead of sending the patient to a lap surgeon who can do it safely.  I think that is unethical too.  The risks are higher, the complications greater, recovery is MUCH longer, and the pain is far more intense.  And for what value?  Because he doesn't have the skill to do lap procedures by lap.  You can disagree all you wish but it still doesn't make him the God you guys make him out to be.  I have never seen anyone so infatuated with their surgeon as you guys are.  I almost feel sorry for some of you.  I fully admit it does tend to make me wonder why his female patients depend on him so heavily.  It's kinda weird, don't you think?

And btw, I never claimed complications don't happen, if doctors could control all complications patients would never die of illness.  But... when the doctor is the one causing the complications, then it is a concern.

You proved my point.  ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK.

You and your cronies only care about your interpretation of the truth and not the real truth.  You all have such a narrow knowledge of the real truth.

Have you ever considered that some surgeons are trained specifically in certain disciplines of surgery?  Like for example a general surgeon and a trauma surgeon, hugh difference in techniques.   The one I would go to is the trauma surgeon in a heartbeat, they are trainnd way different and look for the unexpected and are better trained!!!!   Do you know how your surgeon was trained?  I do.  Did you ever ask your surgeon?  I did?  Do I wish to share the answers (NO, you don't deserve to know).  If you want to know ask Dr. Schlesinger yourself.

This is based on personal experience with my ex-husband and his shooting, his bowels were damaged and he had an open surgery, which was similar surgery, just a little different that they only sectioned out the damaged part of his intestines and he developed infections, etc.  I work near the closest trauma hospital.  The helicopter rattles my window at least every half hour.  Enough said.  You may think this is irrelevent, but not to me. 

Just my opinion.    OK, NOW YOU SHOUD GO AND STOP THE DR. HUSTED FREE ADVERTISING, NEW MEAT TO BEAT!!!!!!