Revision from band to RNY and questions!

Hello!
I have been banded for 1 year and truthfully done well, except for the reflux.  My surgeon has left me with 2 choices, have the band out or have the band out with revision.  Then he left, now I am working wiht his partner who is very differnt and know nothing aobut the case yet.  We will work on that and yes it makes me nervous but he is an excellent surgeon and seems very nice.  Truthfully I was hoping he would say it was something else but no such luck, can't even blame the galbladder any more since it came out last month.

Truthfully I have been post ponig this decision for about 3 months now.  At some point I will need to do something and truthfully I have not decided which concerns me more the possible side effects of RNY or possibility of gainig the weight back.  I am talking with people, re-reading books and posting questions (obviously ha ha)

I have always had many concerns about RNY, those are for me to work on. 

Right now I woudl like to start with a couple of questions.

1.  In your experience what are the differences in recovery time between the two?  I really do not have a physical job, mostly office work.

2.  What about post op pain?  No not a chicken but have one doc who frowns on the use of any pain releivers, yes even 1 day after surgery they said "Don't use these any more than absolutly necessary because..."  Just what I wanted to hear 

3.  Post op diet, I know the phases are about the same but I beleive the length is different, any insight (guess I should have paid better attention at the classes when they went over the bypass stuff huh!)

4. Insurance - if your insurance paid did you have to have the revision at the same time or could you have the band out and then at a latter time have the RNY revision?  I know they are all different but currious.

5.  What is  your experiencs with the down side of bypass?  Every thing has a down side what is it for you.  Please not looking for bashing just honesty.

Any information would be greatly appreciated!!!

Michele S.

Michele,

I found the recovery from RNY more difficult than getting the lap band or having it removed, I had my surgery in two steps and had the RNY eight months after it was removed.  I also had all three done lapro but with the RNY you have more pain and are on a pain pump and in the hospital 2 days usually as opposed to out-patient.  I do not work at this time but my energy level is much lower than it was prior to surgery and at a heavier weight.  I will be getting blood work done in the near future so hopefully that part will improve.  Everyone is different and I don't know if age has anything to do with recovery time also.  I'm almost 50.

I definitely used the pain pump in the hospital, movement, getting out of bed was the most painful time for me.  Once home I was given a script for Tyl w/cod and I took them until I started having weird dreams and then went to regular Tylenol after that.  They want you to walk the first day but I'm hoping your doctor will have you on a pain pump and skip that no pain med nonsence!  Most of your time will be spent with the hospital staff and not your surgeon anyway.  They monitor you for many things and will ask you what your pain score is.

When I go to my bariatric group they send me to a nutritionist to get the diet for the time I need it.  So prior to surgery I met with her and got the list of liquids I would need for a certain amount of time and then a few weeks after surgery I was given the updated diet and I recently went and got what I should be eating now.  I suppose all centers and doctors do this differently but you have to be proactive in getting the information.  They're the ones that make the decisions on what and when you should eat.  It's been about two months since my surgery and I still have to meet with my nutritiononist one more time.  With RNY you have to be more dillegent with what you eat and when you drink and how much you drink and eat because you actually start with restriction and until you heal you have to treat that new stomach with kit gloves.  Personally I take this surgery much more seriously than I ever did the Lap band.  Not that I'm perfect by all means but it's a totally different ballgame for me.

For me I wasn't ready to revise after having my band removed and didn't know if I ever would revise.  I was very down on myself for not being successful with the band.  Then after it was removed I gained back about 30 lbs and that was 30 lbs partly preop diet and partly new weight gain as I never lost with the lap band.  But the surgeon did say I had some scar tissue but it just made surgery take a little longer due to it.

I'm trying hard to think of a downside right now as I'm still a "newbie" and am thrilled that I'm actually losing weight for the first time and as I said before never lost with lap band.  I do worry that in the future something will happen that will cause weight gain, I think as a revisioner and reading all the revisions here you can get a bit paranoid but it might help me stay in check also.  Also I'd like to add that I was a big sugar addict while banded and when protein and veggies wouldn't go down I'd eat yogurts and sweets that would go through the band.  Many of these things I didn't realize would go through the band like cookies and candy and chips etc...

I am more comfortable with the fact that I have restriction now and feel satisfied where before if I could only eat a bit of something I might still have cravings and eat something that would slide through and at this point in my post-op life I can't so I stop.

It is hard to get in all your liquids and protein and supplements/vits in the beginning and for me it's much easier now.  The first week of surgery is going to be the hardest when it comes to pain and drinking then each week you try to work on something else like upping your fluid intake or something.  So it's not like you pop out of surgery being able to do all the things that your body requires immediately.  You also need rest for recovery so hopefully your job is somewhat flexible when it comes to that and you also may need extra help for yourself until you feel ready to be moving around by yourself.

I haven't had any complications and my daughter had the surgery at 19 and had what they call strictures where scar tissue closed up her stoma and they had to go in and stretch it open twice so I still knock on wood that I haven't had that issue.  Although she's done well since then and has lost about 150 lbs her first year.

Anyway even though I had previously given up on myself something made me give WLS one more shot and I am happy I did and hope I continue to lose weight and just get to a point were I feel good about myself again, don't need to be 125 lbs ever again!  Anyway good luck with your decision you'll know when it's right for you too, Nancy.

 

Just a thought... have you researched the DS?  I see by your ticker, that you have a BMI under 40.... Have you looked at the lightweights board?
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/wls_lightweights/

I respect your surgery decision choice.... THAT is your personal decision all I am saying is RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!!!
(I personally am working towards a revision from RNY to the DS)

#4..... I think this might depend on the surgeon & insurance.... I SAY DO IT ALL AT ONCE!!!!  That way you only have one surgery to recover from.

#5.... Here is the link to a post, from the Main Board, I think it would be helpful info for you

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/3994327/Tossing-the-t hing-back-and-forth-now-any-insight/


-Jamie