Going back to surgeon about gaining weight

 I was just wondering when you first went back to your surgeon about weight regain - how did the appointment go?

I had my surgery over 5 years ago and regained a lot of weight, partly due to the fact that I've had 3 post-op pregnancies.  I have an appointment with my surgeon to discuss this and hopefully get an upper GI series done to see what my pouch/stoma is like.    I'm so nervous and embarassed over it. I'm worried about how he'll react.  I did speak to his nurse on the phone who was very nice and said the best thing for me to do was to come back.

I'm just wondering how your appointment went and what your surgeon suggested you do?  How did he/she react to your weight gain?  I know every surgeon/office is different, but I'm just looking for your experiences.

Thank you.

You don't say what your original surgery was or who your surgeon is.  With me, when I regained all my weight from my failed RNY,  I lived over 1,000 miles away from my original surgeon, so I came to OH, learned about the DS, found out what tests I would need to take to a DS revision surgeon, had my PCP order it, (upper GI) proof I had mechanical failure,  my DS revision surgeon looked at them and told me I had a huge gastro gastric fistula and stoma enlargment.. and he could help me. 

Get info on the DS here:  http://www.dsfacts.com/

I didn't regain more than 50 lbs, and my surgeon had stopped practicing.  I just looked over everything on OH, decided the DS was the best revision for me, found that Dr. Greenbaum was highly recommended, and I contacted him.

Hi Bailey, what was your BMI when you had your first consult with Dr. Greenbaum?

39.9, lol. I was cutting it close. I'm short, only 5' 2.5".

I had RNY with Dr. Monk is PA.  I posted specifically about him on the PA forum, but didnt get any responses so I figured I'd post a more general question about any physicians.

I would be interested in the DS, but at this time it would be impossible for me to have a long recovery time, which I've read the DS can have.  I have a 3 year old, 18 month old, and 3 month old so I'm on my feet most of the day and do a lot of lifting.  My husband could take one week off of work to help out and my mom could take off the following week.  So I'm hoping to find something with a 2 week or less recovery period. 

How long did you feel your DS recovery took?  My inital surgery was a lap rny and it took about 3-4 weeks for me to feel back to normal.

Thank you.

I hear most people returning to their normal routine easily in about 4 weeks.  I walked over Chinatown in San Francisco 5 days after being released from hospital, flew home on the 11th day and drove my own self home, 90 miles away.  I don't have any children, nor did I have any help, other than in the hotel.  Everyone is different but I'm sure I wouldn't have been up to taking care of small children in 2 weeks, unless I had everything pre-planned and the stars were aligned exactly right. 

I believe any surgery would take at least 4 weeks before you could lift. 

I went back to work at 6 weeks (started a new job!) but felt good at 4 weeks, started going out. Went to Texas on my 5th week and ate barbecue with friends, lol.

Firstly I wouldn't worry about reactions to you regaining weight. The stats and this board show that you are not alone. Any surgeon that makes it your fault without investigating would ring alarm bells with me, so dont take any crap from whoever you see.

What your choices are depend on what is happening to your insides. You will need tests and then someone to explain to you what the choices are. These might involve adjusting what you already have, or changing it to something else completely.

To get good advice on this you need a revision surgeon. Not the normal everyday surgeon you saw the first time (unless he/she is also experienced at revisions). You also need someone who knows about all the revisions and not just one. If you hang around here you will probably hear about five or six different routes you could go down, but you need to know that what you choose is best for you, not just easiest for your surgeon.

Plus you need to check what your insurance will cover. Then you need to research the options presented to you and think about what to do. Don't feel pressured or rushed, you have to get this right.

When I tried to talk to my surgeon about it he was never available. I had many appointments with his nurse practitioner and she wouldn't hear of it. She kept telling me none of his patients ever had one done before and I wasn't gonna be the first. I stopped going to him a couple years ago and am now going for a consult next month with a different surgeon.

There is no need for you to be embarrassed over needing a revision! Many people need one-for one reason or another. Just stay strong and hold your head high on your new journey! Best wishes to you!