From Successful RNY to Failure. Advise needed please!

Hi everyone.  My original RNY was in 2002.  I weighed 300 the day of surgery and went down to 180!  I was so happy, life was great!  Was hoping to see more weight loss but was still thrilled.  I plateaued there for a little over a couple of years.  None of the things I was told I could expect happened.  I hardly every had dumping syndrome, I could eat foods I was told I never could again.  I was very careful though.  Then things changed.  I started getting hungry.  Constantly hungry!  Still tried to eat protein first, do everything right.  Blood sugars would drop, snack or drink to bring them up.  Now I'm up to 268.  Fighting desparately to stay under 270.  Its getting hard to walk without leg pain.  Seems like most of my weight is in my thighs and rearend.  My arms gained some too.  I have gained everywhere of course, but the stomach is not as bad (had abdominoplasty a year after my RNY).  Am starting to research revision and would love opinons/stories of what others have done and how hard it is to get the second surgery approved by insurance (BCBS).  HELP please!!! 

Your not alone, quite a few people on this site have regain after RNY. I am one of them and am trying for a Revison. I have like you, no problems. I even still have what appears to be a small stomach. But I have gained my weight back and can't seem to get it off. I for physical reasons cannot do jogging or power walking or physically demanding excersize so I do the walking. I t keeps me from gaining weight but doesn't seem to take the weight off. I have insurance that will pay for the revison no problems but now I am trying to find a surgeon who will do it. ( Proximal to Distal). The first one I went to said no unless it is Mechanical failure and since it wasn't he told me to eat less. ( I don't overeat but I know what he meant). Now I will ask another surgeon. Good Luck to your journey I understand.

sounds exactly like me....I had roux en y in feb 2001...as a result I went from 365 to 200.  Since the weight loss I was able to conceive my baby boy in 2005...my miracle baby. Of course I gain some pregnancy weight but I was okay with it since if I didnt have the surgery then I wouldnt have my baby.  I was concerned about it when I couldnt lose the weight and visited my surgeon and questioned about if a revision is needed...up to abt 280. My surgeon said that my stomach has doubled in size and this is normal at this far into having the surgeon.  and no revision is needed and all I needed to do is exercise more.  Abt a year ago I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis which makes it difficult to exercise due to the pain and the meds are making me gain some weight...OMG...I am now up to 320 and so depressed that this has turned out the way it has and I have no choice in taking these meds...if I dont I will eventually be wheel chair bound.  Does anyone have any suggestions??

Thanks Muzzled - good luck in your journey also.  I had an EGD two years ago that showed my pouch was the same size.  Already had bad knees so the added weight is making the exercise I am able to do limited.  So maybe call insurance and see if they can preaprove me?  Then find the surgeon?  I appreciate any and all help.  Funny thing, I even ran a GBS support group for over a year so I was up on the right things to do.  Not trying to make excuses but I think a medicine change is more to blame than anything. 

www.obesityhelp.com/forums/amos/4416773/quotDoes-the-Patient -Fail-the-Procedure-or-Does-the/

You might want to read this thread, and consider revising to the DS. Getting your pylorus back in working order might help with the reactive hypoglycemia, too.

That was very imformative!  So much of that describes what I am going through with my RNY!! Thank you so much.  :)  I'm very motivated now to look into a revision to DS. 

This article "sealed my decision" to pursue my RNY to DS revision surgery.

http://www.dssurgery.com/about/publications/duodenal-switch-safe-operation.pdf

Hi Kellie, I was in the same boat as you.  Had RNY in 2004 lost 122lbs and started gaining weigh in 2008.  Long story short I had a revision last year to DS and have lost the excess weight I gained and then some.  I have Oxford and as long as my bmi was over 40 (i didn''t have any co-morbities) and its medically necessary I was approved.  

Good luck to you on journey.

best,
Frankie

Did we know each other back in the day? I am 10yrs out tomorrow. I had a BOB revision last summer.Hit me up if you have any questions.