Revision - getting ready!

Sooo, revision. It's been quite the roller coaster, to say the least...and a change in my plans. Tentative date, though, is February 19th for my revision. If I can get clearances done sooner, it would be sooner.

Due to several other issues, I am going to pursue revision to RNY. The GERD is worse than previously thought, and frankly I don't want to be on PPI medications long-term at the dose I currently take. I don't feel that the price for (slightly) more weight loss should be to definitely increase my chances for getting cancer by a significant order of magnitude by retaining a sleeve.

After consulting with several experts, some of the best in the country, it was the consensus to go to RNY instead of the DS. While I have mixed feelings about this somewhat, (I am very attached to having a sleeve psychologically) I have spent quite a lot of time carefully evaluating my options and doing considerable research, and I think this is the safest and best choice for me.

I have had zero regain since my sleeve surgery 2 1/2 years ago, however I used to weigh 750+, so I've always needed an intestinal bypass since there are far more potent metabolic changes with any intestinal bypass. I don't know that I actually need the malabsorption. I don't generally overeat as my eating disorder is relatively well-managed after seven years of treatment, and I would not eat carbohydrate in large amounts regardless, partially due to Celiac, and partially because I intend to stay on a ketogenic diet.

We'll see how the future goes.

Good luck. I totally get where you're coming from both with respect to GERD and PPI use as well as being attached to you sleeve. I LOVED my sleeve, and miss it. But I couldn't take the reflux and the esophageal lesions and associated cancer scare was enough to convince me. For what it's worth, I think you're making a good decision!

I don't have serious lesions yet, at least. I have a family history of cancer, though, even relatives who haven't been obese or had WLS had esophagus issues. I was disappointed to not get the DS, but I have like a huge chance of developing cancer more than people with Barrett's alone. I may inquire about some differences later that you have noticed. :)

Feel free. I'm an open book!

I wish you best. Good Luck. You got to do what you got to do. It is coming fast. In no time it will be here. The date.

And if there is anything I can help you with - don't hesitate to ask.

Post op RNY over 9 years- diet - IF Paleo -keto (when I am good) allows me to keep my weight off with a very little effort now. Keeping the day to day diet clean (paleo-keto -low FODMAP) is the challenge. But when I do - I don't need to count grams or calories. Makes my life so much easier.

Knowing it is my choice - and no one makes me do it, is important to me.

I know you will be successful in a long run. I know you don't have an illusion that after RNY, one day in the future, you will be able to follow "normal diet" . What is normal anyway? right?

Have fun till last few weeks before the next step starts.

Thank you, Hala...I have always appreciated your advice. I will absolutely ask you, and everyone else, 1 million questions probably, heh.

As for a normal diet...my diet was absolutely not normal before I started weight loss years before surgery. Eating pizza and pasta and cramming down candy was absolutely not normal. I want to be healthy...and I cannot ever go back to the way most Americans eat, because undoubtedly it would kill me with my family history.

Each day I get to live longer I do not regret this.

Good luck Donna. I know you have been struggling. Keep us posted on how you are doing! I know that even having gone from band to sleeve if I had reflux like you have I would switch to RNY in a heard beat. I had a band slip in 2009-2010 and had reflux before it was repaired and it was AWFUL! We will surely be thinking of you.

Thanks for the good wishes!

I have had friends with such horrible lapband issues...it sucks. I'm sorry you had to go through that, too.

I am torn about the DS still. I do regard it as the best option all things considered if I didn't have GERD and other malabsorption issues. Then there's the medication. It's likely I will always need PPIs if I keep my sleeve, since it's even larger and (usually) that means the chance for GERD is low. My family has a history of dementia and severe CVD issues. I'm lucky and have had zero cardiovascular problems.

I also want to go into old age on as a few medications as possible. There are some I have to take for life, unfortunately, however, I feel it's better overall to mitigate them somewhat.

This is why there's no good cookie cutter advice for what surgery to get. If I didn't have my family history and my GERD was more minor, I'd probably still get a DS since the main reason for it would probably be the obesity.

I wish you the best, Donna, and hope you find peace with your decision.

Thank you, Laura. :) It's nice to finally have something that will help...and at least an answer about the GERD too.