I have to get a reversal......

 After years of planning and researching I decided to get rouxeny gastric bypass surgery. It has been a hard ride. I've been in the hospital 4 times overnight since the 14th of March. I've been back to the doctors office A LOT. And I'm still sick and throwing up everything. They dilated my stenosis 3 times to the biggest it can possibly be and I'm still sick. The doctor said it seemed like no matter what my body just didn't want it. So now on Monday I am going to his office to talk about reversal details. My body just won't take. I am trying not to feel like a failure. I didn't do anything wrong. And I am trying to convince myself now that I know what this has been like I will be able to successfully lose weight on my own. I'm disappointed. Yet I am excited to get my life back and not feel like **** everyday. The doctor said this would be the best thing. I'm still weighing my options.

I just want to say how sorry I am for you and having had to go through all of this! I can't imagine your anguish and frustration to have committed to this and then to have it not work for you. Our bodies are all different and how they react to things, I know so well as I have so many other issue that plague me and make things harder than the average person. I wish you the best of luck with your decisions with your doctor and getting through all of this. I will say a prayer for you! BIG HUGS!!

I would still try to do the dilation's. I had to do 5 before it worked and I know a few others did more. My surgeon had to call other surgeons for advice and they said to keep trying. Now I'm almost 18 months out and doing lots better.

I would get a 2ND opinion before I would get a reversal.

Julie

I hate for you to think about reversal so soon.

Have you ever had abdominal surgery before?

You seem to post on here a lot and mostly negative.  I'm not sure you have a realistic notion of what it is like after abdominal surgery.  It is rough for awhile, but then it smooths out.  We need to have a positive attitude. ( I have had open gall blader surgery, open liver surgery, open hysterectomy, open appendectomy, lap adhesion lysis and then my RNY - so I know about abdominal surgery.  They RNY was easier to recover from than any of these other surgeries. I've also had pins and plates put in my lower jaws, cervical disc surgery and brain surgery). 

Having to have dilation of a stricture is not a terrible experience.  It will get better.  Got to work with it and try the hardest you have ever tried to eat, get fluids in, get protein in - it is so worth it.

It won't be easy after a reversal either.  It is a more difficult surgery than the RNY.  What if you feel as bad afterward?  You won't have restriction or malabsorption anymore.  There is no guarantee your body will be like it was pre - RNY. 

I hope you are getting counseling and attending support groups.  It seems to me that you need some support and wisdom from those that are much further out to motivate you and help you realize your situation is not that abnormal.

I had nausea daily every day for the first year.  I still do protein drinks daily for meals because I can't handle solid food all the time.  I'm doing great - I fell better than when I was 30 years old (I'm 61).

Please take your time to make this decision and realize the reality that all won't go back to "normal" if you have a reversal.

We do care.  I apologize if I sound critical - I'm not trying to be.  I'm concerned you are "giving up" too soon.  Best wishes.


Please

I agree with the above feedback. It is too soon to think about a reversal. Some people have more issues than others. A lot of people have problems for the first couple months or so.

Like I said before I had to have 5 dilations before it took. I was on full liquids for 3 months or so. I threw up a lot and I too was thinking this was crazy. I was afraid I was going to lose my teeth. It did get better but it was still a lot of work.

Maybe it won't work out for you but I would still try awhile longer. The reversal surgery is a tough one so please think about it.

Julie

I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time, I know how excited you were about your surgery, so this plain sucks. But you said yourself you didn't do anything wrong, therefore you're not a failure. You'd be a failure if you were eating everything you could hold and just sabotaging yourself and then had to have a reversal because you were non-compliant.  Do you think you're leaning toward the reversal for sure, or will you try one more stretching?

I say go for some more dialations! Get a 2nd opinion! Dont turn back now you have come too far!!!

 The dilations I had worked. I am dilated 15 mm which is really good. The dilations isn't the reason why I might have to have a reversal. It's still not 100 percent. I have to go over things with the doctor on Monday. We might also get a second opinion. I am doing everything I can to try to think of ways around this. A reversal just might be the only answer. If it were simply I could do more dilations that would not be an issue. I would do them in a second.

I agree with the above post.  Get a second or even third opinion before doing a reversal.

Laura

I hope you and the doctor will find something that will help you best.