Partially broken and somewhat terrified...

I had  the lap band. I developed such terrible reflux that i had to have it removed.  I told the  dr. NO WAY i  am not having GBP i am doing this on my own. 2 years later , i had the RNY. I couldnt have the sleeve b/c i would just get reflux again, a restrictive procedure like that will do it.

I am 3 weeks post op. My BMI has gone from 39 to 37.5. 

i am following  the rules, (mostly- i did indulge in some hershey's kisses around  easter) i havent dumped .  I feel great. I am not afraid of having this procedure. 

On the emotional side- i have been seeing  a therapist and practicing loving kindness meditations for myself. I know that once i see the loose skin, it  will be a whole other issue. I will always have a body issue that i will deal with, is it  loose skin, is it wrinkles on my face, is  it weight? this is my battle, self love and i am fighting and winning through dealing with stuff and therapy.

i am focusing on that  time that i will have the  loose skin- i plan on being  so busy with  my daughter that  i  wont  have time to think about it- biking, hiking, working out, basketball on the  driveway. I look forward to doing all of that with no pain.

Trust the dr. and trust the RNY. 

Self love is definitely something I need to work on. When my husband left, he took my self worth with him. 

You've already had so many wonderful and thoughtful replies, so I will keep this short:

add me to the list of people who had an RNY and have absolutely NO regrets (other than not having done this sooner) -- additionally, as a person who has lost over 200 lbs and has not had skin/plastic surgery, I can assure you that I would NEVER EVER trade a bit of sag to be fat-filled again. :-)

It is SO WORTH IT.  I would have surgery every. single. year. to have what I do now.

Curious, are vitamins based on what your blood work looks like or is it mostly the same for everyone? I am mildly worried about that too because I have trouble swallowing large pills so I take gummy or chewable vitamins now.

Here's a link to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery recommendations.  I use their research as my guide (as I would recommend all WLS patients to do as many programs are very lacking in their knowledge of post-op supplementation) and adjust according to my labs run every six months.  It is far easier to stay ahead than to fix problems once they start.

Keep in mind that children's chewables and gummy vitamins are contraindicated after surgery.  You will want high quality supplements.  I do use bariatric chewables, but that is mostly because I consider them a "treat" and they keep me very compliant.  One does NOT have to use supplements that are bariatric specific.  Hope this helps. 

Go to TABLE 5 at this link.  It has all the ASMBS recommendations for supplementation listed.

ASMBS Guidelines.

Great! Thank you. Do you know how I would go about finding a local support group by chance?

Welcome. I am also an RN and I had planned on having lap band done, but my surgeon recommended RNY because of my age (I was 62). I was very nervous but I trusted him and I'm so glad I did it. I have had minimal issues and I can attribute those to me not following the rules. I am off the medications I was taking and I no longer need CPAP for sleep apnea.

It's a good idea to seek counseling and follow with a support group. The boards here on OH are also so helpful for us.

Good luck on whichever decision you make.

Thanks so much. Definitely going to do what my surgeon feels is best. I have sleep apnea and I snore so I am wondering if it's the reflux/fat neck combo. Lol I was recently started on a medication for hypertension too but I am hoping to be off that after the surgery.

9 months post op RNY here.... NO REGRETS!!!! I am a dumper, but VERY grateful for that. It keeps me from slipping up. I had GERD bad, so RNY was my first choice to help with the acid reflux. 

The only "complication" I've had is allowing myself to get too dehydrated in the beginning and I had to go to the ER and get 2 bags of fluid. That happened once and was enough to make me force myself to go the fluids in. It's difficult in the beginning, but gets WAY easier with time and now I have no problem getting about 100 ounces in daily without even trying. 

I would absolutely positively recommend it to anyone that has struggled with weight and traditional diets, and I'd do it again myself in a heartbeat. 

Your head is in the right place so it sounds like you are one of the ones that WILL succeed and WILL keep it off long term. You sound like you are prepared to change everything about your life and relationship with food and that's what it takes. 

Good luck to you! 

Can you drink a whole glass of water now? Do you graduate from sipping fluids ever?