Regretting surgery?

Wow, you've had a rough time.  I'd probably be regretting it too.  I hope you get fixed up soon.  Let us know how Monday goes.  

Feel better, Joe. 

I've had my share of issues too (including being on put on a respirator and on life support 18 months post op) but I don't share them much here because I don't think they're indicative of the average RnY experience.  And I didn't have the average RnY to begin with (I had a near total gastrectomy with the remainder of my stomach fashioned into a pouch-like structure).  All this is to say that I too have had my share of feeling like there is no end in sight.

You're correct - it can't go on forever and it won't. Sometimes it feels that way though. 

I'm glad you came here to vent.   It's ok to feel crappy and have regrets.  I can't imagine anyone in your situation not feeling that way. 

I got better.  I truly, truly hope you do as well.  And soon.

I am so sorry to hear that you have had to deal with so many complications and pray that your doctor will find a solution soon. I will keep you and your wife in my thoughts and prayers.

Do they know why you getting the strictures so far out from the original RNY? Is something irritating your stoma? Or pouch? Too much acid? Or was it don't too small to begin with? 

I am asking, because app 2-3 years post op RNY I found out that I had or developed food allergies. And eating food I was allergic to caused pain, inflamation and lots of acid... 

I am allergic to dairy (proteins - whey, casein, - That is in protein shakes, milk, cheese, yogurt); plus soy, plus vanilla, plus bananas, plus plus.... And I have gluten intolerance - overall don't tolerate grains that we'll.  Or beans. 

Plus I have IBS-C, most likely SIBO. 

But removing or severely restricting food I am allergic to really helped most of my gut issues- like pain, inflamation, gas... Etc... Following rather strict diet is challenging at times but not having to deal with debilitating pain and be able to enjoy food is soooooo worth the trouble. 

I do hope you health improves - but I would strongly suggest you ask your team of docs to test you for food allergies. 

I have no regrets at all. I did get sick today but it has been a while since that has happened. I will be four months out on the 5th and I am down 52 pounds. My gallbladder was taken out with my bypass. I hope you get better soon.

Went to my surgeon today and my staples remove (thank god they really starting to annoy me).  He advanced my diet to the next stage which is basically anything but meats and chicken (thank god for eggfaces ricotta bake).  He wants me to take it slow with the diet.  Also has me on protonix, which is was taking before, and he put me back on carafate.  He wants to see me again in a month to see how i'm progressing.  Hopefully my diet will progress nicely and he will have start eating meat again.  If not i'm assuming he'll want me to go get an endoscopy done to see if the stricture narrowed again.  

 

On a side note, when I went to my Dr and got out of my car there was 2 nuns trying to park there car but were having trouble so they asked me if i would mind parking it for them which I did without hesitation.  When I was done I handed them the keys and they told me they would pray for me.  I'm not the most religious person in the world but this really hit me and made me think that it's a sign that maybe just maybe someone is trying to send me a message.  Lets hope this is a sign that maybe things are about to turn around.

Those are some HORRIBLE complications.

If I could go back, I wouldn't have the surgery. My surgery is considered a failure as my BMI never got below "morbid obesity" levels and I've gained back all but 27lbs from surgery day (-56lbs from highest)

I still get sick if I eat anything with heavy sugar. I still can't binge (I know, WHY would I want to???) but that was my main way of coping and when I was diagnosed with PTSD a few years ago I nearly died because I had no way to cope. If I'm STILL going to be this fat, I should at least be able to eat a lot. But I eat as much as my tiny size medium mom (I'm a size 3x-4x). I can I suppose eat quite a bit, maybe 1/3 of my serving if I'm out at a restaurant, I can eat almost half of a fast food meal. On Thanksgiving I can take a tiny (tablespoon) of each thing so I can get a taste. Seconds are completely out of the question.

I do not malabsorb vitamins (except D for some reason) so that's good at least. But my hair... it's so thin now, it never recovered. I also consistently get cramps in my abdominal muscles that I'm told is from the surgery.

Dieting now is nearly impossible. I've tried several things, atkins, paleo, calorie counting was the stupidest. I ate 1400 calories a day for 3 weeks and didn't even lose any water weight. I have also done a vegan cleanse, didn't lose. it took me a month pre-surgery to lose the required 30lb weight loss and I ate 2000-2200 calories a day. That's like a pound a day.

This surgery works so good for some people. I really do see that. I'm just not one of them. I try not to focus on it, and I HATE telling people I've had the surgery, so I don't if I can avoid it.

So, nope, I wouldn't do it again. But that's just me.