Scared about Longterm RNY

Thank you for your clarification because your original post used words like "weak bones, gastro issues, ulcers" which sounded more like personal stories instead of words used in this clarification post "my sister's cousin's uncle's dermatologist...life will fall into shambles." No doubt, those kind of comments can be found in many places like you can attest to.  I have been reading the OH RNY forum since 2012; I don't notice many people blaming their woes on surgery nor purposely trying to make others scared.   Instead, it seems comments similar to "I have no surgery regrets despite bumps in the road" is more common.  Again, thank you for your clarification and best wishes on your decision-making.

What Grim said...I have always been obese, an always healthy. You can get away with a lot in your 20s and even into your 30s. It catches up with you. I am 41 now. I think maybe only in the last 3 or 4 years have I really felt it. And on paper I'm still doing pretty well. No diabetes, no high blood pressure,,,but my body hurts, I can't do whatever I want anymore...I don't feel well. It's catching up with me. 

Hi there - I am 10 1/2 years out from RNY.  As many others said - remembering that having WLS is a commitment to long term changes including follow ups, blood work, vitamins, changes in life style habits such as eating.  It sometimes requires changing people, places, and things just with other addictions.  I know the perception was at one time (and still may be) that WLS is an easy fix for 'fat, lazy people.'

I have had lots and lots of complications (2 petersons hernia, 2 other abdominal hernias, a blind limb herniation, ulcers, strictures - but I ask myself where would I be without having RNY.  I can tell you - I don't think I would have good news about where I would be.  My highest was right around 300, at 5'8.  My body liked and was happy at 180.  I have been every weight in between since my surgery.  Some of which are purely due to my decisions (good or bad); for example, RNY allowed me to have children.  My children tore apart me insides since I didn't expand, I just carried them very tight.  So is that because of RNY?  Hard to say, probably partly my body and my sensitivity due to obesity / RNY.  I have had a lot of hernia repairs.  I also have had 'minor' complications such as iron deficiency. Guess what - its treatable - so I occasionally get iron infusions I only developed this complication in the last 3 years or so and only had to have treatment for a brief period of time.  Now its monitored so it doesn't get so low.  It was found because I was having routine blood work done.  Guess what- supplementing for it did nothing due to MY absorption rate, we tried as it was mild when found. 

We all have our regrets and our worries - but I know even with my complications - the RNY saved me from extremely ugly complications related to my weight with my co-morbidities.  I am currently taking charge of my success, and I can happily report that I am within 15 lbs of where my body likes.  I have an up coming surgery to try to have a better fix for my hernias, and will probably have my flappy skin removed as part of it 10 1/2 years later! My surgeon tells me how successful and how happy he is with me.  It scares me and excites me all at the same time - to be successful and to have such major surgery again.  Imagine - waking up (GOD willing) to no more hernia pain and no more tummy skin / excess skin.  I cannot remember a day in my entire life where I didn't have the rolls.

Honestly, without RNY I don't know where I would be.  Now - I am a mom of 2 health girls.  I am able to run, laugh, get on the floor with them, and live my life.  There is no doubt RNY gave me so much joy and such quality of life - the hassles of dental decay (yes, mine is a little worse than before but I am also adding a year to my age every year - so that is to be expected to some degree as we age), hernias, etc. No-one can tell you if you should do it - you have to decide how committed you are to self care - even in the most difficult situations.  Prepare yourself for tough times, hardships, letdown, unpleasant side effects / complications - but also consider the quality of your life as you get past those things - you will be busy living - which for a lot of us is something we stopped as physical limitations or shame stopped us. 

Good Luck to you! I hope that you are able to make a decision that feel 110% committed and at peace with it.

In Sept. I will be 14 years post op. Only time I had trouble was my own fault, I got lax on my vitamins. I love my new life. I am still a bit below goal and no regrets. You can do it !!

12 year out and have never felt better and I have maintained my weight loss.  My hair is thinner and that is really the only issue I have had.

JA

A lot of people also do not share that they had WLS. I found that when announcing I was having it, I immediately heard ever horror story from those who had been unsuccessful, with only one success story out of the half dozen people I knew who had it done more than 5 years earlier.

I have been very open about my surgery and get a lot of questions from people - and some people who I never would have guessed had the surgery have "come out" to me about their WLS, asking for confidentiality. 2 of those 3 have been successful in staying at/near their goal weight for 10+ years.

At 35, I had zero co-moribidities - and that was about the age I started considering WLS. Now, I'm 44 and if I hadn't had RNY four months ago, I'd be dead, or near death. Not only did I have several known co-morbidities, but as it turns out, I had three others that were undiagnosed - one found found only through the rigorous testing done pre-surgery, another as a result of a biopsy taken during surgery and a third that caused a complication in the days following surgery. All three, left untreated and on top of my diabetes, hbp, smoking, high cholesterol, arthritis and asthma are potentially fatal.

I talked myself out of it 9 years ago. Biggest mistake of my life. I'm waiting to hear this week whether or not my non-alcoholic fatty liver cirrhosis is going to require me to have a liver transplant. Best case scenario, MRI/sonograms once every 6 months for the next 5 years to test for liver cancer.

Do it now

I am 11+ years out from surgery, diabetes in remission since day one after surgery, perfect labs, normal bmi, perfect blood pressure.  Losing weight didn't fix my bone on bone hip but obviously that was impossible and only something surgery can do.  I do have reactive hypoglycemia but it's easily controlled with diet and never being caught off guard without something to eat with me.  I get easily over heated and have to always carry fluids with me.  But those are minor inconveniences compared to the good aspects.  My worst rny related issue was a blocked bile duct,which wasn't necessarily caused by wls, but the surgery to repair was complicated because it had to be done through my excluded stomach with both a gastro and bariactric surgeon performing the procedure together to get to the duct.  But once it was done I no longer had any issues.

if you asked me right after the surgery for my bile duct I would of said get a vsg, but since then I have seen too many instances of never reaching goal with that surgery so I am throwing my support back to rny.  Don't be fooled it's not a guaranteed weight loss for life, you have to totally transform your relationship with food to make it work.  You will be on a diet that actually works.