Right choice?

hey all I am new and have been going through the forum for a few days now and it has made me a bit more confused than I was before. My dr left the decision up to me on which procedure I wanted to have since my insurance will cover either of them. I opted for the rny and was told I was approved and a surgery date scheduled. However now that I am reading the boards I wonder if I should have gone for the sleeve. My patient counselor told me I can change but I have to make my mind up by next week so they can get the procedure updated with the insurance dept. So I wanted to ask those of you that have had the rny if you regretted having it or if you wished you had the sleeve and why? I really wish I had known about this sight before so I coulda done more research before choosing. I would so appreciate any info people want to share......

My surgeon chose the RNY for me after a couple of prelim questions. He asked me how I gained my weight, what's my weak point. I responded sweets, always sweets. So he said RNY is the best because it will prevent me from eating sweets due to dumping. I know down the road I might not have dumping, but so far it prevents me from eating a whole pint of icecream when I'm stressed.
Also, some people do revision from sleeve to RNY due to GERD. If you have GERD problems it's better to do the RNY.

I picked RNY because it had the highest likelihood of putting type 2 diabetes into remission. I've never given it another thought.

First, hopefully you understand the difference between RNY & Sleeve?

The sleeve is generally comparable to the 'pouch' in RNY, basically you are only able to eat small quantities of food. This is called 'Restriction'.

RNY adds another feature, 'Malabsorbtion' where (basically) the bottom of the sleeve/pouch bypasses the stomach's pyloric valve (this is what allows stuff out of the stomach) and attatches directly to the intestines. This causes some calories to not be absorbed. The larger the bypass, the more calories missed.

While the eating plans are similar, and the mechanics of eating are similar, with the sleeve your food waits for the pyloric valve, with the RNY your food goes straight into your intestines. Because of this plumbing difference about 50% of RNY get 'dumping', which is the bodies reactions to having sweets or fats bombard the intestines. Sleeve, no issue.

OK, now we know the difference.

Why did I choose RNY? I felt my body's digestive powers were over-achieving and a bit of malabsorption would help. I wanted to change my eating habits, but I was not sure restriction alone wouldn't do the trick. I also hoped 'dumping' would happen and kick my arse if I ate the wrong things. Negative reinforcement on bad habits.

17+ years later I am happy with my choice.

I went with the RNY because I had GERD pre-surgery, and they usually recommend RNY if you're a GERD sufferer, since there's a chance the sleeve could make it worse. Also, I had surgery five years ago, when the sleeve was just becoming popular (it was replacing the lapband, which at one time was super popular), and it didn't have enough research behind it at the time for me to feel really comfortable with it. However, it's now had time to prove itself - and it's a good choice. HOWEVER, if I was doing it now, I'd probably still go with RNY because of the GERD issue. I've been very happy with it and have never regretted my choice.

Back in 2007 I wanted a lapband and the surgeon told me that he would do that if I insisted, but he recommended RNY. I am really glad I listened. I have had some GERD even with RNY and would not wish that on anyone. Your chances of getting GERD are much higher with VSG.

Thanks for your information. Another guy reached out to me and gave me his input as well and he had VSG and suffers to this day with reflux and he never had it before. I have it now so I don't want to make it worse and I am definitely going to stick with the rny. I also feel that the restriction and malabsorption is an added benefit for someone my size. I started blogging today so I hope to keep this all documented as I make my way.

I'm 12 weeks post op and at the moment I'm off all diabetes meds and down to 1 one bp med from 3. Some of my dr's actually said I don't need the bp med that I'm left on, but my pcp insists as a preventative and the other dr's said it won't hurt, so to stay on it for now. My surgeon explained with my health issues and the way I gained weight that rny was my best option. I'm pleased with my decision. At first I didn't want people in my business or knowing about my surgery, because some closest to me weren't supportive. But, I had a close friend who said to me you don't care what people think about you in other instances why now? So, I'm being completely open now about my surgery and journey and started a facebook page to hopefully get info out there and show support people that may be thinking about it, but hear all the comments I did.

I am choosing RNY/Byapss because I have a problem with sweets, willpower and over eating. I need something more powerful than all of those to make me scared. Simply put. I hate throwing up so I am going to try and follow everything my surgeon gives me to avoid dumping.

Welcome.

Does anyone like throwing up? ;) You won't through up the same again. What you think of as throwing up you will look back on fondly.

First, you have a 50/50 chance that you will 'dump'. Here's hoping.

Willpower is over-rated. The only willpower you will need is following your plan. You, of course, will fail to do so at some point. Most of us do. I say most, because there is probably some person somewhere that never did, but my view is such people don't exist. We test our surgery, be it with volume, or sugars, or whatever. You will likely do it more than once.

The truth is you will spend most of your time learning HOW to eat again. Small bites, chewed well, moving slowly. Get tense, go to fast, eat too much and you will instantly regret it. This is how you learn.

Next comes learning WHAT you can eat. Follow your plan, you will be OK. When you think you know better, you will eat the wrong thing or the right thing at the wrong time, and you MAY dump. Dumping isn't throwing up. Dumping is first sweating, palpitations, gastric distress, diarrhea. A couple other things I might be forgetting. And, there is nothing you can do but suffer through it.

Which get's you back to following the plan. Until you do it again. And again. Eventually you learn. Then it only happens by accident.

All while this is going on, you are losing weight.

Following plan = weight loss = happy. You're learning and improving.

Not following plan = suffering = not happy. You're learning the hard way and improving.

Eventually you get sense memory that you learn to listen to. Eat this, don't eat that, lose weight.

You sound like a natural.

FYI: I am a guy, I binged sweets, food, pretty much anything. I think there are marbles still in there. I don't do that any more. Well, I binge ran for a while, but that's different.

Good luck,

Tek