Please Share....Trying to make a decision

Aloha  Everyone,
I've been on many of the boards lurking and reading what everyone has to say. It has been a world of information.  Everyone is so positive and it's great that everyone believes their surgery
is superior for their own reasons.

I am still trying to decide which surgery would best "fit" me.  I've come to this board because you would be the best people to answer this question for me.  What scares me the most is the possible long term effects that could eventually happen.  I know each surgery has it's own long term effects, and I would appreciate any and all reply's I could get that might lead me closer to making a final decision.

My Questions:
1. What kind of surgery did you have and how far out are you?

2. Have you had any major vitamin difficiencies and are they difficult to rectify?  How far out were you when it started?   (I know yearly labs are important, but I do realize some people still follow the "rules" and things still happen)

3.  Did the difficiencies lead to "bigger" problems?

Anything else anyone would like to add would be very helpful.

Mahalo!
viki

1. What kind of surgery did you have and how far out are you?
I had RNY on 1/23/06 I was 245 pounds at surgery. Lowest weight-143 current weight-153

2. Have you had any major vitamin difficiencies and are they difficult to rectify?  How far out were you when it started?   (I know yearly labs are important, but I do realize some people still follow the "rules" and things still happen)
I have been faithfull to my vitamins and on a daily basis I take the following:
multi vitamin / B12 sublingual / biotin / calcium / and occasionally iron tabs
I go for my yearly check up with my surgeon and get lab work done and I also go to my PCP about every 6 months to have her take blood to make sure I am still on the right track. I have had my labs come back low vitamin D and low Iron and have had to start taking suplements for them, but I do not take my Iron like I shoud....

3.  Did the difficiencies lead to "bigger" problems?
For me, as long as I keep up with my blood work and take my vitamins and supplements like I should I can keep the difficincies from getting too out of hand.


Anything else anyone would like to add would be very helpful.
I can eat most anything and rarely dump on anything...which is quite disscuoraging to me because I feel like my tool does not work the way that I wanted it to. I still watch my sugar intake as if I did dump because I am a sugar junkie and have a tendancy to indulge from time to time.  I do not regret having this surgery and would do it all over again in a NY minute!

Good luck!
Cath

1. What kind of surgery did you have and how far out are you? RNY on 11/15/2005. My highest recorded weight was 253. My lowest recorded weight was 128 (April 2008) and 99% of days, I'm 130-133.

2. Have you had any major vitamin difficiencies and are they difficult to rectify?  How far out were you when it started?   (I know yearly labs are important, but I do realize some people still follow the "rules" and things still happen) No vit deficiencies for me. I'm diligent about my vitamins - dosing every hour until they're all in to ensure optimum absorption - and have blood work drawn every 3-6 months.

3.  Did the difficiencies lead to "bigger" problems? n/a

Anything else anyone would like to add would be very helpful. If you'd like to know more about my experience, I encourage you to read my profile. It's all there and none of it is sugar-coated.

My Questions:
1. What kind of surgery did you have and how far out are you?
 

I had Laproscopic RNY gastric bypass April 2006.

2. Have you had any major vitamin difficiencies and are they difficult to rectify?  How far out were you when it started?   (I know yearly labs are important, but I do realize some people still follow the "rules" and things still happen)

I had a deficiancy in zinc at my one year check up and have had to take that as an extra supplement along with my iron, calcium citrate with vit D, multivitamin and subligual B12, I also take colace and fiber tablets daily to assist with another issue. I have gone from 7 prescription medications to 3 and am healthier and more mobile than I have been in many, many years. My labs so far have remained stable.
3.  Did the difficiencies lead to "bigger" problems?

Anything else anyone would like to add would be very helpful.

This surgery is a tool that helps me eat less but I need to be ever vigilent and follow the "rules" 95% of the time. I have gone from 269 to 149. I can eat sugar now in small amount but limit that to an occasional treat. I have a few foods that I don't tolerate very well and stay away from them, but giving up a few foods is well worth the results and there are still more than enough things that I can eat. I decided that I needed this type of surgery that gives restriction along with some malabsorption because of the type of eater I am and my personality . I also wanted quicker results that I would have gotten with lap band.

Remember that this type of surgery is permanent and you need to make lifestyle changes and have follow up with your surgeon and have labs checked for life.

I don't regret  having this surgery at all and would do it again in a heart beat. It has given me back my life.

All the best to you with whatever surgery you decide to have.

Sher
 

I had a vertical sleeve (VSG) over 2 years ago. I lost 80 pounds, docs goal was 70-80, considered a "light weight" as many other have lost alot more with the VSG.
No real vitamin problems as there is no malabsorbtion with the VSG so no deficiencies to worry about. I take one multi and calcium daily, all blood work has been good.
I have gained 6 pounds recently over the last few months ALL due to my poor eating habits recently sorry to say. But when I get on track I can lose it within a few weeks.
Good luck with your decision. I love my VSG...

1. What kind of surgery did you have and how far out are you?  Proximal RNY, surgery date 2/21/05 so almost 4 years post-op


2. Have you had any major vitamin deficiencies and are they difficult to rectify?   

I haven't had any vitamin deficiencies to date.  I get my labs drawn regular and do pretty well in supplementing with vitamins (I say pretty because for about 6 months I didn't do as good as I should).  I have seen a decrease in my iron numbers (H&H, ferritin, TBIC) but caught it ASAP by tracking my labs and seeing the trend downward. 

I also had some pains in my legs that my PCP and surgeon said "wasn't" attributable to vitamin deficiencies "you need to see an ortho".  Well thankfully I was persistent because my Vitamin D was low, just 3 points above the deficiency stage.  With aggressive supplementation and labs in 3 months it had increased.  I know take Vitamin D with my daily intake.

 How far out were you when it started?   (I know yearly labs are important, but I do realize some people still follow the "rules" and things still happen)

Both of the "close calls" were in the past year 2 1/2 - 3 years post-op

3.  Did the deficiencies lead to "bigger" problems?

No problems because I caught and treated the problem aggressively.  Now to keep it in check I need to be diligent in supplementing and labs.  Tracking the labs for trends IMO is what helped me keep from experiencing a deficiency.  My experience has been that if YOU as the patient do no****ch your numbers, you probably will be deficient before the doctor worries about anything.  If it is in lab range, that's fine with the medical community (my experience).

Best wishes!

Thank you all for your input.  Looks like it's imperative to keep up with your vitamins and labs.

Jennifer, I read your profile and WOW, you're such a busy person and you're still able to keep
up with doing the necessary things everyday.  I can't imagine how you keep up.  I hope one day I can have half that energy.   You mentioned your mother had the DS and that is a surgery you would never consider because of all her side effects.  Could you please share those with me since I didn't see any DS'rs post?  If you like you could PM that. 

There are many many success stories which are great, but, there are also the bad experiences that I need to face head on.  I wouldn't want to be blind sighted on anything.

Mahalo!!!!
viki

1. What kind of surgery did you have and how far out are you?

Distal RNY, I am 2 years 5months out.

2. Have you had any major vitamin difficiencies and are they difficult to rectify?  How far out were you when it started?   (I know yearly labs are important, but I do realize some people still follow the "rules" and things still happen)

Early out I had an extreme craving for Split Pea Soup.  My 6 month labs showed a Thiamine deficiency and I B1 supplement was added to my daily regimine.  Everything has been fine since.

3.  Did the difficiencies lead to "bigger" problems?

Nope

Anything else anyone would like to add would be very helpful.

Band people that I have seen do not lose weight very fast.  I can't say if this is due to the band or if there is a correlation of personality traits causing slow weight loss and choosing the band.  For me, one of the biggest advantages of the RNY was the rapid weight loss creating a cycle of success in a kind of positive feedback loop.

That said, it too****il the 9 month mark or so to realize that the "success" and one's outcome is largely internal.  In the end, THERE IS NO FATE BUT THAT WHICH YOU MAKE.  How well you do with surgery is all up to YOU.

Ok I had the RNY and I have had no complications. With that said I had mine done in feb of 2005 I lost about 165 to 170 LBS. That was great yes. But with that said i have A REGAIN OF ABOUT 65 TO 70 lbs. I have had a hard time getting it off and I am looking into a revision to the DS. my father had the DS Had has had problems with vitamin deficiencies but no regain and it has been 5 years. He has to take all his vitamins but in much higher doses than the normal stomach person. With that said he is doing fine as long as he dose. I think that if you want a more permanent weight loss you should go with the DS. Although some people have done great with RNY if you check out the revision board you will not find too many people who have had the DS getting a revision because of regain. just my 2 cents.

1. What kind of surgery did you have and how far out are you?  I had gastric bypass RNY (laprascopic) and I will be 4 years post-op in November.

2. Have you had any major vitamin difficiencies and are they difficult to rectify?  How far out were you when it started?   At 9 months post-op my protein level was low.  I saw my nutritionist again and we worked on incorporating more high-protein foods into my diet and also went from drinking 1 protein shake a day to two a day.  By a year and half post-op my protein level was normal and has remained there.  That was the only deficiency I've ever had.

3.  Did the difficiencies lead to "bigger" problems? no