RNY Surgery Scheduled and Scared, Can you reassure me?

Doing last minute research.  Have scared myself reading the regrets board!  :)  I am very healthy now so I don't want to end up with chronic problems.  I have read about metabolic bone disease, neurological problems, eye sight issues, etc.  Yikes!   I wish I knew how common these issues are.
My surgeon who has done 1200 bypasses tells me that as long as you take your supplements and do labs, you'll be fine.  Are there times when supplements don't do the trick?  Anyway,  I get the paranoid person of the day award but any reassurance or additional info would be GREATLY appreciated.  Thanks a million!   Catherine

Okay, first off, have you researched all four surgeries so that you are sure that the RNY is the surgery option you want?

Next, taking into account all your comorbid conditions, are you sure the RNY is the surgery best for resolving those conditions.

Next do a pros/cons list and see where it all falls out.

I am not pushing any surgery here, just helping you sort out what you want. If the RNY suits you best, then that is what you need.

Just be aware of all of the research.

And if you need more help in sorting it all out, holler.

Liz

Hang tough! 99% of the time if you supplement the right stuff in the right amounts you won't have issues. You do have to stay on top of your labs and tweak your vitamins and minerals accordingly. The scary part is not knowing if your surgeon is telling you to take the right stuff in the right amounts. That's why you get copies of your own labs and track them yourself on a spreadsheet. Your labs and levels are your responsibility once you've had WLS. The horror stories, in many cases, are from folks that are either too compliant with their surgeon's inadequate vitamin plan or not compliant enough. 

--gina
 

I know alot of people who have had RNY, and out of dozens that I know, and hundreds that I've met, two had big problems because they didn't take any supplements and 1 does have to try to eat enough calories so she doesn't lose too much weight, and even those people are physically healthier now than before surgery. I have met a few that developed ulcers or gall bladder problems, which they might have developed anyway, and a few that have had scar tissue build up and had to have surgery to fix it. But all of those were pretty minor and could happen with any wls.  Remember, people are more likely to post when they have a problem than when everything is going great, so the boards may not be a good indicator of how many people have problems with wls. There are some risks with any wls, but if you have a good doctor and you take your supplements and eat and drink what you should in the amounts you should (no more or less), you should be fine. If you weigh enough to have wls, then you are not very healthy now, even if you don't currently have comorbidities. Being morbidly obease is more of a health risk than wls.  If you aren't morbidly obease and you don't have comorbid conditions, then you may need to rethink the surgery. Maybe going to a councelor who deals with wls paitients would be a good idea to work out what is at the root of your fear.

When I had my consult with my Dr I asked about the risks of the surgery and dying.  He said the risks are now the same as a Lap gallbladder surgery - well... I already had that done and it was a piece of cake.  That quelled my fears.

But - yes, you MUST be diligent about your supplements.  People get further out and think because their malabsorption is pretty much nil, that they don't have to take their vitamins anymore.  THATS NOT TRUE.  The nutrients will ALWAYS malabsorb, so its imperative that you go into this surgery (RNY or DS) with the mindset you will always be supplementing.

Like Gina said, we're our own best advocates.  I've tracked my labs from day 1 and have corrected my deficiencies with the help and advice of the vitamin gurus on this board.

Do your research.  You'll be fine.  Stay off the regrets board.  Ask the people here and you'll get a 99.9% response it was the best thing they've every done for themselves, and even the ones that have had some issues say they'd do it all over again.

And lastly, be sure to ask LOTS of questions.  We're here for ya!

I'm about 2 1/2 years out and I don't have a single regret!  It has been the most exciting life changing ride I have ever been on.  I know at least 13 people who had surgery right before me or after and none of them have any problems either.  They aren't as committed to their protein and vitamins though so I don't know down the road how it will effect them.  I have 1 friend who is about 7 years out now and she isn't doing very well, but she lives on chocolate and chips, doesn't drink or eat protein as her main meals, and never takes vitamins or has her labs done.

Even though most of us haven't had any problems, We can't promise you that you won't have but we can assure you that if you stick with us we will help you through anything that might come along. 

Gina "MajorMom" is our lab expert and she will keep you on track.  She can send you a list of labs that you should get done and guide you as to what you should be taking. 

If you follow the RNY rules, base all of your meals around Protein, take your Supplements, Get your Labs done at least twice a year,  and then follow through with fixing them everything should be fine.

(((HUGS)))

Nutritional deficiencies are very common even if you take the supplements recommended by the  ASMBS (and some surgeons recommend much less than that, like telling patients to take Flintstones).  However, if you get labs done regularly, you should be able to catch any deficiencies before they get serious and correct them.  Neurological problems occur if your B12 gets very low, for instance.  If you get labs done every six months, you'll catch it before then.  Vision problems occur when your vitamin A gets very low.  Get labs done every six months and it won't get that low.

Kelly

 Kelly,
I was thinking like you are!  If there is a problem with absorption, it will show up in your labs and you can address it before it turns into much of s problem.  Our nutritionist recommends Flintstones!  But support group folks think a better vitamin is a lot better to use.  :)

I personally would start off with the ASMBS recommendations - which specifically say to avoid children's vitamins that are incomplete - and Flintstones are incomplete, even though they write the word "complete" on the bottle.  They are missing some important things.  Get a good adult multi, one with 100% of the RDA of things in it.

Kelly

I'm doing GREAT!  It's been FANTASTIC!  It's no PROBLEM!  I'm so HAPPY!!! 

I'm excited about doing the work it takes to keep it this way too!  Imagine that!!!!

Unfortunately, horror stories make the news and that's all most of the general public knows about WLS!  A neighbor who had to tell me the horror stories of 3 of his friends, just in case it would make me change my mind, just to make REAL SURE I knew what I was doing, came over today and wished me good luck with my surgery next week.  LOL!!!

He couldn't believe he'd gotten the dates mixed up and I had it last Wednesday.  He did a little crawdad thang and said, "I guess that goes to show that everybody is different.  Just seeing the smile on your face tells me you are doing fine and you're not going to be one of those statistics."

Just like there's certain family members I chose not to include in my circle of informed people... there's certain forums that I stay away from too.  Their heads are not where mine is.  I do not need or want their opinions.  Even Jesus told us to pick our friends wisely so that we would not be led astray.  Would YOU regret backing out of the surgery because of what somebody ELSE went through?  I don't have any other health problems either, like you, so the odds are terrific that you are going to shine like a star!!  Burn the Bridge to Regrets!  :-)

It is what we make it and taking responsibility for our weight the rest of our lives means taking total control of our whole health the rest of our lives because... I know you've heard this before...  and it's true... we really are what we eat.  ;-)

When my checkbook settles down, and I start getting labs back, I'll be getting with gina and Vitalady to see what I need to change... if anything.  Maybe, just maybe, if I follow the rules and eat mindfully, I won't need to change a thing!   :-)

You are going to be fine with any surgery you choose if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired and are willing to do what it takes to change your health and your life no matter what!   Each surgery does cater to specific eating habits though, so make sure you are honest about what needs "fixed".  Personally, although I seriously considered the band and the sleeve, neither of them would have addressed the addiction to sugar like RNY.  I'm grateful my insurance would not cover the sleeve because I'd had myself convinced that was the answer... when all it meant was I could only eat HALF a bag of miniature marshmallows at a tiime.  LOL  I

I know, without a doubt, the rest of my life is going to be the best years of my life! 

I know, without a doubt, you can feel this way about it too.  The Lightweights ROCK and there is no way to get rid of doubt and fear better than hanging around positive, honest, caring folk who know exactly how you feel.

Take care and go have a little private self-talk in the mirror.  Get some crying and fear OUT of the way and make your decisions logically.  Just a suggestion... 

You're gonna be fine.