Question:
How did you decide that you needed a revision

I will be 5 years post op next month. I lost 120 lbs and have regained 20. I never made goal needed to lose about 50 more lbs to not be considered obese. I honestly know that I have not done my personal best. I eat things that I shouldn't eat, I do not exercise regularly. I have a huge problem with snacking. It scares me how much I can eat sometimes. Then some days a piece of chicken and some too firm veggies will send me running to throw up because they still get stuck. So I'd like to know how others arrived at their personal decisions to have a revision and have you been more successful afterwards. I want to be brutally honest with myself, why even look into it if I will only fail again. I should just accept where I am and keep trying to improve my habits. I've had a couple of successful attempts, I will do good for a few weeks lose maybe 10-15 lbs and then stop trying for one reason or another.    — SARose61 (posted on January 19, 2007)

January 19, 2007
since you know that your eating habits are the reason for your weight gain you should just work really hard on changing those habits and following your proper diet. exercise would probably make a huge difference also. wls is only a tool not a cure and you are not using your tool to the fullest extent. you have done a great job to lose 120lbs and only gain back 20 in five years so obviously you know what to do you just need to do a little better. it's gonna take alot of work, but you can do it. hope this helps ........... holly
   — RNlvnCARSON

January 19, 2007
In my case, I suddenly had hideous heartburn and knew my staple line was gone. I applied for revision immediately since I knew what would happen. But that was a really old surgery and it's been fixed for 7 years tomorrow. My question would be are you transected? Do you feel the same as before, or like you can eat more food routinely? I know all of us feel like we can eat a house one day and nibble a piece of cheese the next for the same amount of fullness. Many ppl have opted for revision in the absence of any mechanical failure. It's hard to come to the realization that there is nothing you can do except to change your surgery type. Lots of them are on the Grad list and for some, it took as many as 2 years to actually really THINK about revision, once they began to gain. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG
   — vitalady

January 19, 2007
Rosemary, I appreciate your honesty and looking for honesty. That is a rare quality in a person and I admire it. You may need a revision Rosemary, but the revision you need is in your attitude. When we make a decision for gastric bypass, we have to know within ourselves that we have failed from what we know we can do. If we, for one instant, depend on the surgery to do the "trick", than we really trick ourselves into a lie. Surgery is simply a tool to help us when we do our best to make it work. Obesity is a head issue with a body consequence, and it sounds like you still have a lot of the head issue, even after 5 years. I am almost 3 years out, and I do battle the head issues every day. Eat more, snack, I want this, I get that. It is a head game that sometimes I lose and sometimes I win. I really encourage you to not look to revision surgery until you can perform at your personal best and see where it takes you. Go back to basics, water, protein and exercise, daily if possible. Fight for those pounds, fight for your health. Health is not a guarantee in life. I have two friends right now dying of cancer at a young age. There is no guarantee. You have the gift of life NOW! I encourage you to count your blessings and live life to the fullest and not depend on those old habits that destroy. I will be honest with you, I did NOT have my RNY so that I would have to "give up" foods that I like, I eat anything I really want, in small portions, and sometimes just a few bites. Less is more when it comes to what I want, so I eat less of that, but have some. Sometimes it feels like I am eating all day just to get my protein in, but it is worth the fight. I don't get hung up on eating all day, especially if I am fighting for the protein items that I need. You need to really examine what you are up against and evaluate where to go to get some help. You have a personal best in you, you know it because you know that you are not performing at it. So, step back, breathe, don't condemn yourself for the past mistakes, but take ownership of them, and then move forward. Try weight watchers, or a buddy system, e-diet.com or something to make you accountable for what you put in your mouth and what you do in your habits. Take a good look at them, change what you can and try that for a year. You have spunk, you can do this without another surgery, or atleast you owe it to yourself to try before you decide to put yourself at such risk. A secondary revision carries a MUCH higher complication rate. That is something that should frighten you to try for your personal best! You are worth it Rosemary, and I wish you the best, take care. Patricia P
   — Patricia P