Question:
Are there any members who are 5 years or more post op? I had proximal RNY 7/95.

The first two and a half years were great. I am 5'4 got to 108. gained back and maintained at 120 give or take.The 3rd year problems started. Now I am hungry all the time up to 176 and back on the diet roller coaster. Trying to decide upon a revision. It's between Distal RNY and BPD/DS. I would like to hear about long term success.(single digit sizes please,a plus size is not my idea of success) Almost all I have read here are a year or 2 out. I could have given Proximal RNY rave reviews then too.    — Julie B. (posted on May 9, 2000)

May 9, 2000
Julie, I am sure your intention was not to offend, but you did. I am pre-op, but even when I get to my goal weight, I will not be in the "Single digits" dress size. Not everyone, even those who have been very successful, have the advantage of being thin and short. I am 6' tall and at my thinnest ever, I still wore a size 12 (that was at 175 to 185# and I was only 5'10" at the time). I would kill just to be a 14 again. That may be a "plus size" to you, but it means I will look DA*M GOOD! Just my humble opinion.
   — heidiinPA

May 10, 2000
I looked at your profile page and it seems to me (maybe I'm wrong) it's not the surgery that failed, but the work that goes with it...any obesity surgery for that matter takes work.. <b>You state: Following a car accident and chronic illness could no longer exercise</b>.. Yes, I understand your pain and how that affects exercise, and I'm very sorry you're going through that. However, another surgery will not change that fact.. all surgeries (no matter the type) you have to work at...Do your part (with proper diet and exercise)...WLS is a only a tool. Why not talk to a physical therapist and nutritionist to get you back in the program..(with proper diet and a exercise program you can live with you will loose weight again) If I said anything to offend you I'm sorry..Just trying to offer help.
   — Victoria B.

May 10, 2000
Either surgery is likely to give the results you desire, without any pesky need to diet or exercise. But it seems the easiest thing for you would be to simply have your common tract lengthened, without modifying your pouch. You can learn the statistics about long term DS results from the following website: http:\\www.duodenalswitch.com. Click on Procedure, then on any of the links for the studies. However, with a BMI of only 30, I cannot imagine that any reputable surgeon would be willing to operate on you. They usually reserve their efforts for people with more serious weight problems. You are barely obese, and as Vicky wrote, exercise and diet will likely solve your dilemma and get you back into the single digit sizes you adore. I do wish you the best of luck and also commend you. You've revealed a depth of character one usually finds only among animated celluloid beings.
   — Duffy H.

May 10, 2000
11 months post op, I would love to be a 12 or 14. But I understand at your height it's not good. I am 5 8 and over weight by 170 lbs. You are going to have cut down on portion size and exercise more. A recumbent bike is good for people with injuries. It's what helped you lose weight before and it's what will help you now. I know it's a lot of weight but 80 lbs is workable. Hope this helps. Good luck.
   — Lynda N.

August 18, 2000
My husband & I have held our low wts for years now (5 & 6) with distal RNY. Neither of us does any "routine" exercise, nor did we. Our post-op nutrition plan is very specific and that helps hold us where we are. But our distal RNY has done the majority of the work for us. You may need to seek revision to a bit more radical surgery for YOU. I know a proximal would have left me near 200 lbs, rather than near 100# at my 5'1" height. I wear 3-5, depending on the cut. My husband wears 34's, which isn't a single digit, but YUM! He looks pretty fine to me!
   — vitalady

August 19, 2000
Hi! I had my gastric done in May 1976. I weighed 602lbs and got down to 119lbs. I have had 4 revisions due to complications but very happy with the surgery and the results. My pouch has stretched back out some but the past 20yrs plus I've learned to eat sensibly, cook healthier, andwatch my weight constantly. When I see the scales going up 2lbs I immediate cut back and refuse to gain! I cannot exercise very much due to heart problems so losing weight and firming up is extremely difficult. Despite all I am so happy to have had my surgery and would rec. it to those who have no other alternative. I'm happy to talk to people about my life (being fat, having the srgery, problems, etc) and welcome e-mail.
   — Linda R.

August 22, 2000
I came back to add to my original question. After reading responses I see now I should have been more specific and included more info on my situation. First, the plus sizes I was refering to were the ones you have to go to a special store for: 16 and above. I certainly didn't mean a size 10 or 12 especially if you are tall or large boned. The comment was directed toward myself. I am 5'4 and have measured bony prominences as charts advise to figure out bone structure and I always came out small or very small. At 110 or 115 some people look like a bag of bones. I didn't. You couldn't count my ribs or vertebrae like you can with some of the Hollywood actresses and models. For me a size 6 was ideal, but I would settle for 8 or 10. Prior to surgery I was 22/24 I meant my present 16/18 is not my idea of success despite some people telling me it is. I am not lazy. It isn't that I don't want to exercise and I don't eat all that much, (just too much for my activity level) 1500 cal average, 2000 at the most, and seldom over 30 grams of fat a day, usually less. The problems are Fibromyalgia, Myofascial pain syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, and Endometriosis. There are no known cures for any of these diseases. I live with daily pain in numerous areas, the worst being my lower left abdomen. Some days it feels like I have been knifed. Ask yourself if you could exercise with a knife in the groin. Despite several surgeries and hormonal treatments the pain remains. I am now on opioid pain meds 24/7. They are very constipating, despite stool softners and tons of fiber I still require laxatives, sometimes even enemas a few times a month. They also cause fatigue and nausea at times, but without them the pain was so bad I would rather be dead. Even with them I cannot obtain total relief and on a pain scale of 0-5 I am 2-3 most days. So if any of you plus sizes still want to trade bodies I'd be happy to get one with only obesity to deal with. Even pre-op when I was fat I golfed, snowboarded, canoed and rollerbaded, at least every weekend and rode my exercise bike a couple times during the week. On a 1700 cal Jenny Craig diet and exercising daily for an hour I could not get below 175 and the minute I gave up the diet I gained it all back and then some. You all know what that is like. None of us would need surgery if those methods worked. The only time I could maintain a normal weight(as an adult) was on 600 cal starvation diets which set me up to binge and purge which is no way to live. After marrying I stopped doing that and I became obese within a couple years.
   — Julie B.