Revision Decision (it rhymes)

Settledownnow

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Jul 28, 2015
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I am really struggling with the decision to revise from RNY to DS. I have my surgery scheduled for January, but I have a lot of doubts and fears regarding possible long-term consequences. If yesterday was not a Sunday, I would have called and canceled the surgery. This morning, I realized I better not cancel because I have no ability to lose weight on my own. I have been trying myself into surgery. I really do not want to go through it all again, but am feeling hopeless.

@Barbara @Fireballsmile @SmartNurse and others newly revised how are you doing since your revision?
 
i'm sorry you're having a struggle. I struggled with the fear of just getting a virgin DS -- your revision is a more complicated surgery. Break down your fears one by one and let the group comment. What long term consequences worry you? (The RNY's consequences sounded worse to me, BTW.)
 
Okay, I tried to list out all of my fears and deleted them because I am certain there are logical responses to each fear. Unfortunately, logic does not always prevail.

I understand what you mean by the consequences of RNY, but what I have personally experienced has not been that bad. I have had some consequences of RNY to deal with (bleeding ulcer, dumping, anemia, regular iron infusions, vit/min deficiencies, difficulty eating meat) and have a handle on these things. I take my supplements, get my labs, see the hemo every 6 months, get iron infusions, stop eating before I am full so I do not vomit. I avoid foods that make me dump. I got this. The sad part is I have all of this plus I am carrying around an extra 100 pounds. It is a lot of manage and still be fat. There is no benefit, just a lot of maintenance. That is the bummer. My biggest worry is that the DS surgery carries a lot of risks, possible complications, and a heavy maintenance of supplements. Would I be happy if I have this surgery and am still obese? No, I would be profoundly unhappy. What if I had complications? I cannot afford to be off work for that long. I would certainly lose my job. That is the biggest concern. There are other concerns as well, but too many to list.

Finally, I say to myself, what the hell is wrong with you? Just stop eating and save yourself $25,000.
 
Finally, I say to myself, what the hell is wrong with you? Just stop eating and save yourself $25,000.

I too have said this to myself. I went to a chiropractor on Saturday and when I told him I had just had WLS I saw in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing. Yeah maybe be coulda shoulda... maybe we did a hundred times. But it just hasn't worked. We just have to just let this noise in our heads go. For me this meant I had to go for broke with the DS. But again, your surgery is more risky. This is a decision you have to be at peace with.
 
I tried that route from the time I was 12 til I had my surgery at 56. I was good at losing but the SECOND I let up on the hellish diets or exercise routines, OR BOTH, I gained and added friends.

I know. I had the awful realization that I am 20# heavier now in my 50's than I was at age 19. Hundreds of diets later and RNY and I am no better off.
 
These are hard decisions for all of us, and I can only imagine that it must be even harder for revisions. Not only are there more risks, but you have the added baggage of wondering why, even with the supposed "gold standard", you are still where you are.
I am impressed that you have a handle on so many complications and side effects from your gastric bypass. If you can handle the supplements you are dealing with now along with the careful avoidance of dumping and vomiting, the DS, barring any complications, will be easy to live with. You won't have to worry about dumping. You will learn to recognize when one more bite will cause vomiting (really it only takes once or twice to get this). You will be able to eat meat - all sorts of meat. Not right away, or course, but eventually. You will lower your future risk of ulcers because you won't have a blind stomach or an abnormal connection between the pouch (which you also won't have) and the small intestine any longer.
The risks of this revision and real, and only you can decide whether the potential benefits are worth the potential risks. And no one can tell you how much weight you will lose. It's always necessary to balance the potential risks vs the potential benefits, and it seems to me that you have a lot of potential benefits as well.
Good luck with your decision! And of course, I hope you have an excellent and experienced revision surgeon.
 
@Settledownnow, I read your posts and my heart goes out to you. It is clear you are blaming yourself for all this insanity around weight and food issues and sounds like you are doing a really good job of beating yourself up. Know that many have traveled this road ahead of you. I am not a revision from RNY had the lapband, but still that guilt was there. I was self pay so trying to justify forking out all those dollars - but I thought about all the dollars I have spent on this diet or that diet. I also knew that I was going to die if I did not get the weight off. I was 1/2 way there anyway. Since surgery I have realized it even more. I did not know how disabled an sick I was at 300 pounds until I started to feel better.

it sounds to me like you are excellent at all the management of your current surgery so will do great with the DS. The dumping will go away and the weight will come off. One thing that drew me to the DS was the low weight regain stats.

this is not an easy surgery and yours is technically the most complicated. I had some serious complications and many thoughts of what in the hell have I done to myself. however, I have come out the other side feel much better than I have in years and years.

The decision to have surgery or not to is very personal and only you can make that decision. We are here for you as a sounding board for you and will share our experiences.
 
Update: I canceled my revision surgery last week. Or, I am just postponing it until I am 100% sure I need a revision. I honestly do not want any more surgery, more supplements, or more complications in my life if I can avoid it. I opted to continue to work with the dietician I met during pre-op testing. She is in private practice and not associated with any bariatric centers and does not hand out diet sheets. Therefore, I really like her and find her to be super helpful. We are focusing on high pro, low carb, whole foods (no processed foods) and mindful eating. We will see how this goes in the long run, but I am hopeful.
 
Update: I canceled my revision surgery last week. Or, I am just postponing it until I am 100% sure I need a revision. I honestly do not want any more surgery, more supplements, or more complications in my life if I can avoid it. I opted to continue to work with the dietician I met during pre-op testing. She is in private practice and not associated with any bariatric centers and does not hand out diet sheets. Therefore, I really like her and find her to be super helpful. We are focusing on high pro, low carb, whole foods (no processed foods) and mindful eating. We will see how this goes in the long run, but I am hopeful.

I totally understand your decision and I honestly think it's best that you wait until you are 100% positive. Perhaps just working with the dietician will do the trick but you know there's the revision option if things don't work out. I wish you nothing but the best! You will stay here with us, yes? I sure hope so!
 
I totally respect your decision and hope you will be able to achieve the results you want without further surgery. Just remember that you haven't burned your bridges and if things don't work out, the option of revision is still available for you. Best wishes! Oh, and stick around, let us know how things go.
 
Making a decision is best...you have my respect for being sure of your current state of mind. As Larra said, you haven't burned any bridges and if you need to revise later, you still have that option.
 
We shall see how this goes. The goal is to lose "some" weight and to feel better, but also knowing that I would not be able to lose as much weight as I would with a DS.
 

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