Re: Newbie Here (Long)

July 20, 2004

Arlene,

I have not had the surgery yet either, but I know that this is the best answer

for me. There are a lot of success stories for this particular procedure. I

have found more success stories with the RNY than with the lap band during my

research to make my decision. This is my best advice. Get on the internet and

research, research, research!!! A couple of great sites that the people on this

board have given me are: wlssuccess.com, obesityhelp.com and many others that I

am sure they will be able to offer. You will still have issues with food

leaving your new stomach. My dietician said that the port leaving your stomach

into your intestines is less than the diameter of a pencil. You will still have

to be very careful to chew, chew, chew. From everything that I have read and

heard from others, this is not the easy way out, but it is worth it in the end.

Read everything that you possibly can to make your decision. As far as people

gaining back 18 months out. That is up to you and how compliant you are with

your new lifestyle. There are people 10 years or more who have not gained back.

The person who did my initial seminar was 6 years post-op and she had not gained

anything back. It is going to be work the rest of your life, but think how much

longer your life will be without the weight.

Good luck in your searching. You have come to the right place to start.

Dora in Tennessee

Lap/Open RNY (date?)

Vanderbilt Hospital

446/446/150

July 20, 2004

I'm definitely confused by the statement, " all I have heard are bad

things about RNY, " there are so many advances in gastric bypass

procedures that RNY take into account. There have been people on the

message board that mention the smell, I have not had that occur and

when mentioning to my doctor was told it had to do with what was eaten.

As far as the weight gain goes, this can be true of almost any weight

loss effort, remember...they're not doing brain surgery, you have to

work long and hard to change your attitude about food so that when you

can eat more you don't. I'm sure you'll have all of your questions

answered though Arlene, best of luck!

Lap RNY April 9, 2004

348/282/140 (begin/current/goal)

www.carrieburns.net

> Hi there,

>

> I am new to this list and have not yet had surgery. I was all set

> to have

> the Lap Band as a self-pay and then backed out at the last minute.

> Good

> thing because 3 days later Medicaid approved paying it and I am on

> Medicaid

> due to disability! Now that I have insurance I am considering

> Roux-N-Y (If

> that is how its spelled.) Before my only option was Lap Band because

> it was

> all they would do for me as a self-pay person. So I have lots of

> questions.

> All I have heard is bad things about RNY, but I am sure there has to

> be some

> good stuff, why else would everyone want to get it, including me. I

> want it

> because the weight loss is faster and you don't have as much

> aftercare as

> you do with the band. With the band you could be at your doc's

> office every

> 8 weeks for a fill if needed just to have restriction, that doesn't

> appeal

> to me. Also you have to worry about the food fitting through the

> stoma

> (opening between stomach portions).

>

> I have heard that RNY is more dangerous. I have heard you have

> terrible,

> foul smelling flatulence afterwards. I have heard that after 18

> months you

> start regaining the weight. Someone(s) help set me straight.

>

> Thanks,

>

> Arlene

>

July 20, 2004

Arlene,

I agree with . I am 7 weeks out of lap RNY, and I have had none

of the " bad " symptoms that I was prepared for. I've had no nausea, no

vomiting, no intollerance to any food as long as I eat only a little,

avoid sugar, and chew really well. I had none of the dreaded shoulder

pain after surgery, that I was warned about, no gas and no increase in

bathroom or any other smells. My weight loss is slower than I'd like,

25 lbs so far, but it is a LOSS, which is the operative word here! I am

prepared to watch my diet and take my vitamins for life, and while

watching others eat at barbecues and birthday parties is not wonderful,

it is not torturous either because it is certainly worth it! I feel so

much better already with only 25 pounds gone...I can't imagine what it

will be in another 75! I realize that not everyone is as fortunate as I

have been, but right now I would be hard pressed to come up with a

negative about this surgery!

Cindy

Sagel Burns wrote:

>I'm definitely confused by the statement, " all I have heard are bad

>things about RNY, " there are so many advances in gastric bypass

>procedures that RNY take into account. There have been people on the

>message board that mention the smell, I have not had that occur and

>when mentioning to my doctor was told it had to do with what was eaten.

>As far as the weight gain goes, this can be true of almost any weight

>loss effort, remember...they're not doing brain surgery, you have to

>work long and hard to change your attitude about food so that when you

>can eat more you don't. I'm sure you'll have all of your questions

>answered though Arlene, best of luck!

>

>Lap RNY April 9, 2004

>348/282/140 (begin/current/goal)

>www.carrieburns.net

>

>>Hi there,

>>

>> I am new to this list and have not yet had surgery. I was all set

>>to have

>> the Lap Band as a self-pay and then backed out at the last minute.

>>Good

>> thing because 3 days later Medicaid approved paying it and I am on

>>Medicaid

>> due to disability! Now that I have insurance I am considering

>>Roux-N-Y (If

>> that is how its spelled.) Before my only option was Lap Band because

>>it was

>> all they would do for me as a self-pay person. So I have lots of

>>questions.

>> All I have heard is bad things about RNY, but I am sure there has to

>>be some

>> good stuff, why else would everyone want to get it, including me. I

>>want it

>> because the weight loss is faster and you don't have as much

>>aftercare as

>> you do with the band. With the band you could be at your doc's

>>office every

>> 8 weeks for a fill if needed just to have restriction, that doesn't

>>appeal

>> to me. Also you have to worry about the food fitting through the

>>stoma

>> (opening between stomach portions).

>>

>> I have heard that RNY is more dangerous. I have heard you have

>>terrible,

>> foul smelling flatulence afterwards. I have heard that after 18

>>months you

>> start regaining the weight. Someone(s) help set me straight.

>>

>> Thanks,

>>

>> Arlene

>>

July 20, 2004

my grandmother had this surgery in 1962 and she lost weight to probably a size 4

and in the 30 yrs before she passed away she never put on any weight, she ate

maybe 4 small meals a day , she was never sick and she did not take vitamins or

do protein shakes , but i think we need both, she was just very lucky, I'm

doing laperscopic surgery Aug 18th and that is the only one that kaiser

insurance here in Calif will pay for because of it's success rate,,, good luck

with your research and i hope you find everything you need .....

bye Shirley of Fontana so cal

Arlene Longo wrote:

Hi there,

I am new to this list and have not yet had surgery. I was all set to have

the Lap Band as a self-pay and then backed out at the last minute. Good

thing because 3 days later Medicaid approved paying it and I am on Medicaid

due to disability! Now that I have insurance I am considering Roux-N-Y (If

that is how its spelled.) Before my only option was Lap Band because it was

all they would do for me as a self-pay person. So I have lots of questions.

All I have heard is bad things about RNY, but I am sure there has to be some

good stuff, why else would everyone want to get it, including me. I want it

because the weight loss is faster and you don't have as much aftercare as

you do with the band. With the band you could be at your doc's office every

8 weeks for a fill if needed just to have restriction, that doesn't appeal

to me. Also you have to worry about the food fitting through the stoma

(opening between stomach portions).

I have heard that RNY is more dangerous. I have heard you have terrible,

foul smelling flatulence afterwards. I have heard that after 18 months you

start regaining the weight. Someone(s) help set me straight.

Thanks,

Arlene

July 20, 2004

i totally agree with you , the most i have read has been good . i was beginning

to wonder if this was the most perfect surgery in the world because i hardly

ever heard anything bad ' but i also don't want to be terrified by someone else

's bad luck either..... you know like how they use to tell all the young girls

how horrible it was to go though labor to keep them from getting pg. well

everybody is different i have a higher pain tolerance than most and hopefully i

stay that way though the surgery HA HA

bye now

Shirley of Fontana so cal