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jackie_h1 · 12-12-2008, 05:58 PM

Here is my story:
Open RNY February 8, 2002. Gosh it seems like just yesterday, it's hard to believe it's been nearly 7 years since I had my surgery. I would love to share my experience with all of SoulCysters. This is my experience only, my knowledge of the procedure and the aftercare. I worked as a post surgical nurse in the recovery room and also on the unit in a exclusive batriatric hospital.. About a year after my surgery I was asked to be a support group leader and I happily took on that roll as well. For the first 6 years of my post-op life I was very involved, very proactive. Then I had back surgery and life changed (now disabled after 2nd back surgery) & take things pretty easy. I stepped down as SGL, but still attend meetings as often as I can (being with other post ops really helps keep me on track). I'm now a SAHM to my 3 beautiful girls (ages 10, 7, and my post-op baby girl who's 3). I really LOVE being home with my girls. My husband and I don't prevent another baby, but due to my PCOS I don't have a cycle unless it's medically induced.
Anyhow, why did I chose RNY surgery? At the time in 2000-2001 when I was researching each procedure and attending seminars, the GOLD STANDARD in the USA was the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Having the surgery with the open incision (down the midline of the abdomen) wait time was about 1 month. Laparoscopic wait time was 6-12 months. I went with the open procedure as I wanted this done fast.
I've always been overweight, obese, morbidly obese, and super morbidly obese in my first 27 years of life. My top weight was 374 pounds and I was truly miserable. I'm only 5'4", so that's alot of weight on my small frame (oh my, it's still crazy to think I have a small frame versus always thinking I was big boned). I wanted the procedure, the renewed birthday ASAP! I had my consult with Dr. Neil S. Marymor on 12/11/2001, due to holidays my INS approval was delayed. They called me on December 28th but the doctor didn't get the approval until January 17...my PreOp testing was 1/27/2002 and surgery 2/8/2002! I had witnessed 2 people in my family have this surgery and do very well. I also had a close friend have the surgery and not do very well. I asked her what went wrong and she told me, "Jackie, the surgery worked for me, I didn't work for the surgery!" she openly admitted that she did NOT follow the post-op lifestyle changes. She said she could eat a Snickers bar with no problems and her portions were just as big now as they were 3 years before when she had her surgery in 1998. I promised myself, I promised my husband, and my family that I would give this my all. I wanted to succeed. I didn't know what the magic number would be on the scale, but I knew that I wanted to feel good about ME, feel good about my health, feel good about my decision to have this surgery. So I can say at that time I truly made a "Commitment" to myself to do my very best as a post-op RNY/WLS patient!
Researching procedures was a task I did as well. At the time I was attending seminars on the RNY, the DS or the BPD/DS, VBG, and just coming out was the Lapband. One of the reasons I chose RNY is because I wanted more children. I had 2 daughters, but did want to try again after I lost weight. The DS or BPD w/DS are very malabsorptive and with me wanting to nourish a baby, I didn't want to stress over "am I nourishing myself? Am I nourishing the baby?" I know the vitamin/supplementation is greater and I just didn't feel comfortable with either of these procedures. If I didn't want children, I would have chose either one. (PM me for more personal opinion/experience) The seminar I attended the surgeon did the BPD/DS on the higher end BMI patients. The VBG and Lapband were NOT enough for me. Just having the "restrictive" property was NOT enough for me. So I chose RNY, both "restrictive" and "malabsorptive". I knew me being a food/sugar/chocolate ADDICT, I needed the procedure, for me RNY, the "tool", that would help me in every aspect, lose weight, gain health, learn proper nutrition, to move my body/exercise, and keep the weight off long term. Even today @ nearly 7 years post op I rely on the low carb, higher protein, water, and exercise....sound familar? Another aspect of RNY that I liked and needed was "Dumping Syndrome". For me this is a built in body mechanism that tells me that "Oops! You ate too much sugar or fat!" I know to make changes and not to eat that again! When I dump I have flu like symptoms (nausea, flushed, clammy, dizzy, abdominal pain, and loose stools)--I can have 1 or all symptoms, it varies on what I ate! But trust me it's not fun and you are telling yourself "I won't eat that again!" My eating plan said no more than 2gm of sugar per snack or meal (hard to live by, I can avoid dumping and eat about 8gm of sugar), also no more than 12gm of fat per meal or snack--ok by me! Every surgeons/dieticians program varies a little, it's always fun to compare notes. Some surgeons only want you eating 3 times a day, some say 6 very small meals/snacks. I still eat 3 small meals & maybe 2 snacks. Also in my first 2 years after surgery, if I ate too much, I could tell immediately within a bite or 2. I would need to go to the bathroom and purge or throw up, but for me, I would only throw up that 1 or 2 bites, it's not like vomitting pre-surgery.
I now know that I needed the "restriction", "malabsorption", and also "dumping syndrome" to help teach me to use the "tool" of the RNY surgery for what it's intended. I am very satisfied, very happy w/this procedure!
Just this past summer I had a scope to examine my pouch. At nearly 7 years post op my pouch is normal size, my stoma (opening from pouch to intestine) is narrow, and my weight is good.
Being a post-op nurse and support group leader for 6 years I have seen alot of men and women have this surgery. Many thinking it's a "quick fix" for their weight problems. This is by NO MEANS a fix of any kind. It won't fix your marriage, it won't fix your happiness, it can fix your weight, but it won't keep your weight down, unless YOU make permanent LIFESTYLE CHANGES!!! --- all of these require YOUR participation and YOU making the CHANGES necessary for the fix to happen. It always takes WORK and PARTICIPATION on YOUR part. That's what I've learned, it's all on what I DO! I must follow the rules to be healthy, a nice weight, and to feel good. 1.)watch what I eat 2.)portion control 3.)water intake 80-100oz per day 4.)MOVE my body/exercise
I also wanted to say that not everyone shares the same experience. Not everyone loses weight at the same pace. I've seen some patients lose fast (all their weight gone in 10 months) while others it takes up to 3 years (that was ME)!!! I've learned do NOT compare yourself to others, everyone's surgical/post op experience is personal and individual. Just keep doing what is best for your body, keep utilizing the "tool" and the weight will come off and you will feel better!
I feel GREAT at 160 pounds, I feel GOOD at 200 pounds and both are better than 374 pounds! I've learned that the number on the scale doesn't matter. The size in my jeans doesn't matter! Sure when both are low it feels good to tell the entire world, but when it's not, I keep a closed lip! I've learned it's all on how I feel physically. Sure I feel better at the lower weight. But I know that there are many post ops who don't reach that doctors goal weight of 120 pounds (including myself), but for someone who is super morbidly obese to go to an overweight status...that's an accomplishment and I know they feel 100% better! Because I DO!
Here I sit at nearly 7 years post-op and I look at society and losing weight. I don't find my lifestyle any different than the average person trying to lose or maintain their weight. I keep watching what I eat (low fat, low sugar, higher protein, low carb), portion control---everything in moderation (I eat no more than 1 1/2 cups of food per serving), drinking tons of water--not too much diet soda and lastly move my butt/exercise. With my back problems it's hard, but I've learned that being sedentary doesn't help my weight or my overall health. My girlfriend who never had surgery follows just about the same rules! It cracks me up that for once in my life I feel "normal"!

*~Jack-ay, newly self proclaimed WLS DIVA! 12/11/2008~*