Why did you choose RNY over The Sleeve?
I am going for my seminar Sept. 10. I have Tricare Prime and thought I had chosen the dr. I wanted to use. Tricare does not pay for the Sleeve so I have been lurking and occassionally posting here. I got the call today that they are going to send me to a MTF instead of sending me to an outside surgeon. I am ok with that. The issue now though is that since I am going to a MTF they are performing the Sleeve operation.
I would really love to hear what made you choose this procedure over the Sleeve.
Thanks!!
The sleeve wasn't an option for me 6 years ago, BUT... if I were doing it all over again, I would opt for the sleeve. The caloric malabsorption of the RNY is only temporary (about 18 months... so after that you essentially end up with a restrictive only procedure (although we appear to always malabsiorb a small amount of fat)), but the lack of vitamin absorption (and the need for regular lab work) is for life, as is the prohibition on taking NSAIDs.
Quite frankly, IMO, 18-24 months of slightly more rapid weight loss with the RNY isn't worth those lifetime tradeoffs. I significantly underestimated how difficult it would be to get by with nothing but Tylenol and prescription meds for pain because I significantly overestimated how much relief I would get from my knee pain after losing the weight (the arthritis was already too advanced to benefit much from the weight loss). Also, at 6 years out, even though taking the handfuls of daily vitamins has become pretty routine, some days it is really a drag. I also worry about what will happen nutritionally when I am 70 or 80 years old and the body naturally doesn't absorb nutrients as well even with an intact digestive system.
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
If you currently take NSAIDs for your knees and back, I would strongly recommend trying an experiment to see how well you can adjust to life without them for a month. Yes, you may get relief from your pain after losing weight, but you may not depending on the cause of the pain and the severity of the condition. If I had known I wouldn't get much relief for me knees, I would have gone with the DS (since sleeve wasn't an option) so I could have the NSAIDs.
Also, I noticed that someone else posted about the threat of dumping to help keep eating on track. Bear in mind that only about 30% of RNYers dump and eventually most people find out (either accidentally or intentionally) whether or not they do, and for many of the 70% who don't dump that fear of dumping is gone so it doesn't really help them in the long run. IF you never eat anything with more than a few grams of sugar, though, you can eat as if you dump.
Lora
grrr. damn autocorrect!
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
My insurance did not cover the sleeve.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
