Question:
Gaining Weight after 5 yrs of Open RNY. HELP HELP HELP!
It's been over 5 yrs since I had open rn/y surgery. I am able to eat normal amounts of food , but try to eat sensibly. However I am steadily gaining weight on what seems like a daily basis. My lowest weight after surgery was 140lbs. I am now almost 200 lbs. and Im so depressed and scared. Could it be possible that I need a laproscopic surgery . so to speak to make my stomach smaller again? — Harris (posted on January 19, 2006)
January 19, 2006
I am preop but I attended the seminar and there were several people that
were there for revisions. It is possible that your pouche has stretched and
also that the part of your stomach that was sectioned of has a leak where
food is spilling over. But with a egd and ugi they can tell. They were
saying that there are certain things that they are doing with the surguries
now that they were not doing one two or even five years ago.They are now
making the pouch smaller in size because the stomach does stretch some. My
surgeon states that ghe makes the pouch the size of a ping pong ball to
allow room for stretching. So if yours was the size of a tennis ball it's
possible that it has streched out with allows you to consume more.
— Sheronda L.
January 19, 2006
I hear you.... and understand your fears. I did'nt want wls as everyone
I've known (in my area), EVERYONE, has gained all, most, or more weight
after WLS. Not very successful! So I went into wls wide eyed knowing it was
not the magic bullet that most people seem to think it is.
This May it will be five years for me too. Last summer I enjoyed sweet corn
alittle to much... put on 10 pounds.... and since then another 10 pounds.
Now I'm hungry all the time... and the sweet tooth is back. I always heard
the five year mark is bad.... I got to 4.5 before it hit me. Anyway, sorry
no answers here... but I do understand if that is worth anything.
— Danmark
January 19, 2006
Hi, you may have stretched out the stoma, I think that is how it is
spelled. You may want to get an endoscopy so that you can actually see
what is going on down there. Please go back to your GI Doctor and see what
is up.
— shoutjoy
January 19, 2006
Nancy- You are not alone in worrying about weight regain, nor should you
feel that you can not succeed with a revision. If you were done
"open" in 2000, it is doubtful your stomach was transected
(meaning that the pouch has a mere staple line between it and the remnant
stomach). Over time, patients who were not transected have a failry
significant (about 20%) chance of a staple line disruption. Once food
finds a way into your remnant stomach, it will be tough to enjoy the
benefits of the RNY. But, with a revision (which can be done
laparoscopically) you can succeed.
— SteveColarossi
January 19, 2006
My WLS was in 9/01. I too am able to eat "normal" amounts of
food. And I eat like a "normal" person. This is by design. Do
you eat sensibly or TRY to eat sensibly...what does that mean? You note
that your lowest weight was 140 and you are approaching 200...thus gaining
60#. I don't imagine the weight gain has caught you off guard...after all
60# is around 6 sizes in clothing. Why do you think a lap procedure is
going to make a difference?
Because you asked, I offer my humble opinion...there is no surgery or magic
in this world that is going to take the place of commitment, awareness,
insight, changing behaviors, responsibility for success and challenges. Go
back to basics: exercise daily, drink water, keep a food log, count
calories, measure portions.
You can do this. Having an additional procedure will only change you from
the waist down. Obesity, and the associated behaviors need to be dealt
with from the neck up!
Karen
— chilidog
January 19, 2006
Hey Nancy don't Fret too much, I am 4 yrs. post op, All you have to do is
get
yourself focused on losing the weight, Try
and do a quick fast for about 3 days, drink nothing but water til about
3:00 pm
then a piece of fruit later in the day, and A very small dinner, get
yourself motivated on a smaller pair of jeans or
something that you want to make YOU!! feel
good, to some exercises in the morning before you get in the shower, buy
some 2 lb. weights and do some arm exercises. and get some walking in the
evening done, you will be surprised at the outcome, I was in
the very same boat and lost 30lbs. dong this..
— Racegirl1
January 20, 2006
Hi Nancy,
I did some research in the past about the pouch size and according to this
research the pouch will extend and grow after surgery once the healing of
the stomach occurs. They also found that WLS patients stomachs sizes varied
but they all agreed that it is not the size of the pouch that causes weight
gain but what is being eaten. If you have resumed a diet high in carbs and
fat then no matter what size the pouch is you will begin to gain weight.
Sometimes it is just a matter of going back to the basics we learned before
surgery which are getting in that protein, getting in 64 ounces of water
daily and staying away from the high carb/fat foods. Try this and see if it
helps because I am at a weight loss standstill and I analyzed my personal
situation and decided I needed to take steps to get myself back on track.
Also I signed up with www.fitday.com and it helped a lot because I
discovered that my protein intake was great but some of the foods I was
eating to get the protein were high in fat and calories. You can track what
you are eating, how many calories, carbs, fat, and protein is in a serving
of that food group and you can keep a journal and track your exercise level
too! Also support meetings can be helpful too. I wish you much success!
Prycey Lady
RNY 2/2/05
— one twenty five sixty to go
January 20, 2006
I am convinced that, just aas we all know pfople who never exercise, eat
junk all the time, and are skinny, that there are also those of us who do
everything we are supposed to do, but still gain weight! I have heard you
can get revised.
— Novashannon
January 20, 2006
Have you been checked for staple line disruption? As far as I know, your
doctor was not transecting back then and SLD is a real possibility. I had
the same surgery and my SLD at 5 yrs out, also. In fact, my revision was 6
yrs ago today.
— vitalady
January 20, 2006
Nancy, increasing the frequency, duration, intensity and variety of your
workout program can help.
Best of luck.
Kasey
365/210 (nonop)
— Kasey
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