I had RNY in 2006 and had successful weight loss.  Since then I have gained 50lbs back and had a revision in Dec 2011.  I have not lost any weight.  I'm lost and very upset resulting in major depression and no energy.  I have had two different doctors, well I take that back...three for weight loss help.   Dr. Barker did my RNY the 1st time and refused to help me in 2010 when I went back asking for help.  The years previously his office gave me adipex (sp) to help with the hunger issues.  I then decided to see another doctor for help.  He performed a sclerotherpy procedure without telling me everything and left out the fact I would need to come back 2-3 more times for the same thing. It was not successful.  Lastly, I went to another doctor recommended by a co-worker.  This doctor recommended a revision consisting of the sleeve procedure.  She has a great bedside manner and I enjoyed her enthusiasm in helping me with WLS.  I have to admit I am not hungry and I'm hardly eating.  I'm keeping a log of what I am consuming, and exercising when I can even though I have no energy.  I have not been to a nutritionist due to scheduling.  It has been five months and I have not lost any weight!!!!  I don't know what to do or where to go from here.  I constantly don't feel good, weak, no energy.  I feel swollen all the time and sometimes have swelling so bad in my legs I can't walk and my legs hurt.  I'm wondering if there is something else going on that I am not aware of.  Any help and advise would be greatly appreciated.  Will I be the large person I was once again?

I had my revision done with Dr John Alexander in Feb of 2011- I lost 80 more pounds when I did
I had a RNY to RNY revision- he is wonderful!
He is in Dallas and works with Forest Park medical Center- Im telling youhe is great and will offer help for you!
Im having my TT done with him next Friday- May 11th- I think you should give his office a call and go in to meet with him
He will help you- I promise!!!

What does your current surgeon say about the fact that you have not lost any weight?  Have you worked with the NUT to review what you are eating, how much, and your fluid intake?  Also, how much exercise are you getting daily/weekly?

I would not feel too bad about the scierotherapy as I understand that it is not an effective procedure.  However, I realize you had exectations of losing as well as the expense you went to which I am sure is part of your frustration.

Part of the problem with the sleeve is that you don't have the benefit of malabsorption.  Hindsight is always 20/20 but did they ever try to figure out what prevented the origial surgery from working and the possibility of revising to the DS rather than the sleeve?

Your post sounds like the real issue may just be (and I say this gently and with support) an eating disorder.  Those CANNOT be fixed by any surgery.  Even some people with DS will fail to maintain if they don't address addiction. 

I would suggest you STOP all explorations of any additional medical procedures (there are no easy fixes out there) and deal with the reasons why you eat what you eat.  Support group such as Overeater's Anonymous or if you are aware of childhood issues such as alcohol or drug addiction by parents, or sexual abuse, there are support groups for that.  Until you find peace within yourself, the food issues will remain.  And seek therapy with a therapist that is skilled in addiction.  This is not a "several visit process". 

Those we suffer from addiction live in DENIAL.  The first step is recognizing the problem and be willing to take a sober look at it.  And that is frightening. 

Then, after you have been in therapy for a while and with the support of your therapist, consider revision if necessary. 

Wishing you peace!!!

Chris, this woman had PHYSICAL issues that are far more worrisome than whatever psychological issues you may imagine she has. What's going on in her head doesn't matter if her body dies.

It's always an addiction for him.

To the OP - I don't understand exactly what you had done......It sounds like a reversal????? Did they undo your bypass??? They had to put your stomach back together to do a sleeve, I didn't know many doctors were doing this.

First thing you need to do is get a copy of your op report and find out exactly what was done to you.  Who did the RNY to VSG revision?  That is a very complex surgery (putting the stomach back together) and needs a highly skilled surgeon.  Like I said, find out EXACTLY what they did first.  Don't take their word for it, get a copy of your report ASAP. 

 The RNY did cause you to lose weight because the malabsorption overcame what you ate, until the body figured out how to absorb those calories again.  Then the 50 pounds came back.  

The sleeve does not have malabsorption so you can only lose weight with it by eating less.  

I found Al-Anon to be the help I needed with food issues. I was a thin and healthy person who began overeating as a way to cope with an abusive alcoholic spouse.  Eating some cookies and cake while he was at the bar made it easier for me to deal with the way I was afraid he would act when he came home.

That was many years ago and I thought I had buried those problems when he passed away.  Finding help and support in Al-Anon made me deal with those old issues.  Life in general is so much better now.  As Chris said, this is not a do-it-yourself or a quick fix.  Working through the problems that cause mis-use of food takes time and energy.  At my first Al-Anon meeting I cried the entire time.  Fortunately there were lots of boxes of tissues on the tables.  

There were also people who understood and who had been through the same issues.  It is a "coming out of the closet" experience.  For so many years I had hid my problems and put on a front for the world.  At Al-Anon that was not necessary.  I was allowed to hurt and then to heal.  I work my program every day.  I pay it forward whenever I can.  I mind my own business and let others live their lives as they see fit.  I lose weight with RNY but maintain that loss by following the food and exercise program that keeps me healthy.

Look into the 12-step programs and find new peace.

I sure wish surgery fixed our brains and our habits and the cravings. That would be so great! But unfortunately it doesn't. I also wi**** gave me the motivation to manage myself and self discipline. I would have happily made my surgeon a billionaire if that were the case.

I'm another one for working at my eating as an addiction, one day, one moment at a time. I think the Twelve Steps are just a great place to live life from, simple and doable. Not easy, but manageable.

But surgery is not the answer. It's an amazing help, but it sure isn't the whole package.

I have a few real concerns here, and am dismayed at how many responses you have, and no one has mentioned these.

First, you need to find out why you have the swelling a pain in the legs. There are some things like protien malnutrition, which some of us do get, and it serious. The other things that come to mind are also serious, so rather than guessing here, get FULL labs done, like the list that Vitalady suggests, and it can take over 20 vials of blood for those. If you've recently had labs and not that much was drawn, they WEREN'T COMPLETE. Basic labs will not be even close to enough.

Second, there are only a few doctors that can revise from a RNY to DS ( and yes, you say you have the sleeve, which is the same stomach as the DS). Patching the RNlY pouch back together into a stomach that the sleeve can then be made into is not something most surgeons can do, and yours isn't on that short list.

So, the fact that you are not losing weight would be secondary to what my real concerns would be. You have issues that look like they could be seroius signs of malnutrition, and you don't have a surgeon that has been known to reverse RNYs. Those both make me think you don't "just" have a sleeve. Not as concerning as the fact you are showing signs of something or things that may be serious.

So I wouldn't worry about the weight as it may just be water retained because of other issues - it's those other issues that sound potentially serious.

Agreed.  However, the way I looked at it was that the poster may want to be parented and she is plenty capable of realizing swelling in the legs is not normal and that she should be seeing a cardiologist.  Instead, she is in denial about the REAL issues and wants a quick surgical fix.  She is "doctor shopping" for that while ignoring the TONS of warning signs in her life. 

I mean this in the kindest way. I feel you should see a therapist to deal with the serious issues you are facing. Please be good to yourself and seek out help.

Edema is serious and needs to be addressed by your PCP. Depending on what he finds, he may send you to a cardiologist. This is esp true if they hurt from the swelling. Heart disease and DVT are common reasons for edema. DVT can KILL!!!

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) mainly affects the large veins in the lower leg and thigh. The clot can block blood flow and cause swelling and pain. When a clot breaks off and moves through the bloodstream, this is called an embolism. An embolism can get stuck in the brain, lungs, heart, or other area, leading to severe damage.

GET your operative report from the surgeon who did your last revision. The number of surgeons who can do a revsion is very short...

Liz

 please have the swelling address before you worry about anything else. this is serious and could be very dangerous. 

 Praying for you and hope you find the answers to your questions and get results to get to healthy and happy!  Keep us posted!   I can't imangine what you are going through!  Get some help by a family member or friend to walk by your side in your time of tormoil!  I wish you the best!

I too strongly urge you to get your operative report, and POST IT HERE. Also get the full, 20+-vial bloodwork done. The swelling you speak of worries me a lot. So does the "constantly don't feel good" remark---there has to be a REASON you don't feel good, and that's a lot more important than not losing weight.

Don't worry about the nutritionist---most of them don't know **** about WLS patients. Right now you need to focus on your general health, NOT your weight. It also worries me that you're not eating much---if you're not getting a minimum of 60 grams of protein EVERY day, you well may have protein malnutrition, and that can and WILL kill you, in a rather unpleasant way.