GASTRIC BYPASS REVERSAL?

Hello Joe, I am so sorry that you are still going through this...what types and amounts of food are you attempting to eat? I am pretty sure that your surgeon told you before surgery that this is permanent. No surgeon in his/her right mind will perform a reversal unless the patient is pretty much in a life or death situation. You received good, sound advice on your previous post (demand an endoscopy)...I just that you do that. Please heed the advice of those that have offered it without judgement... I hope that you feel better very soon! ~~Sherry Open RNY 02/04/04 (Proximal-75 cm) 294.5/145.5 -149#

Joe, I am 5 months out and I understand how you feel. I also had a really hard time tolerating food, became dehydrated, and just felt plain crappy for about 8 weeks. Now, I feel so wonderful. I can't believe the difference. Please consider giving your sself some time. Maybe seek a support group. You are not alone. The feelings you feel are not abnormal. Hang in there. Heather

Hi Joe! Please don't give up!!!! I don't think anyone would do a reversal right now on you anyway due to the freshness of your new RNY. Right now is the worst time of the surgery, especially if you are having problems. Please read my profile. I understand where Dani Hart and Doreen Varga are coming from, they went through hell and back.......it went on for a long time, not just 5 weeks. I am not saying you didn't give it enough time nor am I validating the hell you are living in right now, but remember why you did this; go back to the doctor's and tell them exactly how you feel. Keep telling the doctor's, even if you have to go to a different one/different place/different town, et****il someone listens to you. Bottom line is this early out, you may be experiencing normal swelling where you were re routed and reattached. It happened to me. I now take two different medications to help me and my life is back on track. Let me tell you, one day I went out of town and came back in town and was wisked away to a restraunt, never thinking once about my carafate all day and Wham!!! I was so dang sick, I ended up in the restraunt puking until it all came up. I am so familiar with frothing, foaming, throwing up a lot of saliva, thick saliva and even food and even just liquids. The medications I take: Protonix, twice a day and Carafate 4 times a day (I am actually down to only needing it about 2-3 times a day average, but no less and sometimes more, but I am getting better now without every dose needed). I was on Prevacid pre WLS and was told I could get off of the Prevacid in a month as my GERD would stop and my hiatal hernia looked great. Well, even with double the dose, I was miserable. Again, read my post. I had two endoscopies. One showed swelling, the other did not show anything(second one) and then that's when he said he felt like I just needed more time to heal. It was fine. Thank God for this doctor and the way he took care of me right away, any time I called him, and he knew what to do anytime I called him. Dr. Tom Geocaris in Green Bay, WI and his daughter Dr. Cindy Geocaris. Anyway, I think that listening to Doreen V.'s story on here this weekend made me think that her doctor ditched her, she didn't get the proper physical help she needed and also, they kept telling her it was in her head, so that she didn't seem to get any benefit from any counseling either. I went to counseling for a year working with a behavioral psychologist and I have been away from him for 2 months now and I miss our appts. I have an appt. to see him Wed. I saw him after the surgery several times too and boy did it help. This is a lifestyle change, so why wouldn't you need extra support and help as well as some doctor to listen to how physically miserable you are that you want a reversal. Also, let me tell you this: at 5 weeks out, it sucks. Plain and simple. You are so limited in what you are eating and the liquids, the pureed, the soft foods, or whatever you are on is not cutting it. I wanted a pan pizza from Pizza Hut I would have done anything to have it, but I couldn't and I eventually tried a thin crust pizza---I was told to keep it cheese only and thin, but I had to be stubborn and put toppings on and it didn't agree with me. Next time, I got just cheese and sung through every bite. Now I get fresh mushrooms on it, from Dominoe's pizza, their thin crust and sauce agrees with me. So, you see, there is a life after the b.s. you are going through. Dame Tooter and I follow similiar thoughts that you can still have some things in life, watching the carbs and fat, etc. and you don't have to be so super strict you never get to taste a cookie anymore, or chips. I have tortilla chips with protein dip or cheese as a snack/treat. I am not saying to eat like this. I am just telling you that I didn't think I could ever have pasta, a chip, or a cookie again. I make better choices. I bought SF cookies from Walmart. I will eat good proteins and veggies all day and then hae some pasta with cheese or 5 ritz crackers with cheese or cheese spread or even some popcorn now. Your life isn't over. Protein first and your liquid intake and vitamins. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK RIGHT NOW. It is a truly emotional time too. Also, you need to be talking to doctor's about your feelings and what is going on with you. They owe you that and to help you. I want to help you and don't mean to sound like I am lecturing or scolding you; I care. A reversal is not as easy as unstapling your stomach either and it is more of a risk than the original WLS I have heard. There's a great lady on here, Vanilla Lace she goes by. Try and find her. She just had a reversal done. Jessica O. from Eagan, MN has been through hell and back and has tried not to get a reversal, but she might be facing one. Stick around here a lot and you will get your story. You can contact Doreen or Dani, but remember, they are strongly pro reversal because they know what b.s. people go through that do hae to have the reversal to save their lives. I personally think Doreen is too angry and too so against WLS that I would be leary. I don't say negative things about people, but from what I have witnessed on this website and from what others have said, just be careful of what is truly being dealt to you. Please call you doctor right away tomorrow and tell them what you think and feel. Tell them you want to see them. Why can't you eat? What's going on? They will help you---if they don't, go somewhere else. Don't stop. This period will soon be over. Most long term post WLS patients will tell you, this stage is HELL. Then, later on, you start feeling better---of course, once you take care of the reasons you can't eat. Why go through another risky surgery right now if you don't have to? You have tools to use other than your WLS, so use them. Research other things on line besides reversals, like support groups, counseling, doctor's who will help you get through this, and stay on here for continued support. I think that at 5 weeks, you have no clues whether you will need or eventually want a reversal. GOOD LUCK TO YOU. Please read my profile and others too. Please read profiles from the ones who took the time to reply to your post. Dame Tooter's profile, Ken Schuch from WI. MY VERY BEST TO YOU!!!!!!!!

HI Again, Looking back at what I wrote, I shouldn't have named names, but that's why we are all here. Also, I want to state that I am not pigging out on carbs Oops. I didn't try the pizza or the other things until my dietician's gave me the ideas and okays. I talk to them. That's another thing, Joe. Get a great dietician and get some great ideas. The key to my WLS success is the nutrition classes we had before and after the WLS AND coming on to here at least twice a day! Don't eat things you aren't suppose to yet. I have been battling wanting to binge all weekend and I wasn't prepared for this strong feeling to return, for so long, but I made it through. It wasn't easy. I thank God for my pouch, because I also knew it wouldn't let me eat naughty foods and I am so glad I didn't. I am so over that guilt of our old ways of yo yo dieting and eating, etc. I am so glad I still like myself and don't hate myself for just giving in an going for it. I remind myself of why I am doing this, why I had it done and go do something useful and get myself a treat like my SF Koolaid. Sounds like you need more info. from a dietician, more ideas of what you can eat, not what you can. Also, if you don't follow up medically now, what makes you think someone is going to take you on for a reversal later? Not many do reversals and you have to be in such a life/death situation or have a REAL reason for it. I know Dani and Doreen will help you too, but listen to the replies. I just wanted to clarify that it sounded like I order pizza and eat chips a lot. I don't. I alternate my goodies. One week it might be pizza, and then I don't have it for another 1 1/2 months. One week I might indulge in some popcorn with protein cheese shaked on it Yum! But, you learn to eat where it is okay and healthy but still not torture. Time will come. GOOD LUCK! Try to get a surgeon who knows performs WLS to do the endocscopy, or a GI who is totally comfortable and competent going in post WLS. Empower yourself to make choices to get better. R U depressed you think? Depression is a very high side effect for POST WLS. There's so much going on between the anesthesia and the hormones, etc. from the surgery itself, it isn't always emotional, it can be chemical too. Add Chemical depression with loss of food and old eating habits and not liking your life style right now and what you did, sounds like U might consider talking to your PCP/reg. doc. about depression. ? I'm not a doctor, but trying to help you see the light. Cause it can be bright and beautiful! Hang in there. Michelle

Get that endoscope done. Your surgeon has an obligation to you. You & your insurance comapny have paid him thousands of dollars. My personal opinion is he's incompetent if he thinks a barium swallow is gonna show a stricture. You obviously can get liquids down, but not food. That's a sign. Go see a gastro Doctor on your own and have the scope done with dialation. It's your health and your life and you need a second opinion.

You are exactly right. A swallow will only show that he has trouble swallowing. That surgeon obviously is incompetent if this is all he knows. Even we know, it takes an EGD to show a stricture.

5 weeks is not enough time, you are still healing. I did not start feeling real good (like normal) til about the 3 month out. It gets better with time. You have not given it a fair change and 5 weeks is not enough time to evaluate anything, especially a life change. And your appetite and hunger will return, with time. Mine started back at about 6 months then I was and am battling wanting to eat all the time. I am 11 months out and want to eat but I have reached goal weight and I have my 3 meals and snacks and that is all. I exercise every day. Start walking. At 4 weeks I walked every day and it does wonders for you mentally. Food is not everything, you have to find other sources for your happiness. Food is only fuel. Yes you will be able to enjoy food again but it will be further out from surgery. The benefits you will get from the surgery far outweight the temporary pleasure of food. Maby you need professional help with your food obsessions and help in learning how to eat healthy. Just give it more time. Anne 230/135 in maintenance and happy with life RNY LAP 3/22/4 Exercise will get you to goal and keep you there.

I don't remember if I have posted this information before in response to Joe's prior postings, but perhaps there are others who might be interested. However, this is informational only -- it does not mean I think Joe should be contemplating a reversal or revision so soon -- as others have said, he needs to have his mechanics investigated more thoroughly as well as perhaps work a bit more on adjusting to the mental aspects of WLS, which are not easy no matter which surgery you have. This paper discusses revision from VBG and RNY to DS, both for weight loss failure as well as if the patient is miserable -- you can find Keshishian's paper at http://www.dssurgery.com/aboutus/Research/safeoperation.pdf Obesity Surgery, 14, 1187-1192 (2004) Duodenal Switch is a Safe Operation for Patients who have Failed Other Bariatric Operations "Restrictive operations have had varying results in long-term weight loss and complications.7 Van Gemert et al5 reported a 12% incidence of revision From November 1999 to March 2004, 47 patients were referred to us for revision to a DS, a period when 614 primary DS operations were performed. The primary operation for the patients seeking revision had been VBG (16), RYGBP (26), and both (5). The five patients with both procedures had an initial VBG, later revised to a RYGBP and were now presenting for their second revision. All of our patients who underwent revisional surgery had either regained all (31) or some ( > 50% - 7) of their original weight loss, or had failed to lose sufficient weight (9). The other presenting complaints were: severe dumping syndrome (20); intolerance to solid foods (16); persistent nausea and vomiting (4); and severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (14)." "[I]n patients presenting with primary surgical complications, such as dumping syndrome, intolerance to solids or persistent nausea and vomiting, where the patient's quality of life has deteriorated, DS is a highly successful procedure. Our data indicates that 100% of initial complaints were resolved following revision."

Joe~ I am so sorry that you are having these feelings. I personally do not think that ANY doctor will give you a reversal at this point, I think you have to try all other options before a doctor is going to reverse your surgery. I am at the point right now where I will be getting a reversal, but if you read my profile, you will see that I have had over a year of hell and tried MANY MANY options before I have thought about getting a reversal. Please don't think that I am comparing our situations, because I am not...I just think that maybe you should try other options before making the decision to have yet another drastic surgery to undo what you just did. If you would like, you can email me privately and I can also get you ahold of Dani Hart, she is a good friend of mine who has helped me tremendously. Good luck to you!

Hi Jessica! So nice to see you on here! Been keeping you and your family in thoughts and prayers. Nice to see your smiling face! I am sorry that you are still going through hell and I heard that you are now considering the reversal. Bless your heart. I pray for wellness, peace and all of this behind you soon! Yes, Dani has helped a lot of people. Take Care, Know we care and support you, think of you and pray for you! Hope Zeke is doing well. So glad you have had more time to be with him! As always, GOOD LUCK to you and my very best! Love, Michelle