Hi Amanda. I am new to this site and am just learning about the different boards here. I had my RNY in 2007 and I too had problems from the start. I went a whole year basically starving to death because my surgeon didn't figure out what was wrong. The only difference I had was that I had no pain in fact I had no feelings at all from my Molly button down and in my arms and hands. My doctor kept telling my husband and I that if there was something wrong with the surgery I would be in pain. I was in and out of the hospital and to different doctors and they all came to the same conclusion...there must be something wrong with my surgery.
It took a trip out to the Mayo Clinic and they said that I needed to reverse my RNY they would do it but my insurance wasn't accepted there and they also prefer the original surgeon to do the surgery because they know how they performed the surgery and where they put "everything". But they also suggested going on TPN which is nutrition through the vein as opposed to the feeding tube. They said if I gained some weight back or started to feel better in any way that would for sure indicate the need for reversal. Coming back home to mu surgeon with the information he still refused the possibility that the surgery was to blame but reluctantly put me on the TPN. It was like a lightswitch had been turned on. I started to feel a little better and the feelings started to comeback in my legs and abdomen and what did you know I began to feel the pain. Worse pain that I've ever felt from any past surgery or even childbirth. Here was my answer that we were looking for.
I went to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and found Dr. Raper for a second opinion and he decided that a reversal was needed and usually are able to be performed. However in my case when he went in to do the reversal he saw that my stomach pouch had collapsed in on itself and he had to perform a gastrectomy. It was a long recovery due to the complications of going so long with that and all the malabsorption issues that I had but I'm getting better every day. I don't want to say that I regret my decision to having the RNY because of every horror story you hear there are 5 successful stories even though I secretly suffer to myself why I couldn't be one of those success stories. I do regret not getting a second opinion sooner and I do blame my doctor for the negligence of aftercare for not finding the problem. To me I felt that he dismissed all my symptoms telling me that I maybe suffering from anorexia and pica instead of taking responsibility of thinking that there may be something wrong with his surgery. He didn't want me to be a bad statistic on his record. He actually told a friend of mine that I was looking for attention. My answer to that was why would I go through a surgery and so much pain and distress if I could be anorexic from the beginning and saved myself all this trouble.
But anyway that's my story, sorry it is so long and quite boring but I wanted you to know that you are not the only one out there and you are not a failure. And if there are anyone else out there with similar symptoms just have that avenue explored before you just think you are crazy.
Good luck on the rest of your journey!