Way back in '99, I had VBG surgery and began a profile here on OH.  The site was very different then but still helpful with so many people for support.  My surgeon then didn't have a support group so some friends and I made our own group and for awhile, it did help but we eventually parted ways.  Most of the people in the group ended up being RNY's and we VBG folks didn't have the same issues.  It seemed like of all the people in the group, I did the worst at getting weight off and keeping it off.  From the early months, I felt like a failure and it probably was mostly due to a lack of information.  And the funny thing was, I'd felt like I *was* educated about the WLS issue. 

My pouch started out at 3 oz and ended up at 1 1/2 cups capacity, which actually isn't terribly stretched for that type of surgery but it was waaaay too much for me.  The VBG is only a restrictive surgery and I really need the malabsorption factor and the built-in aversion therapy that the fear of dumping provides.  I think a lot of the way I stretched my pouch was from drinking diet sodas and drinking with my meals after I was about a year out from surgery. 

 The weight did begin to come off at first after my open VBG but then at around 3 months the hunger returned and with a vengeance.  It seemed like nothing would 'hold' me.  There was no solid feeling of satiety.  After about a year, I was mostly following all the rules but began to slack off on them thinking that I was just a stalled loser but at leat I'd lost something. Eating lean proteins hurt and fluids helped them go down...and a bite or four of mashed potatoes with them helped even better!  The weight regain came mostly from eating foods that were too high in calories and slipped through the band without discomfort.  I didn't have a long-term support group to help me get a diet plan under control to live with the restriction comfortably. And then I got the false sense that I could live a 'normal' life like anybody else and eat whatever I wanted.  Because, after all...I was just eating delicate little portions of it, right? 

That was all fine and dandy but I'd be having these occasional attacks of horrendous stomach pain.  The pain, incidentally, surfaced the same time as the hunger did.  Dr. after Dr. (and yes, I got this documented in my medical records) recommended keeping food on my stomach and always eating something any time I had to take medications.  So in addition to thinking I could eat anything I wanted, I was also eating too frequently during the day in order to stave off the awful pain.  So while I was self-medicating with food the pounds began to creep back and my health got worse and worse. 

Turns out, stomach pain can be a normal side effect of WLS and if your doctor knows how to treat it...it can be managed very well.  It took me six years to find just such a doctor and what a blessing!!!  Not only has Dr. Rawlins helped me gain control over this terrible pain and a feeling of control of my own life, but he also did revision surgery for me.  The huge plus is that he has a tremendous staff and a wonderful program to insure the success of his patients.  I feel so very blessed to have found all these people and this hope.  His monthly support group meetings are a great way to keep focused on weight and health goals, get good new ideas and have face-to-face interraction with other people struggling with the same issues. 

So, on December 4, 2006 I had RNY surgery and look forward to getting my health back and being able to enjoy life more fully.  Thank you so much Dr. Rawlins, Carol and Merri Lou!    This time feels so much different with the medical support my doctor's staff offers and the support group.  And I really marvel at the fact that this is the first time in my life I'm in control of my carbs and not overly tempted by sweets.  That fear factor really works for me so far and when the going gets tougher I'll be leaning on my support group and you here on OH pretty heavily for help.