question about RNY

Hey all, I'm on here doing some research on different surgeries.  I have the DS scheduled for Oct. 21 but I'm still kinda on the fence about if I'm making the right decision on the type of surgery for me.  I have a few questions for anyone who can help.  First of all..does everyone get dumping syndrome?  Also, has anyone here had a banded RNY?  The surgeon I'm going to has a new procedure he does where he puts a special band around the stomach in addition to the surgery to prevent weight gain in the future.  Also, what is they post op diet like for the RNY?  I saw on Oprah the other day where you can only eat like 6 grapes and your full???  My last questions are..If you have dumping syndrome, can you eat sugar free foods, like sugar free candy, pie or cake?  Also, what about fresh fruits...can you eat those or are they out to?  I love fresh fruit, so I'm just not sure what to do.  Any help is appreciated. I have to find out as much as I can before I go thru with this, so thanks ahead for your input.

Melissa

Hi Melissa!

I had RNY on May 29, 2008 and I have lost 57 lbs. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I do get full quickly, but if I eat slowly I can usually eat about 4-6 oz. I can eat a whole banana if I take it slow. Right now I'm having some spaghetti, I can eat a small bowl of it and feel okay. The key is small bites, chewing thoroughly, eating slowly. I love apple slices with peanut butter, I can eat about 1/2 an apple that way. I tolerate fresh fruit just fine. As far as sugar free foods...yep, I eat those too. I love the sugar free popsicles, I usually eat two of those in an evening. I love Starbucks Skinny Lattes, and I tolerate them just fine. The main thing I'm having problem with is dense meats, like hot dogs, fatty hamburger, sausage patties. I get a "stuck in my throat" feeling with those, reflux, I guess. I have a nutritionist appointment next week, I'm gonna ask her about that.

Hope this helps...and best of luck to you!

Jenny

Hello Melissa, I'll answer as much as I can, but remember each individual is different.

Approximately 30% of individuals get dumping. I am one of those individuals. For me my heart races and I feel "unwell". I close my eyes, and tune out the world, and within twenty minutes or so the sensation passes. I've also had some sleepiness issues with carbs so if I have heavy carbs I might get too sleepy to function well. Carbs also lead to very smelly gas and poop. (which I have heard is sometimes the case with those who have the DS: carbs = smelly bathroom issues). Dumping has never been painful or made me feel like I'm going to die, or wish I would. So of the 30% who dump, I'm guessing that it is only a very small percentage who have truly awful dumping reactions. Also be aware that "dumping" is not diarrhea, although that can be a side effect OF dumping. Some individuals use "dumping" as a word to mean loose stools, but this is not the meaning of this word when attached to RNY.

I have a few friends here who have had the Fobi Pouch which I believe is the banded RNY. They are doing great.

Post Op for my surgeon was 5 weeks of full liquids, 3 weeks of mushies, and then on to solid foods. If you took the volume of six VERY LARGE grapes, and turned them into pieces of steak, I might be full. If I ate six grapes I'd be just as hungry as ever, since they're mostly water and sugar. My favorite meal right now is a turkey salad. 2 to 3 ounces diced turkey, 2 baby corns, 3 to 6 black olives, 2 inches of cucumber, 1 artichoke heart, and a tablespoon of low fat low sugar dressing. It's approximately 250 - 300 calories, and is scrumptious. The turkey volume is approximately that of a deck of cards. I am 5 months out though.

There are a lot of sugar-free foods out there that I can eat. But a lot of those have sugar-alcohols and those will also result in smelly gas/poo.... which means that I endulge when I don't care about the smelly stuff... like on a Friday night when I don't have to go to work the next day.

As for fresh fruits, I love grapes, but only eat a few at a time (high sugar content), strawberries and melons are also great. I just eat them in moderation as they are high in natural sugar. I avoid peels of apples as those are hard to digest.

May I ask why you are going to get the DS as opposed to the RNY? I know that the DS is a GREAT surgery, and the RNY is a great surgery. I also know that those in the DS forum here on OH have their differing opinions about how great the RNY is. But I'm curious as to reasons. It seems to me that it is really important to get the DS (or the RNY or any other WLS) for the RIGHT reasons. Not because some stranger recommends it on a website, but because you understand the post-op lifestyle going in, and believe that you can live with the side effects of this surgery and believe that it is worthwhile to rid yourself of your co-morbidities. For me I opted for the RNY for a plethora of reasons, but mostly because it had the highest and fastest cure rate for GERD. If diabetes was my problem, I might have chosen the DS which has a higher/faster cure rate for that co-morbidity.

Good luck to you in making your decision. May it be the right one for YOU!

I chose the DS because I have diabetes and you can eat a more normal portioned meal and because you can still eat sweets without getting sick.  I have done alot of homework since 2005 on all the surgeries, but every time I make my mind up on what surgery to have I always second guess myself and think well, should I continue to research to make sure I make the right decision.  I think in the end the DS sounds like it would work better for me just because I want to be able to eat a bite of something sweet without getting sick.  I don't know if I could all of a sudden say that I'll never ever have a single bite of anything sweet again.  I'm sure I'd probably be one who would get dumping syndrome.  Part of me is scared to do the DS because it's a big surgery for anyone to go thru, and it's an open procedure.   Then I think well, the RNY could be done laproscopically and my recovery would be smoother???  Just need to convince myself that I'm making the right decision.  Someone told me at my Dr.s office that you cannot eat pineapple and grapes with the RNY and those are two of my favorite fruits.

Ok - here is a little tough love - You already have diabetes and are trying to figure out how to still have your sugar??? WT... Perhaps you should really be focusing on how to get healthy and not on how to get a surgery that is going to allow your sugar binges....As a diabetic you should already be avoiding sugary fruits in order to avoid making yourself sick....My MIL is diabetic and the fruit you mentioned are already on her DO NOT EAT LIST...and she is a NON-OP.

I'm not judging or trying to be mean..just trying to point out that you may want to look at your options without trying to find loop holes...Loop holes are what helped most of us gain the weight to begin with.

Yes, I have type II diabetes.  But it stays under control with my meds. I'm not looking to keep diabetes,  I am trying to find the best surgery to help me put it in remission for good.  Now, that being said...I don't know that many diabetics that completely avoid all carbs and sugars on a permanent basis.  I'm sure there are some out there, but most that I know have cheated once a year or so.  So what I'm trying to say is that I want to be able to eat a bite of something sweet ( not everyday, or month, maybe only once a year) but I don't want to get deathly ill when I take that one bite.  I think no matter what surgery you have ...when you lose weight, the diabetes will go into remission, in most cases.  I don't ever do sugar binges...but I would like to enjoy a bite of something, if desired.  My family Dr. says that my A1C levels are where she likes them to be and encourages fresh fruit  servings in my daily diet.  My diabetes was brought on during my pregnancy and just never left. I really don't eat sweets that often, but I do enjoy pasta and carbs..which I shouldn't have.  That's what my problem is, not the sweets.  My mom had the DS and she was diabetic.  After 5 days in hospital her diabetes was in remission, off meds and never had any problem with them. A couple years have passed now and she eats sweets in addition to her protein diet when desired and it doesn't affect her sugar levels whatsoever.

I had my RNY in December. And I have had dumping syndrome...It was horrible but you know what it taught me to stay away from things I have no business eating anyway.. I dump on FAT..not sure about sugar because I have never tested the lmits that the Dr and Nut gave me...

For means of full disclosure I'll give you the symptoms of my dumping - but truly I don't it to be a discouragement..because as horrible as it was - it is a blessing...it keeps RNYers in line.

First I started feeling like my pulse was racing-thought I was having a panic attack...

Then I felt really hot - like a hot flash

Then I felt naseaus - that's when I realized it was dumping

Vomited a coule of times...laid down and started having sweating then cold chills..

About 15 minutes after the vomiting - diarrhea hit...about 3 episodes of that....then I slept for 3 hours...alternating between hot and cold...

When i woke up..the vomiting and diarrhea were gone but I felt kind of aching the next day..

So I always describe it as - A panic attack/menoopause/food poisoning/flu..

Let me tell you Taco Bell refried  beans are EVIL! But then again...some post-ops live on them...

As far as fruit - I only choose to eat lowerer sugar ones..strawberries, bananas, and del monte diced peaches with splenda...

I did get full really fast early post-op but remember that  as your pouch heals you will be able to get more food in..just not like pre-op

As for Oprah - I like her but she is just anti- Gastric Bypass....But what would you expect from someone who has struggled with their weight their whole life and can't yet come to terms with that she can't do it on her own....not that she has ever had to do it on her own...let's see personal chef, personal trainer, personal nutritionist, and personal motivational speakers....and she still struggles...You are better off not listening to any of her programs regarding Gastric Bypass becaus they are biased. -Ok that didn't sound like I like her...I really do..but this is the one thing that irks me...she spreads only the negative about something that has very positive aspects only because of her own issues...

Would I do it again - Absolutely! Would I still have the RNY over something else - without a question or second thought....Do I ever miss anything - yep...but if I had continued the way I was -I would have developed diabetes and certain foods would have been gone anyway.. I'd rather choose not to have them and be healthy than be forced not to eat them because I'm not healthy...

 

Good Luck with your decision...find whatever is right for you.

Here is a link from OP on RNY vs DS...................

AB

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/a,messageboard/action, replies/board_id,5465/cat_id,5065/topic_id,3699676/

I had surgery on April 16, 2008. 4 months today! I have lost 55 pounds since surgery and 62 before surgery. I don't dump and will eat ( on occasion) Sf candy even a bite here and there of regular, though not a good Idea, It goves me bad gas. LOL I can't say that you will or won't dump. Kind of disapointed that I don't but kind of glad because I have a much wider variety of foods that I can eat. Go Buckeyes! Fyi, I am originally from Sidney :) shanna

The Oprah Show comment was crap. All surgeries (including the DS) start you with a very small stomach capcity but it becomes larger in time.

Last night I had a bowl of chili, a half pita with peanut butter, and homemade ice cream for dinner. Am I typical, is that meal typical? Probably not. But it's possible.

I do not dump, not on anything. 60% of RNYers don't.

Most RNYers tolerate sugar alcohols/substitutes pretty well in small quantities, especially Splenda/Nutrisweet.

You do well to look into the DS. If you are willing to do your homework, it can be an excellent surgery with less dietary restriction than the RNY. If that's important to you, get the facts.