My surgeon retired

Yep. Agree 100%!  The idea that we are somehow now so very special with these fragile pouches drives me nuts some days. I am SO glad that my surgeon had a straightforward approach that empowered her patients (from not babying the pouch with weeks of liquids and purées immediately post-op (which she found caused people to have much more trouble with real food than starting soft foods as soon as tolerated after surgery) to her actually ENCOURAGING people to educate their PCPs about their altered anatomy and new vitamin requirements).  She didn't care if people came to her for their lab work or their PCPs as long as they saw SOMEONE every year and did additional adjustment and follow up labs as needed.

I think the "patient for life" idea also contributes to the "every health issue I have after RNY is somehow a complication of, or related to, my RNY" mentality that some people seem to pick up. Sure, if it is related to your digestive system, it MAY be related.  It may also NOT be related at all. 

Lora