Question:
Why does the pouch have to be SO tiny?
I mean, wouldn't altering our stomachs to even half their size cause enough restriction for a good weight loss? Just curious... — rebeccamayhew (posted on March 28, 2002)
March 28, 2002
Good question!! Ive been wondering the same thing.
— S W.
March 28, 2002
I just wanted to let you know that with the RNY the pouch is tiny. I had
the DS and my stomach started out at 6 oz and now 7 months later I eat like
a normal person. Just way smaller than before the surgery. To get more
info on DS try these web site's. www.duodenalswitch.com and www.mywls.com
They were my life savers. Good Luck!! And Please anyone out there PLEASE
CHECK OUT YOUR OPTIONS BEFORE SURGERY!!! The DS saved my life and I am
totaly normal!!!
— Jody Diou
March 28, 2002
The pouch has to start out so tiny because it naturally enlarges over the
next 12 to 18 months to approximately 6-9 ounces if you are lucky, and
10-12 ounces if you are not. Most people who end up with the larger pouch
size have to really watch their intake to avoid regaining some weight. The
reason the RNY works is not only the restriction in the amount of food you
can eat at one time but the message that you are satisfied that your
stomach sends your brain from the slight stretch on the walls of the full
pouch. Even with half your stomach sectioned off, you would have to eat
quite a bit more to feel satisfied and with the large opening to the
intestines you would soon be hungry again.<p>I am of the mind that no
one surgery is right for everyone and that each has its own benefits and
drawbacks. But I must tell you that I get really tired of people saying
that RNY-ers are not "normal." I eat what I want with an emphasis
on protein. I eat six small meals a day, which I have often done in the
past. I don't have to overly chew my food. I don't have a lot of problems
with gas, diarrhea, or nausea. I have never thrown up since the surgery. I
AM normal and I go out to eat and get a doggie bag for the other half like
the rest of the (naturally-occurring) skinny world would do. I eat about 1
to 1 1/2 cup at a time on my big meals (lunch and dinner, usually). I
figure that this is just about the size of a diet frozen meal. That is all
I SHOULD be eating and I am very happy that I am satisfied with that amount
of food because before surgery I could have eaten two or three of those and
still gone for dessert.<p>The point is that with RNY there is a
process. The surgeon makes a change and then over a period of time your
body adjusts to that change. Within that adjustment period you lose the
most weight, but the permanent changes to your body allow you to maintain
the majority of that loss. It is just a tool--just like any WLS is a tool.
They all have different methods and rules and you need to choose the one
that is right for you and the way you want to live your life. I wanted to
eat healthier foods and reduce the amount of refined foods I ate. The RNY
helps me with that. I am happy with the choice that I made. And YES I AM
NORMAL!
— ctyst
March 28, 2002
I would have to agree with Cheri. I, too, eat like a normal person at 14
months post op RNY. There is no way to tell that I have had either surgery
by what I am eating. I know that your question was about the pouch size and
I second Cheri's explanation. But, I wanted to jump in on the
"normal" debate. I, like the DS'er, eat what I want just in small
amounts. Therefore, I suppose that makes us both "normal"??
I would recommend researching all aspects of each surgery and see which one
is best for you. Good luck! Shelley
— Shelley.
March 28, 2002
Rebecca, I, like the others have to say, look at all your options. I had
the BPD/DS also and yes, I can eat like a "normal" person but
then again, so can most 2 or 3 year RNY's. I can most probably eat alittle
more than them but with that pleasure comes the payback. The BPD/DS is
much more malabsorptive than most RNY's. Therefore, there is the
possibility of more problems. I'm not particularly downing the BPD/DS but
please take a look at all surgeries very carefully, think long and hard
with what you can live with and what you can't. Look at all of the postop
problems and see if you can live with each of them. Look at each of the
ways of life, what you can and can't eat, how much you will most likely
lose and how much you are likely to keep off. Lastly, talk to many many
people who have had each surgery and get a true picture of what life is
like after surgery. Most likely, you will get very few RNY's who are
having serious complications but they are out there. On the other hand,
please talk to the BPD/DSers who are at least 3 years out and see what they
also have to say. I hear many more problems from former VBGers (surgery is
not working anymore) and BPD/DSers who are having numerous problems and of
course, there are those that are deleriously happy with each of those
surgeries. Just know what you are getting into because eating and how big
your pouch is may be the least of your problems or it may be the only
problem you have to worry about. Good luck.
— Barbara H.
March 28, 2002
I just want to add my voice to the previous RNY posters. I'm 2 years post
op, have lost about 175# & am about 15 pounds over goal. I'm having my
TT done next week. I, too, eat pretty much whatever I want. I have learned
in the past 2 years a LOT about portion size, calories, & nutrition
content. I try to get all my protein in each day, but I'm not as dilligent
as I was earlier on. However, I can now eat larger quantities so it's not
as hard to get my 80 grams in. I can now eat a half dozen shrimp, an
open-faced tuna sandwich, a bucket (yes, a bucket) of clams or even a 6inch
Blimpie sandwich (without the big bread, tho). I don't eat significantly
differently from many of the normal-sized ladies I know. I USED to eat very
different from "normal," now I eat more normal than I have in
lots & lots of years. It's definitely hard to get used to that tiny
little pouch, but the period where it's so hard to eat anything other than
tiny bites & tiny amounts doesn't really last that long. I was eating
close to normally after one year. Now, I'm not suggesting that you or any
of us can or should eat such a quantity that we stretch our pouches out so
that they do us no good. But the fact is, they will stretch & most of
us get to the point where we can eat in public without attracting attention
or seeming weird. I enjoy eating in public like I NEVER did before cuz I'm
not self conscious about what I eat now. I eat whatever I am hungry for
& if someone doesn't like it, too bad for them. I don't eat what I
don't want & never feel guilty about it. When they say "salad or
soup?", I usually say "neither, thanks." I save up my room
for the GOOD stuff! :)
— Kathy W.
March 28, 2002
We should never think of ourselves as normal. We are EXCEPTIONAL!!!!!
— Robert L.
March 29, 2002
You know, it seems that these DS v. RNY debates have gotten a little more
civil since no-anon-posts, but I really think the comment "I hear many
more problems from former VBGers (surgery is not working anymore) and
BPD/DSers who are having numerous problems" needs to be qualified.
Barbara, if you mostly talk to DS patients of _your_ surgeon, I don't think
it's right for you to make a blanket comment about the procedure since your
own profile paints him as a quack. This is not an anit-RNY post, that's
why I never posted a response to the question in the first place. I just
wanted to point out that not all surgeon's are of the same quality,
especially for DS which is only in its first 5 years in the US (20 years in
Europe and Canada though) and is a technically more complicated procedure.
— [Deactivated Member]
March 29, 2002
I had RNY, and my pouch was only the size oif one of those medicine cups
(1oz). I am 4 months out and although I shouldn't, I eat almost anything,
but in small portions. Today I ate a BBQ beef sandwich with only the
bottom bun which was soaked in sauce. I of course, couldn't eat but about
1/2 the meat. But yesterday, all I ate was a snack
cracker's and cheese and my water, then a couple of bites of Frito pie from
my husband's pie. It just seems like some days I eat too much, ( according
to me) and some days I don't feel like eating. It seemed almost impossible
for
my pouch to be 1 oz., But as of now I only have about 35 lbs. to get to my
goal. Don't worry it only sounds impossible (tiny pouch)You'll get use to
it as we all do. Good Luck!
— Cindee A.
March 30, 2002
I have the micro pouch, made with the uppper most part of the stomach which
is non elastic and does not stretch. My pouch was made 3cc's in size. It
will never get too big, I will never have acid reflux. I can eat though,
and just like any other RNY, if I graze all day, I do beleive I could gain
weight. I chose this one because of all the stories I've heard of stoma's
stretching, and patients worring constantly if they may have stretched
their stoma. All the pros to this procedure are listed on the web site...
www.micropouch.com I love my 'micr pouch'. The doctor boasts of 85% of
our excess weight will be lost.
— Phiddy B.
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