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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2012 13:22:37 GMT -5
I was originally on track to have RNY back in 2002, but got derailed after preop testing revealed that I had pulmonary hypertension. It's a long story, but it's on my profile if you'd like to read about it. Even though I was off the track for RNY, I continued to attend the program my then-surgeon required of all his patients. I'd paid for it, so I figured I could benefit from it anyhow :-). I saw some disturbing trends there. This was a big group, as several surgeons sent patients to it. There was, of course, a cadre of very successful patients (all RNY). They finished their year of program and went on with their lives, and as far as anyone knew/knows, all is well. There were a surprising number of people, though, who fought and fought and fought to comply with what was expected of them, and the weight didn't come off well. At every meeting, there was word of someone else in the hospital with this or that problem--usually an ulcer or a stricture. I listened to stories of dumping episodes, of getting food stuck episodes, of the mental/emotional challenges of having to live on highly restricted diets.....and I thought, "There's not a chance in hell I could live with this." (I should add that I have a major vomiting phobia. I'll do just about anything to not vomit. Not a good thing in some cases.) Well, time passed, I got fatter and sicker, and eventually (again, story in my profile), it came out that the pulmonary hypertension was caused by the fat on my torso squashing my heart and lungs. It went from, "You cannot have any surgery at all," to, "You must have surgery or die." I came back here to OH, feeling desperate because the lap band wouldn't give me enough weight loss to have any real hope of curing what was ailing me, and the RNY seemed to me like foolish butchery for not enough good results. Someone told me then about the duodenal switch, invited me over to the DS board, which at the time was pretty much brand new, and the rest was history. What I like about the DS: 1. 98% cure rate for type II diabetes. This was a major biggie because I had very bad diabetes. 2. Normal stomach anatomy and function is maintained. The stomach is reduced in size, but the normal stomach outlet, the pyloric valve, remains intact and functioning. There is no "stoma" with the DS or the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). 3. The intestinal changes that are done in the DS "jump start" the body's metabolism. Mine was shot to hell from a lifetime of PCOS, dieting and other factors. 4. I'd already done many years of low fat, low carb, highly restrictive dieting and I knew I sucked at it. The DS gives an eating quality of life that I find easy to live with: eat a primarily animal protein based diet. I'm a happy carnivore :-). I had to learn to restrict my carb intake, but it was a lot easier to do when I could eat meat, cheese, fish, eggs, etc. with abandon, with little regard for fat content. (DS'ers only absorb about 20% of the fat they eat, so for most of us, fat is almost a "free" food.) I felt so strongly about the superiority of the DS to any other procedure that I traveled and paid out of pocket to have it done, rather than have the RNY done fifteen minutes from home and covered by insurance. It's been over five years, and so far, so good .
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Post by hoosiermama on Jan 1, 2012 14:11:57 GMT -5
I didn't. I had actually done what I thought was a bunch of research which I realize later was at manufacturer websites. By the time I got to OH, the only place I looked was lapband. I went to my surgeons nurse for an initial interview and I could tell by the look on her face, it wasn't her idea of a good choice. I asked her and she told me about the fills, the empties. She showed me pics of erosions from slippage and gave me a history of one of their band patients. I was not about to have my intestines re-routed so I settled on the sleeve. I hated the idea of a piece of my body leaving my body but I'd rather have a live body with only part of a stomach than a whole but dead one. I went through most of my 6 month dietician appointments, then I met doc. He told me about DS and I said "what's that?" He explained, i explained to him I didn't want dumping. He told me DS'rs don't dump. I came home and found you guys. Two months later, I'm on the bench. Happy and healthier than I was pre-surgery. I'm grateful my doc had enough sense to let me know that what I wanted was not what I needed. I'm grateful for all the information and resources offered to me through this process. I love love love my DS and I'm gonna love it more when I'm skinny
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Post by Paula on Jan 1, 2012 14:29:49 GMT -5
When I had my RNY in 2000, I dont recall ever hearing anything about the DS...while everyone was raving on and on about the RNY. Ive belonged to the site who shall remain nameless since early 2000, but cant remember if there was even discussions about the DS at all. There might have been talk of the BPD, but if there was...nothing stuck in my memory. If there was, there was probably so much negative talk of it due to complications or whatever that I might have discounted it. I really dont know for sure, but the DS doesnt come up in any of the notes I had made of my first surgical journey. So I had my RNY.
I lost about 200lbs in the first 2 years. For the first time I could ever remember, I had collarbones that I could actually see. I was part of the group of RNYers who never dumped. The threat of it was in my mind because that was a potential side effect I was told about, but I didnt ever have to experience it myself. I think I might have thought pre-operatively that the threat of dumping would serve as some sort of behavior modification. I did experience a stricture and some sort of ketosis event that required hospitalization after I passed out at the post office one day, but other than that things were fairly uneventful.
Then it started happening. I stopped having to go down in sizes in clothing. Slowly and steadily, the weight started to creep back on. I had my daughter in 2004 and was 300lbs at her birth. With each pound I regained, the overwhelming feeling of failure and shame increased proportionately. I kept telling myself that if I just got my sorry crap together, I could get back on track. I tried dieting pills you get over-the-counter. Tried starving. But no matter what I tried, it seemed like getting my sorry crap together just didnt happen.
Flash forward to February 2010. I was walking my daughter to the bus stop. Right there in the middle of the street as we were crossing, my vision went black and I got this really weird feeling that I needed to sit down NOW because I was going to pass out. I managed to make it about 25 feet further to the apartments down the street. There was a retaining wall that I could sit down on and rest a minute...since I had problems with getting up and down from the ground. I managed to reach the wall. I collapsed before I could sit down, crashing face first into the bricks. Some people driving by saw what happened and stopped to help. EMS was called and I was taken to the hospital. A CT scan and differential diagnosis of the ER doc revealed that I had suffered a massive saddle pulmonary embolism. The clot was partially blocking both branches of the pulmonary artery leading to each lung. I can remember laying there in the ER after they told me that they were going to have to admit me to the ICU and wondering what the hell I had done to myself. No one was saying the reason why, but I instantly blamed the whole thing on the fact that I was SMO again. It was right then that my sense of guilt and shame and feelings of failure reached their zenith. Here we were just 6 days before my daughter's 7th birthday...and I was on the doorstep of rendering her an orphan. When I was weighed in the hospital, I was 383lbs. I was 100lbs away from reaching my original 483lbs. RNY surgery weight.
I originally started again lurking on OH to see what I could do about my RNY. My surgeon was doing the stomaphyx procedure and was interested in learning more about it. I didnt want to have another surgery...didnt even know one was possible even. But the stomaphyx was not receiving any sort of positive reviews and my insurance wouldnt pay for it even if it did. I cant remember exactly how I came across the realization that I could have my RNY revised to a DS, but it did. Though I was not on board with the whole surgery idea either, so I put it away.
Ive got a sharp-tongued, judgmental, bitch of an aunt who visited in late 2010. The very first words out of her mouth after not having seen her for well over 8 years was "wow, you really have gotten fat again, havent you?" in front of my aunt, uncle, mother, daughter, 2 cousins, one cousin's husband, and the cousins' children. She then proceeded to talk about her SMO son back home in Hawaii and how fat and disgusting he was....while staring intently at me the whole time. She may have been saying that the sight of him made her sick, but I know that lovely little jab was meant for me as well. But I digress. Not like I wasnt feeling like a dismal failure anyway, but now Im being once again humiliated publicly because of it.
Skip ahead to July 2011. My new PCP was curious about why I had suffered a PE when I had not given any sort of indication that I was developing a DVT somewhere. Blood tests revealed that I had a high homocysteine level and was not testing positive for any of the usual blood clotting disorders (Factor V Leiden, APS, etc). So I was referred to a hematologist and through her, it was determined that I had a double genetic mutation for something called the MTHFR gene. Being compound heterozygous meant that I was predisposed to having high homocysteine level, which does a number on the blood vessels in the body. Because of it, I am at higher risk of developing premature cardiovascular disease. Couple that with my father having died of a massive heart attack in 2005 and I knew I was in big trouble for the future.
While I cant do anything about some of the other risk factors for heart disease, the only thing I can try to control is my weight. Losing weight now wasnt one of those "gee, wouldnt it be nice" things. Its a life and death thing. There isnt really a smoking gun as far as what exactly was the cause of my PE, but Im not foolish enough to keep tempting fate.
Based on the long hard look I took at myself, I KNOW I need restriction and malabsorption. The DS has gained a reputation as a very viable option, not this dangerous macabre gut-massacre fest reputation it seemed to have in the past. Im not going into this with rose-colored glasses the way I was with the RNY. Im not looking for anything other than becoming healthier than I am right now, no matter what weight I finally get myself to. The goal in my ticker is entirely arbitrary. It doesnt matter to me if I get there. It only matters that I get myself in the best possible condition I can.
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Post by Joanne on Jan 1, 2012 15:02:07 GMT -5
Once I made the decision to have WLS, I had my mind set on gastric bypass. At that time I had only known of the RNY and LapBand, and knew of the less than stellar stats on the band.
I wanted to make sure I chose my surgeon wisely. I live in a small town about 3 hours north of NYC. I was trying to decide between going to a major hospital in NYC for my surgery, or, knowing the value of a support system, having it done in a local hospital. I made appointments for a consult in both places.
My consult with the local hospital was fine, but when I called my surgeon in NYC for an appointment, the receptionist asked me what kind of surgery I wanted. When I told her the gastric bypass, she told me that Dr Roslin wasn't doing them. I was shocked, thinking he was only doing LapBands. I questioned her about this and she told me I better come to a seminar and read up on the VSG and DS.
Now, I had heard about the DS through a surgery war thread on OH. At first, I deemed it as too much, too invasive, and too radical for me. I (foolishly) thought that I wanted a more mainstream surgery, and that if it got me close to goal that I could take over and do the rest.
However, the more I learned (from the vets I owe so much to - Diana, EN, Val, Michelle, et al), and from DSfacts, as well as at Dr Roslin's seminar I learned about the value of pyloric preserving surgery, and how the DS is not just a more radical RNY, which honestly was what I originally thought.
I remember the night it all clicked for me. My brother was also researching WLS options, and I called him filled with excitement.
I had my DS in 11/09, and my brother had his 3 months later. He was a walking risk of sudden cardiac death at the time (his cardiologist's quote). I usually spout off about my own results, but as a plug for my brother I'll let you know he went from 380 pounds to about 190 lbs. His sleep apnea is gone. His diabetes is gone. His cardiac ejection fraction is darn near normal. In fact our DS surgeon and his cardiologist are talking about publishing his results.
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Post by Gail R on Jan 1, 2012 17:16:34 GMT -5
I was on the California OH board for years. I thought I was researching WLS, but that board was all RNY and pretty much dismissed all other surgeries. (eventually, many there tended to vilify anyone who promoted the DS) I have Kaiser for insurance and the DS was never mentioned. I had loads of worries about the RNY, but it was a matter of life or death to get the weight off and I was determined. Unfortunately (or fortunately because it prevented me from getting the RNY) Kaiser required that I lose 28 pounds. It was nearly impossible for me given the huge amounts of insulin I injected over the course of the day. Thankfully Dianna Cox came to my rescue and directed me to do additional research. She and Larra advised me on how to appeal Kaiser's limitations and I won. It was the best jackpot ever. The DS gave me back my life!
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Post by sherbearmama on Jan 1, 2012 17:41:55 GMT -5
I had it in my head that I wanted the RNY because I heard it was the best bet for curing diabetes. My friend was set to get the RnY and so I started doing some research on the various surgery types. When I read (allowed) the description of the DS my friend thought it was crazy--too drastic (like the RNY isn't) and she didn't want to risk having the smelly poops and farts (which you get with the RNY anyway). But I thought I'd do more research. That research took me to DSfacts and to some other sites until I finally found the Obesity Help board. I was posting around finding people who had dealt with Kaiser's bariatric program when Diana found me and pointed me towards a DSr who had Kaiser of SoCal and then encouraged me to keep exploring the DS. Before I knew it, I was sold on this surgery. Now, I was SCARED--particularly about the recovery--but I figured that the recovery was only a small part of my lifetime and that I could make through so that I could be healthy for life.
THat's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Sheri
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Post by beth28 on Jan 1, 2012 18:15:21 GMT -5
I went to talk to a surgeon about the RNY, after that visit I found out about the DS. Did research, got some info from our vets, and changed surgeons. I got the DS because it has the highest remission rate for type 2 diabetes.
It was the best decision e v e r!
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Post by abright0 on Jan 1, 2012 18:54:46 GMT -5
When I first started considering WLS, way back in 2002, I was only aware of the RNY. My mom passed away, and I ended up leaving my job and my insurance. When I had insurance again it did not cover any WLS. In 2007, I came down with a case of MRSA. My sister had just gotten the RNY. The MRSA sent my other health conditions into overdrive, and I had to go on disability. While waiting on medicare to kick in I started doing massive amounts of research and figured out I did not want anything other than the DS. I mentioned this to my RNY sister and she told me I was not ready for the surgery if I wanted something that gave me a better quality of eating. Fortunately I ignored her advice, and pursued the right path for me. I looked into the surgery here in Charlotte, and only one surgeon was a DS surgeon. I met him, and met several people that had been patients of him. I figured out pretty quickly that I did not want this man cutting on me. I had a friend that had gotten RNY at Duke, and I contacted them and made the appointment with Dr. Sudan. It was the best decision I ever made. I feel like I had the best surgeon, and I know I am a little biased, but I love him, his staff, and the staff at the hospital. I feel like I have a new life, I eat plenty, and in five months I have lost almost 125lbs.
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Post by shann_ds on Jan 1, 2012 19:56:10 GMT -5
I had thought about RNY because my surgeon presented the DS as a very radical surgery that was only for the SMO. I thought it was way too drastic. But I also wasn't comfortable with a lot of the restrictions with RNY life. In fact, I almost got up and walked out of the seminar when my surgeon said that dumping was "awesome" because we never want you to have sugar ever again in your life anyway. I'm a stubborn bitch and I wasn't sure that I could live like that. I started the diet process but I was really second guessing the whole surgery decision.
Thank God my surgeon had an ad for the other site. I visited and starting reading some of the surgery war threads. After finding out about the DS lifestyle, I realized that this was a life I could actually live. I told my surgeon that I had changed my mind and I never looked back!
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Post by bb212 on Jan 1, 2012 20:39:08 GMT -5
Due to the amount of weight I had to loose, a gastric bypass was my only hope.
In the beginning I knew about the band, the sleeve and the RNY.
While investigating the RNY I also became introduced to the DS. And the more I researched the RNY the more I disliked it. Dumping, regain, blockages and super-restrictive diet- oh my!
On the other hand, the more I researched the DS the more I liked it: more excess weight loss, far less regain, flexible and forgiving diet allowing everything, no dumping and a fully functioning stomach!
I still don't understand the people who choose the RNY that have an odd belief the DS is more "invasive" and therefore "BAD!!!". With both the DS and the RNY You're going under the knife to have BOTH your stomach and your intestines altered- so what's less invasive about the RNY? If someone is going to cut me open to reconfigure my stomach and my intestines, while they're down there I want them to do it right! I want the configuration that gives me the highest EWL and quality of life- the DS!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2012 21:18:54 GMT -5
I attended a seminar (required) to learn about the surgeries available...all FOUR were mentioned and I knew I didn't want the RNY...waffled between the DS & VSG.
Went to my first appt only to hear 1) your insurance doesn't cover the VSG and 2) you are a lightweight...he only did the DS on those with a BMI of 50 plus.
Anyway, they convinced me the RNY was best...
Thankfully it was never scheduled before I had a light bulb moment and knew the DS was my ONLY option. So I went hunting for a DS surgeon (had two other criteria I had to meet tho, had to be a COE and yes, I know about those but I would still be fat now if not for using the system and they had to accept my insurance.)
Found one and was in the process of getting all my ducks in a row when my insurance tried to derail me...they told me I HAD to stay in my home state. Thankfully, I found a surgeon to do the DS in TN in the Medicare network on a lightweight.
The DS was an ideal option for me as I was restricting carbs anyway...had to or use way more insulin than I wanted...and carb counting is a necessity on an insulin pump. Now, no more insulin at all...and my last a1c came back in normal range.
Liz
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Post by Dudette on Jan 1, 2012 21:54:11 GMT -5
How did I pick the DS? That's easy. I found it on Google!
Seriously though, I'm not kidding about Googling it. I was originally slated for an RnY and had completed the 6 month diet and nutrition program that my insurance company required. Then, two weeks before my scheduled surgery the company I worked for dropped our health insurance coverage in order to cut costs due to the crappy economy. I was furious at the time, but later came to realize that I had dodged a HUGE bullet.
After that I spent a good 6 months late night surfing on my laptop in bed into the wee hours of the morning while my husband slept. I used to have terrible insomnia before my DS. (It's much better now). During those sleepless nights I spent countless hours exploring my options for a self-pay weight loss surgery. Since I had to start completely from scratch - on my own dime, no less - I wasn't going to rule anything out including what type of procedure I was going to have.
I can't point to one resource that made me choose the DS... there were many. I found DSFACTS.com, duodenalswitch.com and that "Other" site.
I decided on the DS shortly into the first week of my late night researching. It was a no-brainer. I spent the other 5-1/2 months figuring out the where/when/how and other logistics of actually doing it. I can honestly say that I don't have a single regret. It was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made.
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Post by pktwatch on Jan 1, 2012 22:04:27 GMT -5
Success. I picked it because of the success rate. I have several friends and family that have the RNY and while a few are successful most have regain and the dumping issues. I have one friend who had the DS or I never would have heard of it and then later talked to her and read up on it. After I found the information and knew that was the one for me. THANKS AMBER!!
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Post by msbatt on Jan 1, 2012 22:06:58 GMT -5
The RNY scared the crap outta me, but I figured it was better than dying. Fortunately, the RNY surgeon I chose insisted that we attend a couple of in-person support-group meeting before he'd do surgery. Also fortunately, his group was a couple of hours away, so I attended the local group---and met a couple of DSers.
Those two ladies blew me away---after the meeting, they were going to Shoney's---for HOT FUDGE CAKE!!!
As soon as I got home, I got on the web and started reading. The DS just made so much SENSE, both on a physiological basis and on a life-style basis.
Within a week I'd found myself a new, DS surgeon, and I never looked back!
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Post by tldtld on Jan 1, 2012 22:35:19 GMT -5
I attended Kaiser No. Cal. weight loss surgery meeting which was very informative about lap band and RNY, and they scared the crap out of me. I went again, figuring I must have misunderstood. Why would my Dr. suggest such a barbaric solution? Yes, I knew my situation was quickly approaching desparate, but geez! I relayed all the notes I took and add'l research to a friend as she was very interested, but not insured with Kaiser. I couldn't believe these were the only solutions available...and I opted not to proceed.
Following some friendly pushing, I went back to do more research. In European data I finally ran across more information on the DS, done in 2 surgeries and only recommended for those over BMI 50 or 60, but the skies parted and the angels started singing...I had found what I wanted. Now, how to get it? I kept researching the surgery as well as surgeons. Not many of those in comparison. Research was also complicated by lack of access to current information, most of what I found was from the years 1998-2004.
I attended a Diabetes seminar and asked the panel of doctors about it, after all the rate of resolve was the highest. The response I got was enlightening -- most Doctors may be familiar with horror stories about the BPD/DS but they dont know much of anything about the modern DS. I next attended a surgeon's seminar. He felt the VSG was what I needed. I knew that would be my 2nd choice, but it was far from what I wanted in terms of documented results. He did not like having his statement challenged so we weren't off to a good start but I kept asking questions anyway. By the end I knew even more firmly that the DS was the right answer and this wasn't going to be my surgeon. Next I attended a different surgeon's seminar...and once again the skies parted. I met such wonderful people (all with a DS) and THERE WAS FOOD AT THE MEETING. Everyone was happy. No talk of Wheat Thins being a gateway drug and how do you avoid taking a bite of pumpkin pie at the upcoming holiday. People were happy and they could eat real food at anyone's home, at any restaurant. Woo hoo! One gal was just a week out of surgery! She showed me her incision sites and relayed how everything felt and what she was going through. I had been so scared of any surgery (I'd never had any) that it was a true blessing she made it to the meeting that night. By the end of the night I had confirmed that this was really and truly the right surgery. It was open enrollment month so I asked about what choice to make and was assisted all through the process and paperwork. Forming my research into a challenge really focused what I wanted and why I wanted it. I do not regret one moment spent on the effort, and it culminated with a referral from Kaiser to Dr. Rabkin 6 months later.
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Post by renegadeorange on Jan 1, 2012 22:41:04 GMT -5
A friend of mine at work had the RNY, and she looked really good (she was very early out). I decided to go through the same program she did. Well, they only presented VSG, lapband, and RNY. They were pushing HEAVILY for the RNY. They gave us a list of links to help with support. OH was about 5th on the list. But, for some reason, I picked it first. I did a lot of reading and lurking... I saw a lot of issues and problems with the RNY and lapband. I saw a few people talking about a DS, which I'd never heard of. So, I went to the DS board and did more reading. Then, I checked out stuff on Google, DSfacts, etc. I looked at the stats and the lifestyle, and I just knew that the RNY was all wrong for me. Even when I was sitting in my pre-op RNY class, it didn't feel right. So, I found out that Dr. Sudan at Duke performed the DS, and I made an appt, and the rest is history! I just felt like it all fell into place so easily. As if it was just meant to be. I knew I wanted surgery, but I wanted to feel as normal as possible afterwards. I think I got it with the DS.
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Post by smokinstella on Jan 2, 2012 2:40:42 GMT -5
My mother had RNY back when it was still really new and ended up in icu and coded a few times due to being some surgeons guinea pig. Thankfully another surgeon was able to come in and fix what the other guy botched and saved her life. Yet she had so many complications, I spent my summer helping her pack her open wound cause the good surgeon was to scared to close her up all the way to do all the infection that happened in her. I remember how sick she would get after eating always needing to throw up. The long days my sister and I had to sit at the hospital trying to keep ourselves entertained while she was getting her opening stretched out. I remember her getting rail thin then slowly watching all her weight come back once she was about 3 years out. I always said I would rather be fat then go through that, that was before I had kids. Even after having my girls, I was sill against surgery, figured I would keep trying to diet my way along but we all know how that goes. Just cause I was fat I never let it stop me from doing things my kids wanted to do till about the last 3 years. The last 3 years I felt like I have been trapped in a prison of pain and with the chemical dependency issues my mother had I have always been really careful with what I would take and the amounts I would take of them so I didn't end up like her. Needless to say I would only bust out the narcotic pain killers when I was desperate to just be able to move. About 3 years ago I really started bouncing the idea of WLS around but I so didnt want to live with RNY and I had it in my head well a band is reversible and if I cant deal with it I can get it out. Figured that would be the only way I would go was a band or nothing. Well I also had a few friends I was talking this over with at the time and they were telling me dont do a band your so big it wont help you. They had RNY and things were going good for them but I still had that massive fear from what my mom went through in my head. Well come November of 2009 I was ready to take the jump or so I thought. I sat up the seminar with the surgeon who saved my moms life and who also had done my friends RNY. The seminar was to take place on 12-17-09, by some horrible luck I was saved from going to that seminar by my daughters DX of type 1 diabetes. I spent the next year and a half learning all I could about diabetes, bgs, carbs, guesstimating carbs, how insulin reacts to the body and what not. Everything for me went on the back burner as I turned into a satellite pancreas. Then this summer I was having some issues come up and asked my doc to send me to a surgeon to look at getting my gall bladder out. My doc ended up sending em to the surgeon who I was originally going to go to the seminar for. He told me in no uncertain terms would he touch me with a 10 foot pole unless he was going in to do WLS. At that appointment with him I found out I was 482, I hadn't been weighted in 6 years cause there was no scale big enough for me. I knew then I couldn't keep putting myself last or I wouldn't be there to keep my daughter healthy. I then sat up for his seminar again since it was required before they would go over surgery options with you. I also decided I would start to talk to people online and reach out for some interwebs support. The first site I found was OH, it was there I posted an introduction and thankfully the DS vets saw it and whacked me over the head a few times with the facts about the DS. I started reading, and reading, and rereading. I loved what I saw, but I still had it that I was going to go with the original surgeon, thinking oh well he can do the DS right, after all he saved my mothers life back in the day and my friends up here rave about him. Once again the vets smacked me upside the head about needing a vetted surgeon, and someone posted the info for the one near me. I contacted Dr. Buchwald's office and they first set me up with Dr. Leslie. I remembered the vets telling me I wanted someone who had done the DS at least 100 times. So I asked Dr. Leslie how many times he had done it, he told me 60 and then I was like ummm no I wanted Dr. Buchwald and that is who I switched to. So glad I did, I just love how at ease Dr. Buchwald makes his patients and how much he cares about the obese and how much he wants to help us. I will be luck enough to have Dr. B do my DS on March 13 of this year. In a little more then 2 months I will be getting switched and I cant wait. THANK YOU VETS FOR SHOWING ME THE WAY!!!
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Post by baileymouse on Jan 2, 2012 10:21:18 GMT -5
I had RNY in 2003, and had some issues. My doctor did a combination vbg/rny to prevent regain, but what it prevented was eating protein sources. I hated having to drink my protein. No matter what I ate I would lose it. I wound up extremely anemic about 5 years out. I regained from 175 to 221, and couldn't lose even on a low-calorie diet.
When my doctor closed his practice, he sent us a packet which listed 3 doctors he thought would be best for follow-up, since they knew and understood the way he performed the RNY. One of them was Dr. Greenbaum. At that point (2009) I was back on OH, looking for revision advice, and realized that the DS was the best possible choice.
I had a series of perfect storm sort of events happen at once: my insurance covered Dr. Greenbaum, Dr. Greenbaum was willing to take me on as a patient, and the posts on the revision and DS boards (many from Diana, EN, and others) all pointed to the DS as being the best surgery. I told Dr. Greenbaum that I couldn't live with that damned ring anymore, and he specifically suggested revising to the DS to prevent me from regaining more. He said I'd lose with the DS, and said it was my best choice.
I did all the pre-op work, did what I had to, and got my ducks in a row. Unfortunately, my job was switching insurance in January, but Dr. Greenbaum was able to put me in for Dec.
What gets me is that I never realized how bad my quality of life was before. Now I'm not throwing up, not dumping, I don't have reactive hypoglycemia anymore, and I'm able to live well on a low-carb diet. A month after surgery I was eating real meat and I was stunned.
I'm really grateful to the vets who gave so much advice, steered me to studies and helped me through the (nearly painless) approval process. BCBS's only snit was that they made me start the 6 month supervised diet, even though I was revising due to the mechanical problems. Luckily they approved it before the 6 month date once they had the results of the upper GI, endoscopy, etc.
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Post by bugirll on Jan 2, 2012 11:14:26 GMT -5
I decided on WLS after my mother had a fall. My mother is SMO, has diadetes, asthma, sleep apnea, hypertension, high cholesterol, and two knee replacements. My mother was watching my sons while my husband and I went out to eat. We got a call that she had fallen and could not get off the floor. After that I knew where my life was headed and I had to do something.
I did not know anything about DS when first starting my WLS journey and was headed for the RNY. I did not feel comfortable with it but figured I needed to do it. I did not like not being able to take NSAIDS, or the no drinking with meals, or dumping, fear of stoma enlargement, fear of ulcers.
After being on OH then moving here I kept reading. The DS was very attractive to me-seemed to give the best quality of life with the best results. I thought that I could not get it because my BMI is 38 and I only have high cholesterol as a serious comorbid. The think is, I know I am headed to where my mother is. In addition to her, the rest of my family history is horrible. I did not want to wait until I was sicker to get the surgery I know I need.
I found Dr. Ungson. He is very willing to help me with my journey. I will be self pay, but I dont care at all. I have the $$ saved and feel it is the best thing I could do with it. I am waiting to hear back from his office to get the ball rolling. I am looking at the middle of March for my proceure.
Megan
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Post by ynona74 on Jan 2, 2012 11:16:56 GMT -5
How I picked the DS...My cousin had an RNY in 2000, she didn't loose all the weight she wanted or needed to, plus she has severe dumping if she eats the wrong foods. She can't have anything with sugar or she has problems. So I knew that RNY would NOT be for me. I am not a candidate for lapband because I am allergic to silicone. So that's two not for me. I then started to reserch VSG...it looked promising, but then I found that most people who have VSG end up having the DS. So I again started my research and decided on DS. I have to choose correctly because my insurance will only pay for 1 bariatric surgery in my lifetime. So that's how I chose the DS.
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citizenk9
Junior Member
Posts: 99
Surgery Type: DS
Surgery Date: 10/13/2009
Surgeon: Dr, John Rabkin, San Francisco, CA
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Post by citizenk9 on Jan 2, 2012 12:04:33 GMT -5
My best friend and former OA sponsor went to a new OB-GYN for a check up. When they weighed her she was 400 lbs. She cried in front of the nurse. The nurse told her that her sister was the same weight and had the DS done by Dr Rabkin in SF and was very successful. My friend asked me if I thought she should do it. I said ABSOLUTELY. I thought she was WAY worse off than I was. HA! She went to the seminar and was so excited. She encouraged me to just look at the website and consider attending a seminar. I did but I was not ready to commit. I was disappointed that DR Rabkin only did the DS because I wasn't convinced I needed such a "radical surgery".
My friend told me about a board to go on to read more about the surgery. I ended up on OH rather than the Pac Lap board and that's where I saw the surgery wars. I started reading everything. All Boards even the ones about members who passed away. I am a researchaholic. I, too, got excited about the DS. I knew it was what I wanted. Meanwhile I had my friend losing tons of weight and being really happy and healthy to further encourage me. It's all a twist of fate that I am so grateful for.
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Post by Fade2Pink on Jan 2, 2012 13:13:15 GMT -5
I was one of those people who said I would never have WLS. I could do this on my own. After being obese and MO for 32 of my 45 years, I finally admitted that I could not indeed do this on my own, I needed surgical intervention. The issue came to a head during a friends and family trip to Mexico in the fall of 2008. I felt huge, uncomfortable, and I was suffering from achilles tendonitis, so walking was difficult and painful. The minute I got home, I started doing Internet searches about WLS. One search took me to OH which ended up being my saving grace. I read all the boards, especially the revision and failed type boards. I had never heard of the VSG or DS. I knew I didn't want a band. I thought I was "stuck" with the RNY. I have family, friends and co-workers who have had RNY and while initially successful, most had gained back some if not all their initial weight loss. I cannot express how amazing it was to find the VSG and DS. I really leaned towards the VSG at first, it seemed less "radical", but after soul searching and researching, I knew the DS was for me. The things that just made sense to me about the DS, in my case, is that I know that I am not good at self-denial, if I were, would I be needing WLS? I wanted to be able to have some cake on my birthday and not worry that I would pass out or dump or be miserable. I found it fascinating that there are countries who do the DS just to cure diabetes. My maternal side of the family is rife with type II diabetes and I knew that my time was limited until I would join them. I love protein. Meat and cheese were staples of my pre-surgery life, and they remain so today. I love my pylorus. I had no idea what it was, or that I even had one, but learning about my anatomy has been an eye-opener. My insurance didn't cover the DS, but I was lucky to find a surgeon in Salt Lake who performed the DS, and who was supportive of my decision. I self-payed for my DS, instead of going with the RNY or band, which my insurance would have partially covered. The rest, as they say, is history. 2 1/2 years down, a few decades to go.
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Post by callmeEJ on Jan 2, 2012 13:35:35 GMT -5
I was never really interested in WLS, because I was reasonably happy being obese. I was very healthy, I was able to exercise within certain limitations. But all of my obesity-related illness started during/after my pregnancy of my daughter a few years ago. Gestational diabetes. High blood pressure. Pre-diabetes. Thyroid problems. "Borderline" sleep apnea. High cholesterol. The list goes on. I began to injure myself when I exercised due to my weight, rendering me mostly inactive. My father started experiencing *severe* health problems due to his obesity related illness (he is now wheelchair bound at the age of 63). I saw the future that my genetic destiny was hurtling me towards, and I decided I needed a change, and I needed it now.
I started researching WLS a couple years ago, and went to a couple of seminars at various bariatric clinics. It was all Band, RNY, and maybe occasionally VSG. That was it. Then on a women's issues/mothering message board that I am on, there was a topic raised about WLS. An RNY patient on the board posted that she had the RNY, and while she was happy about her outcomes, if she had to do it over again she would have gotten the DS. Then a DS patient posted about her success and talked about her success with the procedure and how happy she was with it. It made me curious, so I started researching the heck out of it.
The thing that sealed the deal for me was finally meeting Dr. Buchwald. During his seminar, he talked about the DS in detail, giving very good info and talked about how successful it was. When I had my individual appointment with him and asked him which was the best WLS, he said that it was the DS, "absolutely and without question." SOLD!
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Post by aa on Jan 2, 2012 17:04:59 GMT -5
I was told by my PCP that the time had come for WLS. Nothing else was working. I told no one & did nothing for a year. Then I spent the next year researching (online & at hospital seminars). One seminar discussed the DS. I'd never heard of it & was intrigued. I concentrated my research on it & felt it was right for me. Several doctors didn't feel I 'needed' it. Why get the Ferrari when the Ford is good enough, I was basically told. I thought about it and decided if I could afford the Ferrari (at least my ins. could), then why not? I told the set of surgeons (who I chose to do my WLS - not the one with the car analogy) I wanted the DS. I gave them my reasons, research and proved how, um, anal/obsessive I would be about it (they needed that to reassure themselves I could deal with DS aftercare requirements). That's how I got to the DS. (I will admit I had my mother time the surgery. I knew if I came out too soon, they hadn't done what I wanted).
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Post by terilynne on Jan 2, 2012 17:46:30 GMT -5
A good friend of mine's mother and father had wls with Dr. Elariny. She suggested I check it out a number of times for a couple years and I just blew it off.
My daughter's best friend died of brain cancer at age 16. She was part of my family, my next door neighbor, like my own kids. It was a very difficult year, and when I came out of the fog of everything, I decided life was too short and said fuck everything that didn't make ME happy. I changed ALOT of stuff. BIG stuff. The first to go was the man. Then the big car and the big house, and the companies I owned. Everything that kicked my ass to maintain, but didn't make me happy. I had struggled with weight all my life and was unhappy and miserable about that too, so while ditching everything else that made me unhappy, I worked on getting my WLS approved through insurance and eventually it was. I would have paid out of pocket if it had not.
I initially went to Dr Elariny's seminar thinking I wanted a Lapband. Only because of all the tv propaganda and commericals about it. I left there NOT wanting a lapband, but not wanting any of the other stuff either.. and because of the diagrams of the DS he passed out, I dismissed it. It scared the shit out of me. So, I started researching and learning.. and went from something that scared me to something that was the only thing that made sense, that I could live with. Through that, I met Jen319rn on OH, another local DS'er, and it made things much easier to have someone to sort it all out with.
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supershae
Full Member
"You have come this far, Don't give up now." -The Notebook
Posts: 154
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Post by supershae on Jan 3, 2012 9:23:50 GMT -5
When I went to my surgeon for my consultation I had no idea what a DS was. I was originally going to have the Gastric Bypass done. I had a meeting with the doctor's FNP and she explained to me the 4 types of surgery that he does, being 1. The band, 2. The Sleeve, 3. Bypass, 4. DS. I immediately was attracted to the DS. I guess at that point I was only attracted to the DS because of the amount of weight that was lost so fast in the beginning. But the more I researched it and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was probably the best solution for me. By thetime I had my consultation with the surgeon, he told me that he thought that it was the best, and only solution for me. He said that he feared that I would not do well with the bypass or the sleeve and that the DS would fit me perfectly. So far I agree with him and I wouldn't change my DS for the world. My family has been very supportive and I haven't had to deal with much force against me having it. I love my DS
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2012 14:58:41 GMT -5
I was one of those people who said I would never have WLS. I could do this on my own. After being obese and MO for 32 of my 45 years, I finally admitted that I could not indeed do this on my own, I needed surgical intervention. The issue came to a head during a friends and family trip to Mexico in the fall of 2008. I felt huge, uncomfortable, and I was suffering from achilles tendonitis, so walking was difficult and painful. The minute I got home, I started doing Internet searches about WLS. One search took me to OH which ended up being my saving grace. I read all the boards, especially the revision and failed type boards. I had never heard of the VSG or DS. I knew I didn't want a band. I thought I was "stuck" with the RNY. I have family, friends and co-workers who have had RNY and while initially successful, most had gained back some if not all their initial weight loss. I cannot express how amazing it was to find the VSG and DS. I really leaned towards the VSG at first, it seemed less "radical", but after soul searching and researching, I knew the DS was for me. The things that just made sense to me about the DS, in my case, is that I know that I am not good at self-denial, if I were, would I be needing WLS? I wanted to be able to have some cake on my birthday and not worry that I would pass out or dump or be miserable. I found it fascinating that there are countries who do the DS just to cure diabetes. My maternal side of the family is rife with type II diabetes and I knew that my time was limited until I would join them. I love protein. Meat and cheese were staples of my pre-surgery life, and they remain so today. I love my pylorus. I had no idea what it was, or that I even had one, but learning about my anatomy has been an eye-opener. My insurance didn't cover the DS, but I was lucky to find a surgeon in Salt Lake who performed the DS, and who was supportive of my decision. I self-payed for my DS, instead of going with the RNY or band, which my insurance would have partially covered. The rest, as they say, is history. 2 1/2 years down, a few decades to go. Can you give a ballpark figure for Dr. Simper's cash patients?
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Post by bearmom on Jan 4, 2012 0:03:18 GMT -5
I'd put off the idea of WLS for years, because I thought some of the side effects sounded unlivable. I only knew people who'd had band and RNY, and the band people in particular had some terrible problems. I didn't really feel any of them had lost enough weight to make the struggles they put up with worthwhile.
I always ate reasonable well, but diets down to 800 calories or so would only stabilize the weight, I just couldn't really lose any. I went to my doctor for help, and she put me on Phen-fen, which was just starting to get bad press, and I was only on that for a month when the bad news came out, and they yanked it.
I'd spent years with eating disorders, fasting, fad diets - even a form of exercise anorexia to to keep my weight in check, but all of that just made my system more efficient.
I did eventually just try to do things right, by eating low fat and low calorie, and exercising daily. I quit the radical stuff, and immidiately gained like crazy. I did keep trying though. When I told my doctor everything I was doing, and had been for YEARS, she seemed skeptical, like I was lying. I had many symptoms of PCOS and insulin resistance, and while I now know what they are, she dismissed them (and NEVER mentioned a name for any of the numerous things) and said it was all secondary, and that all I needed to be doing was trying to lose the weight. Lose some weight, then we'd deal with those. WTF.
I moved from the gym close to my home, to the one over in the hospital basement, since they have people there that monitor every thing you do, thereby making a list of what equipment you use, for how long, and at what intensity. I went 6 days a week, for never less than an hour a day. I thought, PROOF that I'm actually doing what I say I am.
I then took 2 years worth of that data to my pcp, along with a detailed food diary. I had a few substitutes for fatty or sugary food notes in the margins, one of which was mock chicken pot pie, which was a crust-less thing, with mainly chicken breast, broth, and veggies with carb free crap crumbled on top.
She looked at this, then told me if I'd actually done everything on the sheet from the gym, my metabolism would be reset by now. Um, I only took her 2 years worth, but had been doing that for much, much longer.
Then, if that weren't bad enough, I read her follow up notes about the visit afterward, which said I was in denial about my eating, and brought in a list of what I "wanted her to think I was eating" and that I was actually eating the likes of chicken pot pies(!!!!), and wanted a magic bullet to avoid eating right and exercising. I went to her as a last ditch effort to figure out what was wrong, and there aren't even words to say how hopeless I felt after reading that.
I wish I could say that was enough to kick my ass into having surgery, but it did the opposite. I went into something more like depression for about 2 years, and understandably quit going to the doctor for anything, but also quit even trying to eat well, or exercise. I felt there was no hope. I had so many accomplishments, and did whatever I set out to do, but losing weight wasn't possible for me.
After having a pity party for myself for a few years, I decided to have the RNY, as that or band were what my insurance covered. I really drug my feet though, because I knew - absolutley knew - that I would fail at this too. I stumbled across some info on sleeve and DS, which weren't covered by my insurance. A surgery war on OH steered me some information and studies that were exactly what I needed to read. The DS seemed to be EXACTLY what was needed to fix my damaged metabolism.
Other people had posted with other weird symptoms related to PCOS and low thyroid, and there were NAMES for those conditions, and they were all related to messed up metabolisms! AND, those things were gone after the DS!!
So, despite being slated to have RNY, I canceled, and self paid for the DS. All of my pre-op stuff just transferred to the new surgeon.
I'd never had any surgery, and not only that, but decided to go outside the US, alone, and wasn't even sure the whole time if I hadn't inadvertently donated my body to the organ trade (really, I've heard rumors about the hospital I was at) and had zero support, but much nagging and hand-wringing from family.
It was the best decision I ever made.
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Post by bb212 on Jan 4, 2012 0:12:03 GMT -5
She looked at this, then told me if I'd actually done everything on the sheet from the gym, my metabolism would be reset by now. Um, I only took her 2 years worth, but had been doing that for much, much longer. Then, if that weren't bad enough, I read her follow up notes about the visit afterward, which said I was in denial about my eating, and brought in a list of what I "wanted her to think I was eating" and that I was actually eating the likes of chicken pot pies(!!!!), and wanted a magic bullet to avoid eating right and exercising. I went to her as a last ditch effort to figure out what was wrong, and there aren't even words to say how hopeless I felt after reading that. OMG!!! *hugs* I went through the SAME crap with a bunch of docs who would just blame the patient by default! It makes me soooo mad! How many more (thousands? hundreds of thousands) have been through the exact same thing? If doctors kept their hippocratic oath instead of blaming the patient to pass the buck, this obesity mystery would have been solved long ago! I'm going to be one of the many wagging my finger at doctors in shame when - years from now- someone actually figures this disease out and proves them all wrong!
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Post by bearmom on Jan 4, 2012 0:23:02 GMT -5
By the way EN, I spent days avoiding putting my 2 cents in on this post, because like for many of us, those memories are painful. Sort of like talking about many of the indignities like those that were our "last straw", but I actually feel these are important posts to have available.
It' important for newbs to know though, that we do it, because even though it's painful, and even though (like I said above) that I actually thought I might have inadvertently given my body to the illegal organ trade (at least that makes me laugh now), and I didn't actually give a shit if I survived the surgery because my quality of life was so low at my weight, I am so glad that I had the DS, that I would do it every year for the rest of my life if I had to. I honestly would.
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