To give an example of the smo without having to throw names out, just think of a guy around here who was 600+ at his highest weight. It is obvious to anyone in the DS world that he needs a DS. Food addiction is, in my opinion, for the most part a misdiagnosis, especially for the smo.

I apologize for being arrogant. I admit I was tired when I wrote this and wasn't being nice.

No the DS isn't for everyone, but it can correct biological hunger. No not everyone has these problems. And biological hunger isn't the only problems foodies have. However, what OAers believe to be a spiritual malady is real hunger.

I was the OP of this thread, and I want to explain a little more for those who have been led to believe they are suffering from food addiction, binge eating disorder or a spiritual malady. None of these conditions even exist.

Appetite is controlled by hormones responsible for both hunger and satiety. Some of these hormones includes: ghrelin, leptin, PYY and insulin. A broken hunger mechanism is the result of producing too much hunger and lack of satiety. It is a twofold condition, and so I would suggest that this would require a twofold solution.

The duodenal switch is a combination of a vertical sleeve gastrectomy and an intestinal bypass. The sleeve removes much of the ghrelin hormone and increases PYY and leptin.

The intestinal component of the DS has the metabolic affect such that you take on the metabolism of a lean individual. Not only does the metabolic component permanently increase metabolic rate (malabsorbtion) but it completely changes how hormones such as insulin function. It is this metabolic affect, particularly its effect on insulin sensitivity, that corrects what I described as being broken. What is broken is metabolic, not the spirit!

The OA philosophy that we are suffering from inner children and there resulting spiritual malady is bull crap. What OAers try to pray away can be corrected by the intestinal routing of the DS.

Of course this isn't a cure all for carbivorism and poor eating habits, but it can correct a biologically broken hunger mechanism. RnYers who claim they wanted to go part way with food are true idiots. Why would anyone want a tool for "behavioral modification" when surgery can correct what is broken in the first place. Who said that you can't follow an OA abstinence plan with the DS? At least you would be more physically able. I would argue there is no finer surgery than the DS whether food needed to get right with you, or whether you needed to go part way.

The DS is the only way to correct what is broken.

I went through very rapid wl. I lost 260+ pounds in 12 months. I felt like a social retard at that point. It has taken some time for being thin to feel natural and to feel like I fit in. Give it some time.

Like! He should read my signature.

Well, it's better than having an in the closet drinking problem. If that were the case you'd be in big trouble.

When I was a teen and early 20's preop I drank like a fish and abused some drugs. I mostly got into it to fit in, but I took it a bit overboard. I never crossed the line into actual addiction. Thank goodness.
I highly doubt that after a few month bender that you're an alcoholic.

There are two problems that I can think of. One is that you now absorb alcohol very rapidly. This is well known to drastically increase the risk of alcoholism post op. The second issue is that while wl may be good for us, there are still a lot of stresses that come with such rapid wl. Some of us turn to booze to cope. Whatever your case is, the obvious first thing is to stop drinking and get help. I will say for myself that due to my history and now that I rapidly absorb alcohol I stay far away from it. I don't ever let myself have more than one drink. I usually don't even finish one because I start getting buzzed half way through. The risk of addiction is just not worth it to me.

I hope things work out for you.

I'm sorry to hear about the young man that died. When I was a teen I got into drinking and some drugs, but I stopped before it got bad. Unfortunately many of my friends did not. A few have died over the past several years, 18-25 year olds. I feel sad for them that they died before ever really getting to live. I hope your son does well with his recovery.

Today I am grateful for being at goal. I am grateful for my DS. I am grateful that I had my DS at such a young age, I am just 23. I have my whole life ahead of me now to live in good health. I have to be very diligent on my end with proper diet, exercise, vitamins, labs, etc. It's very well worth the work to get to live the life I have today. My life is not perfect. I have horrible problems with depression, but I do my best to be grateful for what I do have and that makes what I don't have (or what I think I need) not seem like a big deal.

Have a great day:-)

Congrats on your success. You look wonderful.

I recently started running again. Weight management doesn't motivate me. Running is the best cure for depression. That's my motivation.

Happy upcoming surgiversary.

www.osteopenia3.com/dexascan.html

I find it interesting that these articles that discuss hunger/obesity always focus on just the stomach as if obesity is just a stomach issue.

Obesity is a disease with biological, psychological, and I suppose sociological factors. Biologically, obesity is both a gastric and intestinal condition. So just addressing the stomach issues (i.e. remove much of the ghrelin hormone) is rather incomplete. While the sleeve part of the ds removes much of "the hunger" hormone it is the metabolic affect that the intestinal component of the ds surgery provides that truly gives satiety. I suppose you could say the sleeve removes the hunger hormone, but the switch corrects the broken satiety hormones. It takes the combination of the sleeve and the switch to do the trick.

He's an idiot. Next up will be him getting a plication, so he can empathize with wls patients who can't lose any weight.

I wish you all the best with your surgery. I just hope you take the time to look at other surgeries that you may not have been educated about before www.dsfacts.com/Comparison-of-DS-and-RNY.html

Hi there,

What is your BMI?

The behavioral modification aspect of dumping syndrome is pure myth. Dumping syndrome does not protect against regain. In fact, dumping syndrome is associated with regain. www.dssurgery.com/newsletters/dumping-syndrome.php

The RNY and VSG have shown to have similar success rates long term. I believe the sleeve is a better option because it keeps a fully functioning stomach, so will be at much less risk of having dietary complications, dumping syndrome and reactive hypoglycemia. Also the malabsorbtion of calories is only temporary with the RNY, but you will always malabsorb vitamins.

Another option is the duodenal switch. dsfacts.com