Wife and good Dr. friend of mine says DS is NUTS!
My wife is a Radiology Tech and one of my best friends is an OBGYN. Both think the Band is the most logical choice, MAYBE even the sleeve but that the DS is ridiculous. "When you are re-routing intestines and bypassing important parts of digestion you are just begging for trouble."
But I'm digging in. I attended the bariatric orientation on Saturday. I asked my wife to fill out the medical history forms and she refused. So I dug through files, found the stuff and turned the package in yesterday.
I'm 41 years old and just under three bills (sorry, my boys say that and it makes me laugh. Ahem, 300 lbs) and I have been overweight for just about half my life. The rest of my story is probably identafiable to yours. What makes the DS logical for me is the apparant long term success. One of the studies on dsfacts.com remarked that 95% of DS'ers were satisfied with the operation. I like that stat.
Of the research that I have done so far, the DS seems the best long term choice so I am walking determinantly in that direction. Thanks for letting me vent, but I hesitate when objections like there are raised inside the hen house :D
But I'm digging in. I attended the bariatric orientation on Saturday. I asked my wife to fill out the medical history forms and she refused. So I dug through files, found the stuff and turned the package in yesterday.
I'm 41 years old and just under three bills (sorry, my boys say that and it makes me laugh. Ahem, 300 lbs) and I have been overweight for just about half my life. The rest of my story is probably identafiable to yours. What makes the DS logical for me is the apparant long term success. One of the studies on dsfacts.com remarked that 95% of DS'ers were satisfied with the operation. I like that stat.
Of the research that I have done so far, the DS seems the best long term choice so I am walking determinantly in that direction. Thanks for letting me vent, but I hesitate when objections like there are raised inside the hen house :D
k9ophile
on 10/25/11 3:53 pm
on 10/25/11 3:53 pm
What part of you doing this and it's your body do those people not understand? I guess it's their way of caring, yet it does seem rather demeaning. The DS is just ridiculous? That's what I think about a foreign object that can slip, erode, and all the other problems with the band. Keep hanging around. You may come across some great information to share with the naysayers. But even if they don't come around, you need to do what's best for you. And I do believe you've figured that out:)
"Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us." Stephen Covey
Don't litter! Spay or neuter your pet
Fo' Shizzle My Sizzle
on 10/26/11 2:37 pm, edited 10/26/11 2:38 pm
on 10/26/11 2:37 pm, edited 10/26/11 2:38 pm
Hiya,
Keep in mind that your wife and friend, while medically schooled and well-intentioned, do not specialize in bariatric surgery or metabolic disorders. Often it is surprising how different the world of bariatrics is from other medical disciplines, and doctors who specialize in one area are shockingly ignorant about the science and facts behind another. But their medical background leads them to beleive that they know more about the other disciplines than they do. An oncologist isn't going to know squat about neurosurgery. And likewise, the brain surgeon won't be privy to all the crucial details on treating a patient with pancreatic cancer. Treatment techniques that work in practice for their fields of medicine may be completely alien to the other.
Heresay is a big problem among medical professionals, and things they say about other areas of practice are usually based rumors they assume to be true without looking up the studies to verify the accuracy. Here's an example: "I knew this guy over in hospital so-and-so. He said there was a DS patient who had sores and couldn't stop pooping in his pants in the ER. Wow, that DS sounds bad. Why would anyone do that to themselves?." Meanwhile the real story may have been that a person who had the DS got a very bad case of food poisoning/hives from bad oysters and was so sick he needed an IV for hydration and perscription strength meds to control the runs.
If you consult with a bariatric surgeon who is good enough to perform the DS, then you'll get some unbiased info on all of the surgery types. If you go to a reputable DS doc for a consultation, their advice would trump all other docs in the matter.
Also, the vets here are living proof of how great the DS can be!
Keep in mind that your wife and friend, while medically schooled and well-intentioned, do not specialize in bariatric surgery or metabolic disorders. Often it is surprising how different the world of bariatrics is from other medical disciplines, and doctors who specialize in one area are shockingly ignorant about the science and facts behind another. But their medical background leads them to beleive that they know more about the other disciplines than they do. An oncologist isn't going to know squat about neurosurgery. And likewise, the brain surgeon won't be privy to all the crucial details on treating a patient with pancreatic cancer. Treatment techniques that work in practice for their fields of medicine may be completely alien to the other.
Heresay is a big problem among medical professionals, and things they say about other areas of practice are usually based rumors they assume to be true without looking up the studies to verify the accuracy. Here's an example: "I knew this guy over in hospital so-and-so. He said there was a DS patient who had sores and couldn't stop pooping in his pants in the ER. Wow, that DS sounds bad. Why would anyone do that to themselves?." Meanwhile the real story may have been that a person who had the DS got a very bad case of food poisoning/hives from bad oysters and was so sick he needed an IV for hydration and perscription strength meds to control the runs.
If you consult with a bariatric surgeon who is good enough to perform the DS, then you'll get some unbiased info on all of the surgery types. If you go to a reputable DS doc for a consultation, their advice would trump all other docs in the matter.
Also, the vets here are living proof of how great the DS can be!
Hawkeye-
"medically trained" doesn't mean *snot* when it comes to DS knowledge.
Most "medically trained" physicians don't even understand it! I was blessed with a great PCP who allowed *me* to school *her*. She knew RNY, as she has several patients with that. DS is not offered locally where I live, and most people just don't, or can't...I don't know which,
do the research.
I've always said that DSer's are likely the more intelligent WLS patients around. It takes smarts to pick the right surgeon, and fully understand what it is your body will do post-op, how food breaks down...what enzymes are involved, food sources for nutrition, supplements and what they contribute, amounts and formats of supplements (example: why DSer's cannot use vitamins in oil carriers), etc.
Find a surgeon who specializes in WLS, and has done several hundred DS procedures - not the "bait and switch" docs. who say they do the DS, then sell you a RNY.
If you know that's what it will take to make your weight loss successful, and you know you can handle *all* of the responsibilities that go with the DS...then go for it!
Well then, I guess the hundreds of regular posters on this board are nuts too. Including numerous science and medical professionals including doctors and surgeons.
I'm eight years out, 58 years old and still loving my DS. I would venture to say that your wife and friend don't know WTF they are talking about. WE DO.
Who is your surgeon?
Your wife's resistence is annoying, but will likely change. But I'm wondering why you asked HER to fill out YOUR medical history forms? That's YOUR job, as will be taking care of YOURSELF and YOUR needs for the rest of your life. Time to take charge!
Actually this forum has been a great resource for me. For those of you who have been on this forum for awhile, has anyone posted disappointment with the DS? I'm one of those odd people who can score 99% on a test and consume myself with the 1% that I missed. This could be case in point.
Also, thanks for taking me to task about filling out the paperwork. Being the medical person in the family she can quote chapeter and verse on everything medical about me. So the mantra to do it yourself has redoubled my resolution to move forward. Like you said, I need to take charge and CHARGE!
Also, thanks for taking me to task about filling out the paperwork. Being the medical person in the family she can quote chapeter and verse on everything medical about me. So the mantra to do it yourself has redoubled my resolution to move forward. Like you said, I need to take charge and CHARGE!
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