HELP...........I REALLY WANT TO KNOW
Please tell me if you chose the DS as your wls or if the doctor felt it was the best for you. Also interested in any complications or problems, successful losses and any info yo are willing to share. Before I take any steps toward seeking the DS, I really would like to hear what y hve to say. Please reply and please be honest about the good and the bad things you have to share.. If you would rather send a private messege I also welcome that. I will be reading evry reply. Very curious about what state you live in, surgery weight, pre-op weight loss requirements, foods you may have problems with and if you have to make normal or excessive trips to the restroom . I am waiting to hear whatever you can offer . THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
I picked the DS after seeing what a great quality of life my DS friend has, compared to my RNY friends. I knew I could not live with the RNY, plus, everyone I know who has gone that route has had a lot of regain after 2-3 years. I knew I could not face regain after going through WLS!
If you go the route of a DS, make sure you pick a real DS surgeon. Go to dsfacts.com to learn more!
California has two great DS surgeons: Dr. Ara Kashishian in southern cal, and Dr. Rabkin in San Fran!
If you go the route of a DS, make sure you pick a real DS surgeon. Go to dsfacts.com to learn more!
California has two great DS surgeons: Dr. Ara Kashishian in southern cal, and Dr. Rabkin in San Fran!
HW/ 302 SW/287 CW/140 GW/135
I went in knowing I wanted the DS based on a close friend having had the surgery and doing very well with it. The surgeon agreed it was the best choice for me as well.
I started at 364, and at 16 mths out I am 175. I still have 45 to go to meet my surgeons goal weight. I live in TN. My pre-op requirements were 5 mths Dr supervised diet, bloodwork, and 3 weeks of liquid diet. I got a stricture at almost 2 mths out which was a pain in the rear, but after a balloon endoscopy (no big deal-simple procedure), I was fine. I also got dehydrated, but that was only because of the stricture. Wouldn't have happened otherwise. I don't blame the DS for my stricture, it was simply my body forming too much scar tissue at my incision.
I have been extremely lucky in that not many foods bother me. The only thing I can't tolerate is sodas/carbonated beverages. They give me gas. I can still eat carbs, pasta, rice, white flour etc without any ill effects at all. I just limit them :) As far as bathroom trips, I go once in the morning and maybe once after dinner, and that is all. I don't have uncontrollable gas, or accidents like "other" surgery people suggest we have.
Good luck on your journey. It's an amazing surgery and it will forever change your life! Just takes a while to get used to the changes your body is making. :)
I started at 364, and at 16 mths out I am 175. I still have 45 to go to meet my surgeons goal weight. I live in TN. My pre-op requirements were 5 mths Dr supervised diet, bloodwork, and 3 weeks of liquid diet. I got a stricture at almost 2 mths out which was a pain in the rear, but after a balloon endoscopy (no big deal-simple procedure), I was fine. I also got dehydrated, but that was only because of the stricture. Wouldn't have happened otherwise. I don't blame the DS for my stricture, it was simply my body forming too much scar tissue at my incision.
I have been extremely lucky in that not many foods bother me. The only thing I can't tolerate is sodas/carbonated beverages. They give me gas. I can still eat carbs, pasta, rice, white flour etc without any ill effects at all. I just limit them :) As far as bathroom trips, I go once in the morning and maybe once after dinner, and that is all. I don't have uncontrollable gas, or accidents like "other" surgery people suggest we have.
Good luck on your journey. It's an amazing surgery and it will forever change your life! Just takes a while to get used to the changes your body is making. :)
~Kelly ~
SW 364/CW 164/GW 150
I chose the type of WLS that I wanted to have. My PCP spoke to me about looking into surgery but said "just not the lapband". I knew things already about the RNY which were a turn off to me but rather than just say right away that I don't want it, I decided that I needed research it more fully. I bought several books about WLS but most were geared toward RNY. One book mentioned obesityhelp.com so I came here to read more about everyday experiences of the folks living with WLS. I spent a long time on the main board but based on a question that I asked, I was directed to the DS board. I never left. I read it constantly all day long for MONTHS. I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't missing something but it seemed too good to be true. If I had listened to my doctor, I would have had an RNY because that's all he really knew about it. So I chose my surgery before chosing my surgeon.
I live in the Detroit area but chose Dr. Rabkin in San Francisco since he's done so many DS surgery and has handled many difficult cases. I just wanted to be able to go to who I thought would have the most capable hands. I met Dr. Rabkin at one of his seminars in Chicago prior to going to SF.
I was 320 pre-op and am usually at 175 now. I was measured at 5 ft 4 pre-op and 5 ft 6 when I had my dexa scan a year or so later so I gained 2 inches. I have not reached goal but I look pretty good. I have a lot of skin laxity so I have a lot of excess skin that could be removed. If I had plastics, I am sure that I would be in a smaller size but I shop now in all normal stores. I completely blend into a crowd. Anyway, my insurance didn't require any monitored dieting program before surgery. I just had to have a BMI of 35 with co-morbids or a BMI of 40 withough. I had a BMI of 55. I had surgery in March of 2009 and lost the bulk of my weight by the end of that year. I have never had a bounce back but I continue to drop pounds slowly.
I was lactose intolerant prior to my DS so I was prepared for the same. My surgeon actually recommends staying away from milk (because of the sugars) so I don't even both with it. As I get further out from my surgery date, I feel like I am more sensitive to certain foods. I cannot eat anything containing high fructose corn syrup (I couldn't really before either), modified food starch, anything overly processed, any sort of wheat or gluten containing product except in smaller amounts. My belly swells and becomes painful and tight. I get rumbling, cramps, and full on pain. I can also get more trips to the bathroom than I'd like. But if I watch what I am eating, I have no issues whatsoever.
I do eat carbs but mainly as fruits and veggies. Always protein is first and foremost though. I used to have IBS as a pre-op. Many foods were triggers for me. I was very scared about what things would be like as a post-op but it's been wonderful and I know several folks who had IBS as pre-ops who feel the same.
Something else that I should note, I travel 100% for work so I am home usually a day or two a week which means that I eat in restaurants almost exclusively. I was able to adapt for my DS easily. If I had major issues, I would have had to quit my job. I probably could get closer to goal if I devoted time to working out but with my work schedule, the only other thing I could cut out is sleep and I'd rather sleep.
Good luck in your research and please feel free to reach out if I can help answer anything for you.
I live in the Detroit area but chose Dr. Rabkin in San Francisco since he's done so many DS surgery and has handled many difficult cases. I just wanted to be able to go to who I thought would have the most capable hands. I met Dr. Rabkin at one of his seminars in Chicago prior to going to SF.
I was 320 pre-op and am usually at 175 now. I was measured at 5 ft 4 pre-op and 5 ft 6 when I had my dexa scan a year or so later so I gained 2 inches. I have not reached goal but I look pretty good. I have a lot of skin laxity so I have a lot of excess skin that could be removed. If I had plastics, I am sure that I would be in a smaller size but I shop now in all normal stores. I completely blend into a crowd. Anyway, my insurance didn't require any monitored dieting program before surgery. I just had to have a BMI of 35 with co-morbids or a BMI of 40 withough. I had a BMI of 55. I had surgery in March of 2009 and lost the bulk of my weight by the end of that year. I have never had a bounce back but I continue to drop pounds slowly.
I was lactose intolerant prior to my DS so I was prepared for the same. My surgeon actually recommends staying away from milk (because of the sugars) so I don't even both with it. As I get further out from my surgery date, I feel like I am more sensitive to certain foods. I cannot eat anything containing high fructose corn syrup (I couldn't really before either), modified food starch, anything overly processed, any sort of wheat or gluten containing product except in smaller amounts. My belly swells and becomes painful and tight. I get rumbling, cramps, and full on pain. I can also get more trips to the bathroom than I'd like. But if I watch what I am eating, I have no issues whatsoever.
I do eat carbs but mainly as fruits and veggies. Always protein is first and foremost though. I used to have IBS as a pre-op. Many foods were triggers for me. I was very scared about what things would be like as a post-op but it's been wonderful and I know several folks who had IBS as pre-ops who feel the same.
Something else that I should note, I travel 100% for work so I am home usually a day or two a week which means that I eat in restaurants almost exclusively. I was able to adapt for my DS easily. If I had major issues, I would have had to quit my job. I probably could get closer to goal if I devoted time to working out but with my work schedule, the only other thing I could cut out is sleep and I'd rather sleep.
Good luck in your research and please feel free to reach out if I can help answer anything for you.
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Hi Linda, you say you "used to have IBS as a pre-op". Has it gone away for you? I'm a pre-op and I have IBS, so I'm interested to learn more on that aspect.
I already stay away from several things like artificial sweetener, oats and powdered milk to name a few as they make me very uncomfortably bloated (and I know they're all definite no nos post op).
I already stay away from several things like artificial sweetener, oats and powdered milk to name a few as they make me very uncomfortably bloated (and I know they're all definite no nos post op).
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