Turn Back the Clock,...nothing to do with daylight savings time!

I'm looking forward to getting the surgery done. I have another meeting with my surgeon late next week. I do have a few questions to ask him, but what I'd like to know is;

1. Now that YOU have been through this process, if you could go back to before you had your surgery, what questions, (or general info) would like to have asked or known about BEFORE you had your surgery. (I don't want to spin this, or ask leading questions so after a few days, I'll ask the question I really want the answer to).
2. After your surgery, if you could go back and do it again, what would you change about your post op behaviors?

Thanks so much for your insight, I find it's always good to learn from those that have actually accomplished what I would like too.

I'll answer 2.  One is too easy!

This is the advice I give everyone.  After you heal all that matters is losing the weight.  I would not have allowed myself to eat a SINGLE carb till I was 10% UNDER goal.  The 10% is to allow for bounceback.  And I would have gotten a smaller stomach and a 50cm cc.  75 is too long.

And 10 years postop, I probably would still not have gotten to eat that first carb.  I never reached 'goal'.  And probably never will.

Ask him to please tell you the following things:  Question Everything!!!

1. How big is the sleeve (how many grams or ounces will it hold)?

2.  How long will my Common Channel be?  Why is he choosing that number (ie Hess Method)?

3. How long will my ailmentary limb be?

4. How long will my bileopancreatic limb be?

5. To make sure your body can handle the protein, can he have you on a protein liquid diet for 2-3 weeks before surgery.  It also helps shrink the liver.

6. What is his aftercare program like?  For example, does he automatically do TPN therapy, if you are not doing good in the first month. 

7. Does he have a GI Dr who he works with?

8. Will anyone be with him in surgery other than the surgery team, if so "Who & Why"?

9.  Will it be open, lap or robotic assisted lap?  How many of each has he done?  How many years has he been doing it?  Where did he get his training for the DS Switch?

10.  COMPLICATIONs:  How many complications has he had after surgery (specify - what kind)?  Is it 10% or what?  What happens to those patients (details)?  Has he had anyone die while in surgery or after? 

11.  How many surgeries does he do in 1 day?  (You want to be his first or second - You do not want to be the Friday surgery)

12.  Ask him to explain "EXACTLY" what he does not to let him get away with "It's what I do".  Don't let him get by with "I just re-route your small intestines"  It's much more complicated than that. 

13.  How does he deal with internal hernia's while in surgery?

14.  If you are on medications, does he want you to stop taking them cold turkey?

15. Have him explain to you the details of what it means "This surgery immediately throws your body into ketosis?" 

16. Does he answer his phone calls from the answering service?  Does someone else take calls for him?

17. Ask if you could speak with one or two of his oldest patients.

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What I would do different:

1. Question everything!!!!!!!  I would not accept one answer from them and when I asked "why" I wish I would have pushed more.

2. Have enough time after the surgery.  Most people can go back after a couple of weeks.  Then there are other's like me who needed a full month off to rest and heal.  They told me, you can go back to work in a week.  Worst thing I ever did!  Everybody is different.  I was hospitalized twice in the first month.  The last time being 8 days. 

3.  I had a lot going on at once, I trusted what the surgeon, his dietician & np said to me.  It was the biggest mistake of my life!  I wish I would have researched it more (found this board as you have).  What their office told me and what my reality was, TWO TOTALLY different things. 

4.  I went in for a sleeve.  I was new to WLS.  I had known 3 people personally to have the sleeve (all 3 successful).  Other's with a failed RNY.  In retrospect, I analyze it as this "I was a first time car buyer".  When the salesman (hence the surgeon) said to me "You will never gain the weight back with the DS".  I was sold!  Now, I know that is not the truth.  That was what kept going through my mind though.  My battle was over!  In reality, the battle had just begun.  It has been for my life.  My body didn't like this surgery.  My body still has a hard time processing so much protein.  My life revolves around food and making sure I get enough protein in each day. 

5. My boss said to me, this surgery has zapped the life you had in you.  I said you are right.  There have been only a few days that I have the kind of energy I used to have.

Thank goodness for the sweet people on this board!  I wouldn't have come this far without them.  I also had a consult with another surgeon who helped me with issues that my surgeon didn't. I am finally out of the cave and into the valley now with this surgery.  I have some issues that I am dealing with, time will tell on those.  I make each day a new day! 

Know going into this, it is a lifelong journey.  This surgery is only a tool.  The rest is up to you.  You have to learn how to be "in tune" with your body.  Listen to your body.  Learn something everyday!   No one really knows what will happen when we reach our 70's (hoping we all do).  We are still part of the pioneer group for this surgery. 

Best of luck!

Butterfly, I really wish you'd stop calling it "the DS Switch". "DS" stands for Duodenal SWITCH, so it's like you're saying "the Duodenal Switch Switch".

Agree with Patty regarding avoiding all carbs until below goal.  Also went into the DS with the concept of getting to eat NORMALLY forever, so even though certain things were no longer attractive, through sheer stubborn insistence re-trained myself to eat anything and everything like a NORMAL person.  Stupid in retrospect. Should have gone with theDS flow and not tried to re-learn to eat things - would have broke the bad coffee and Dt. Coke habit without that stubbornness.

1) If I could go back, I would have worried less. I did a bunch of research and read a LOT on the boards so I feel like I knew the real deal. I didn't trust anything my surgeon said and questioned everything. I knew/know a lot more than the nut knew, and I should have trusted that earlier. I shouldn't have bought his vitamins or his protein powder...waste of money. Mostly though, I did well.

2) Looks like I'm the only one who wouldn't change anything. Wait...I would have gotten compliant with my vitamins earlier. I put them off and trusted my surgeon's plan which was a mistake. I should have stuck with the vitalady plan. Beyond that, I'm good. I counted protein and never carbs. If I wanted something I had a bite. I gave myself permission to eat like a normal person and it worked for me. I eat whatever I want (while always eating protein first) and I drink 1 diet coke per day and 2 protein coffees. I know it doesn't work for everyone, but it did for me. I am 45 pounds below my original goal and 20 pounds below my final goal and have been maintaining here since I was 18 months out. (Now I'm 28 months out. I know that's not a lot compared to some people, but I've been happy SO FAR.... I can't predict the future. If I really start regaining, I'll have to reevaluate how strict I am with myself.)

Good luck and keep asking questions!