Personal experiences wanted

i would love to have personal experiences from first hand knowledge. Lastly, did you have an open surgery? In 99 that was the way it worked. It was worse than dying the pain was nothing like anything else and my allergy to morphine didnt help. Worst 8 days i cried for 3( i dont cry and i have a high tolerance for pain 7 different surgeries so i know) part of reason I waited for two yrs is pain and fear... So anyone who has experience that would be willing to share please email me. How did you surgery go? How is the food issue now? Dumping? Gas? Life, ability to keep off weight? Anything is helpful and will be welcome... My best friend is very competitive and she is against DS saying its not good. Also my area is very medically advanced, education world renowed hospitals and yet no Dr.s in my area, New England tristate even, Boston, do DS day its not worth the dumping several times a day and malabsoption not worth it but weighing as much as i do the risks for health really are to high. If i was successful for 8 yrs and then started to climb DS allows those of us who have this problem control lifelong Hope to hear from lots of you to help educate myself and friend,, PS i've done a yr of research so I know what i'm getting into and advances but your input would be helpful too

DSers don't suffer with dumping but we do get gas from eating junk.  I was a 2 parter and I had it lap so my recovery was relatively easy.  If you're looking for people's feedback on RNY to DS or just open DSs then a subject with that info may get you more replies.

A list of RNY to DS surgeons is available here http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/revision/4635457/RNY-to-DS -Revision/

I'm only 18 months out so can't really speak much yet as to the ability to keep weight off.

All the best in your quest for a revision.

Thank U!

I had a lap DS. Three days in the hospital. Painful for the first week but the pain meds kept everything under control. By the end of week 2 I was not taking any pain meds. It felt more like a pulled muscle a that point.

No dumping. I threw up a couple of times the first month eating too fast or too much. I'm almost 9 months out andd haven't thrown up in he last 6 months. 

Early on I had a lot of gas (first month) then  I figured out I had become lactose intolerant. Switching away from milk pretty much took care of that problem. Still sometimes carbs will trigger gas.

I usually have two bowel movements in the morning and I am good for the day. I occasionally eat something that will cause 5 or 6 BM's a day. The lat thing was an abundance of dark chocolate. Nothing I can't stay away from and that doesn't happen from just small amounts.

At 9 months I am still losing so I can't speak on regain although it seems to happen a lot less than for gastric bypass. I am down 150 with another 100 to go for goal weight. The surgery did resolve my diabetes. Still taking BP medicine.

Good luck with all this.

I've updated my blog at least one every Month since I had surgery on 7/29/13 feel free to read it for my experience.

Thwnk u, ur vlog is great, i will keep reading so keep posting.

I'm a little confused. Would you be a rny revision to a DS? If so, you need a vetted surgeon and there are only a couple that would ever be recommended. Also, know that your experience as a revisionist will be very different than a virgin DSer.

Your post is a little garbled and hard to understand. You speak about surgery in 99, seven surgeries. How much do you weigh? If a virgin DSer, what surgeon are you looking at?

Ok, I just read another post of yours and see you are a rny to DS revision. There is a revision board here that you might want to check. Also, look at the link given above for surgeons.

As a virgin DSer, my experience will be much different than yours. Like previously mentioned, you might want to rename your thread to specifically reach out to revisionists. You should also google search "rny to ds revision." I know there are a lot of revisionists on the fourth site listed. There are other sites that can reach many revisionists as well. Good luck.

I'm a virgin D.S.'er, can't answer all your questions, but some of my experiences would be the same as in a revision. I've had a lot of surgeries. My 2 vertical "C" section births were way more painful for a much longer recovery. I'm 2 1/2 yrs out from my D.S. lost 135 lbs in 8 months, maintaining easily the rest of the time, hovering within 4 lbs either side of 120 lbs. I don't feel like I am on a diet. I eat what ever I want. Going gluten free did help me lose the last 30 lbs to be in a normal BMI. My surgeon has said revisions don't always lose all their  excess weight because the body has learned how to hold on to weight to keep it from starving. I know some people have worked hard with a revision  to D.S. to get it off, and succeeded. D.S'ers have a pylorus for digestion of any kind of foods. No dumping, or throwing up, as other surgeries do. My surgery was laparoscopic. The pain was only at the one port where they removed the portion of the stomach with a few stiches closing it. The other ports were glued closed, no pain there. I returned home on the 3rd morning, after walking the halls like a track, round and round. Pre surgery I exercised as much as I could to help with recovery. I've had 6 surgeries in my life. After a few days of heavy meds, I can make due with Extra Strength Tylenol. Walking often post surgery is important to prevent clotts. They want you to walk the night of surgery. Since my D.S. I've had gallbladder/appendix, Hiatal Hernia, 2 major plastic surgeries and the 3rd booked for next month. I'm not afraid of any surgeries, mine have gone very well, with no complications. I would only use a surgeon on the approved surgery list here on OH, or a referral from my PCP.

When I had my D.S. there were only about 50 surgeons in the US doing the D.S. I traveled 2 hrs to the nearest one in Grand Rapids Mi. They say he is the only one doing it in Mi now. His group Grand Health Partners is a "Center of Excellence", and he is the director of Bariatrics for Saint Mary's Hospital in Grand Rapids. There are many reasons more surgeons don't do it. My surgeon doesn't give it to just anyone. You need to be proactive about your health, intelligent about educating your other Dr's who have no experience with the effects of the D.S. Keeping yourself healthy with good food choices, protein shakes and protein supplements , taking vitamins, and having labs and tests is imperative. It can be too costly for some. Medical Insurance is very helpful. I think a surgeon can fit in more sleeve alone surgeries in a day than the longer D.S. Education pre and post surgery with the surgeons group consists of a nutritionist, psychologist w/support group meetings, a sports physiologist to instruct you about necessary exercising geared to your conditions. This team works hard with you the moment you walk in, for years to come. My surgeon said I would be his patient for life. I couldn't have succeeded without all their help. Most surgeons are just cutters, with no support team or system to educate their patients for the long haul. 

P.M. me if you have any questions, I'd love to help.

Thank you all! I will check out the recommended RYN to DS page. Dr. Roslin is one of the best vetted for this type of surgery so I'm confident on that. I know my pain tolerance but having an open surgery about 18 inches was the worst thing ever! As i said it makes doing this again scary as heck. But after 2+ yrs of thinking and knowing i wanted and needed help makes me a bit more driven. My life is heading in such a great place this is just another step in the positive world i am now living in. Thank you again