HELP! Worried about surgery

Hello everyone! I am debating whether or not to have a revision surgery from the lap band to the DS. I keep going back and forth with pros and cons of surgery and I'm having trouble making a decision. I would LOVE to hear people's personal stories whether they were successful or not and/or any complications that they had with having the DS. I know this is a pretty life alternating decision and I want to make sure I make the right one that I will be able to live with for the rest of my life. I think my nerves are getting the best of me, despite wanting to have the surgery. Thanks - any advice is greatly appreciated :) 

I have a couple of friends who have gone from lap bands to the DS and they are sooooo very glad they did. I remember meeting them for the first time when their bands were still in. We were at restaurants and they would have to get up to go throw up every few minutes and they had gained all their weight back or more. Now they are both happy as clams!  : )  They have adjusted to all the vitamins and figured out the bathroom stuff...basically probiotics or simply yogurt and a low carb diet. 

I wish you all the best in your journey. 

--gina

Thanks Gina! I really appreciate you sharing that with me. I couldn't help but laugh when I read the part about people getting up from eating to go throw up! That seems like a constant for me something I've struggled with for a long time. I have also gained all my weight back (lost over 100 pounds) and I'm heavier now than I was before I had the Lap Band! I guess what is hard for me is knowing the surgery is completed, there is no going back. I'm self pay, so I have 50K into this (which seems like a small price to pay for a life time investment in myself) but it's also wrapping my mind around the idea of me worrying about side effects and making sure I'm doing everything right. I feel like there should be a "DS bible rule book" or something - HAHAHA. You mentioned something about probiotics? You seem like a guru on all of this stuff - I'm thankful to have met you! Do you ever eat carbs? And if you do, what happens to you? I'm excited to keep in touch with you throughout my journey :) 

Before I got the probiotics thing figured out, if I ate carbs, I would get terrible gas and loose stools. I guess if I really over indulge the same could happen but to a lesser extent. Now, if I eat too many carbs and continue to do so, I gain weight. I'm still within the normal BMI range but I'd like to be about 10 pounds lighter, which is what I was at my very lowest weight a year after surgery. 

The probiotics I use is a prescription called VSL#3 DS. You can get this in a capsule over the counter but I prefer the powder that the prescription comes in. I just put about a 1/2 teaspoon in my yogurt in the morning and 1/2 teaspoon in my protein shake at lunch, and I'm golden. I sure wish I had known about this stuff from the very beginning! 

I accepted your friend request--thank you. You can see my profile now and there are a lot of "DS Bible" type things in there. If you have any questions just ask.  

--gina

Thank you sooooooo much, Gina!!! I am so excited to be here and really looking forward to learning from all your experiences and wisdom :) 

-Nicki :) 

You're welcome!  :)

BTW, I love the picture of your fur babies in your avatar. We lost the one in my avatar to cancer a year ago. We miss him so much! 

You will find the DS much easier to deal with than the crap band!  And you can eat and live like a normal person.  It will probably be the best decision you ever made.

Hahaha That made me laugh out loud! I really hope so..... I wouldn't be sinking 50K of my own money into myself at this point if I didn't think it was 100% what I NEEDED to do! I appreciate you saying that.... definitely made me feel like I'm making the right decision :) 

I second the mention of getting the DS out of the country.  It would cost you half of that 50k, and that would include your travel costs for you and a companion.  Check out:

Dr. Jao Marchanesi in Brazil

Dr. Gilberto Ungson in Mexico

Dr. Balthazar in Spain

Not to stick my nose in but have you considered medical  tourism? In other words going to another country such as Mexico, somewhere in Europe, India etc for your surgery. Yes your health is worth $50, 000 no doubt but why spend that much if you don't have to? My ins didn't cover WLS either so I decided to go to Mexico. We are retired and have lifetime to stretch our savings out over.

Good luck whatever you choose. I see so many people revising from Lap Bands. Shame the lap bands did not live up their promises.