Update
Well just to let you all know we are both still alive. We are both still anemic, I am still 140 my wife has gained a little to 143 from 130. She has had iron infusions I haven't she has developed osteoporosis, we both of course have low HGB, my legs haven't grown back. Just letting people know that as you grow older more and more problems keep poppiing up. My wife is now 64 and I am 66. Seems like the older we get the more we regret this surgery but good luck to you all.
Hi,
sorry to hear you guys are having issues. I'm just have a sleeve but am thinking about a revision. But things like this make me panic. Couldn't you get a revision of the switched intestines? Your stomach will always be small but at what point do people consoder reversing the switch part of the d.s?
I hope you both find a way to rectify your health issues soon.
This is a very sad bad case. And it is not the norm. It's the only one like this I am familiar with.
You weren't around when all this happened but what you should take away from it is to use a vetted, real DS surgeon with a good reputation. And get the real DS, not some hybrid surgery he dreamed up.
Well just to make you aware this surgery at least the surgical report from both of us was sent to a reputable surgeon and he said that it seemed like a normal BPD-DS on both of us. This was before Heap started doing his experimental versions. So that was not the problem what was the problem was no aftercare and no instructions of what we needed to do till it was too late. The only instructions we were given was take a multiple vitamin. That worked great as long as our bodies were living off of our fat but after that is when things started to go bad and we didn't know why. The doctors here even though it is a fairly good sized city do not use this operation and have no experience and didn't really find one till the one who saved my life. He is willing to do the revision but not sure about it for me because I am high risk from my heart. This operation works no doubt about that but it is non reversible. I think another less drastic surgery would've been more in line. So this is the real DS. Had I been on the regimen I am now form the beginning it is possible that this wouldn't have happened but once you get beyond a certain point and your body begins living on your muscle mass things can go bad really quickly. I came back from the malnutrition and went from 120 lbs to 174 using the supplements and have kept up with that but began losing weight again I am now at 140 and have been able to maintain that for a couple years. After my heart surgery I started going downhill again, before that I was really pretty good even without my legs but the heart surgery really knocked me for a loop.
I know that some people seem to thrive with this surgery but the one thing you should remember about this surgery is it is not reversible. They can lengthen the common channel mine is 75cm my wifes is 100cm. She has been gaining weight even though she doesn't eat a lot, I can't gain weight. I can gain maybe 3 lbs but then I lose it again. 140 is where I seem to stay. Right now I'm sort of faced witha dilemma of whether I want to chance having a surgery to lengthen the common channel or just live out my life the best I can. I am high risk for surgery because of my heart, my cardiologist seems to think it would probably be alright although I would need some further testing on my heart. I also have other health problems from smoking which are irreversible but they are better since I quit smoking 5 years ago. All I am saying is before you have this operation consider the alternatives that give you the choice of actually reversing things if need be. I can't grow a new stomach. This surgery is final while it can be revised and go through the whole thing again, it can't be reversed. I think there are alternatives that should be considered. I wish I had had one of those but you will never absorb the things you need for the rest of your life. Sure people say go get infusions, take handfuls of supplements take 3 protein drinks a day but it becomes more like a job then some magic bullet to not be fat anymore.
Even with that said, it's more than just taking a few pills and some protein -it's about learning to advocate for yourself with doctors, if something is going "wrong" to find the right doctor.
I remember someone on here would often say (probably Diana) that prior to getting the DS, surgeons should give an IQ test. I think she had a point. If you cannot learn to read labs, medical research, and advocate for yourself with doctors-than this is not the surgery for you.
Patngin. We all acknowledge your experiences.....no one is saying it is your fault. We have told you the same information though for a long time (i looked through the message post history).....and you have asked the same questions repeatedly. I'm not trying to burn you....just recognize that your message is important, but at the same time your experience is rare....and we (as a group) have expressed many questions about the way your surgeon did the surgery.
Scott
Well you are wrong, while it's true the surgeon did not give us any info on what could happen according to the operative report ii is the classic DS you can argue all you want about it not being but Heap didn't start doing his mini DS until after we had our surgeries. I'm not saying he is a good doctor by any means but he gave us the classic DS according to the operative reports that we received from the hospital where they take place. All I'm saying is now there is a lot of info about this surgery but still many doctors know nothing about it and don't do it. In 2001 this surgery was a very new type of WL surgery and very little was known for the long term. I don't appreciate you calling me a liar about the surgery. The older you get the more problems you will have.
And another thing it may be a good surgery to lose weight but be prepared in later years to take 3 times the supplements normal people take and when they stop working having infusions because your body will no longer absorb enough by mouth. I shouldn't have come here cause it ****** me off every time of people like you saying it is a great surgery maybe it is but when you get older and Medicare no longer wants to pay for some of the procedures that need to be done to keep you is some similance of health then go for it.
And you should have been taking 3x the number of vitamins than a normal people take from the very first week after surgery. I am very open that I spend about 100 dollars per month on Vits. And maybe 200 or 300 extra on protein rich foods a month. It's not been cheap.
This is hard for you. I'm sorry about that. You really shoudl get counseling ....a disappointment like this can be really devistanting. Having a place to vent your anger would be a good thing for you-obviously you are trying to vent some feeling on this site...and that can work, but don't expect people to not ask questions.
The biggest issue is KNOWIng what you need. What is required from you in this process. You are right surgeons didn't prepare their people well enough for surgery-and sometimes still don't.
