The good news about the side effects is that they are controllable.

Stinky gas and loose stools - controlled by what you eat. Simple carbs, lactose (for some) and other random individual foods (onions for me) cause this. Avoid them and you don't have it. Take probiotics and the smell is about 80% reduced.

Vitamin deficiency - this is hard because we want to trust docs, however the docs really have no clue. They are notorious for giving bad advice - even nutritionists like to bundle us into one WLS file and our needs are very different. Find the Vitalady schedule and start there. I cannot think of anyone who went deficient following that regimen and you adjust dosages as labs dictate. Also learn how to read your labs and take control yourself.

plateaus are normal. How much have you lost?

Is it really a plateau or any you eating st a maintenance level instead of a loss level? How many calories a day and what does a typical days menu look like for you?

It is fairly common with our procedure to have a low ferritin number, correct? My hematologist just retested me (four/five months after my last infusion) and I'm down at a 3 again for ferritin. Now he thinks I need a colonoscopy because I must have a tumor or something that explains my inability to hold on to iron.

So I'm freaking out a little (just hung up the phone). I told him I have been seeing a colorectal doctor regularly because I have anal fissures (created by carrying extremely large babies) that flared up a few months after I had my DS. My colorectal doctor said my fissures are healed up (she checked them yesterday) and I'm doing well. She credits the earlier iron infusions with fixing the fissures.

But if this is just something that some DS patients have to deal with, I could use that reassurance now. I'm happy to go in and get my iron infusions. But now I'm slightly terrified that I might have colon cancer and would have no way to tell if I'm even having symptoms since the DS and the foods I eat have an effect on my bowel movements (the primary symptom, apparently).

I think everyone's experience is specific to them based on your biome, gender, exercise etc.

I eat anything I want anytime I want. About 300 to 400 grams of carbs a day and lots of treats. I'm skinny as a rail but I do exercise now which I hadn't done for many years presurgery. I also make sure my vitamins and nutrition meet minimum standards or better everyday.

If I had to diet or couldn't eat normally, I would not have had the wls.

Jen - I can't talk to your diabetes (fortunately I never became diabetic), but I can talk to the sleep apnea. I had life threatened sleep apnea that was diagnosed several years before I even thought about WLS. It was actually the pulmonologist who first suggested WLS. I also had a co-worker who had just had the RNY and was doing great. I was going to go that route, but her doctor wouldn't take my insurance at the time (thank goodness). My co-worker started gaining about a year after her surgery (she lost about 100 pounds). I did my research and discovered the DS - I knew immediately it was the right surgery for me. Within 6 months of the DS, I was completely off my c-pap and two years out, I had the pacemaker they put in removed.

I don't have chronic diarrhea. You learn how your body reacts to food and you plan accordingly. I have battled some deficiencies - I take lots of D3 but my numbers are good. I have battled iron deficiency anemia, but infusions take care of that. I won't lie - I have osteoperosis. I blame 50% on the DS and 50% on genetics. I also don't take any prescription meds (I do take OTC prilosec once a day but never had a real issue with GERD).

I was 46 when I had the DS (first WLS) -- I'm 62 now. My starting weight was 320 (but I had probably been as high as 340) and this morning I weighed 153.

I wouldn't change anything about the last 16 years.