Here's my issue and I'm scared! Revised to a DS in 2013 from a rny. Rough recovery but I healed and have maintained my weight loss with in a 10lb range 10 years out. (400 down to 175) I've taking vits and over the years had few labs with lower calcium. In 2016 they had me do thyroid biopsy but they were fine. Had elevated blood calcium but 24hr urine test showed to be normal. In 2020 I had a scan and it showed osteopenia. My PCP didn't really seem concerned and just said we will monitor. I kick myself for not pressing for more info. This last year I noticed some aches and pains and my stomach area was more pronounced. I chalked this up to being older or post menopausal. . Then my family noticed bad posture and my leaning to one side when I first get up in the am. I then started reading and realized it's probably progressing. I can't put my head against the wall when standing against it Rounded shoulders. I made an appointment with a rheumatologist, is this correct? I'm sure they will do testing and go from there. As far as the meds I'm assuming DS patients can't tolerate meds in the stomach, should I insist on a bone building med first? I want to go in as informed as possible. My mom had osteoporosis, I'm guessing my hunching over some is due to fractures. I'm 53 with teenagers at home. I want to try to treat this the best I can. I want to keep the "widows hump" from getting worse. I do walk for exercise but looks like I might need to add strength training too. I take k1 but guess k2 should be added. I take A, d3, e, and a multi. 1200 mg calcium 2x a day. Lasix for edema. Sorry this is long, there's not a lot of info out there.

I don't know if Forteo is like Tymlos, but I took Tymlos for 2 years and it stopped the bone loss and rebuilt a good amount of my bone. As to checking for copper I dont think anyone checks for it routinely. Checking mine came up due to another lab result. (I don't remember which one). I wish you the best!

Hello to all it's been a long time since I've posted! I've recently gained about 30 pounds, Not sure if my medical issues are the cause of life in general, my new primary Dr has no clue how to handle my thyroid issues, I've been diagnosed with Hashimotos, and pre menopausal, My thyroid meds have been bumped up probably 6 times in the past yr and she just isn't helping one bit, all my labs are great for my DS but my thyroid is literally in the crapper, I am 15 yrs out and I originally lost 180 pounds but creeping these 30 pounds has me in a panic, I would love to be able to have my common channel made smaller and not sure if it's even done or possible? My Surgeon isn't in my state anymore and I have none of my surgery records due to a divorce and loss of my marital home!! Anyone have an insight on what I can do?

The DS (and SADI) are the only weight loss surgeries that require higher fat. I will assume you had traditional DS for explanation purposes, ok? In order for our body to "use" or metabolize fat, that fat must come in contact with Bile, which is produced by our body. If there is no Bile present, the fat is not utilized as energy. So no absorption of the fat and no absorption of the calories from fat. When the surgeon "rearranges" our intestines, it is done in a manner that rerouted Bile around the majority of the intestinal track (small intestine). In a DS, that Bile is reintroduced to the small intestine for only about 100 to 150 cm at the end of the process. Hence, the body doesn't absorb it until then. For a traditional DS, scientific studies documented that a DSer will absorb only 2 in 10 grams of fat. So if I, for example, eat 100 grams of fat in a day, my body will utilize only about 20. (And will excrete the 80 unused grams in my stool). 20 grams of fat is not healthy. The body needs about 30-35, minimum. For brain function and skin and hair and bowel health. So when a Medical professional touts low-fat to a DSer, he/she is actually demonstrating that they don't understand the implication of malabsorption. And in my opinion, actually doing harm to their patient. We as DSers actually need to eat a high fat diet to get that minimum daily absorption level for our body to function properly. Tell me if that makes sense to you. Fats are not the enemy | Bariatric Facts

A Call For Speakers, Inspirational to Educational!

We are currently accepting speaker submissions for the 2023 ObesityHelp National Conference! Our mission is to provide education, empowerment, support, and inspiration. If you are as passionate as we are about our mission, we would love to hear from you!

Conference Dates: Friday, September 15th and Saturday, September 16th, 2023
Location: Costa Mesa, California

Click here for more information and to fill out your application!