Back again!

Well, it has been almost a year since I was last on.  I took a year to really soul search whether I wanted surgery bad enough to do what it takes to get ready.  I did a lot of research but most of all I watched how my daughter was progressing following her RNY.  All I can say is WOW!  I have spent a lot of time talking to her about her journey and now I am ready.  I have told my surgeon that I would like an RNY instead of the LapBand.  So, I am back in the hunt again, waiting on insurance approval and doing all the pre-op stuff again.  I hope to have a date soon.

Hi there! Welcome back! Hope your pre-surgery stuff and your RNY goes well. I had RNY on August 6th, and since the liquid diet two weeks before surgery, have lost a grand total of 65 lbs! It ain't all roses, but it isn't bad either, considering the outcomes! It took me eight months to jump through all the hoops to get to surgery, but it was well worth it! Hope everything goes VERY well for you! The time actually passes quicker than you may think, and I am an inpatient person when I want something! Good luck! LaNeta

Hello I was wondering if you ever did any research on the Duodenal Switch (DS for short)?  I was all set to have Dr Hitch**** do a RNY on me, untill I discovered the benifits of the DS. It has better long term weight loss than other surgeries and the best part is that you can eat normally and still lose weight. I can literally eat anything I want, without fear of dumping. I have a fully fuctioning stomach ( just smaller) I can eat sweets (just not alot of them) I can eat fried foods and high fat foods without fear of gaining any weight because with the DS, we malabsorb about 80% of the fat we eat.  The only thing I steer away from is high carb foods, mostly because they make me a gassy and with the DS, Carbs are not malabsorbed. My only requirements are to, get in 100+ grams of protein a day, take 1 multi vitamin in the morning and an iron supplement in the evening. I have blood tests taken 2 times a year to make sure I am healthy and also to see if I need to tweak my supplements. There was no 2 week pre-op liquid diet and no post-op diet to follow either. When I left the hospital, I was told to eat whatever I could tolerate and I havn't looked back since. In 14 months, I have lost 200 lbs and have about 20-30 more to go.  Luckily, the closest DS surgeon in this area is in Omaha, Nebraska. I say lucky because Dr Anthone is one of the top DS surgeons in the world.  If you are interested, he has an informational seminar once a month, usually on the second thursday of each month. I live in Emporia and it was worth the 4 hr drive just to listen to him speak. Sorry, I didn't mean to go on and on here but I just like to get the word out about this surgery option. I know it is not one of the popular ones being sold here, but for me, it is the best one period. Let me know if ya have any questions and I will be glad to answer. Good Luck

Thanks for the reply.  I am limited with my insurance (BCBSKC) to either a LapBand or the RNY (open or lap).  With our previous insurance carrier, 2 employees got a BPD.  One is doing really well and is still at goal weight 4 years post op and the other has gained all his weight back.  I initially considered the LapBand and have been approved twice before only to have the surgeons abruptly quit the practice.  My daughter in Colorado then had an RNY with marvelous results.  Thirteen months later she is near goal weight and has had no complications.  That is when I decided on the RNY.  I went to KC Bariatric because they have a solid program with two great surgeons.  I am finishing up my pre-op stuff and I hope to have final approval and a date on the calendar in a month or so.  It has taken me nearly 4 years to get this far with the insurance changes, surgeons quitting etc.  I am happy with KC Bariatric and they are working hard to get the job done. Gene