Grand Rapids - Dr. Foote - Duodenal Switch?

That's great! You'll really like Dr Kemmeter too! He does have more experience & has performed more Ds's than Foote. Let hubby know you'll be safe in either of these surgeons care!! Good luck at the internists today-if she tries to talk you out of the DS, just nod & smile. The surgeon is the important one to give you a thumbs up-not the internist. You have a TON of support here if you need it!! Keep us all posted!!

Thank you so much Lisa!
I will be sharing all the responses I get with my husband and that will hopefully put his mind at ease (at least a bit). And I'm sure he'll come with me to my appointment with Dr. Kemmeter and I think that will help even more.
I'm getting pretty excited!

Make a list of questions to ask Kemmeter-hubby too! No matter how silly they may seem, ask anyway!

Yep, I have already started a list here on my computer. 

       Hi Angela,


I am a DS patient of Dr. Kemmeter.  I was in Indy for the DS BBQ  (I'm actually still down here -- one of the side benefits of being a DSers is that there are few of us so we tend to get close!), and hope you found the threads on the DS Forum talking about it.  It really shows what the post-op life with the DS is like --- amazing!

I'll just say  *ditto*  to everything Lisa said.  She really put a lot of effort into that response and I agree with every piece of it.  One part that stood out was the comment about Foote & the VSG --- I'll be a bit more forward --- he pushes it and I seldom agree with the reasoning that people tell me he has given them to get one.  I also know too many people that went in for a DS but ended up with a VSG.  There have definitely been medical reasons for this, but in the hands of a more experienced surgeon, I highly doubt this would happen as often as it seems to.  There is no doubt that Foote is a talented surgeon and you would be absolutely safe in his hands, but there was too much doubt in my mind about what I would wake up with under his care.  If I hadn't made the choice of Kemmeter, I would have had the DS in California.

One piece of advice that I give to every pre-op:  get your vitamin D levels tested NOW, as in YESTERDAY!  Most of us are low on D and don't find out until just before surgery when it is too late to effect change.  Once you have the DS, you will not absorb A / D / E / K from foods and will need to supplement.  Keeping your level steady is not usually an issue, but getting it to an acceptable level is a challenge.  If people would tackle this pre-op, there wouldn't be this issue.  Frankly, I think that it is so important, that I think surgeries should be postponed until the D levels are acceptable.  Start supplementing at least 10,000ius of D3 immediately, you won't be sorry if you do this.

Hi Kimberly
Thanks for the message and information.
I just looked at your pictures and you look fantastic.
I hope that we can meet.

Hi Angela,

Thank you!  Needless to say, I am really happy with the results of my DS!

If you want to see some more pics of successful DSers, I met up with at least 30 of them last weekend in Indy.  I have the pics on my Facebook acct.

I am really looking forward to meeting you as well.  When I read this thread, I jumped to the conclusion that it may have been you  (and your husband)  that Lisa S. was planning to meet when she comes into GR for her appt at GHP.  I'm planning on meeting up with her for dinner --- so if by chance this isn't you, please join us!!

Yes, that was me.
I'm still trying to find my way around all the posts........ even lost my own posts for a while.
LOL

Oh, and if you haven't found it yet, check out:  DSFacts.com
There is also a great list there of questions to ask a potential surgeon.

And thanks for the reminder about dsfacts.com
Been there once but will revisit it often.
Thank you.