Pros and Cons of DS

Hi,

So here is the test:  if you don't have bread, or wraps, you don't care at all about calories, and need the most protein choice, so most salads are not so great for you...what will you eat on the run.  I just got off a flight that served sandwiches and I had not prepared in advance at the airport...and was in London going in and out of meetings for two days...and tonight...I am totally reminder how tricky this can be.  So...to make the test even more challenging...don't consider a packed lunch..but what you would buy on the run.

And regarding the cheese...good idea Michelle.   I am always looking to add cheese or butter to just about anything just to bump up the protein.  Here in Europe I buy this white block of cheese which is about the consistency of Mozzarella. I slice it off on slabs about as square as a cheese slice but half inch think, heat a frying pan very hot with olive oil and grill the cheese very fast on each side. It gets nice and crisp and is really tasty.  So..if anyone finds a cheese in NB I can do the same with, let me know. I tried a few without success..they all melted too much.

And, buy some powered Milk....you can add tablespoons of this to many sauces, lattes,  or what ever to boost the protein in a natural, easy way.  I often do it to my lattes or my gravies/sauces. Or the scrambled eggs with cheese, etc.

So...back to pros and cons.  I just want to make sure people are aware of the cons.  I love my DS..and there are some pretty comfortable pros...but to go into the DS without figuring out how to handle the cons...is difficult.

and final point..the head hunger...I don't "deal" with this at all...I work with it.  Keep peanuts in the cupboards and your purse at all times.  There is never a time that peanuts are sinful.  They are just too healthy for you to be.  Almonds are actually the best, but peanuts are cheaper and easier to find.  I juggle the both.  Check out the protein counts on all nuts...it will help alot to be able to mix things up.

Take Care,
C

Hi Catherine,

Great ideas regarding the powdered milk for extra protein. Do you have any sites that allow for inputting meals to get your daily protein count?

On the subject of crispy cheese *insert Homer-like drools here*, I think that the closest that you can get in NB would be raclette cheese. Raclette forms a lovely crispy crust and doesn't melt into a big mass of puddly goo.

I was so inspired by your crispy cheese that I had to go look up a recipe: www.chow.com/recipes/13675 I wonder if you could substitute feta cheese? And this one sounds like Michelle's idea: www.cottagesmallholder.com/

I lived in Austria for 5 years, and 1/2 year in England. I miss all the different types of cheese and breads that were available there.

Hi Michelle *waves hi*

I was busy doing my exams for a 2nd job, and I passed them so now I have to wait for the next part to come through. Yay! I also managed to kill my back so I wasn't able to sit at the keyboard at home for a while, and I got that stupid flu. So all in all, I was out of commission for a bit. ;-D

I had my sleep apnea test on Halloween week-end, and the hospital said that it would take about a month for the results to come back, so that's the stage I'm at right now. :-) I also have to call Dr. Savoie's office because I was put on high-blood pressure medication since my consultation. I guess I just typed that out as a reminder to myself. :-D

Has Dr. S given any new timelines to any new consultations I wonder? He told me winter time, but I was wondering if that meant January, February, March? My parents are going up to Ottawa at the end of January as I have a new neice coming then, so I don't want to have surgery during that time because I don't want to take away from my brother and sister-in-law's time. Also, I'm going to ahve to freeload off of my parents for a month until I can get around by myself too. :-D

Gah, cheese chips sound wonderful!

Glad to see you still smilin'! :-)

Ummm..crazy question what is DS?

Hi,
Here is the site I used at the beginning to track all my protein til I got used to it. 

http://www.fitday.com

Have a look.
Take care,
C

and to reply to the Princess,
What is a DS?

It is a type of WLS.   When I was looking into WLS, only the Band and RNY were on offer, but I just saw such impressive weight loss results and attractive quality of life post WLS, that I paid for this type of surgery, instead of the free RNY or BAnd.  So this puts into perspective just how keen I was for my DS.

Now in NB, there is the option for Canadians to have a free DS.  I found this description on the Internet

"The BPD-DS
The biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch goes by many names. Some refer to it by the initials BPD-DS. Many call it the "duodenal switch" or just "the switch" for short. The National Institutes of Health refers to the procedure as an "extensive gastric bypass with duodenal switch." While less commonly performed than the gastric bypass, this operation has received a great deal of attention recently, particularly on the Internet, because it provides excellent weight loss while allowing you to eat larger portions than a gastric bypass.

In the BPD/DS, roughly one half of the stomach is permanently removed. The stomach goes from the shape of a small pineapple to the size and shape of a banana. The pylorus, which is the valve at the outlet of the stomach, remains intact. The stomach is then connected to the last 250 centimeters (8 feet) of small intestine. The remainder of the small intestine is connected 100 centimeters from the end of the small bowel, forming the common channel, where food mixes with the digestive enzymes."


One key factor for many is the fact that the pylorus is not changed like with the RNY.  But for me...it was the great weight loss stats and no more dieting that appealed to me.

Hope this helps.  If you look up BPD/DS you can find more.  It is a very serious choice for surgery because the biggest difference between this and other surgeries, is you could not live on food after the surgery...you would just never get enough nutrients ... it would be impossible.  So...you need to eat lots of protein, and lots of vitamins.  For me, eating lots of steaks and burgers is not hard to live with...and I don't mind the vitamins.  But...one has to be very focused on eating properly.

Hope this helps.  It is so important with so many choices that anyone who is having WLS is researching all the options, and being very active in choosing the right one for them.  They are the ones who will live with the surgery for the rest of their life.  No one should go into a DS lightly.

Take Care,
Catherine

Ooh, fitday and I are well aquainted. :-D I used to use when I was low-crabing for a while. I'm glad that is the site that you used because it's nice to go to use something that I'm familiar with, and to know that it works.

DS= Duodenal Switch procedure which is both restrictive and malabsorbtive.  So the stomach is made smaller like a banana and the majority of the small intestines are bypassed - there is a thread back a couple days that gives a really good description.  Hope that gives you a basic explanation.

Since everyone answered your questions below I just wanted to say hi to Keltic_Princess!! :-)

Here's a site on DS if you want more info www.dsfacts.com There is a description of the proceudre and how it is different from RNY.

Bev