Pre-ops: Make sure you learn about the DS before you chose your surgery!
My mother traveled from Michigan to Kuwait to get her DS. Okay, she only had to pay for the flight as I paid for her surgery and she stayed with me. But she still dipped into her savings to make it happen.
Elizabeth
Back in the U.S.A.
"I have lost the lumbering hulk that I once was. I don't hide behind my clothes or behind my door. I am part of life's rich tapestry not an observer." Kirmy
On October 26, 2009 at 7:13 AM Pacific Time, TheBigBear wrote:
Paul,Even when I am sucking **** I am still more of a man than you will ever be. Just remember that.
Even when I am sucking **** I am still more of a man than you will ever be. Just remember that.
OMG, BigBear!! Dude, you ARE (emphysis on the are) my WLS hero. This goes in the top 10 most awesome posts I have ever read. Woo ******g hoo!!!
Storm
Yesterday is history,Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift
That is why it is called the present.
Please, when *I* am sucking **** I am more of a man than PLP will ever be.
~ I am the proud wife of a Guatemalan, but most people call me Kimberley
Highest Known Weight = 370# / 59.7 bmi @ 5'6"
Current Weight = 168# / 26.4 bmi : fluctuates 5# either way @ 5'7" / more than 90% EWL
Normal BMI (24.9) = 159#: would have to compromise my muscle mass to get here without plastics, so this is not a goal.
I 
my DS. Don't go into WLS without knowing ALL of your options: DSFacts.com
Ms. Cal Culator
on 10/25/09 9:34 pm - Tuvalu
on 10/25/09 9:34 pm - Tuvalu
On October 25, 2009 at 9:35 AM Pacific Time, Emily51501 wrote:
Im not afraid to endure the complications of the RNY or the DS, my one biggest fear is going through this entire process and invasive procedure with no sucess plus weight regain. Because of this I would like the opportunity to consider the DS as a possibility. My issue is this: I have Mn Medica choice(I know appealing there decision is possible) There are no surgeons in my area who perform the DS, I would have to travel to Minneapolis 3hrs away just to get the surgery plus everytime I would need follow up. I just simply cant afford to do that
This may seem like a silly reason to some but its very real for me. So im hopefully gonna make RNY work to its max for me.My surgery was 3.5 hours--each way--away. But it's not like I'm going steady with the guy!
I went there for an initial exam...for surgery--and hubby and I spent several days in a not-expensive hotel because we were in a not-expensive town so we could do the one-week check-up...then (I think) at one month...then three months...a then six months...and then once a year forever.
So, yeah...the first year involved about five trips in addition to the trip for the surgery itself. It seemed like a lot at the time, but for a lifetime of having to "suffer through" bacon and eggs for breakfast it was a no-brainer.
The reason that three hours away seemed so hard to me was that I was so fat. By two months post-op, I was down 54 pounds and funny how much easier that ride was!
But as far as RnY follow-up goes...many, many--even MOST--RnY people end up depending on their PCP and see their surgeon VERY LITTLE after the initial post-op exams. Surgeons are surgeons, they cut and go onto the next case. They are not the best in the world at the long-term support part of the problem.
I don't know if DS or RnY is better for you. But don't make the commute the deciding factor. Doctors move, you know. Even my surgeon now has an office only 30 minutes from me.
Sue
Follow-up care doesn't necessarily need to be in person or even with your surgeon. Lots of people travel very, very far to get their DS.
More to the point though, if you can't afford to travel 3 hours for surgery, then you probably should not be getting WLS at all. No matter which surgery you have, this is a lifetime commitment to take appropriate supplements, eat correctly, have regular follow up (labs drawn, etc). Traveling a small distance for surgery is peanuts compared to the lifetime cost for DS or RNY.
More to the point though, if you can't afford to travel 3 hours for surgery, then you probably should not be getting WLS at all. No matter which surgery you have, this is a lifetime commitment to take appropriate supplements, eat correctly, have regular follow up (labs drawn, etc). Traveling a small distance for surgery is peanuts compared to the lifetime cost for DS or RNY.
If you have a cooperative PCP, you don't always have to go to your surgeon for everything. My surgeons office works as a team w/ my PCP, requests labs, requests xrays, supplements, whatever, and it works out really well. I am 5 hrs away from my surgeon, and I just did my 3 month check up over the phone. I would have been half an hour away from my RNY surgeon, and been depressed and sad that I chose to have RNY only because it was easier to get it. Truly, spend some time researching, you will see that the DS really is superior to the RNY.
Emilie, mom, wife, Nurse........superhero
It's about the Wow's!
It's about the Wow's!
On October 25, 2009 at 9:35 AM Pacific Time, Emily51501 wrote:
Im not afraid to endure the complications of the RNY or the DS, my one biggest fear is going through this entire process and invasive procedure with no sucess plus weight regain. Because of this I would like the opportunity to consider the DS as a possibility. My issue is this: I have Mn Medica choice(I know appealing there decision is possible) There are no surgeons in my area who perform the DS, I would have to travel to Minneapolis 3hrs away just to get the surgery plus everytime I would need follow up. I just simply cant afford to do that This may seem like a silly reason to some but its very real for me. So im hopefully gonna make RNY work to its max for me.But traveling 3 hours doesn't seem too bad to me. I really wanted my surgeon to be local so I understand not wanting to do it, but there is the option to have follow-up by phone and to find a local support group.
The thing is, these surgeries are for life. So it's important to get the one that you think most directly addresses your issues and whose lifestyle you can live with.
HW - 225 SW - 191 GW - 132 CW - 122
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Yes, it’s high time this subject be brought forward again and it distresses me greatly that SO MANY- not only never knew of the DS, but find themselves lost in a sea of regain, or failure to lose even remotely close to goal with practitioners, and their hired minions promulgating the nonsense that its exclusively the patient’s fault without even so much as a smattering of the unaddressed metabolic challenges that ONLY the DS addresses aggressively and so well. And why MOST OF US found ourselves morbidly obese to begin with! Just as sadly, the self-recriminations come into play with buying into the notion the failure to thrive with adequacy in this endeavor to a fight to health with a poor choice of WLS intervention is entirely the fault of the patient. How convenient these far too often general bariatric surgery hacks, and their lucrive surgery mills help them buy into the this nonsense. I mean, PLEASE... Doing a lap bands on super morbidly obese patients with all the peer reviewed contrary data to date available worldwide is nothing short of malpractice. And let us not even get into the malpractice that is the lack of follow-up with labs and supplementation needed with these RNYs, Bandsters and even VSGs are getting post.
Can’t add a lot to already to what’s been contributed here but that which I have so often seen previously. Been to numerous OH conventions where I witnessed first hand a large contingent of non DS Post-Ops. I was often the only one in attnedance. It was immediately evident that the VAST MAJORITY of the even slightly long term post-ops had not come close to goal or had very significant regain.
The fact is, other then the DS, folks endeavoring to seek other WLS solution sets are faced with the very harsh reality that not only will they be relegated to YET ANOTHER DIET for life which may very well ultimately again FAIL, but are left with FEWER alternatives with revisions few surgeons are truly capable of adequately addressing to convert to a DS.
In large part, I blame these barely adequate general surgeons so called Bariatric experts for consistently LYING to, or FAILING their patients in HONESTLY disclosing the scientific repeatedly, demonstrable peer reviewed data of the obvious superiority of the DS across any qualifying BMIs and virtually all comorbities. But as a moderately center-right conservative, we must also hold ourselves personally responsible for doing OWN research. It kills me so many find themselves on this site only days before their surgery before they have even an inkling of the options afforded them.
Easy for me to state now as a happy consistently normal BMI long term post-op, who will never again have to jump on another diet train, but let me crystal clear. Like the vast majority here- when I first started contemplating WLS, initially in the early 90’s it was ALL ABOUT LOSING THE EXCESS WEIGHT with little regard to keeping it off and the permanent resolution of the Comorbs in the long term. Research made all the difference here.
What a scam as I see it now. How many diets did you try, Diana? Like me, probably nearly all of them, and some several times over. They generally work well for a short time, but here we are or were- endeavoring to risk our very lives as generally higher risk patients morbidly obese or greater to have surgery to correct this issue permanently. The DS gave us that gift and more, but what about the so called other WLS solutions? Can and does work for some to a limited degree even achieving full successfor some, but almost NEVER without a lifetime commitment to what?? MORE F**KING DIETING and to an even GREATER degree- more severe maniacal diet restrictions and exercise in this regard long term as Post-OP.
Me thinks this is the saddest commentary of all. That even in the rarefied air of how we earlier DS’rs came to find our way there (here) amongst very difficult odds for most, and notwithstanding 20 plus years of research and peer reviewed data showing the OBVIOUS SUPERIORITY of DS by several magnitudes over any other weight loss solution set across the board -from so called light weights to the super morbidly obese, that we still must beg folks to do their research and fight WLS surgery mills anDsthe few insurance company hold outs who so often lose on appeal when they try and deny the DS.
When, and I mean WHEN will the public at large see that dieting is NOT the answer to the vast majority of us who are, or were metabolically challenged. And that the other so called WLS’s proffered don’t even begin to address this inherent complexity long-term post as an alternative DS solution? Its bad enough we face so much ignorance on the part of patients desperately seeking just any solution offered for weigh loss, but we also have to fight the disingenuous lies promulgated by the vast majority of Bariatric practices who have no more interest other than lining their pockets with easy barely forgivable lucrative practice that for the vast majority of WLS’s procedures out there can be learned in a couple of weekend seminars.
Did you catch the post on the main board, wherein, a surgeon did not perform a lap RNY and apparently never considered an open RNY procedure, because the patient presented with an enlarged liver. Patient claimed to have lost just shy of 50 lbs Pre-op. While, I’m willing to give the benefit of doubt to the lap practitioner who decided just to close and walk away not having an OP report or been in first hand, or observed the surgical field myself, one can’t help but wonder if this was clearly a case not being able to work outside the routine encounter. Wedded so to lap procedures well after a general surgical rotation, I have to wonder if this surgeon simply didn’t feel competent doing an open RNY procedure? Who knows. I wasn’t there, and should not pre-judge. Notwithstanding this case, but if I were inclined to go back to school and get a JD, I’d make it my life’s mission to go after the WLS surgery mills for any number of causes of action which as lay person seem self-evident. Note, I didn’t state it would be easy. But a number of theories come to mind- which yes... admittedly have not been shepardized. But hey, we're talking the 9th circuit here where anything and everything's possible. Nevermind precedent.
End of rant and enough said.
Rockne
Yes, it’s high time this subject be brought forward again and it distresses me greatly that SO MANY- not only never knew of the DS, but find themselves lost in a sea of regain, or failure to lose even remotely close to goal with practitioners, and their hired minions promulgating the nonsense that its exclusively the patient’s fault without even so much as a smattering of the unaddressed metabolic challenges that ONLY the DS addresses aggressively and so well. And why MOST OF US found ourselves morbidly obese to begin with! Just as sadly, the self-recriminations come into play with buying into the notion the failure to thrive with adequacy in this endeavor to a fight to health with a poor choice of WLS intervention is entirely the fault of the patient. How convenient these far too often general bariatric surgery hacks, and their lucrive surgery mills help them buy into the this nonsense. I mean, PLEASE... Doing a lap bands on super morbidly obese patients with all the peer reviewed contrary data to date available worldwide is nothing short of malpractice. And let us not even get into the malpractice that is the lack of follow-up with labs and supplementation needed with these RNYs, Bandsters and even VSGs are getting post.
Can’t add a lot to already to what’s been contributed here but that which I have so often seen previously. Been to numerous OH conventions where I witnessed first hand a large contingent of non DS Post-Ops. I was often the only one in attnedance. It was immediately evident that the VAST MAJORITY of the even slightly long term post-ops had not come close to goal or had very significant regain.
The fact is, other then the DS, folks endeavoring to seek other WLS solution sets are faced with the very harsh reality that not only will they be relegated to YET ANOTHER DIET for life which may very well ultimately again FAIL, but are left with FEWER alternatives with revisions few surgeons are truly capable of adequately addressing to convert to a DS.
In large part, I blame these barely adequate general surgeons so called Bariatric experts for consistently LYING to, or FAILING their patients in HONESTLY disclosing the scientific repeatedly, demonstrable peer reviewed data of the obvious superiority of the DS across any qualifying BMIs and virtually all comorbities. But as a moderately center-right conservative, we must also hold ourselves personally responsible for doing OWN research. It kills me so many find themselves on this site only days before their surgery before they have even an inkling of the options afforded them.
Easy for me to state now as a happy consistently normal BMI long term post-op, who will never again have to jump on another diet train, but let me crystal clear. Like the vast majority here- when I first started contemplating WLS, initially in the early 90’s it was ALL ABOUT LOSING THE EXCESS WEIGHT with little regard to keeping it off and the permanent resolution of the Comorbs in the long term. Research made all the difference here.
What a scam as I see it now. How many diets did you try, Diana? Like me, probably nearly all of them, and some several times over. They generally work well for a short time, but here we are or were- endeavoring to risk our very lives as generally higher risk patients morbidly obese or greater to have surgery to correct this issue permanently. The DS gave us that gift and more, but what about the so called other WLS solutions? Can and does work for some to a limited degree even achieving full successfor some, but almost NEVER without a lifetime commitment to what?? MORE F**KING DIETING and to an even GREATER degree- more severe maniacal diet restrictions and exercise in this regard long term as Post-OP.
Me thinks this is the saddest commentary of all. That even in the rarefied air of how we earlier DS’rs came to find our way there (here) amongst very difficult odds for most, and notwithstanding 20 plus years of research and peer reviewed data showing the OBVIOUS SUPERIORITY of DS by several magnitudes over any other weight loss solution set across the board -from so called light weights to the super morbidly obese, that we still must beg folks to do their research and fight WLS surgery mills anDsthe few insurance company hold outs who so often lose on appeal when they try and deny the DS.
When, and I mean WHEN will the public at large see that dieting is NOT the answer to the vast majority of us who are, or were metabolically challenged. And that the other so called WLS’s proffered don’t even begin to address this inherent complexity long-term post as an alternative DS solution? Its bad enough we face so much ignorance on the part of patients desperately seeking just any solution offered for weigh loss, but we also have to fight the disingenuous lies promulgated by the vast majority of Bariatric practices who have no more interest other than lining their pockets with easy barely forgivable lucrative practice that for the vast majority of WLS’s procedures out there can be learned in a couple of weekend seminars.
Did you catch the post on the main board, wherein, a surgeon did not perform a lap RNY and apparently never considered an open RNY procedure, because the patient presented with an enlarged liver. Patient claimed to have lost just shy of 50 lbs Pre-op. While, I’m willing to give the benefit of doubt to the lap practitioner who decided just to close and walk away not having an OP report or been in first hand, or observed the surgical field myself, one can’t help but wonder if this was clearly a case not being able to work outside the routine encounter. Wedded so to lap procedures well after a general surgical rotation, I have to wonder if this surgeon simply didn’t feel competent doing an open RNY procedure? Who knows. I wasn’t there, and should not pre-judge. Notwithstanding this case, but if I were inclined to go back to school and get a JD, I’d make it my life’s mission to go after the WLS surgery mills for any number of causes of action which as lay person seem self-evident. Note, I didn’t state it would be easy. But a number of theories come to mind- which yes... admittedly have not been shepardized. But hey, we're talking the 9th circuit here where anything and everything's possible. Nevermind precedent.
End of rant and enough said.
Rockne
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