Pre-ops: Check in please!
A D level of 4?!?!? 
Ditto what others have said: Do NOT have surgery until your D levels are way WAY up. And if possible, find out what's causing that. I'd also highly recommend getting a dexa-scan to see what your bones look like. (IMNSHO a preop dexa scan should be standard. That way you'll know where you started and can have a better idea of whether you're losing bone mass as part of your life-with-DS health maintenance.)
Ditto what others have said: Do NOT have surgery until your D levels are way WAY up. And if possible, find out what's causing that. I'd also highly recommend getting a dexa-scan to see what your bones look like. (IMNSHO a preop dexa scan should be standard. That way you'll know where you started and can have a better idea of whether you're losing bone mass as part of your life-with-DS health maintenance.) 
Hi Diana,
I started coming to this board in June when I read some info on the main board about the DS. I started to read up everything I could find and have decided that the DS is for me. Right now I am still in the process of getting the RNY approved as you had suggested and I am also researching info to appeal the denial of DS for experimental use only. I think each individual has a right to what they think is best for them but I certainly appreciate all the info being put out there for us deciding and being pre-op. I for one thank any and all posters as most everyone seems to be helpful. Those that feel their info is private etc I also understand. I may be calling on you for some help in the near future .
I started coming to this board in June when I read some info on the main board about the DS. I started to read up everything I could find and have decided that the DS is for me. Right now I am still in the process of getting the RNY approved as you had suggested and I am also researching info to appeal the denial of DS for experimental use only. I think each individual has a right to what they think is best for them but I certainly appreciate all the info being put out there for us deciding and being pre-op. I for one thank any and all posters as most everyone seems to be helpful. Those that feel their info is private etc I also understand. I may be calling on you for some help in the near future .
Didi ..... Sleeved and living my NEW LIFE!!!!
Highest WT 381 Surgery WT (367.8) Current WT 236
Highest WT 381 Surgery WT (367.8) Current WT 236
I'm getting my revision soon, and that is because I read the the posts in the "old" surgery wars. Last year and even the year before. Last year I was completely convinced. And because I have had so much trouble with the band after the first year I'm thankful I'm able to have the DS. I just wish I would have known in 2006 about the DS when I went to the Surgeon and asked for help with my weight.
Now, I'm counting the days until I fly to Brazil.
Yeahhhhh.
Now, I'm counting the days until I fly to Brazil.
Yeahhhhh.
It was definitely a surgery war that lead me to the DS back in May. I had never even heard of it before then. I thank God that you guys are still paying it forward or I would have a RNY right now. Instead I am having a DS with Dr. Husted exactly 4 weeks from today!
Thanks for continuing to spread the word!
Thanks for continuing to spread the word!
Getting excited about my future! God is AWESOME! 
HW/SW/CW/GW updated 3/29/11
369/341/194/175
Ooh, me too!
You can blame Kerry and Amanda (RainyDayWoman) for me- it was their information and advice that got me looking into the DS again after dismissing it as an option thanks to RNY-obsessed books and surgeons. I canceled my RNY 3 weeks before my surgery date to re-submit for DS. It was Amanda's patience and help that made me ask her to be my angel!
You can blame Kerry and Amanda (RainyDayWoman) for me- it was their information and advice that got me looking into the DS again after dismissing it as an option thanks to RNY-obsessed books and surgeons. I canceled my RNY 3 weeks before my surgery date to re-submit for DS. It was Amanda's patience and help that made me ask her to be my angel!
Aw, Sarah! 
What can I say, I'm just that awesome?! 
I'm not pre-op, but I'm another person who would have gotten a RNY and I know I wouldn't have rocked it too well. I'm not a perfect DSer but my DS is still working hard for me. And had I not read some great surgery war posts, I would have never really looked at DS as a viable option.
I have to admit, the first time I read about DS, I thought the DSers were a bunch of big fat eating liars. You eat butter, rich steaks, and top it off with cheesecake now and then and lose a ton of weight? I momentarily wondered if some of the posters on here (Val, Lori, Julie, Kayla, Diana and MANY others come to mind) were naturally thin people pretending to be DS successes! And who has the avatar that's just a stick of butter? That's who I need to thank, it's definitely that avatar that got me seriously poking around this forum.
What can I say, I'm just that awesome?! I'm not pre-op, but I'm another person who would have gotten a RNY and I know I wouldn't have rocked it too well. I'm not a perfect DSer but my DS is still working hard for me. And had I not read some great surgery war posts, I would have never really looked at DS as a viable option.
I have to admit, the first time I read about DS, I thought the DSers were a bunch of big fat eating liars. You eat butter, rich steaks, and top it off with cheesecake now and then and lose a ton of weight? I momentarily wondered if some of the posters on here (Val, Lori, Julie, Kayla, Diana and MANY others come to mind) were naturally thin people pretending to be DS successes! And who has the avatar that's just a stick of butter? That's who I need to thank, it's definitely that avatar that got me seriously poking around this forum.
Hello Diana,
I have wanted WLS for years, but I had BC/BS of KS, which has a total exclusion of all WLS. I was anxiously awaiting getting Medicare (due to being on disability long enough), since I knew it covered WLS. I just got Medicare this month. I went to a seminar here in Topeka, KS for Tallgrass Surgical/ St.Francis/ Turning Point in April, and I remember the surgeon who was presenting going through and describing a bit about each WLS available from this surgical group: 2 brands of bands, the RNY, and "Biliopancreatic Diversion with or without Duodenal Switch." About the BPD/DS, I remember her saying something like it is recommended to our largest patients, and that a side effect was stinky farts. (I now know that the doctor who made that presentation doesn't to the DS herself, but she has colleagues who do, though I hope she misspoke about the BPD WITHOUT DS being available; why would that even be offered, when the DS going with it is so superior?) I do remember her putting up bar graphs that showed a comparison between the three main types of WLS they offer, showing the average level of effective weight loss being proportional to the level of either risk or invasiveness, something negative like that. She didn't disparage the DS, but it still didn't register with me very much. I had gone in wanting to go with one of the bands, and I think that was how I left. I picked up papers from their table there, and one of them listed relevant websites, and it included obesityhelp.com, so I came here. My memory is sort of cloudy about this part, but I think I went to the main board and lurked, probably around late April, and I don't remember if I was reading surgery wars or not, but I think it was your signature line that drew me to come check out the DS board, and that is where I have mostly stayed since. I just lurked for ?a few weeks, and then joined the boards in May. I've had to remind myself to check out boards besides just the DS one, since it is so DS-promoting here, but this is the surgery that I think is for me. I'm not sure yet if I'll go with a local surgeon who has only recently taken up doing the DS or be able to afford to travel to Dr. Anthone one state north for his extensive experience. My psych eval is scheduled for the end of this month. Thank you for all the information you provide here!
I have wanted WLS for years, but I had BC/BS of KS, which has a total exclusion of all WLS. I was anxiously awaiting getting Medicare (due to being on disability long enough), since I knew it covered WLS. I just got Medicare this month. I went to a seminar here in Topeka, KS for Tallgrass Surgical/ St.Francis/ Turning Point in April, and I remember the surgeon who was presenting going through and describing a bit about each WLS available from this surgical group: 2 brands of bands, the RNY, and "Biliopancreatic Diversion with or without Duodenal Switch." About the BPD/DS, I remember her saying something like it is recommended to our largest patients, and that a side effect was stinky farts. (I now know that the doctor who made that presentation doesn't to the DS herself, but she has colleagues who do, though I hope she misspoke about the BPD WITHOUT DS being available; why would that even be offered, when the DS going with it is so superior?) I do remember her putting up bar graphs that showed a comparison between the three main types of WLS they offer, showing the average level of effective weight loss being proportional to the level of either risk or invasiveness, something negative like that. She didn't disparage the DS, but it still didn't register with me very much. I had gone in wanting to go with one of the bands, and I think that was how I left. I picked up papers from their table there, and one of them listed relevant websites, and it included obesityhelp.com, so I came here. My memory is sort of cloudy about this part, but I think I went to the main board and lurked, probably around late April, and I don't remember if I was reading surgery wars or not, but I think it was your signature line that drew me to come check out the DS board, and that is where I have mostly stayed since. I just lurked for ?a few weeks, and then joined the boards in May. I've had to remind myself to check out boards besides just the DS one, since it is so DS-promoting here, but this is the surgery that I think is for me. I'm not sure yet if I'll go with a local surgeon who has only recently taken up doing the DS or be able to afford to travel to Dr. Anthone one state north for his extensive experience. My psych eval is scheduled for the end of this month. Thank you for all the information you provide here!
Thank you all for your kind advice, I really do apprecaite. I was on prescription Vitamin D till the level got way back up and now I take an over the counter Vitamin D daily and my level is holding in a good normal range. My GP believes my band somehow caused the problem even though I explained to him that the band is not suppose to do that, he believes it has since I was fine level wise before I had the band.
Thank You all again for your wonderful advice!
Thank You all again for your wonderful advice!
Checking IN! I went to my seminar almost 6 months ago, and researched/lurked here for a year. I have seen several "surgery wars." I ruled out band as an option at the seminar. Here's exactly what happen. The surgeon who was doing his "part" of it, asked, "Do we have any post ops in here tonight." A man stood up, obviously NOT obese and was apparently with his pre-op spouse and had an amazing story of triumph. His surgery was RNY.
Then another man stood up, obviously obese and said, I used to have a lapband. He explained he'd lost a great portion of weight, but had to have it removed during an emergency slippage and gained all the weight and then quite a bit more back.
I can say that I was happy about 2 things that night as I left. 1. I could completely rule out the band 2. I wasn't the surgeon in front of the audience at that podium sweating bullets.
I feel fully informed and nothing can take the place of real life experience. So I have spent a many night opening post, after post, reading the good, bad and ugly of EVERY weight loss surgery. That Dr at that seminar couldn't have told me more than the man who stood up and spoke about his RNY, or the other man whose band failed.
WHY do you think they push the aftercard groups?? Because, WE end up being our OWN best encyclopedia for WLS.
Then another man stood up, obviously obese and said, I used to have a lapband. He explained he'd lost a great portion of weight, but had to have it removed during an emergency slippage and gained all the weight and then quite a bit more back.
I can say that I was happy about 2 things that night as I left. 1. I could completely rule out the band 2. I wasn't the surgeon in front of the audience at that podium sweating bullets.
I feel fully informed and nothing can take the place of real life experience. So I have spent a many night opening post, after post, reading the good, bad and ugly of EVERY weight loss surgery. That Dr at that seminar couldn't have told me more than the man who stood up and spoke about his RNY, or the other man whose band failed.
WHY do you think they push the aftercard groups?? Because, WE end up being our OWN best encyclopedia for WLS.
5'1 HW 298 CW 118
"Making America skinny, one slap atta time!" -Slap Chop Dude
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