Decisions, Decisions
Who is your doc? Never heard of him and that's odd, there are relatively few DS docs.
The no NSAID thing is for RNY. DSers can take them.
Dumping is a RNY thing too. Yes, you can have wedding cake, butter, peanut butter, steak, and pretty much anything you wish. The first few months are an adjustment. It takes time to get used to your new reality. I can eat anything. I have no more bowel problems than I ever did. I can put splenda in my coffee or anything else I please. Most of us eat a high fat/protein diet and sugar isn't good for us, but it doesn't make us sick either.
My life is painfully normal. No drama, no excitement. I haven't had plastics because I can't afford them. I look like a trainwreck naked but just fine with clothes on. No, I've never had any skin breakdown or rash problems. No way to know what a thin you will be like till you get there. And BTW, the legs in my avatar are mine. The pic wasn't even photoshopped. Even with all the loose skin, I look better than I did as a heavy person. And I most likely will actually live long enough to see my old age now. I'm 56. My only regret about all this is that I didn't have the surgery at 18.
The poop on poop. I go every morning and that's usually it for the day. I don't fart more than the average person and less than many. What I can tell you is there are times when DS poop/farts stink more than an average person's.
My best advice to you is to see a real DS doc and get some straight information. RNY and DS are not the same animal by a long shot.
The no NSAID thing is for RNY. DSers can take them.
Dumping is a RNY thing too. Yes, you can have wedding cake, butter, peanut butter, steak, and pretty much anything you wish. The first few months are an adjustment. It takes time to get used to your new reality. I can eat anything. I have no more bowel problems than I ever did. I can put splenda in my coffee or anything else I please. Most of us eat a high fat/protein diet and sugar isn't good for us, but it doesn't make us sick either.
My life is painfully normal. No drama, no excitement. I haven't had plastics because I can't afford them. I look like a trainwreck naked but just fine with clothes on. No, I've never had any skin breakdown or rash problems. No way to know what a thin you will be like till you get there. And BTW, the legs in my avatar are mine. The pic wasn't even photoshopped. Even with all the loose skin, I look better than I did as a heavy person. And I most likely will actually live long enough to see my old age now. I'm 56. My only regret about all this is that I didn't have the surgery at 18.
The poop on poop. I go every morning and that's usually it for the day. I don't fart more than the average person and less than many. What I can tell you is there are times when DS poop/farts stink more than an average person's.
My best advice to you is to see a real DS doc and get some straight information. RNY and DS are not the same animal by a long shot.
Apples give me killer gas. Bananas don't. Everyone is different.
Other examples for me: Certain breads are okay in limited quantities, others are guaranteed gas bombs with just a couple bites. Worst offenders thus far have been from opposite ends of the bread spectrum: white challah or other eggy all white bread, and German vollkornbrot, which is all cracked whole grain.
I can eat as much really good quality, full fat ice cream as I want in one sitting with no issues. Soft serve and milkshakes are the devil incarnate.
You must use caution with simple carbs of all kinds because they cause both gas and weight gain.
Other examples for me: Certain breads are okay in limited quantities, others are guaranteed gas bombs with just a couple bites. Worst offenders thus far have been from opposite ends of the bread spectrum: white challah or other eggy all white bread, and German vollkornbrot, which is all cracked whole grain.
I can eat as much really good quality, full fat ice cream as I want in one sitting with no issues. Soft serve and milkshakes are the devil incarnate.
You must use caution with simple carbs of all kinds because they cause both gas and weight gain.
Lots of questions, and (now please don't take this the wrong way) you seem to have bundled all the different wls into one bundle as some of your questions are DS vs. sleeve and some DS vs RNY. Thankfully you have ruled out the band.
First, on your surgeon. hey, I HAVE heard of him! He had at least one other DS surgeon who posted here that I can recall, and that patient did well. I would still recommend asking how many he's done.
Your age - I was 53 when I had my DS, also with osteoarthritis, and bmi about same as yours. It was a great choice, and I'm very pleased that your surgeon recommended it for you. This speaks very well for him. I'm also impressed that he and his staff discussed ALL the options - if you only knew how rare that is! - and that they discuss vitamins and protein, though you didn't provide us with specifics.
Now, about the NSAIDs. Completely contraindicated with RNY for life. But with sleeve or DS, we don't have the issues of the blind stomach or the abnormal connection between pouch and small intestine. While everyone should be very careful with NSAIDs and never exceed the correct dose, many of us with the DS take them in limited amounts without problem. If there is something specific about YOU that prompted his advice, well, that's different.
Dumping - very rare, if ever, with the DS. That's a RNY thing. You can have a bite of birthday cake without fear. You can eat steak, butter, bacon, etc. You can use Splenda, I use it all the time. You will find that certain foods cause gas and/or diarrhea. Usually it's sugars and white flour stuff, though really excessive fat can cause diarrhea as well. You will learn what foods do this to you and avoid them, or time them for times when you'll be home, or whatever scheme you devise.
Excess skin - will occur whatever wls you have, as long as your surgery is successful. Usually easy to hide, and most people can control things like skin condition. And the solution? Plastics!
I was in your boat 5 years ago. If I hadn't had the DS, I would at some point have become disabled by my weight. That was not acceptable to me and should not be acceptable to anyone. You have a great reason to go forward with your surgery, I'm delighted that Dr. Cooper recommended the DS for you, and hope you will go forward with it and be as happy as I am with your decision.
Larra
First, on your surgeon. hey, I HAVE heard of him! He had at least one other DS surgeon who posted here that I can recall, and that patient did well. I would still recommend asking how many he's done.
Your age - I was 53 when I had my DS, also with osteoarthritis, and bmi about same as yours. It was a great choice, and I'm very pleased that your surgeon recommended it for you. This speaks very well for him. I'm also impressed that he and his staff discussed ALL the options - if you only knew how rare that is! - and that they discuss vitamins and protein, though you didn't provide us with specifics.
Now, about the NSAIDs. Completely contraindicated with RNY for life. But with sleeve or DS, we don't have the issues of the blind stomach or the abnormal connection between pouch and small intestine. While everyone should be very careful with NSAIDs and never exceed the correct dose, many of us with the DS take them in limited amounts without problem. If there is something specific about YOU that prompted his advice, well, that's different.
Dumping - very rare, if ever, with the DS. That's a RNY thing. You can have a bite of birthday cake without fear. You can eat steak, butter, bacon, etc. You can use Splenda, I use it all the time. You will find that certain foods cause gas and/or diarrhea. Usually it's sugars and white flour stuff, though really excessive fat can cause diarrhea as well. You will learn what foods do this to you and avoid them, or time them for times when you'll be home, or whatever scheme you devise.
Excess skin - will occur whatever wls you have, as long as your surgery is successful. Usually easy to hide, and most people can control things like skin condition. And the solution? Plastics!
I was in your boat 5 years ago. If I hadn't had the DS, I would at some point have become disabled by my weight. That was not acceptable to me and should not be acceptable to anyone. You have a great reason to go forward with your surgery, I'm delighted that Dr. Cooper recommended the DS for you, and hope you will go forward with it and be as happy as I am with your decision.
Larra
Yes, you got it exactly right! MO is a chronic disease, not an acute process. What is the point of a treatment that only works shortterm? The DS has the best statistics not just for amount of excess weight loss, but also for MAINTAINING that weight loss. Losing the weight and gaining part or all of it back not only is purposeless, it would have to be emotionally devastating. We are seeing new people all the time seeking revisions from failed wls and my heart goes out to them.
I forgot to mention in my prior post another difference between DS and sleeve, regarding diet: because DS creates about 80% malabsorption of fat, we can eat full fat foods and still lose weight. With the sleeve, you do have the benefit of normal stomach function like with the DS, but since there is no malabsorption you would need to stick with a low calorie, low fat, low carb diet for life. With the DS, we do need to watch carbs, but not calories or fat. It makes a big difference in food choices and cooking methods.
Stick with us, and let us know what happens this week. And if you have any info on how many DS's Dr. Cooper has done, and if he seems to be headed more in the DS direction, please let us know. We need more DS surgeons.
Larra
I forgot to mention in my prior post another difference between DS and sleeve, regarding diet: because DS creates about 80% malabsorption of fat, we can eat full fat foods and still lose weight. With the sleeve, you do have the benefit of normal stomach function like with the DS, but since there is no malabsorption you would need to stick with a low calorie, low fat, low carb diet for life. With the DS, we do need to watch carbs, but not calories or fat. It makes a big difference in food choices and cooking methods.
Stick with us, and let us know what happens this week. And if you have any info on how many DS's Dr. Cooper has done, and if he seems to be headed more in the DS direction, please let us know. We need more DS surgeons.
Larra