Hindsight is 20/20. Would you choose DS over another surgery again?

The Dr. you have listed does not do the DS and it is very common for doctors that don't do the surgery to recommend something that they do, very common.

My D level pre-op was<6. My iron is holding with supplements. I was B12 deficient pre-op also.

I would not have had any surgery at all if I could not have the DS (VSG was not offered then). I could have had RNY paid for 100% right down the street from my house but I chose to self-pay and fly thousands of miles to get it done.

I would get a 2nd opinion from a vetted DS surgeon. The link to DS Facts is in my siggy line.

Michele

ETA. OH cut off half my post..ggggrrrr

How do I change the doctor I am listed under. I need to make a correction. Can you help me? 

Click on 'my account' at the top of page, then click on 'my journey' on the left hand side, (almost all the way down). I believe you can change your surgeon info there. Well, I hope. lol.  I haven't had to do this since 2005.

 May I ask what VSG is?

I would have the DS again in a heartbeat. I have seen other people at my doctor’s office that had RNY and struggle with anemia and D issues. My secretary and my boss have D issues with no weight or WLS issues at all. My mother and grandmother struggle with anemia and I did pre surgery. My iron has actually gotten better since surgery probably because I am better at taking my supplements now. If for some reason I could not have the DS the only other surgery I would get would be the sleeve. I waited 5 years for my DS when I could have had a RNY or Lapband and it was worth the wait.

A surgeon who doesn't do the DS isn't about to recommend it. And if this is your pcp, and if he/she is like almost every other pcp, they don't know anything about it.
     As others have said, many, many people are low on Vit D. They just don't know it because they haven't been tested for it. You have the advantage of knowing, and you can easily get this corrected pre-op with just about any Vit D product. As a post-op, I take the dry D 50,000 units daily, which you can purchase either from Vitalady or from the manufacturer (bio-tech). My levels are far better now than pre-op.
    Anemia - very common in women. Start taking iron now and if it's significant, fiind out the cause and get it corrected. Having said that, most Ds'ers do need iron supplements, some need infusions. However, this issue is about the same, maybe even a little worse, with gastric bypass, so there is no advantage to you in having gastric bypass if anemia is a concern.

Larra

Get on VitaLady's plan before your DS to up your deficiencies. It is possible, so don't worry as most of us are low on D pre op due to our obesity. Be sure you find a vetted DS surgeon to work with you, not against you. Don't settle...ever.

Your current deficiencies are easily corrected and should not be a barrier to getting a DS in the future. Make sure your calcium and PTH are in good shape because you do not want to go into this surgery with a calcium problem. It is well worth the wait to get your levels optiimized prior to surgery because playing catch-up is not fun.  Once you are where you need to be, you will not regret getting a DS. There plain isn't any other surgery that even comes remotely close. Look at the crap-band and RNY forums (and revision forum) and see if you want to go through any of that. The sleeve may only get you partially to your goal and then there is a good chance of regain a few years out.  You probably know the motto - think twice but cut once.

The DS is a big surgery that takes a lot out of you but for me, it hasn't been painful or terribly uncomfortable. My take on it is I'd rather have this surgery now than something worse 10, 15 or 20 years from now. I understand open heart surgery is considerably worse and I am fairly sure I was headed in that direction. I was also mildly diabetic so if it wasn't heart surgery, I am sure it would be something else just as terrifying. The DS is a breeze compared to what could have been. Would I do it again? I have guaranteed myself no heart disease, no diabetes (and everything that goes with it), a decent weight and I have considerably reduced my chance of getting cancer. I think getting the DS was a small price to pay to guarantee myself freedom from all that.  Yes, I would do it again.  No, I would not ever consider any other surgery because it could not deliver the same results.

Go to dsfacts.com and find yourself a vetted surgeon. I cannot stress enough the importance of a very qualified surgeon. Watching these boards for almost three years now I can always tell which surgeons are very experienced and which are not. The lesser known (or completely unknown) surgeons always have a higher complication rate. You don't want to be part of their learning curve.  Pick someone who you see recommended on this board. Ask us. We will tell you the good, bad and ugly.  Your surgeon can truly make all  the difference in how well you recover.  If you have to travel, then travel. I went across the country to be treated by the very best surgeon who has over 1,700 DS surgeries under his belt.  It made a difference.

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8+ years out, taking iron infusions and 50K IU of vitamin D3 supplements.  Labs are great, and I would do this again in a heartbeat.