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

Like the others have said, your deficiencies should be pretty easy to correct.  Id suggest getting on the ball right away and start supplementing.  I had labs done in June and my Vit D was at 8.  In 3 months, I went from 8 all the way up to 26 by supplementing.  I was prescribed 50K IU Vit D that I took once per week and then I used 1k IU every day as well.  I probably could have gotten mine even higher by taking higher doses the other days of the week, but Ive still got some time to go before my revision...so Ill have that one under control. 

Do yourself a huge favor and maybe look at getting a surgeon who does all of the surgeries to do a consultation with him/her.  If I was a car dealer who only sold new Fords, I certainly wouldnt be in a good position to sell you a new Honda and keep you as my customer, right?  Same goes for surgeons.   Hindsight really is 20/20.  I wish that I had had the DS the first time around and not gone with the RNY.  But when I go to a surgeon who only did the RNY and Lap-Band, Im not surprised at the result I got when I looked back over everything.  

Don't listen to any doctor but a vetted DS surgeon. Pcps are often ignorant about the DS and a surgeon who does not perform it will not recommend it.

I would choose no other surgery besides the DS.

i have lived with both RNY and DS. It's like comparing a beat up station wagon to a bently.

My RNY left me with many deficiencies, I've had a better time correcting them with the DS. Since I can compare the two and how each has worked for me, I would have gone with the DS, definitely.

Hell, everybody is Vit. D deficient.  As for would I chose another surgery? Hell no, I would have chosen to stay fat before having another surgery.  I wouldn't let any friend or family member have ANY other surgery than the DS no matter their BMI or anything else.  If they simply could not have ANY malabsorption due to whatever strange condition I would go with a VSG but the DS is the first and only choice for 99.9% of people that I know.

I love my DS more every day.  It has changed my life in ways I can't even begin to describe and I have found the love of my life which NEVER would have happened 100+ lbs ago.  I would have stayed in an unhealthy relationship and continued to be fat and miserable.

The DS rocks.

~Becky

5 years out now and absolutely would still have gotten DS.

I've had some issues stabilizing my Vit D at first, but the last 2 years or so have remained stable in the 70-90 range.  I take 1 50k capsule daily from April to September, then at some point in September, I bump up to 2 capsules a day.

I have no idea if (or how bad) I was deficient in D pre-op, because to my knowledge I was never tested for it before.

Good luck

I am going to have a DS with Dr. Kemmeter from GHP in Grand Rapids. I have both low iron and low vitamin D, and they just told me to take supplements to raise the levels before I have my surgery. I asked about iron infusions and they said they want me to try pills first, but if necessary I will delay my surgery and get infusions before I have the surgery. Some of the doctors there don't seem to know much about the DS and try to discourage you from having it. At least that has been my experience. Ask for Dr. Kemmeter as your surgeon as he has lots of experience and explained everything very thoroughly. He also does the other surgeries, too.

Hi Carol. I am seeing Dr. Kemmeter as well. I just got a letter increasing my vit D doses. I guess my hope for a surgery date was too soon.   So, I hope the increase will improve my levels.

Since I saw your post on the VSG board, you may want to calrify here that if you end up without a DS, it will be for a VSG, not an RNY. That sort of changes the discussion a bit  :)