Hindsight is 20/20. Would you choose DS over another surgery again?
I would absolutely choose the DS over another surgery again...and again...and again.
However, if it were not an option, for some medical reason, I would have chosen the VSG simply because it is the first step of the DS - and then I would have worked on getting the second part of the DS at a later date.
You are going to have to supplement with ANY WLS, period. You simply won't be able to eat or absorb enough vitamins and minerals not to, no matter what surgery you get. I think you need to be working on getting your Vit. D and iron levels up NOW. I was Vit. D deficient as a pre-op (most of us are), and I started supplementing six months prior to surgery to get my levels up. I don't know who your surgeon is, but I almost feel like he may be a "bait and don't switch" surgeon?!?! What's his DS history??
However, if it were not an option, for some medical reason, I would have chosen the VSG simply because it is the first step of the DS - and then I would have worked on getting the second part of the DS at a later date.
You are going to have to supplement with ANY WLS, period. You simply won't be able to eat or absorb enough vitamins and minerals not to, no matter what surgery you get. I think you need to be working on getting your Vit. D and iron levels up NOW. I was Vit. D deficient as a pre-op (most of us are), and I started supplementing six months prior to surgery to get my levels up. I don't know who your surgeon is, but I almost feel like he may be a "bait and don't switch" surgeon?!?! What's his DS history??
~Heather~
HW: 249/ CW: 130/ GW: 140
Can't opine the DS part of the question other than managing deficiencies is goign to be about the same with VSG as DS. If you have issues with iron or Vitamin D, you still have to take supplements with VSG. I became iron deficient about 6 months post-op because my multi didn't have iron. I took an iron supplement for a while but no longer need it with a good multi.
re: vitamin D deficiency, along with supplements there are dietary steps that can help that are very compatible with DS or VSG. For example, Swiss Cheese is the only cheese that contains Vitamin D. It can't be the ONLY source of D any more than it can protein or calcium, but I try to get the most bang for my buck, so to speak, out of food choices. Swiss is also is the best source of calcium and protein out of all the cheeses. I eat 2 1/2-3oz virtually every day. Eating fish helps as well -- the more 'fishy' the fish, the better. Sardines, Mackeral, Salmon, are probably the best sources. I prefer the 'white' fishes and eat a good bit of cod, grouper, and tilapia which are good sources of D if not as good as the uber-fishy fishes.
I live in Florida, so vitamin D uptake related to sun exposure is easy to get year-round. Having said that, I also wear sunscreen 24/7/365 since skin cancer is pretty much at epidemic levels down here. Some UVb surely gets through (hence my overall base tan), but, again, I was out in a tank-top, shorts, and flip-flops this morning working in the yard. If I didn't live in FL and I had vitamin D issues, i would probably be less agressive with my sunscreen. Not a doctor, just saying for me personally. Also, I don't know if this is possible in the frozen northlands, but I do get up from my desk and do half-mile walks a couple of times a day at work. That provides short (10 minute) sun-exposure during daylight hours. Lets face it, even down here we go to work when it's dark and come home when it's dark in the winter. I started the walks post-op to help prevent blood clots, but I find them to be a very important part of not just my physical but mental health these days to get up mid-morning and mid-afternoon and just go for a quick, fast walk.
re: vitamin D deficiency, along with supplements there are dietary steps that can help that are very compatible with DS or VSG. For example, Swiss Cheese is the only cheese that contains Vitamin D. It can't be the ONLY source of D any more than it can protein or calcium, but I try to get the most bang for my buck, so to speak, out of food choices. Swiss is also is the best source of calcium and protein out of all the cheeses. I eat 2 1/2-3oz virtually every day. Eating fish helps as well -- the more 'fishy' the fish, the better. Sardines, Mackeral, Salmon, are probably the best sources. I prefer the 'white' fishes and eat a good bit of cod, grouper, and tilapia which are good sources of D if not as good as the uber-fishy fishes.
I live in Florida, so vitamin D uptake related to sun exposure is easy to get year-round. Having said that, I also wear sunscreen 24/7/365 since skin cancer is pretty much at epidemic levels down here. Some UVb surely gets through (hence my overall base tan), but, again, I was out in a tank-top, shorts, and flip-flops this morning working in the yard. If I didn't live in FL and I had vitamin D issues, i would probably be less agressive with my sunscreen. Not a doctor, just saying for me personally. Also, I don't know if this is possible in the frozen northlands, but I do get up from my desk and do half-mile walks a couple of times a day at work. That provides short (10 minute) sun-exposure during daylight hours. Lets face it, even down here we go to work when it's dark and come home when it's dark in the winter. I started the walks post-op to help prevent blood clots, but I find them to be a very important part of not just my physical but mental health these days to get up mid-morning and mid-afternoon and just go for a quick, fast walk.
Carolyn (32 lbs lost Pre-op) HW: 291, SW: 259, GW: 129.5, CW: 126.4
Age: 45, Height: 5'2 1/4" , Stretch Goal: 122 
I had VERY low iron levels and vitamin D levels prior to surgery. We got those up, then my potassium tanked so I had to take high levels of that just prior to the actual surgery, but I got everything copacetic in time.
Right now I'm spot on for all my labs, except my iron is actually a snidge high for some reason.
It's not a huge deal, I've noticed... just involves slightly changing up what giant fistful of pills I take each day. It gives me variety!
If I couldn't have a DS I'd have gone for the sleeve or nothing at all. I'd dismissed surgical solutions as nothing I'd be interested in after seeing such horrible results from friends having the RNY. Yeah, they were skinny, but they looked like grey skinned coat hangers and their skin tone was absolutely horrid.
Admittedly, I'm only a year in with the DS, but people always say I look healthy compared to anyone they've met with a 'normal' surgery. Most people actually say they'd have never guessed I was ever overweight to begin with.
Of course, they haven't seen my saggy butt, flat boobs, and giant bingo wings... but I'll take compliments where I can get them!
Right now I'm spot on for all my labs, except my iron is actually a snidge high for some reason.
It's not a huge deal, I've noticed... just involves slightly changing up what giant fistful of pills I take each day. It gives me variety!
If I couldn't have a DS I'd have gone for the sleeve or nothing at all. I'd dismissed surgical solutions as nothing I'd be interested in after seeing such horrible results from friends having the RNY. Yeah, they were skinny, but they looked like grey skinned coat hangers and their skin tone was absolutely horrid.
Admittedly, I'm only a year in with the DS, but people always say I look healthy compared to anyone they've met with a 'normal' surgery. Most people actually say they'd have never guessed I was ever overweight to begin with.
Of course, they haven't seen my saggy butt, flat boobs, and giant bingo wings... but I'll take compliments where I can get them!
Most Active
Recent Topics