Contemplating revision but need some input
Hi all. I was sleeved in Feb. '09 and lost from 355 down to about 175. I had never been happier but now 2 pregnancies later (1 miscarriage and 1 healthy 10 month old baby) I am back to 265 and miserable. I struggle sooooo hard to get any weight off at all and then I blink and its back on. I am so disappointed in myself and I just feel hopeless. I want my smaller clothes back on soo badly. I have a friend who is abouthe size that I used to be and she borrows my skinny clothes and it breaks my heart in two to watch her walk around looking all cute in clothes that used to fit me :( So.....out of a feeling of complete desperation and failure here I sit considering a revision. Actually the way my surgeon billed my insurance it would simply be the second part of my sleeve but I was convinced I would lose it and keep it off with just the sleeve. My questions are these......
1. Are you eventally able to go out to eat in a group and not stick out like a sore thumb? I would like to be able to go out and eat with my husbands co workers without them ever knowing about my wls. I can do that now with the sleeve but can you do that with the ds?
2. With the malabsorbtion do you have to make sure you are near a bathroom when you eat?? If you aren't in a position to be able to use the restroom do you just have to wait and be hungry?
3. Pregnancy.....is it safe with the ds? I had a healthy sleeve baby but obviously the malabsobtion would make a significant difference. I will talk to my dr about this but just want to know if anyone here has had a healthy ds baby. I might like to have one more at some point.
4. Is it easy to gain weight back? It has been waaaay to easy for me to gain weight back with the sleeve and I am at a point now where I was pre-sleeve. The only difference is that I can't eat quite as much at one sitting as I used to but the restriction is not what it should be.
I remember being active on the sleeve board and getting tired of the same questions all the time so I read through several posts and saw some related answers but not these specific ones so I allpreciate your patience with me. Thank you for your input and your time!
1. Are you eventally able to go out to eat in a group and not stick out like a sore thumb? I would like to be able to go out and eat with my husbands co workers without them ever knowing about my wls. I can do that now with the sleeve but can you do that with the ds?
2. With the malabsorbtion do you have to make sure you are near a bathroom when you eat?? If you aren't in a position to be able to use the restroom do you just have to wait and be hungry?
3. Pregnancy.....is it safe with the ds? I had a healthy sleeve baby but obviously the malabsobtion would make a significant difference. I will talk to my dr about this but just want to know if anyone here has had a healthy ds baby. I might like to have one more at some point.
4. Is it easy to gain weight back? It has been waaaay to easy for me to gain weight back with the sleeve and I am at a point now where I was pre-sleeve. The only difference is that I can't eat quite as much at one sitting as I used to but the restriction is not what it should be.
I remember being active on the sleeve board and getting tired of the same questions all the time so I read through several posts and saw some related answers but not these specific ones so I allpreciate your patience with me. Thank you for your input and your time!
12 pounds lost pre-op. Actual starting weight 355.
1. Eating is normal, you just eat smaller meals just like with your sleeve. One thing is you'll want to avoid carbs, flour and sugar. Some folks have issues with sugar alcohols...your mileage may vary.
2. I go to the bathroom once or twice in the morning before work and I'm done for the day. The stories about needing to be close to a bathroom all the time is BS told by people, and some of them medical people, that are clueless about living with the DS.
3. We have quite a few post-DS babies. I was at a get together this weekend and there were 2 post-DS babies there just in my neck of the woods. :)
4. Much harder to gain back a lot of weight. Carbs will do you in but that's about it. Some folks see a 10 - 20 pound regain after 5 - 8 years. I've known of a couple of DSrs that had a lot of regain but have been able to lose most of it and they were something like 10 years post-op.
I hope this helps.
--gina
2. I go to the bathroom once or twice in the morning before work and I'm done for the day. The stories about needing to be close to a bathroom all the time is BS told by people, and some of them medical people, that are clueless about living with the DS.
3. We have quite a few post-DS babies. I was at a get together this weekend and there were 2 post-DS babies there just in my neck of the woods. :)
4. Much harder to gain back a lot of weight. Carbs will do you in but that's about it. Some folks see a 10 - 20 pound regain after 5 - 8 years. I've known of a couple of DSrs that had a lot of regain but have been able to lose most of it and they were something like 10 years post-op.
I hope this helps.
--gina
5'1" -- HW 195/SW 187/GW 115 July 08/CW 121 Dec 2012
******GOAL*******
Starting BMI between 35 and 40ish?
Join us on the Lightweights Board!
DS on Aug 9, 2007 with Dr. Hazem Elariny
Congratulations on your beautiful baby!
A few answers for you...I eat out with friends often. I can eat a normal restaurant meal, though I do always have leftovers. I do not need to worry about where the bathroom is.
Pregnancy - not me, but we've seen a good number of women have post-DS babies. Yes, the malabsorption has to be taken into consideration, and you would probably be considered a "high risk" pregnancy. But then again, if you were pregnant at your present weight, that would also be a high risk pregnancy. And that's if you do get pregnant, which is less likely when you are MO.
Weight regain - yes, it can happen with any wls, but the malabsorption makes a huge difference. It is much more difficult to regain large amounts of weight with the DS. The restriction that you start out with with ANY wls lessens with time. With the sleeve, you have nothing to fall back on.
I have never heard of your surgeon as someone who does the DS. I would recommend consulting an experienced DS surgeon, and asking if just adding the "switch" part is enough, or if you need to be re-sleeved as well.
Larra
A few answers for you...I eat out with friends often. I can eat a normal restaurant meal, though I do always have leftovers. I do not need to worry about where the bathroom is.
Pregnancy - not me, but we've seen a good number of women have post-DS babies. Yes, the malabsorption has to be taken into consideration, and you would probably be considered a "high risk" pregnancy. But then again, if you were pregnant at your present weight, that would also be a high risk pregnancy. And that's if you do get pregnant, which is less likely when you are MO.
Weight regain - yes, it can happen with any wls, but the malabsorption makes a huge difference. It is much more difficult to regain large amounts of weight with the DS. The restriction that you start out with with ANY wls lessens with time. With the sleeve, you have nothing to fall back on.
I have never heard of your surgeon as someone who does the DS. I would recommend consulting an experienced DS surgeon, and asking if just adding the "switch" part is enough, or if you need to be re-sleeved as well.
Larra
1.Nobody can tell I've had wls when eating in a group. On the contrary, I get comments like "how can you eat like that and stay so thin?" because I slather things in butter and gravy and enjoy all the high fat goodies.
2. Like the others, I poo first thing in the morning, and that's pretty much it for the day.
3. I've seen several successful DS pregnancies - but I'm done procreating
4. You can gain some weight back, but DS leaves you more control than the others I've seen. The norm is 20 lbs bounce back, and usually it's welcomed. I've seen very few get into any serious weight gain jeopardy.
OHHHH, I doubt that Dr. Schumacher will consider a DS revision, since he only does sleeve, Lapband and RNY, however, look to Miami Valley Hospital for Drs Maguire and Teel. I'm not sure if they will do a revision, but they do the DS.
2. Like the others, I poo first thing in the morning, and that's pretty much it for the day.
3. I've seen several successful DS pregnancies - but I'm done procreating
4. You can gain some weight back, but DS leaves you more control than the others I've seen. The norm is 20 lbs bounce back, and usually it's welcomed. I've seen very few get into any serious weight gain jeopardy.
OHHHH, I doubt that Dr. Schumacher will consider a DS revision, since he only does sleeve, Lapband and RNY, however, look to Miami Valley Hospital for Drs Maguire and Teel. I'm not sure if they will do a revision, but they do the DS.
Valerie
DS 2005
There is room on this earth for all of God's creatures..
next to the mashed potatoes
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