Hi All
Hi! I'm a VSG>DS myself. Wow - 190 down since July?! Amazing! Keep it up!
Diet wise, the biggest change you'll have post-op is extra protein. I went from sometimes doing a protein shake to doing a daily shake of at least 40-45 g of protein. For me, that plus my regular VSG protein-heavy diet seems to be working well, but your mileage may vary depending on your post-op lab work. You might need even more. Do not start the DS diet now - whatever you're doing to have lost that much in eight months is working fine for you! But your loss will probably slow between now and next December or whenever you're having the revision. For some stupid reason I felt I needed to get myself into the extra-protein-shake routine before my revision, and that just meant I was taking in more calories than I needed at the time.
The DS does bring other bowel issues - carbs give me lots of gas, and all the extra fat makes for stinky and oily BMs. I was advised to just avoid cruciferous veggies and high fiber foods for the first month, just while things were healing so as not to put any stress on the suture lines, but beyond that, you'll just need to see what you can tolerate.
I don't do the Vitalady thing. Again, because I had already recovered from the VSG, I did not need to crush or chew my vitamins but for a short post-op healing period, much shorter than with the VSG. Also, your labs should be the biggest indicator of what you'll need and what you don't need. Seems to me a waste to pay for extra vites that come in a pre-pack that I may not even need. I don't mind shopping around, but I certainly understand the completeness and one-stop shopping aspect of Vitalady.
Good luck!
Hi! VSGGrim, I'm a little late to the party but just wanted to say you made a wonderful decision deciding on the DS as your second phase of WLS. I know, because I also did the same! Yes, another VSG to DS'r here!
I waited four years between my VSG and DS; way too long! But, the DS still worked for me even as a very late two stager. It is a very powerful surgery. As a previous poster stated, my diet didn't change dramatically from VSG to DS, but went from being vigilant about eating low carb to now also being hyper vigilant about eating high protein.
I won't sugar coat it; I unfortunately have not had an easy ride with the DS, but I know it was the right thing for me to do.I had terrible post op complications, and have struggled to keep my protein labs up (even consuming 150 to 200 grams protein per day). I have become lactose intolerant, whey intolerant, and cannot tolerate ANY sugar or sugar substitutes. I knew all of these things could happen, I had just really hoped it wouldn't happen to me!
My point being, that even with all this, I know the DS was absolutely the best decision for me. I wish I could have done this when I was 12 instead of 36. What a different life I could have had in my younger years.
The DS is a powerful awesome tool, and if you respect it and take care of it, it can and will change your life. Please stick around and learn all you can about this awesome surgery; even 1.5 years out I am still learning.
Best of wishes in your journey.
