BPD reversal

I had the BPD/DS 11 years ago in May. I lost a total of 200 pounds, but have regained 55 over the past 5 years. I am scheduled now for a reversal on January 26, 2015, I can't stand the bathroom issues anymore. I worry about bowel control as I age. I sometimes have "bad breath" (no it is not ketosis) and take creon 2-3 times a day to avoid it. This works and makes me think it is from malabsorption and not bacterial overgrowth. I worry some about gaining more weight, but I worry more about staying this way.

Does anyone know anyone who has had a reversal or revision? I am tempted to just reverse as much as possible.

Of course the sleeve portion of the DS can't be reversed. the intestinal portion can be reversed, OR it can be adjusted, meaning that if you are having bowel problems, or excessive malabsorption, your common channel could be lengthened without reversing the intestines completely.

If you are already gaining weight, my expectation would be that if your intestines are reversed you will continue to gain weight. I don't know what you've already tried to improve your "bathroom issues", but that's the trade off with a reversal - weight regain. This is a very personal decision and I haven't lived in your shoes so I can't tell you what to do or what not to do. I only know that if this were me, I would do everything possible to hang onto my DS. I still remember what life was like before I lost weight and I never want to live that life again. I hope you will discuss the possibility of adjusting the different intestinal lengths rather than a full reversal with your surgeon.

Larra

Bathroom issues are very commonly a result of what you're eating.  I suffered through enough thinking it was normal and I was okay with that.  What I learned years later were specific trigger foods that were regular staples in my household.  When I eliminated them from my daily eating - my bathroom issues are SO much better.  I mean -- amazingly better.  The key is figuring out what those triggers were, and for me it was around 8 years to get the biggest culprits out of my system.

• Straight milk
• Onions
• Terriyaki sauce
• Whey protein

Jan 26 is right around the corner.  I know that it is difficult to make changes at the last minute with work, family etc... but I think Valerie is definitely on the money with her suggestion it might be diet related.

I went for years convinced I did not have a reaction to wheat -mostly because every test the doctor ran said I didn't.  Last year in prep for surgery I gave it up completely and felt so much better.  It's been 4 months since I had it.  I had 1/2 a Christmas cookie a couple weeks ago.  Not only did I buy a few day trip to gasville, I had a long stop over in diarrhea city. My skin broke out and I had depression.  Maybe it was just ly time to have the post op blue**** but it just seemed to coincide.  

Maybe you could take a few months and investigate before you reverse?  It might even help you lose some weight.  My primary doc said if I really am wheat intolerant it could have been a huge factor in my inability to lose weight.  He also said I am not necessarily gluten intolerant it might just be wheat.  He said it's hard to figure out if the tests they run don't show up other than an elimination/inclusion diet.  He said my situation is very common - negative test but definite allergy.

Have the bathroom issues always been rough or was there a time in your DS life that they were manageable?  Maybe that's a clue?

I had the Single Loop DS (also called SIPS and SADI) about 8 weeks ago. Under this procedure, my common channel is 350cm rather than the traditional 100cm +/- that a standard DS offers.

So far, I have no real side effects or complications, and minimal to no bathroom issues. You might want to discuss this option with your doctor as it would probably be less drastic and still offer weight loss as part of the package. I think the longer common channel eliminates many of the side effects, although only time will tell for sure.

I'm no help on what will happen. WIth the revision though I assume you will stop taking the Creon. Hopefully that will kind of balance out and you won't be gaining more weight just from the revision.

Good luck,

Pete

congratulations on your 200 lb weight loss, but it sounds like your bowel health, you don't state what issues you are having, but I will assume diarrhea, quality of life is the question.  yes I know someone who has had a partial reversal, common channel length changed,  due to the inability to manage protein malnutrition and very underweight with a bmi of 16.5.   this patient had a cchannel that was 50, and was lengthened to 90 and is doing excellent.  She did try creon  but could not gain enough weight and was still very underweight and protein was still an issue.  Your situation is different as you are gaining weight, have you given thought about possibly gaining back the 200 lbs with a complete reversal, that would be a major concern I would have, and I am not sure of your issues.  Possibly look into Hess method for limb lengths and adjust by your medical issues, if that was not used. Bacterial overgrowth would not cause bad breath, but can cause other issues, one being bowel issues.  Have you tried a prescription probiotic VSL#3DS? It really does make a dramatic difference in keeping your GI system healthy and in balance.  I hope you find some relief soon and you are healthier