Seeking Insight: Please Help!

Hi there,

I sent you a PM! Thank you very much for reaching out!

~Kelly

I had a virgin DS, so I can't help you with most of this, but I did travel to Mexico to get it.

Yes, the DS is a demanding surgery and so it is the rare surgeon that take the time to learn it and even rarer to master it.   But why on earth would the fact that a surgery is easy to do make it better for the patient?  We are truly spoiled by the industrial revolution that we assume we should access to the best of everything locally.  If you were having a somewhat rare brain or spinal surgery you would assume you would need to travel to the best surgeon and not take the local yokel.  

Mexicali Bariatric had me stay six days so that they would have time to do leak tests to be sure everything is fine.  I don't know if they have revision people stay longer, I would think that they have *very* definite opinion on this, as would your NY surgeon.   I would do what they say.  I remember my time there mostly as being SERIOUSLY board out of my mind.  I didn't feel well enough to read, so no books or the internet, only TV and that got old really quickly.  It was all about taking walks when ever I was up for it.  I was seriously ready to come home. 

The trip back was long.  We had a ~two hour drive to the airport and then I had a ~three hour wait for my flight, which was about ~four hours long and then ~two hours until I was home.  From the advice I had from these boards, I requested a wheelchair and I was very thankful for it.  It was much more comfortable than the airport chairs for the wait.  Once we landed in Seattle though, it would have slowed us down, so we ditched it and I was fine walking through the airport and dragging bags etc. (No picking them up though.)   I had my husband with me and I don't remember if I could have done it alone or not, I'm very thankful I didn't have to.  I hadn't taken any pain medicine since my first day after the surgery, except I did take preventative doses for the trip home. 

If I had to do it over again, I would do it the same way.  None of it was a problem.  I'm not sure if it wasn't a better/safer experience than doing it locally and getting thrown out of the hospital after 48 hours and then having to go back for tests.  

Good luck!

you poor thing, first stay away from RI, CT and MA they dont do the DS and often get it confused with jejunoileal bypass which is no longer performed due to the many health issues and DS has replaced it, but illegal seriously that means it is contrary to law, that surgeon is an idiot.  You would be going to lenox hill to have that surgery make sure you get the true DS and not the SADI, you need selective fat malabsorption, of which you dont get with SADI or its various names.  good luck with your conversion 

fyi - I replied back via IM

Hi Kelly,

I admire your tenacity, well power, and courage to want to continue to do something for yourself in order to make a better life for yourself.  Like one of the supporters above state do as much research as possible.  You definitely want to get the right surgery, and the right doctor.    From reading over years, getting the wrong inexperienced doctor to make your life a living nightmare.  I love my doctor, however he is here in the south.  I was out two days later, however, keep in mind the DS was the only surgery I ever had therefore rebound was at a higher ratio.  Plus again, DS effects everyone differently.  There is no straight shot answer in how its going to effect you.  Everyone body is different.  I am out five years and I can say the malabsorption has slowed down, I look good, but I have noticed that there is NO MAGIC pill or surgery.  DS just helps and more forgiving.  I have no regrets at all.  IT will make your more aware of the changes in your body, and you will just have to adjust according, that could be a change of vitamins and supplements.  However keep in mind, when you get the DS you sign for life on keep up with your daily needed dosage of protein, vitamin an supplements. 

Good for you for this option!

Hi All,

I thought I would update everyone on where I am in the process. Dr. Roslin and I were able to connect on the phone last week. I give the man credit, he called me at 8:00 PM from his car. Unfortunately, based on my RNY surgical report from June of 2000, he feels I am not a candidate for a DS revision because I am "undivided". Basically, my original doctor never transected the pouch from the discarded stomach. He said even if I were divided, he would only revise to an ERNY. While I was disappointed with his answer, I still reached out to my peers on the Duodenal Patients Facebook page. Many of my peers there felt that a lot of RNY'ers were not transected and there are revision doctors that do not share Dr. Roslin's opinion. 

So with encouragement of a friend, I reached out to Dr. Ayoola's office and I am scheduling a call with him this week to talk about my options and to get a second opinion from him. He feels confident he can help, but needs more details from me. We will review my upper GI results and operative report together to see what he thinks. I haven't become disheartened. I know everything happens for a reason and I am anxious to see what Dr. A has to say. Thank you all for your continued support and advice.