Revision to DS

I am not sure where to post these questions about my DS now.  I'm still in the liquid diet phase, soon to graduate to mushy.  Surgery was 7/28/15.  

When I went to class ahead of surgery for food diet info, we were all grouped together (RNY, Sleeve, DS and me Revision to DS) so my info was the same.  (Educator newly in position and don't think she has dealt with any revisions.)  I understood at that time my stomach would be the same (2 oz size).   I didn't get a lot of  "Rules for DS"  or I feel "DS Guidelines", so I feel in the dark here.  

Being a revision, I since called my surgeon (abt a week out) and among other questions, What size is my stomach now?  I asked about it being 2 oz, as I was trying to just eat that amount.  He said, No - yours is like a banana. You can eat much more because we don't want you to lose too much weight.  (I wish the answer was in ounces).  My revision was from RNY in 2007, so I know protein first would probably carry over and be the same for the DS, beyond that... kind of lost. 

Help?  Guidelines? Rules?  All or any or direction to good website would be helpful. Thank you!

who was your revision doc ? I would get a copy of your OR report as it will state what size bougie was used and then you can google that to get an approximate size. 

That is a good idea to get the OR report.  Dr. Hilario Juarez was my surgeon and he was wonderful.  I think the educator was new in the position and not a lot of experience under her belt plus especially not a revision.  I think my stomach is probably 4-5 oz.

I think Docs are just unable to quantify the size of your stomach in relation to how much food it holds. I wou;dn't stress over it you will just need some trial and error and that will change as you heal up.

I was a virgin DS but broas strokes may be the same. At first I could barely tolerate 2 oz.  WHen I ate too much my nose would start to run and before I figured out what that meant I usually ate enough to cause me to throw up or get the foamies which are like throwing up but only a heavy fluid not the actual food.

I was happy when I figured I could handle 3 oz and for the months 2 - 6 I just weighed everything to between 3 and 4 oz instead of trying to figure out from my stomach if I was full or not. I eventually got the hang of it after 6 or 7 months.

Sounds liek you may have more room but still you will probably just have to use some trial and error. Absolutely protein first for meals and pay attention to hydration. No matter what they say you do not have to eat low fat. All my groups post-op were mixed and the majority of people were bypass people so you need to double check things here. SOme of the answers are just different and some Nutritionists just don't want to deal with them.

Congrats on your revision.

Thank you very much on your help and encouragement.  I do have a bigger stomach, but thank heavens I haven't thrown up.  My two week post surgery date is today. Yay!  Just feel like I am figuring things out in the dark.  

I revised from an RNY to a DS in May 2015 - so I'm right there with you. My surgeon, Dr. Srikanth, was AMAZING! and the nutrition classes were fantastic! He explained that for REVISIONS only, the sleeve on the DS is about the size of a ring finger, maybe a middle finger, with stretch capacity. Keep in mind we have a much higher amount of scar tissue as well, even though the sleeve is larger. And the malabsorbative part is significantly more than with RNY.  I can eat anywhere from 2-4 oz of solids or semi solids, and up to 8 oz of liquids, within a 30 minute period. He suggested that the sleeve is larger than a typical pouch, so measure 2-4 oz until you can eyeball it. Solid foods, particularly chicken and steak, are not foods I tolerate (the pain, the vomiting....just not worth it!). But a couple of small meatballs, seafood (especially good fish) and eggs/dairy are my protein sources. Since surgery, I'm down around 50 lbs. But, I had between 90-110 lbs total to lose, so I may be considered a lightweight. I still am in the honeymoon phase as well, and with the exception of a 6 WEEK stall, I'm losing about 2-5 lbs a week by eating protein, using protein supplements, and taking all my vitamins (I love Celebrate for multivits, they are actually edible, cost effective, and I only need 4 instead of 16 per day!).

Hope that gives you an idea, and helps!

Misty I am considering revising to a DS from a sleeve with Dr Srikanth. I haven't made an appointment with him yet, but I am curious about your experience with revision using him. I used a different surgeon originally to get my sleeve, so I'm wondering if Srikanth would even take me on. Does he make you feel bad about being a revision patient or was it hard to get a revision covered? We have blue cross blue shield through Boeing and I don't quite understand if they cover revisions or not.

I would highly recommend him. He and his NP, Kristen, made me feel like a normal human being. I had a VERY difficult procedure, and he really is the only one I would trust. He is very thorough, and strict. Expect a TON of pre and post care- he has rules to follow. His team dealt with my insurance ( I was approved with lots of documentation within 2 or 3 weeks). I would meet with him, see if his team can answer some questions, see if you are a good candidate. And use St. Francis. They are much more attuned to his quirks. 

If you don't mind me asking, what was your bmi when you had the DS? My bmi currently is only 35 and my insurance requires it to be at 50. I'm wondering if Srikanth and his team would be able to fight them so I can get the procedure I want. I guess I do just need to call them. I found out today my insurance through Boeing no longer covers bariatrics so I would have to switch to something else that has deductibles, so if I switch I want to make sure they can do what I want first. lol

I was at 40. Now, I'm at 29. I really recommend Dr. S. Best decision I have ever made!