15 years post surgery
Hello everyone. I spent a lot of time on this board before deciding to have surgery. Everyone was so helpful, and I decided to drop in today to tell you a bit about my experiences. Had to change my username, since I couldn't remember mine.
I had surgery in 2009 with Dr Gary Anthone, in Omaha, Nebraska where I was living at the time. I believe he left his practice during Covid, but he was great, and I credit him with literally saving my life. Twice.
Pre-surgery, I was 320 pounds, with super high blood pressure and was getting less and and less mobile. My primary care physician expressed her concern that I might not survive another year. That started my search for solutions. Dieting wasn't working. I had lost over a hundred pounds multiple times, but every time that I reintroduced real food, I would gain it back, plus even more. I wanted a permanent solution, and the more I researched the Duodenal Switch, the more promising it sounded.
My first grandchild was born in late 2008, and I immediately contacted Dr.Anthone. I refused to be the grandmother who couldn't get down on the floor and play. I had my surgery January 13th, 2009. I count it as the first day of beginning my new and improved life.
I followed the doctor's orders to the letter, ate low carb, high protein, and took extra supplements suggested by successful longterm members of this board. Weight loss was immediate, I was off hypertension meds in less than a month. At three months post surgery I was walking two to three miles per day, and actually enjoying it. At six months I was running, but the reality was that my knees and hips were so damaged by all the extra weight I carried for years, that I had to go back to walking.
My goal weight was 165 pounds. I hit that and kept losing slowly, stabilizing at 140. That put me in a size 10, and I maintained that for several years, but in 2013, I conracted sepsis, and was hospitalized for several weeks, too sick to eat solid food, and when I was discharged I weighed 120 lbs, way too little for my height. Eating enough to gain weight was a struggle and I ended up with a blockage of my intestines. Dr Anthone did the repair surgery, and told me that it was caused by not having any interior fat to hold my intestines and organs in place. I was lucky that the twist was in my biliopancreotic limb, as that allowed him to remove the dead intestine without making me even more malabsorptive. I believe he actually increasd my common channel by about 10 cm.He also repaired a large hernia, which required a horizontal incision across my lower abdomen. It meant they had to remove my panni to stitch me closed as it was too heavy. I left the hospital at 110 lbs, with a flat tummy, and no navel, as it had to be removed along with the umbilical hernia. Recovery from this was much worse than the DS surgery, and I had to add some carbs to my diet to get back to a healthy weight. I recuperated at my daughters and my 3 and 4 year old grandkids, brought me yogurt and snacks and reminded me frequently that I needed to eat enough to get healthy so we could go to the park again. Couldn't have done it without them LOL.
I eventually made it back above 140, and have remained there ever since. I eat healthy carbs in moderation, and occasionally splurge on something totally sugar based, or enchiladas, or whatever sounds good, but if I see 145 on the scale, I go back to what works and it drops to 140 in a few days.
I have never been hungry since I had the switch. Very rarely, I will feel a little bit empty, and that usually means that I am behind on water consumption. If that doesn't cure it, then I eat, because it's no big deal. For 50 years food was either my best friend or my worst enemy. Now it's just fuel. No emotions involved.
My biggest concern Pre-surgery was bathroom issues. Fortunately, my post surgery normal isn't bad. Breakfast is two pieces of bacon or sausage, and in half an hour my bowels move. Twenty minutes later, another bathroom visit, and I am done for the day.
I also still can't eat as much as a "normal" person. i eat half a chicken thigh and a bit of veggie and I am done. I get the sniffles and it's time to quit. If I stuff in one more bite, I will have hiccups. After that, can't eat or even drink for an hour. If I do, I will vomit, and with a gastric sleeve and a hiatal hernia I can't do that. If I do my stomach can slide up through my diaphragm and get stuck in my chest. It's painful, and all I can do is take a.muscle relaxer and wait for it to slide back down. The doctors can't do surgery to fix this. Surgery involves putting stitches into the stomach and tacking it down. I have no spare stomach to put the stitches in. I just have to eat slow, and stop when I sniffle, and it's all good. And a restaurant meal has enough leftovers for usually four more meals, so it saves me money.
Despite all these years of supplements, I do have osteopenia. I think it has more to do with being 70 years old than with the surgery. I get a bone density scan yearly, and if it looks worse they can prescribe Prolia, which works well for me. It will raise my density by a few percentage points, and I will be good for another couple of years.
This has turned into a novel. Sorry.I'm still passionate about this subject
TL:DR Not once in 16 years have I regretted having the Duodenal Switch. Not even for a minute. The only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I live a full active life, my health is great for my age, and I would do it all over again.
Good luck to those of you at the beginning of your journey. I wish you well
Jo
