WOW TOOTERVILLE!!!

Hey La, Dont' do what i did....i went shake buying crazy before surgery and ended up wasting money. Bottom line is that our tastes change after surgery, while it's only temporary (mine went away in about 3 months) I wasted 100 dollars on protein shakes I never drank, because I couldn't stand the taste. If you are having the RNY you might want to avoid the atkins shakes, they are really high in fat compared to most protein shakes, and some RNYers dump on fat in the beginning. Plus, as i posted to linda, they are really high in calories if your not malabsorbing the fat, they have 170 calories per serving which is on the higher side for most protein drinks. The powdered ones I had, all ranged about 100 to 120 calories per serving. Now on the DS side of things, because you expressed your desire for the DS, I will say this (normally i'd mind my business). But the DS is not meant just for the super morbidly obese, but there are a lot of light weights (esp. women) who have had the DS and do extremely well. The only requirement is being 100 lbs over weight. Actually, my wife is considering the DS even though she is just 100 lbs overweight. She sees the way I can eat, how I've adopted the montra "fat is my friend" in my eating, and she actually refused to have the RNY, even though her insurance would have paid for it, we'll have to go through appeals for her insurance to pay for the DS. We've talked about her about getting the vertical sleeve gastrectomy because her insurance will pay for that, and that is the top 1/2 of the DS, but she wants the full DS. If you are intersted visit the OH DS board, and post to find women that were the same size as you are now. You can also do that on www.duodenalswitch.com Again, have the surgery you feel comfortable with, but if you want the DS, then go for it. I really don't even feel like i've had weight loss surgery, I can eat anything, and i do mean anything. I'm 6 1/2 months out and last week I lost 7 lbs. To me to be this far out and still able to lose 7 lbs in a week is awesome, esp since i'm eating 1800-2000 calories a day. Scott

Hi, Scott, thank you for the FYI. I also posted on the DS board to get some input about questions I do have about the surgery. I have made a visit to the duodenalswitch website as well. Found countless success stories and photos of women in their journals from start to finish (holding a baby in their hands!). I have the same insurance as you I believe..Oxford. I know they will approve the RNY and LapBand, as well as theVSG, doesn't say anything about the DS. Would you know anything about Oxford's take on the DS coverage? Thanks. La~

Hey La, Oxford covered my DS with no problem. Actually my doctors office said they were one of the easier insurance companies to deal with in general. I had telephone approval within 2 days of my Dr. Roslins office submitting my paper work. They didn't require a 6 month supervised diet, all they needed was a letter from my PCP saying I had tried several weight loss programs, a letter from doctor Roslin, a letter from the nutritionist, and a letter from a psychologist. I have to be honest, I couldn't have lived with the RNY. Granted, if it was the only weight loss surgery available, I would have had it (or if my insurance gave me a hard time about the DS, i would have gone with the RNY). But the fact is that i wasn't thrilled with the prospect of dumping, or getting a stretched out stoma, or vomiting on a regular basis, or worrying about ulcers, etc. Again i would have faced all those things rather then have stayed obese for the rest of my life, but thank God, I had a surgery option that better suited me. Is the DS for everyone? Definitely not, but it was a much better fit for me then any of the other WLS's available. Scott

Hey Linda, Nope, no bathroom issues....i go 2-3 times in the morning (ok TMI i know but it's really just one long BM, but i'm impatient..lol), and thats it for the rest of the day. As for the Atkins shakes, they are a bit expensive, because they are premade. They have 2 grams of net carbs per can and 20 grams of protein. I personally like them. Most powerdered mixes have whey protein, and why gives me gas, so i avoid those types of things, but I don't have any problems with the atkins drinks. Depending on where you buy them they cost about 5 dollars for 4 so about 1.25 a serving, which is a bit on the pricey side for protein shakes...but they are good on the go. The only thing is they do have a lot of fat and a lot of calories per serving as far as protein shakes go. They have 9 grams of fat, and 170 calories. Since i don't absorb most of the fat i eat, i drink these liberally, but for someone with a RNY or a VSG, it might be something that you want to watch. Slim fast makes a pretty good low carb shake too, it's about the same price, and i think it has less fat. I actually would buy the slim fast ones myself (they taste a bit better), but I'm able to buy the atkins shakes at a discount right now though a place close to my house. Scott