Surgery choice at Madigan

Hi! I've finished the pathway at Madigan - I'm just waiting for a call from Pam to set up my appt with her and schedule my consult with a surgeon. When I first started my WLS journey, I was wanting to get the RNY done - now that I've gone through the pathway and done some more research, I'm leaning more towards getting the DS done instead. I'm 5'2, 262 lbs - no major co-morbidities. I have borderline high cholesterol, iron deficiency anemia and PCOS - those are my only issues. Do any of you know how difficult it will be for me to get the DS? Now that it's getting closer, I'm just worried that I won't be able to lose all of the weight with RNY (because of PCOS), and the statistics that I've seen show that the DS is a better long term solution. I only want to have surgery once - I know that WLS is a tool, I just want to pick the right tool out of the tool box, know what I mean? lol

Thanks in advance for your input!!
Megan

when u get to your first pre op appointment with the surgeons they will give u all the choices.  then they will tell you what is best for you and help you get the results you want.  so don't worry about it because there will be a time when that is decided with you .   you don't have to know now. when you meet the surgeon they are gonna go over all of that with you.  i have my surgery friday  the 23 today i pre op all day long.  i orginally wanted the sleeve now i am have the rny because it is what is best for me ..  let me know how it goes and don't forget those support groups.       shannon

Your surgeon will help you decide what the best surgery is for you.  In my opinion the best surgery is the one with the "diet" lifestyle that you can live with long term.  Go to both boards and lurk, look at what people are eating- what appeals to you more now?  Then there is the vitamin regimin, the RNY has a lot and the DS has even more.  Are you good at taking medicine when you are supposed to?  I though I was good at it but every day it is real work for me to remember all my vitamins. 

Good luck and I am sure you will make the right choice for you!

You are almost my stats. 5'1", 262. I normally weigh around 110-115.

I have a distal RNY, so a pouch like RNY, but the same intestinal arrangement as the average DS.

You'd be wanting to fix your iron deficiency before you go in, though. And the vit D deficiency we all have.

I don't know the Madigan system, just throwing a voice in there for major malabsorption.

Thank you for all of your input.

I am good about taking my vitamins. I've been anemic for a while now, and have been on iron supplements for over a year. I got pregnant back to back - my boys are 11 months apart. I became anemic during my second pregnancy and haven't been able to "fix" it since then. My levels aren't super low, but they haven't really changed over the months. They said that my ability to absorb iron isn't that great either. My PCP was tossing the idea around of iron infussions after surgery, depending on what my levels do. Although it's something I want to talk to the surgeon about once I meet with him. I'm not sure why I haven't been able to get my iron levels to increase. I take a prenatal vitamin every day and an extra iron pill, plus a vit. c to help with absorption. I don't know if it's something that runs in the family or not, but my mom is anemic and my grandma and great grandma were also, to the point of needing weekly iron shots. (Don't know if they even still do those?)

Vitalady - our stats are very similar. You look fantastic - I hope that I can have the same success! I just have a hard time wrapping my head around 110-115!!! I've been obese since childhood. I weighed 100 lbs in the 3rd grade at 8 years old. Weighing 115 just blows my mind!! My goal weight is 130 - which would put me at the high end of a normal BMI. I will go lower if I can, but again - I just worry about making it to 130! I haven't heard of a distal RNY before - although that sounds like it could be a good option for me also. I just can't wait to get in to talk to the surgeon about it!! I have so many questions, he's probably going to kick me out! 

Which iron are you taking? I was anemic my whole life until after my WLS! I found the right iron.

They will not offer you a distal RNY. But you can certainly ask about a DS. It's the closest to what I've got that is available today.

Are you near me in Puyallup?

Right now I'm taking 324 mg Ferrous Gluconate in addition to my prenatal vitamin. (They said that the prenatals had more iron than regular vitamins) The pharmacist  I met with at Madigan gave me some liquid iron drops (ferrous sulfate) and told me to take 4 dropperfuls (2 ml) per day after surgery. I have to admit that I'm not looking forward to it though, I tried it and can barely get it down now. yuck!

I'm definitely planning on asking for the DS, I just hope that the surgeon agrees!

I actually live on post here at Ft. Lewis - so not really too far away from you.

I saw that you have several types of iron on your website - which would you recommend? I'm really wanting to try to get my levels under control before surgery if possible.  The kind that I'm taking now doesn't seem to be doing it for me.

OK, so basically, not getting much iron at all. The prenates do have more iron. Canceled by calcium. Lots of folic (good), low dose ADEK (bad) and so on.

We always say you're taking pre-nates for the doc, but the rest of the vites for you 'n baby.

Well, you don't need to worry so much about the fe sulfate drops. fe sulfate is the least well absorbed, stains your teeth and is otherwise unpleasant. And you don't get results.

I do have a place here in Puyallup, indeed. See your PM