please help, ?'s about vsg vs ds

Hello,

I'm scheduled for my sleeve on December 8th. lately I've been wondering if I'm making the right choice. I'm revising from sleeve to band due to band complications.  The questions that I have are related to just having restriction.  I've had 2 people that are close to me question if this is the right surgery.  They both have said that they are surprised that I'm not thinner as I dont eat very much as it is.  This is true to a point.  I've kept a food journal and most days I eat around 1200-1600 calories but I've still managed to gain back all the weight that I had lost with the band.  to be honest, there are days when I dont eat healthy though.  I have a hard time keeping protein down but its very easy to get down creamy soups, ice cream etc.  Even with that, I'm still not eating high calories.  So..... do I maybe need something that is malabsorbtive like the DS?  I'm afraid of going that route, I like the sleeve because it doesn't "re-route" you.  Maybe I'm just getting nervous about the upcoming surgery.  I just dont want to be one of the poor people who get the surgery and then end up not loosing weight.  I know that I'll need to get back in the right frame of mind for eating post op.  I did really well eating with the band for the first few months until I started having spasms, reflux etc.  My surgeon is very strict, sugar free, clear liquids for 10 days preop, then sugar free clear liquids for 4 weeks post op.  I remember from last time that being that long on sugar free clear liquids basically gets rid of any sugar cravings that you might have.  Any thoughts that you have on this would be greatly appreciated, from the vsg to the DS people. 

Hey I know you are seeking input from our vsg and ds group but I wanted to share with you my experience.  I know surgery type is a personal choice.  I was up in the air between the lap-band and RNY.  I discussed my eating choices and habits with my surgeon thoroughly to make sure I was selecting the right surgery for who I am.  After telling him that I LOVED food......ALL KINDS of food he steered me towards the RNY simply because I needed the ability to get sick from the food choices that were not right for me....IE dumping.  I don't dump for the most part from TRYING those not so good for me choices, however, if I over indulge I do get sick which helps to steer me away from those choices or if I choose them I eat them in moderation.  I know if I would have chosen the lap-band I wouldn't be where I am today!  What I would suggest is that you sit down with your surgeon and discuss IN DETAIL and VERY HONESTLY what you have been making for food choices.  Tell him your fears with the DS.  He knows the benefits of both surgeries and would know what would give you the best outcome.  Armed with that information you can make the BEST choice for you.  I know the idea of a malabsorptive procedure is scary for many people but sometimes it is the best choice for certain types of eating habits. 

Ditto what Heather said. Talk to Dr S and tell him your fears about your metabolism being too slow to work a restrictive-only WLS. The DS usually almost always, resets the metabolism but only you and your doc can determine if you can live with the pros and cons of each surgery. Living with DS isn't as scary as some surgeons try to make it, they stress the worse case scenarios for some reason. Dr S has a very good reputation as a DS surgeon on the DS board. You can do a little research on your own at www.dsfacts.com . Great web site. Good luck with your decisions.

--gina

thank you for your responses.  I will check out the ds web page and think I will have to sit down with Dr. Srikanth on Monday and discuss all this.  I really appreciate the help that this board is always willing to give!

Hi Dawn,

I think I have the slowest metabolism around.  I was finally put on thyroid meds in August.  My losing history is only a few pounds a month, but somehow I'm getting closer to my goal.  I understand what your apprehension is an a few times i wondered if I might have done better with malabsorption, but in the end I never really wished that I did.  I think the Sleeve is a wonderful tool if it's used properly.  We all lose at a different rate, but the truth is that the weight comes off eventually.  I haven't read about very many people that the Sleeve failed them.  I think in the end it's what we do with it.

What I always say about the outcome is... let's see where we all are in 5 years and then we can talk about success rates etc.

Good luck on making your decision!  :)

Thanks Lee. I do feel the most comfortable with the sleeve surgery. It's what my "gut" is telling me is the best one for me.

We have very similar stats. Do you mind if I ask how tall you are? I'm 5'5 and I weighed in at 244 in September. I'm around 234 right now and I start my preop liquids tomorrow for 10 days then surgery on the 8th. I'm ready to get this started. I had all my last "treats" today and I have to say that I didn't even really enjoy what I ate. I believe that I'm just ready to get on with the new me.

Hi I have been one of the lucky sleeve ones! I will be 1 yr out Jan 9th. I lost all my weight within a 6 mo time. I wont say it wasn't hard, it was. For me food isn't a issue any more. And to be very honest I am horrible, other than my daily activity I don't exercise at all. Only because I am a "closet sleever" I didn't tell anyone except my husband and mom. For me, the weight came off so fast I was afraid to exercise and have it come off even faster! I love my sleeve, I love not being hungry at all. I am a new person inside and out. I decided to have my surgery and set it up with in a few months time, I have never been happier. I say go with with your gut and you will be fine....just make sure you follow ALL your Dr's rules! Take care!