Would you do it again?
I think so. You'll have to ask me again if I die of something related to this surgery somewhere down the line as that might swing my opinion :)
I gained from where I am now to my high weight 255 in about 2 years after a messy breakup, the last 50 pounds in less than a year. I had maintained right where I am now for a very long time before that so I sometimes feel like it's a zero sum game.
On the other hand it was a real struggle to maintain it before. Now I'm struggling to get my weight lower because I never lost as much as I'd hoped for. But I could quit trying right now and easily maintain this while eating a whole lot better than I did before surgery when maintaining meant starving myself.
I gained from where I am now to my high weight 255 in about 2 years after a messy breakup, the last 50 pounds in less than a year. I had maintained right where I am now for a very long time before that so I sometimes feel like it's a zero sum game.
On the other hand it was a real struggle to maintain it before. Now I'm struggling to get my weight lower because I never lost as much as I'd hoped for. But I could quit trying right now and easily maintain this while eating a whole lot better than I did before surgery when maintaining meant starving myself.
Duodenal Switch 3/09
HW 255/GW 150/LW 119/122
Absolutely, as long as my option is the DS...as much as I wish I had done it earlier, I'm glad I didn't as my options didn't include the DS.
Liz
Liz
Duodenal Switch (Lap) 01-24-11 | Surgeon: Stephen Boyce | High weight: 250 in 2002 | Surgery weight: 203 | Lowest weight: 121 | Current weight: 135 | Goal weight: 135
Not a chance. WLS broke my life.
The people who are missing on the OH boards are the ones who would NOT do it again. Not too many of them linger around here, since it's all basically in support of WLS.
With that, I'm going to post in the minority. I would not do it again. Don't get me wrong, I loved my surgeon, I had zero complications, no pain, no nothing... and losing all the weight was awesome. Is awesome. I don't need a revision, never will, and it's been almost 4 years of being at a healthy BMI.
If you (like me) are the type of person who is prone to transfer addiction, you need to get your head on straight before surgery. One consult with a psych before you have your insides re-arranged doesn't count. Two or three community meetings at the hospital (if you even need that) also doesn't do the trick.
I'm not talking about people who get all giddy like "sex is my transfer addiction" or "exercise is my transfer addiction." If any of these people were truly talking about a sex addiction, I guarantee you they wouldn't be chiming in on a surgery message board. They'd be hiding.
Me? I'm an alcoholic. A chronic one. I was not alcoholic before surgery. Almost as soon as I started to drink after surgery, which- granted- was several months, I started to drink alcoholically.
It's been hell for my family. I've gotten arrested, gotten a DUI, been to JAIL for a night (so much fun), and been in places that me, as a mother, has no right to be.
I'll go to my death believing that if I'd just gotten my head on straight before I went under the knife, I would've addressed the addiction monster that lives inside me in a different way.
Not drinking is also not necessarily the answer for others with this tendency. Your mind will find something to feed it's need for addiction if that's the kind of mind you have.
My surgeon told me that 30%...THIRTY PERCENT... of her patients go in for substance abuse within 5 years of surgery. And those are just the ones we know about.
The people who are missing on the OH boards are the ones who would NOT do it again. Not too many of them linger around here, since it's all basically in support of WLS.
With that, I'm going to post in the minority. I would not do it again. Don't get me wrong, I loved my surgeon, I had zero complications, no pain, no nothing... and losing all the weight was awesome. Is awesome. I don't need a revision, never will, and it's been almost 4 years of being at a healthy BMI.
If you (like me) are the type of person who is prone to transfer addiction, you need to get your head on straight before surgery. One consult with a psych before you have your insides re-arranged doesn't count. Two or three community meetings at the hospital (if you even need that) also doesn't do the trick.
I'm not talking about people who get all giddy like "sex is my transfer addiction" or "exercise is my transfer addiction." If any of these people were truly talking about a sex addiction, I guarantee you they wouldn't be chiming in on a surgery message board. They'd be hiding.
Me? I'm an alcoholic. A chronic one. I was not alcoholic before surgery. Almost as soon as I started to drink after surgery, which- granted- was several months, I started to drink alcoholically.
It's been hell for my family. I've gotten arrested, gotten a DUI, been to JAIL for a night (so much fun), and been in places that me, as a mother, has no right to be.
I'll go to my death believing that if I'd just gotten my head on straight before I went under the knife, I would've addressed the addiction monster that lives inside me in a different way.
Not drinking is also not necessarily the answer for others with this tendency. Your mind will find something to feed it's need for addiction if that's the kind of mind you have.
My surgeon told me that 30%...THIRTY PERCENT... of her patients go in for substance abuse within 5 years of surgery. And those are just the ones we know about.
"Another day. Another chance to feel healthy."
I think you are right. Food and alcohol are both addictions. Now, that I don't have food to numb me out, my feelings are more apparent and I have to think more about what is really going on. Exercise provides a good release and is good therapy for me. Support groups are also helpful.
Recovery is hard work and takes courage to recover from it. Kudos to you.
Gail
Recovery is hard work and takes courage to recover from it. Kudos to you.
Gail
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