Postop

I haven’t really had any shakes for many years; the exception being this summer when I had to have a few. Then I went back to what I used my first 2 years which was chocolate Muscle Milk. I liked it bc it was premade and came in small bottles. I don’t think it had sugar alcohols but I’m not 100% sure.

Double check what is in the shakes. See if there are sugar alcohols.

What are you eating? Simple carbs? They tend to make stool and gas smell much worse. I use this for the bathroom. It's great. I carry a spray vial of perfume in my back pants pocket to spray my butt, so if I have gas the smell doesn't linger in my pants. But I almost never have it in public bc I don't eat simple carbs during the day as I don't eat them till I get home. If your family doesn't like the smell, I hope they knew what they were signing up for. TDS 2005

One of the beauties of the TDS is you can eat anything. Just not as much. And if you eat things like too much sugar or simple carbs, you’ll most likely have foul smelling gas and/or stool. Of course, you can have caffeine. You’re also able to take NSAIDs & all other medications - which was important to me, in case I ever needed them. TDS 2005.

Has your Dr. discussed Creon with you?

I wanted the TDS bc I felt it gave me the best chance to lose the most & to keep it off. I eat often. I just ensure it's mostly protein. TDS 2005

I had no liquid phase. Straight to pureed.

Agreed

Dr. Esquerra or Dr. Wilhelmy. They're in Mexicali but that's the only place in MX I'd go for DS.

Did they give you something like Urso to help with GB issues post WLS? Unfortunately, I was given that medication and still needed my GB removed 3 years later.

It took me about 2 years postop till I decided it had been the right thing for me.

When you have a distal bypass more of the intestine is bypassed than a Proximal Gastric Bypass. If more of the intestine is bypassed then more weight is lost through the process of malabsorption. So it's kind of in-between a proximal bypass and duodenal switch.

i went with the second. The first was an intro to what types of WLS there were but then only wanted me to have 1 type and I didn’t want to be boxed in. The second was more open-minded and had a good aftercare program which was incredibly important to me.

I spent over a year researching and working through the fact that I didn't want WLS. My Dr. had recommended it and I was angry about that. It finally came down to me going to different hospitals and attending the presentations concerning WLS. Then some more time writing up a pros/cons list to see what I could live with and what I could not live with regarding having WLS and not having WLS.

Are there any tele support groups you could go to? Is your practice's nutritionist offering telemed? Perhaps either or both of these could help you get back to your "weight-loss mindset". The fact that you lost that 5 pounds says to me that you have nothing to be ashamed of. But something to be proud about. You know what you're doing. You could just use a bit of encouragement.

I have heard of other practices giving them to those who want them, too.

Don't beat yourself up too badly. We all have food issues. That's why we had surgery. I'm not sure which surgery you had, but can you eat protein instead of what you're eating? When I had cravings I would just eat and eat and eat protein. Now, your insides are still healing so I doubt a steak or hamburgers would sit that well, but I'd have to recommend it over what you're eating now.

Sent you a DM.

Every 2-3 months.

@GlamgirlYou haven't failed yourself. You've just had a small setback. The beauty of the DS is you can still eat and eat and lose weight. Eat steak, burgers, nuts, cold cuts, cheeses...don't deny yourself.

@Glamgirl If you're a traditional DSer, the best thing to do is eat lots of protein, low carbs and fluids. That should get your weight going in the right direction.

@Believe2021Traditional DS in 2005: I lost about 45lbs. in the first 3 mos.

I never had one.

I know she’s done the DS for a long time and has a decent reputation.

It can be distressing. I had the traditional DS 15 1/2 years ago and had all those concerns and still sometimes do. I, too, am religious about my supplements which will stand you in very good stead. If there are changes in your blood work you can tweak things with your supplements and head off issues before they become more serious. I am a good deal older than you and sometimes worry about what might be. What I did before the surgery was make a list of the pros/cons of having it. It wasn't a snap decision for me. I waited and researched for 2 years before having any type of WLS. Do you have any of your initial meeting notes that can show you why you picked the DS and why your health is likely to be better now and in the future than if you kept gaining? I think besides going over this with your PCP and surgeon (which I think is a great idea to really get the factual science behind your body and the DS); it's time to speak to a therapist to help lessen your anxiety. I remember the first year postop, I was extremely worried about pooping so much and was that bad for my body? My therapist and I went over the actual benefits of eliminating waste more quickly than holding it so I was able to focus in on that. That's just one example of things I needed to discuss those first few years.