Less_Is_More

I'm two years out and still losing, albeit slowly. I started at 295 lbs and size 32 pants and 4x tops. Today I weigh 165 and wear a size 12 or 14 pants, medium or large tops. I'm built quite stocky to begin with so my top size won't go below medium (I wore a medium at 120 lbs long ago), and the smallest pants I've ever worn were size 10, so I am happy. If I didn't have all that extra skin around my middle I might actually be able to get into those 10's! lol

I chose the traditional DS because there is no long-term data on the effectiveness of the loop/SADI/SIPS and I'd already made a mistake on the lap band. I simply wanted to go for the tried and true rather than have a still-experimental surgery. This is not to say that the loop is bad. I'm just saying that the long-term data was a big deal for me when making my decision. Please do read the article that dsdesigna linked to on dsfacts - it's quite informative. And... good luck on your journey no matter which path you take.

I had the traditional DS done by Dr Esquerra in Monterrey, MX. His standard time in the hospital is 4 days for a "virgin" DS, 6 days for revision. Mine was a revision; I travelled home immediately upon release from the hospital and was fully capable of negotiating two flights and a 90 minute shuttle ride home without a lot of pain. I worked from home starting the 10th day and felt tired but good. I took a nap during the day which helped quite a bit. Of course, YMMV, but that was my experience. I was fully functional within 3 weeks but if I had it to do over, I would probably allow a full two weeks before attempting to work.

Probably Devrom. It works great for some people and not so great for others but it's worth a try if it's really bothering you.

LOL I know the feeling! I was legendary BEFORE my DS... now I can clear the entire house in 10 seconds flat sometimes. Mostly it's when I've eaten carbs so I am under 30 carbs a day and that's really helped. I also added Probiotics and I eat at least a cup of yogurt a day and that's made it a lot more bearable too. Devrom helps some people too... I've not tried it yet, but I'm planning to try some because I have a cruise scheduled and I'm sharing a cabin with someone I don't really know. I suppose it would be nice to NOT gas them out Also, probiotics have helped me out somewhat. Poo pourri in the toilet bowl helps, as does an air freshener spray called m9. Just remember, poop stinks and the people complaining are probably perfectly capable of opening a window or spraying some air freshener. It's not like you are doing it on purpose.

You will find yourself grossly deficient and sick in record time if you follow that regimen.

My lap band to DS revision is scheduled for October 3rd, so this thread is totally relevant to me too As far as diet goes, I've been told that 12 days out to do two Protein shakes a day and have a low carb high protein dinner. Piece of cake - I've been following that diet since June and have dropped just under 30lbs. The last 5 days I'm to have nothing but liquids and that is going to be a total pain! I'll get through it but I can guarantee you I'm not going to be a happy camper. LOL It will be totally worth it though... My sister in law had a RNY years ago and it really affected her badly so now the family is freaking out saying I'll puke all the time (yeah, like I don't already with this lap band?? lol) and I will be so weak I'll be unable to get out of bed after a few months. I keep telling them that (1) she had some other medical issues that I don't have and (2) DS is a totally different surgery. Still, they're very worried... I'm a bit nervous but I know I can handle the Vitamin regimen and the DS diet is definitely something I can handle because it's what I like to eat anyway, so I guess the real issue is hoping I get over the nausea quickly and lose weight like I should. I am really hoping this does it for me this time because the lap band thing was a total failure - I lost 40lbs and stopped, plus vomiting got to be a thing... and I never found the "sweet spot" for fills. At least I know I have support... that's going to be a huge advantage going forward