Finding_Stacy

Hi. I'm 11+ years out from a full DS.
I've heard of doctors mentioning the DS (as the second procedure) as something to think about if you don't do well enough with the sleeve (and keep it off) but yours does seems a bit more insistent. I guess he really thinks it will be necessary in your case given what you want to lose. But remember, the decision is ultimately yours. You'll do what your comfortable with. As for the insurance, I know many DSers who want to have that 2nd stage of the surgery within about 6 mos. The reason being is they may lose enough weight that their ins. co. might balk at another procedure & that sleever wants the switch to add the lifetime malabsorptive component.
Today most DSers have it done in 2 steps. Especially if you have a high BMI, it's just safer to keep you on the operating table for a shorter period of time. I'd ask the doctor what length he makes the common channel. Does he use a standard length of: 75, 100, 150? Or does he measure each patient individually? The length will also determine what (if any) types of side effects you may experience.
The DS is more extreme. There is potential for more side effects. Most are manageable if you're careful about what you eat and when. That doesn't mean I don't eat junk. I just had half a brownie. I'm at home now as I wouldn't eat something like that in public. I don't want to deal with the gas and/or stool issues that might occur.
But...there is also the benefit of your odds regarding losing & keeping it off.
As for Vitamins, I don't know many DSers who have luck with the Patches. It's just something I want you to think about. You must be committed to a lifetime of Vitamins (I take 40+ per day) and blood tests (every 6 mos. or yearly depending on your surgeon). You should also probably have a Dexa Bone Scan (preop) so you'll have a baseline to be compared to as you age and as your malabsorption kicks in.
While the amount of my vit/minerals may have shocked you (others do take fewer, but we all take a good amount) there's no diabetes issues, cholesterol issues, CPAP, etc. You might want to make a pros/cons list to figure out what you can live with and what you can't.
Look, I didn't run to the DS. I was told in 2003, I had to have WLS. I ignored that for 1 year. I told no one. Then in 2004, I realized I had to do something (as my cholesterol was 302 and everyone in my family dies of heart issues). I was also a touch below diabetic. I went to 3 hospital programs and at one of them, I learned about the DS. Once I realized I just couldn't lose/keep the weight off on my own; I decided the DS was probably the right one for me. It's a very personal decision as all of the WLS have good & bad points.

Not sore at all most days are pretty good just hard trying to find new full liquids to try. Today has been my first bad experience where nothing would settle on my stomach and threw up all day but al in all i think im doing ok The Losers Bench

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I'm doing pretty good now. I had my one week followup today. They pulled my drain and I don't have to wear the abdominal binder all the time anymore. I will probably sleep with it since rolling over can be rough. My incisions are healing good but my whole belly itches like crazy! I am 19 lbs down from pre-surgery appt, 8 from the pre-surgery diet and 11 since surgery.
I'm not gonna lie the first few days I was miserable. The gas pain after surgery is no joke. Between that and not getting to my room until 8pm it kept me in the hospital an extra night. Then first time I tried the Prevacid sprinkled in applesauce I end up getting sick 3 times and went to ER to get checked being home less than 10 hours. I didn't want to get dehydrated my 1st night home.
Nothing has sounded or tasted good to me except pretty much ice Water. Couldn't stand the SF Jello or broth. So I was happy to go up to full liquids today. I have taken it slow and only done soy milk in Decaf coffee and Tomato Soup for dinner with my hubby and kids. Plus they told me to start the D3 again, B12 and any probiotic that is a tablet.
Still a lot of gas and cramping. But I am trying to get steps in. Tomorrow will be a real test going Christmas shopping and being out for the first time for any length of time/distance.
Did I mention the added bonus of having my period since surgery? I've not missed it one bit since it stopped when I got my Mirena IUD in Sept 2014.
I didn't realize how much I had to say lol. I still can't believe I am on the other side of this surgery. Very surreal

I am doing pretty good so far i have a full lost of 53 lb and 32 has been since surgery. i am up and walking which is really exciting for me. Because my Bf and i have taken our first moon light walk togather lol. Protein is almost impossible for me i cant sto.mach any of the shakes and Water is not much of my friend either but i am trying. So things are going slow but steady for me
The Losers Bench

July 7th two days before my birthday I am at work having a pretty ok day. Then out of no where it hit me I could not breathe I was on the phone with a customer and could barely talk. I really thought I was going to die. Thank God it was not a heart attack it was an anxiety attack it was God getting my attention to stop talking about change and make it happen.
So here I am tomorrow makes exactly two weeks until surgery. I start my pre op diet on thankgiving and Ibe never been so happy to not be eatting I am so excited to join the WLS community.
Sent from my LGMS631 using the BariatricPal App

I was surprised to find out yesterday that the University of Chicago doesn't make their bariatric patients follow a liquid diet either. They said they want their patients to get used to the diet they're going to follow after the surgery and that's not a liquid one. Just after the surgery it's soft foods, but yeah, that pleasantly surprised me.

I always thought McDonald's did that because, like you said, it forced the heavy weights to use the drive thru, so they could kind of sweep the evidence under the rug, so to speak. You know in marketing, some guy with slicked back hair and an ivy league education floated the idea that people driving by any of their restaurants, and seeing the 'average' type of human sitting in those tiny little chairs, would cause a chain reaction of drivers going by, saying, 'See Beatrice, look at all those skinny people. I told you McDonald's really isn't that bad for us. Let's buy a Big Mac.'

Yes, there's nothing like being walked to the tiniest booth in a crowded restaurant and having to say, 'Oh, can I get a table? This booth won't work for me.' :-(
It's ironic, though, that the smallest booths and bolted down tables and chairs I've ever encountered were at McDonalds. You'd think they'd have bariatric lobby sized chairs given the business they're in.

Yes, there's nothing like being walked to the tiniest booth in a crowded restaurant and having to say, 'Oh, can I get a table? This booth won't work for me.' :-(
It's ironic, though, that the smallest booths and bolted down tables and chairs I've ever encountered were at McDonalds. You'd think they'd have bariatric lobby sized chairs given the business they're in.

Yes, there's nothing like being walked to the tiniest booth in a crowded restaurant and having to say, 'Oh, can I get a table? This booth won't work for me.' :-(
It's ironic, though, that the smallest booths and bolted down tables and chairs I've ever encountered were at McDonalds. You'd think they'd have bariatric lobby sized chairs given the business they're in.

I was surprised to find out yesterday that the University of Chicago doesn't make their bariatric patients follow a liquid diet either. They said they want their patients to get used to the diet they're going to follow after the surgery and that's not a liquid one. Just after the surgery it's soft foods, but yeah, that pleasantly surprised me.

I was surprised to find out yesterday that the University of Chicago doesn't make their bariatric patients follow a liquid diet either. They said they want their patients to get used to the diet they're going to follow after the surgery and that's not a liquid one. Just after the surgery it's soft foods, but yeah, that pleasantly surprised me.

Oh gosh, I want to fit in a booth again ????

I was surprised to find out yesterday that the University of Chicago doesn't make their bariatric patients follow a liquid diet either. They said they want their patients to get used to the diet they're going to follow after the surgery and that's not a liquid one. Just after the surgery it's soft foods, but yeah, that pleasantly surprised me.

As much as I've prepared myself today in going into my first appointment to meet my surgeon, dietician, nurse practitioner, and psychologist, I still was thrown. I kept telling myself to keep an open mind, knowing the doctor may want a different surgery from what I had my mind set on. I thought I was completely open minded and prepared for whatever happened. I wanted a sleeve and both he, and his nurse practitioner, felt I should have the DS surgery done.
It was like he wanted me to say 'Yes, I agree to the ds.' When, in actuality, he's doing the sleeve first, and in six months to a year, the second part. So why are they trying so hard for me to accept this instead of saying, 'Hey look. It's up to you. If you can't lose more than 75 in one year, let's go ahead with the second part.'
Is it for insurance purposes and are they trying to get an approval for the ds, even though they'll only do the sleeve for now?
But seriously, I just don't know how I feel about the ds. From what I've read it seems extreme. Long term results at two years out show a pretty equal weight loss between the sleeve and the DS, but the side effects with the DS are pretty startling. I trust my doctor since he's done hundreds, if not thousands, of these procedures. I really do. He feels I may not lose more than 75 pounds with the sleeve and I have 190-225 pounds to lose total. Can anyone tell me the best things they've gotten from this procedure and why did you choose this one?

There is a girl in my circle of friends that is having VSG for her Pcos. Her surgery is Friday, today several of the girls were making the "she's taking the easy way out " comments. I'm having mine in Jan or Feb, I've been doing lots of research and watching videos, I'm as prepared as i can be. I just kept my mouth shut, i wanted to tell them I'm doing it too and there is nothing easy about it! I don't think I'm going to tell anyone because people are so ugly. I'm ready though! I turned 50in May, I'm at 309 now, high bp, high cholesterol, bad knees, bad feet, back, headaches, apnea, and 2 preteen boys. I'm looking forward to a whole new lifestyle!
50 year old me!!

I was surprised to find out yesterday that the University of Chicago doesn't make their bariatric patients follow a liquid diet either. They said they want their patients to get used to the diet they're going to follow after the surgery and that's not a liquid one. Just after the surgery it's soft foods, but yeah, that pleasantly surprised me.

That's great, amf!
I had my first appointment today and I was surprised they didn't give me a list yet of what anyone needs, the doctor or insurance. They said they'll send it to me the first of the year. But just to speed things up, I brought with me today a cd of my recent chest x-ray, ultrasound of liver and gall bladder, sleep study, and lab work.
Everything they gave you to do, was that a requirement from your surgeon or insurance?

Good luck!
I, too, have my first appointment tomorrow with the surgeon, dietician, and psychologist. I'm doing my final run around today to pick up a dvd from the radiologist of some tests I've done last week. When I called my insurance two weeks ago, they said I'm basically approved. I hit all the criteria they need so here's hoping the surgeon will only ask for the minimal outside what I've already had done, and I can get this surgery done in six weeks or less.

I go on December 21st for my first appointment at the University of Chicago, so I'm hoping my surgery--if accepted into the program--will be early 2017.

I go on December 21st for my first appointment at the University of Chicago, so I'm hoping my surgery--if accepted into the program--will be early 2017.