NovaLuna

1. It's a newer procedure, so some insurances don't approve it. 2. Not every surgeon does the Loop DS. 3. The surgeons who DO the Loop DS tend to have a guideline where you have to have a BMI of 50+ or two or more co-morbidities because there is a higher statistical weight loss at 70-100% verses the statistics for gastric bypass which is 60-80% (but this is just the statistical average. People can lose more or less then the average depending on if they work with the surgery or not).
I chose the Loop DS for my surgery because I have hypothyroidism and I'm disabled so I had to rely on statistical average for my weight loss and the DS and Loop DS have the highest statistical average for loss. I chose the Loop DS over the traditional DS because of the diarrhea issues associated with the traditional DS since the Loop DS fixes that issue. Mostly. Also the Vitamin requirements for both the DS and Loop DS are much higher. You have to take more Vitamins and thus it's more expensive and you also have a higher Protein requirement (80-100g protein a day for women or 100-120g for men) which, in my opinion, deters people away from the Loop DS or the traditional DS. I'm happy with my choice, personally. I was able to meet my weight loss goal and even went a little under it (I think I'm near maintenance, honestly. I lost 1 pound last month and only 1 pound the month before so... yep, very close to maintenance). My advice is to do your research, weigh the pro's and con's, and decide what YOU feel is the right surgery for YOU! You are the one who has to live with the surgery that you go with. Not your surgeon. Choose what makes YOU comfortable!
Also, I warn everyone of this... they don't tell you, but any surgery with malabsorption (Gastric Bypass, DS, Loop DS) has a 3% chance of giving you either a wheat allergy or Celiac's Disease. I mean, it's UNLIKELY to happen to you as it only happens to 3 out of every 100 people, BUT my luck is terrible and I ended up with a wheat allergy. I mean, it's a blessing in disguise because it ensures that I can't eat fast food even if I wanted to, and it really forces me to think about every little thing that I put in my mouth, so I, personally, am grateful for my new allergy, but I still would have liked to be WARNED. So yeah, just so you know. It's unlikely, but there's a chance it can happen to you.
Also, like most people will tell you, my only regret about my surgery.... is that I waited so long to have it done. I wish I'd done it years ago!
If you have any questions about my own experiences with the Loop DS, feel free to ask!

One of my biggest challenges post op was developing a wheat allergy. They don't tell you that it can happen to you after surgery, but it CAN! Learning how to eat around it is insanely difficult! Eating out was already tough, but now it's next to impossible... you have to constantly ask "Is there wheat in this? And if you say no, is there flour in it, because if there is, then yes, there's wheat. I'm allergic to wheat." It gets annoying. I had no idea just how many things have wheat in them! Learning to eat different was already difficult and then I had to change things to take wheat completely out of my diet but due to wheat being in more than 90% of flours it's in pretty much everything! You have to look for either 'wheat free' or 'gluten free' most of the time to know right off the bat that there isn't any wheat in it.

I start from the day I called the surgery center. I had a higher weight years earlier, then lost 100lbs through tracking calories, but then gained MOST but not all of it back, the last 30 lbs of that during COVID. I lost 50 lbs during preparations for surgery, but only 2 lbs of that was on the "pre-op diet".

I use the weight I was when I decided to pursue WLS because that's when I started my weight loss journey. My highest recorded weight was actually in 2017, but I didn't start my weight loss journey until 2019 so I use the weight I was in 2019 rather than 2017 (i.e I use 389 instead of 392) because I had too much stuff going on in 2017 and wasn't focusing on weight loss at all (I had brain surgery in 2017 and my sister also had a really traumatic miscarriage when she was at 19 weeks).

I don’t recognize my self in my pics any more I’m firing into stuff that I fit into from middle school and even in middleschool it was tight but now it’s lose such a suprised but also hard because I’m having a hard time breaking my coping with food what have others done to help so I do more therapy that deals with talking about not using food as a coping skill I’m at a lost here me 4 months post op I use to weight 325lbs at my highest at my lowest today 10/18/2021 I can ever remember now is 229lbs

I'm almost 21 months out. I'll occasionally eat something like I'll order a Gluten free pizza when my family gets pizza (though I rarely do this because last month the pizza sent me to the ER because they accidentally contaminated it and I have a wheat allergy). I attended my nephew's first birthday last weekend and had some gluten free cake. I'm known to get some no sugar added fudgesicles to snack on every now and then (40 calories per fudgesicle. I usually have one or two. They are currently in my freezer lol). So yes, on occasion I do, but I also monitor my calorie intake religiously and make sure if I do eat something off plan that I fit it into my daily calorie intake because I'm close to maintenance and want to take off a couple more pounds before I get there. I also know if I gain more than 5 pounds back I will freak out. I worked so hard to lose what I lost and I don't want to gain any of it back!

I'm almost 21 months out. I'll occasionally eat something like I'll order a Gluten free pizza when my family gets pizza (though I rarely do this because last month the pizza sent me to the ER because they accidentally contaminated it and I have a wheat allergy). I attended my nephew's first birthday last weekend and had some gluten free cake. I'm known to get some no sugar added fudgesicles to snack on every now and then (40 calories per fudgesicle. I usually have one or two. They are currently in my freezer lol). So yes, on occasion I do, but I also monitor my calorie intake religiously and make sure if I do eat something off plan that I fit it into my daily calorie intake because I'm close to maintenance and want to take off a couple more pounds before I get there. I also know if I gain more than 5 pounds back I will freak out. I worked so hard to lose what I lost and I don't want to gain any of it back!

I'm almost 21 months out. I'll occasionally eat something like I'll order a Gluten free pizza when my family gets pizza (though I rarely do this because last month the pizza sent me to the ER because they accidentally contaminated it and I have a wheat allergy). I attended my nephew's first birthday last weekend and had some gluten free cake. I'm known to get some no sugar added fudgesicles to snack on every now and then (40 calories per fudgesicle. I usually have one or two. They are currently in my freezer lol). So yes, on occasion I do, but I also monitor my calorie intake religiously and make sure if I do eat something off plan that I fit it into my daily calorie intake because I'm close to maintenance and want to take off a couple more pounds before I get there. I also know if I gain more than 5 pounds back I will freak out. I worked so hard to lose what I lost and I don't want to gain any of it back!

My surgeon pushes more for the DS or SADI-S/Loop DS if the patient has a BMI of 50+. I was originally wanting the Gastric Bypass but my surgeon told me that statically I wouldn't get under 200 pounds if I chose the Gastric Bypass as I'm disabled and can't exercise much at all so I was really having to rely upon statistics. According to my surgeons statistics the lowest weight I would have gotten to with the statistical average of Gastric Bypass was 206 pounds, while the DS was 184 pounds (which I've surpassed that statistic by 8 pounds).
In the end, the decision on what surgery you decide is YOURS. Not your surgeons. YOURS. I chose the SADI-S/Loop DS because my insurance doesn't cover revisions and my ultimate goal was 180 pounds (which I've surpassed by 4 pounds) and I didn't think I'd be able to get there with the Gastric Bypass. The downside to the surgery I chose is more Vitamins and more Protein, but you get used it. I haven't really had any issues other than that I developed a wheat allergy, but you can develop that with any of the surgeries with malabsorption which INCLUDES the Gastric Bypass (it's only a 3% chance, but my luck is crap). So really, just weigh the pro's and con's and choose whichever surgery that you are most comfortable with.

I'm 20 months out and still drink 1 Protein Shake a day. But then I had a surgery that requires a minimum of 80g of Protein a day and I stress less if I get in a 30g protein shake (yes, a little high calorie as it's 160 calories, but I'm less stressed out trying to cram protein in when I drink it). It's possible for most people to eventually get their protein in with just food. Honestly, I could probably do it, but again, I stress myself out less if I just drink the protein shake and am only responsible for getting 50g in via food.
And, with the way that so called 'support group' treated you I don't blame you at all for dropping them. I would have too were I in your shoes!

My surgeon pushes more for the DS or SADI-S/Loop DS if the patient has a BMI of 50+. I was originally wanting the Gastric Bypass but my surgeon told me that statically I wouldn't get under 200 pounds if I chose the Gastric Bypass as I'm disabled and can't exercise much at all so I was really having to rely upon statistics. According to my surgeons statistics the lowest weight I would have gotten to with the statistical average of Gastric Bypass was 206 pounds, while the DS was 184 pounds (which I've surpassed that statistic by 8 pounds).
In the end, the decision on what surgery you decide is YOURS. Not your surgeons. YOURS. I chose the SADI-S/Loop DS because my insurance doesn't cover revisions and my ultimate goal was 180 pounds (which I've surpassed by 4 pounds) and I didn't think I'd be able to get there with the Gastric Bypass. The downside to the surgery I chose is more Vitamins and more Protein, but you get used it. I haven't really had any issues other than that I developed a wheat allergy, but you can develop that with any of the surgeries with malabsorption which INCLUDES the Gastric Bypass (it's only a 3% chance, but my luck is crap). So really, just weigh the pro's and con's and choose whichever surgery that you are most comfortable with.

Revision is not that uncommon according to my surgeon. My surgeon's office pushes for patients to choose a surgery that will help them lose the most weight they can because they have people coming back for revisions due to choosing a less aggressive surgery the first time or weight regain because they feel that people don't factor that in. They have no problems with doing revisions, but warn that sometimes you won't lose as much as your first surgery or if you do then you'll lose it a lot slower. And, revision also relies very much upon insurance approval if you can't afford it out of pocket so they always advise people to check what their insurance allows before deciding on a final surgery. Originally, I was looking into Gastric Bypass, but my surgeon pushed for me to have the DS or SADI-S because of me being super morbidly obese with a BMI of over 50. My insurance wouldn't have approved of a revision if I didn't like where my weight settled so I ended up going with my doctor's advice. So when it comes to revision I understand that it very much depends upon the insurance. Some will only approve a revision if you develop complications such as GERD, while others will allow it if you've had significant weight regain and can't lose. So it's really just dependent upon what your insurance allows. If it does allow a revision then it comes down to what you want. A revision to Gastric Bypass or the Duodenal Switch (for reference the first part of the DS is the gastric sleeve. Also, there is the SADI-S version which has a longer intestinal length then the original DS, but you'd have to find a surgeon who even does the DS or SADI-S as not every surgeon does). I hope that your insurance will cover your revision and if it doesn't then I hope you find a place that is affordable for out of pocket costs.
Sorry that your surgeon was so unhelpful and I hope you have better luck with the next one!

I'm 20 months out and still drink 1 Protein Shake a day. But then I had a surgery that requires a minimum of 80g of Protein a day and I stress less if I get in a 30g protein shake (yes, a little high calorie as it's 160 calories, but I'm less stressed out trying to cram protein in when I drink it). It's possible for most people to eventually get their protein in with just food. Honestly, I could probably do it, but again, I stress myself out less if I just drink the protein shake and am only responsible for getting 50g in via food.
And, with the way that so called 'support group' treated you I don't blame you at all for dropping them. I would have too were I in your shoes!

It's normal to feel concern when told something like that. Because there are risks to the surgery (any surgery, really), but often times the benefits far outweigh the risks. Some surgeons are only comfortable performing the surgery up to a certain BMI so maybe her practice was like that until recently? If you have concerns with that info, by all means, bring your concerns up to her.

It's normal to feel concern when told something like that. Because there are risks to the surgery (any surgery, really), but often times the benefits far outweigh the risks. Some surgeons are only comfortable performing the surgery up to a certain BMI so maybe her practice was like that until recently? If you have concerns with that info, by all means, bring your concerns up to her.

My surgeon pushes more for the DS or SADI-S/Loop DS if the patient has a BMI of 50+. I was originally wanting the Gastric Bypass but my surgeon told me that statically I wouldn't get under 200 pounds if I chose the Gastric Bypass as I'm disabled and can't exercise much at all so I was really having to rely upon statistics. According to my surgeons statistics the lowest weight I would have gotten to with the statistical average of Gastric Bypass was 206 pounds, while the DS was 184 pounds (which I've surpassed that statistic by 8 pounds).
In the end, the decision on what surgery you decide is YOURS. Not your surgeons. YOURS. I chose the SADI-S/Loop DS because my insurance doesn't cover revisions and my ultimate goal was 180 pounds (which I've surpassed by 4 pounds) and I didn't think I'd be able to get there with the Gastric Bypass. The downside to the surgery I chose is more Vitamins and more Protein, but you get used it. I haven't really had any issues other than that I developed a wheat allergy, but you can develop that with any of the surgeries with malabsorption which INCLUDES the Gastric Bypass (it's only a 3% chance, but my luck is crap). So really, just weigh the pro's and con's and choose whichever surgery that you are most comfortable with.

My surgeon pushes more for the DS or SADI-S/Loop DS if the patient has a BMI of 50+. I was originally wanting the Gastric Bypass but my surgeon told me that statically I wouldn't get under 200 pounds if I chose the Gastric Bypass as I'm disabled and can't exercise much at all so I was really having to rely upon statistics. According to my surgeons statistics the lowest weight I would have gotten to with the statistical average of Gastric Bypass was 206 pounds, while the DS was 184 pounds (which I've surpassed that statistic by 8 pounds).
In the end, the decision on what surgery you decide is YOURS. Not your surgeons. YOURS. I chose the SADI-S/Loop DS because my insurance doesn't cover revisions and my ultimate goal was 180 pounds (which I've surpassed by 4 pounds) and I didn't think I'd be able to get there with the Gastric Bypass. The downside to the surgery I chose is more Vitamins and more Protein, but you get used it. I haven't really had any issues other than that I developed a wheat allergy, but you can develop that with any of the surgeries with malabsorption which INCLUDES the Gastric Bypass (it's only a 3% chance, but my luck is crap). So really, just weigh the pro's and con's and choose whichever surgery that you are most comfortable with.

I'm 20 months out and still drink 1 Protein Shake a day. But then I had a surgery that requires a minimum of 80g of Protein a day and I stress less if I get in a 30g protein shake (yes, a little high calorie as it's 160 calories, but I'm less stressed out trying to cram protein in when I drink it). It's possible for most people to eventually get their protein in with just food. Honestly, I could probably do it, but again, I stress myself out less if I just drink the protein shake and am only responsible for getting 50g in via food.
And, with the way that so called 'support group' treated you I don't blame you at all for dropping them. I would have too were I in your shoes!

I'm 20 months out and still drink 1 Protein Shake a day. But then I had a surgery that requires a minimum of 80g of Protein a day and I stress less if I get in a 30g protein shake (yes, a little high calorie as it's 160 calories, but I'm less stressed out trying to cram protein in when I drink it). It's possible for most people to eventually get their protein in with just food. Honestly, I could probably do it, but again, I stress myself out less if I just drink the protein shake and am only responsible for getting 50g in via food.
And, with the way that so called 'support group' treated you I don't blame you at all for dropping them. I would have too were I in your shoes!

4 lbs a week after the first month is pretty extreme, unless you're the size of someone on "My 600 lb Life". Does this dietitian have any experience with bariatric patients? Doesn't sound like it.
most "normal" WLS patients lose about 15-25 lbs the first month after surgery, and then it slows down to about 10 lbs (give or take) a month for the next several months - and then it drops even further. Of course you will find people who lose more or less than that, but they're outliers. So you are fine - that dietitian is very misinformed.

Well, I'm 19 months out. According to my logbook I lost the most my first month. This is my entire weight loss log post surgery if you're curious (for reference, I lost 68 pounds prior to surgery. I also have more stalls then anyone I've ever seen on this site) :
1st Month= 23 pounds
2nd Month= 15 pounds
3rd Month= 17 pounds
4th Month= 10 pounds
5th Month= 9 pounds
6th Month= 10 pounds
7th Month= 6 pounds
8th Month= 9 pounds
9th Month= 5 pounds
10th Month= 7 pounds
11th Month= 6 pounds
12th Month= 4 pounds
13th Month= 4 pounds
14th Month= 3 pounds
15th Month= 4 pounds
16th Month= 4 pounds
17th Month= 1 pound
18th Month= 5 pounds
19 Month= 1 pound

Nah I’ve been taking omeprazole since before surgery and have never had issues.

Interesting. This may also be it for me as well. I do tend to wait too long to eat and it could very well be this same situation.

I am excited to try the new one. Maybe it will help.

You are so so kind. I didn’t anticipate anyone even responding and am overwhelmed with everyone’s support. Thank you and everyone!

My nausea for the first few months following surgery was as follows: I waited to long to eat... I got nauseous. I ate too much... I got nauseous. Needless to say, I dealt with frequent nausea as well. I think it's the norm in some. It does get better and eventually go away. Mostly (I just learned to not wait too long to eat otherwise I get nausea or I get stomach upset AFTER I eat. It's annoying).

We have a huge thread about NSVs (non-scale victories) but I wanted to share a scale-related one.
As I posted in another thread, I had to go to the emergency room. Once I was in intake and triage, of course the first thing they said was "hop up on the scale please."
And for the first time in my adult life, I didn't dread it. I didn't dread a nasty "guess what we found those 8 pounds you lost and they brought their cousins" number. I didn't even empty my pockets.
It felt so liberating.

I started a little higher. At the beginning of my journey, I weighed 463. My surgery was August 25 2021 and I weighed 430. I'm 5 weeks and 3 days post op and I weigh 382. I have lost a total of 81 pounds since May 2021, 47 of that is post op. I feel bad talking about my weight with people who start much lower. I have seen comments where they are so defeated because they haven't lost like I have. I wish there were support groups for each weight loss group.

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