Elisabethsew

Fired from DS?

Hi Will,

Who is your surgeon in Mexico?

I had my surgery a 6 hours plane ride and an hour ride away from my home. I was fine on the flight home and had no bowel issues as I was only on Clear liquids. As long as you restrict carbs, bowel and flatulence issues are not a concern. Most DS'ers "go" once or twice a day.

Hi Srreeder,

Given your family history of co-morbidities, DS would be the best choice. It's got the highest rate of success and the lowest regain rate.

Welcome Mommabearn,

Congratulations on making a good choice. Who will be doing your procedure?

I would hope that you see an MD who specializes in liver (hepatic) issues. I'm an RN and find it VERY strange that a liver Bx was not done. PLEASE get another opinion and don't wait for another MRI to see what happens. Some tumors are fast growing.

Hi Misswifey21,

Congratulations on your progress. What problems have you been having?

I had the sleeve and revised to the DS. It's the superior surgery, in my opinion, and I don't regret having it at all.

SDM,

Could you please clarify what you're asking?

Hi Lily,

I can relate to what you posted. However, whenever I eat too many carbs I feel awful. The good thing about the DS procedure is that you can start over everyday. Today, I started eating 2 string cheeses as a Breakfast item. My plan is to cut out as many carbs as I can so I get the weight loss going again.

Liz

Thanks, Lily.

I'm going to try some when I'm looking for a change or to fill me up.

Hi Will,

Can you tell us more? What is your current weight? Do you have other health problems associated with obesity?

Hi Gottalose,

Well said. I prefer not to police and silence people. Sometimes, what we write is not received the way it was intended and people get hurt or angry. We all share the desire to be healthy and support one another. Hopefully, that guiding intent will keep things running smoothly. Vets are most welcome here and their experiences and advice are important.

I'm offended by the term "nannying" and the threatening statements that vets will be ran off.

It seems we should all be able to communicate politely. It doesn't hurt to reread your post, to check to see if it could be misinterpreted.

If someone calls you out on something, and you didn't intend for it to be read that way, then just clarify and we can all move on.

Obviously, we all mean well.

Vitalady's site is excellent and she certainly was a help to me. I would advise anyone to visit her site.

Does anyone eat Beans (black, red, etc.) as a source of Protein? I know they have carbs but tossing them in a salad might be a good way to up the Protein intake.

Hi Whit,

If you look at page 1 of this thread you'll see my stats as requested.

Elizabeth,

I am new to this board and still poking around but if you had DS surgery can you please fill out your stats? I think as a host it is important for posters/members to know where you are coming from and that your experiences are real.

Respectfully meant.

Whit

I'M 17 Months out and have lost 301 lbs. I know, really good! However, I've had severe complications. Bowel obstruction 1 month in and then I had c-diff for 7 1/2 months after that and was almost impossible to get rid of. I almost had to have a stool transplant. I eat Protein first, fruit or veggies next. Never hungry for carbs. I have loose stool all the time. My blood work is great! Little low on Vitamin A which I take extra of. My doc says I'm a poster child on how to do it right. Several small meals, very small! 80 to 100 grams Protein and a lot of Water. Don't skip or forget your vitamins! They're crucial! And people ask me, "would you do it again, considering?!?" And I say "ABSOLUTELY!" In a heart beat! I hope this helps anyone out there going thru a rough time, it does get better! But it's not easy by any means, but soooo worth it! Monica

I was shocked at the Flintstone Vitamin suggestion as well. I picked a bottle up while shopping and on the back of the bottle it advises twice the amount for adults. This is for people who are unable to swallow Vitamins and certainly would not meet the needs of a DS patient. This illustrates the need to not assume an MD is all knowing. If anything, surgeons enjoy the actual procedure and turf most patients to follow-up with a PCP.

Hi Sheanie,

No, your eyes did not deceive you. My ferritin is currently at 7 and my Fe sat is at 4. I had Fe deficiency anemia before surgery and after tons of testing it was determined I don't absorb Fe. My H&H is steady at 11/34 but that will soon fall. Working 2 jobs (one on the night shift) means I am always tired but when I notice I am winded going up stairs, that's the signal that tells me my H&H is falling. I called the hem-onc today and the office was closed so I'll try on Monday.

Holy ****, Elisabeth! Pardon my French, but is your Ferritin 7? As in SEVEN? I do hope I misread that. Mine was 9, and I was blacking out at work when I stood up. I can't imagine how horrible you feel at 7. My hematologist infuses at a Ferritin of 50. He is very young and says he prefers not to let patients become symptomatic before infusions. Love that man.

I do hope you get in soon for your infusions. My hematologist wrote my Rx for Proferrin Forte, but a regular doctor can write it as well. I was unable to absorb oral Iron pre-DS. One time while pregnant I actually got my Iron up by taking dessicated calves liver capsules and liquid chloryphyl (sp) on the advice of my midwife. Now, because of mad cow disease, calves liver capsules are very difficult to obtain. Proferrin works for me. I hope you have the same good luck that I did after infusions with it.

I really think that since most DSers stop taking oral iron after needing infusions that it's quite possible that we might be able to absorb iron orally once our levels are up again with infusions. But, apparently, most of the older hematologists advised patients to not bother with oral iron after infusions. So we just didn't know.

Lily, congratulations on your very impressive loss.

Hi Lily,

Your point is well taken. The term "nutritionist" and registered dietician are often lumped together. Those who are RDs have gone through an accredited course of study and sat for a licensing exam. As with any healthcare professional or paraprofessional, it's important to investigate their educational background and knowledge of the weight loss surgeries being done.

There are 4 valves in the heart; mitral, atrial, pulmonic, and tricuspid. I spoke with a cardiologist and the bubble echo is used to detect abnormalities in the heart; specifically a defect in the atrial septum (upper part of the heart) or the ventricular septum (lower part). He stated the test is obsolete in my area of the U.S. If an atrial or ventricular septal defect is suspected, a heart MRI or a transesophageal echocardiogram is done. I hope that helps! :-)

Hi McBRachel,

I would advise not settling on what your insurance will pay for. The weight loss surgery proven most effective over the long term is the DS procedure. It's restrictive and malabsorptive. With IBS, you might start by seeing your GI MD. At least that MD should be knowledgeable about the GI tract. Be aware that MANY MDs have not heard of the DS procedure. This means you need to educate yourself on the procedure so you can educate them.

With 150 pounds to lose you likely need more than a restrictive procedure (lapband, sleeve). RNY and DS off the malabsorption with the restriction. Research both. Obviously, I advocate for the DS procedure. Finally, read through this and other forums and ask whatever questions or concerns you might have. Welcome!

Hi Tater,

I am familiar with an echocardiogram but what is "with bubbles"? And, of course you're special. :-)

I've tried a lot of OTC and prescribed Fe oral replacements but not Proferrin Forte. I'll have to give it a try. My medical MD is useless as far as post-op DS goes but trusts me enough to honor my suggestions. Presently, I'm at a Ferr of 7 and an Fe sat of 4. I needed to get through x-mas and will be scheduling Fe infusions (Infed) in the next week. I last got one in Feb. I'm glad to hear you're absorbing it better. Thanks for the tip. Merry Christmas.

I, too, needed Iron infusions. Funny thing, though, after infusions I can now absorb Iron orally. My ferritin is actually coming up nicely on Proferrin Forte, which I now am getting by prescription, so that's a savings for us. At $50 per bottle, that's the most expensive Vitamin I take. But it's cheaper than infusions, so I'm not complaining.

I "found" vita lady when my medical MD proved that he knew nothing about post-op DS requirements and appeared not to have an interest in learning. People who have blood drawn have the right to receive a copy of their results. Like others, I track my labs on a spread sheet. The ones I have to keep an eye on are Iron (Fe), Iron saturation, ferritin, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and Vitamin D. I absorb little to no Fe and need to get infusions once or twice a year. It's very important to be informed and trend your blood work.