My doctor wants me to have this done-->help...questions

[shedo82773 1,236]

I felt I was being pressured to do what I felt was more restrictive and invasive WLS.

The surgeon hit home when she told my that the average weight loss with the sleeve for a person of my age and weight was 30-40 pounds the first 6 months and another 30 pounds he next year. So a total of 70-80 pounds in 18 months. She then ran through the much better statistics for DS and RNY.

I have an advanced nursing degree and was probably better informed that the average WLS patient but I burst into tears. Having major surgery to lose 70 pounds? At 200 pounds I would still be obese. I told her I was too upset to make a decision and would call the next day.

got home, calmed down and could think clearly I considered what she said carefully and pt coming back to the word AVERAGE. My goal weight was 170, technically "over weight" but a weight that in the past I has been able to maintain without struggling. That's just 30 pounds less that the anticipates "average" expected lose for my age/weight...

In the end I decided to have the sleeve and NOT be "average".

I am (almost) 8 weeks post op and have lost nearly 35 pounds, the "average" expected at 6 months...

My thoughts about why surgeons push people? The more weight we lose, the better their outcome statistics.

EXACTLY!!! I had a Surgeon who has the BARIATRIC EXCELLENCE AWARD as does the Hospital that he practices in. When I first started going to him he wants his patients to sign a contract to follow your weight loss success for 5 years.

As long as you made him look good all was GREAT!!! My hubby had his failed revision from the Band to a RNY. He had abscesses and our EXCELLENCE Dr dropped him like a HOT POTATOE!!! Told him to go to the ER or our PCP. Neither could help him at all. Myself I had Strictures and had to have 5 endoscopes with 4 dilations. He referred to us as PROBLEM CHILDREN!!! We made him look bad!!! I eventually fired him and went to another BARIATRIC CENTER OF EXCELLENCE!!! Who has been wonderful!!! Hubby went to Mexico and eventually got his Sleeve done. My point is even tho we thought that he would be great, he must be to have the EXCELLENCE reward by his name, you just never know how they will be as your DR.

[jennifer1 180]

Yeah I know what you mean, I feel like I was in a rush because my deductible is all paid so it would've been basically free this year, but no such luck:/

And that's great! 40 min isn't too bad

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

i was rushing to get mine done by the end of 2016 due to insurance as well.. but that didnt happen. now my insurance company denied me but i'm working on getting more paper work submitted!

[Kaylamh 144]

I had a full DS and it took two hours. I've lost almost forty pounds in a month, and I'm in my soft food phase able to eat pretty well. I chose the DS because of the long term (10 year) stats, and the ability to eat more "normal" sized portions farther out from surgery. I'm still in college, and I wanted to be sure (or as sure as one can be) that I would be able to keep the weight off. It seemed to be the most effective tool for me. I know people say it's "extreme" but the long term results were important to me.

[Ketty 1]

How are you doing now Kayla and what is your total weight loss now?

[Frankw19 2]

On 12/23/2016 at 3:16 PM, Postop said:

Due to the malabsorption DSers need tons of vits/minerals. We don't absorb them well. Same with Protein. We need 100+ grams/day. I eat closer to 150.

A Dexa bone scan is a quick easy test. It shows how your bones are doing. Age and malabsorption can make one (more so a woman) more prone to osteoporosis. So it's great to have a preop baseline so you can see (as the years go by) if there's any change.

My common channel is 100. It was pretty much the standard at that time. But some did have longer and some shorter.

What are the pros and cons of the shorter and/or longer common channels?

[Strivingforbetter 246]

On 12/23/2016 at 9:22 PM, Finding_Stacy said:

Thank you so much, Post Op!

I totally missed this post earlier somehow. It was packed with some really great information. I will ask him about the length of the channel. I will admit, when he strongly urged me to do this procedure, I was completely unprepared (even though I knew it was a possibility) and shocked on the inside, but trying not to show it on the outside.

After a couple of days have passed, I'm feeling better about it. More so because I will get a bunch of weight off with the sleeve first, which means I'll have more absorption time to build up on my minerals and Vitamins. I guess I just saw some videos on Youtube that freaked me out.

I'm not kidding.

One woman looked like she was doing a side of crack cocaine along with a healthy dose of meth on a daily basis. She started the procedure looking like she was in her mid thirties and a year later she looked like she belongs to AARP. I honestly felt nauseous watching her, scared that was going to be me.

But soon, I came to the realization this probably isn't the best sample size of this procedure. Who knows why she looked like that. It's hard telling. Maybe she didn't take her daily vitamins or maybe she really does do a healthy side of crack cocaine after her two bites of fish--I don't know.

But really, good job with all the weight loss. It says you had the surgery in 2004-05? Have you had any regain and how do you feel? Do you ever get nauseous taking that many vitamins?

I know which woman you're talking about and her videos freaked me out too. I still had my DS, but honestly that woman does not look healthy. Short, brown thinning hair. I too went in thinking I was going to have the sleeve and changed to the DS because I wanted to keep the weight off long term. I had the entire DS done in a single procedure, which took two hours. My doctor only prescribed me a Multivitamin with vitamins ADEK, a chewable Calcium, and a B12 supplement. Those are the only pills I take twice a day. He 's done over 200 DS procedures and trains other doctors around the country to do them. He does the double anastomosis, but he gave me a longer common channel because I began with a lower BMI than most patients. I failed to lose weight on the Lap-Band.

Edited July 27, 2017 by Strivingforbetter

[Finding_Stacy 263]

2 hours ago, Strivingforbetter said:

I know which woman you're talking about and her videos freaked me out too. I still had my DS, but honestly that woman does not look healthy. Short, brown thinning hair. I too went in thinking I was going to have the sleeve and changed to the DS because I wanted to keep the weight off long term. I had the entire DS done in a single procedure, which took two hours. My doctor only prescribed me a Multivitamin with Vitamins ADEK, a chewable Calcium, and a B12 supplement. Those are the only pills I take twice a day. He 's done over 200 DS procedures and trains other doctors around the country to do them. He does the double anastomosis, but he gave me a longer common channel because I began with a lower BMI than most patients. I failed to lose weight on the Lap-Band.

Yes! That's her. I felt so bad for her, but so terrified for me--I'm not even kidding. In the end I went with the sleeve. I thought, I could always change my mind and get the DS down the road, but let's first take this sleeve out for a test drive and see how well I do with it alone. All I know, I'm almost three months out and not regretting having bariatric surgery. Best. Thing. Ever.

How are you feeling?

[Postop 405]

6 hours ago, Strivingforbetter said:

I know which woman you're talking about and her videos freaked me out too. I still had my DS, but honestly that woman does not look healthy. Short, brown thinning hair. I too went in thinking I was going to have the sleeve and changed to the DS because I wanted to keep the weight off long term. I had the entire DS done in a single procedure, which took two hours. My doctor only prescribed me a Multivitamin with Vitamins ADEK, a chewable Calcium, and a B12 supplement. Those are the only pills I take twice a day. He 's done over 200 DS procedures and trains other doctors around the country to do them. He does the double anastomosis, but he gave me a longer common channel because I began with a lower BMI than most patients. I failed to lose weight on the Lap-Band.

Is the woman you are talking about have a first name that begins with "J"? If so, her hair looks OK to me.

[Strivingforbetter 246]

On 7/27/2017 at 2:20 PM, Postop said:

Is the woman you are talking about have a first name that begins with "J"? If so, her hair looks OK to me.

No, this woman looks like she's in her 60s. She does not give her name. She hasn't posted for two months. I did notice, however, that her skin in her last video looks brighter and more nourished. As stated, she has dark brown, thinning hair. I absolutely adore the woman whose name starts with J.

Edited July 29, 2017 by Strivingforbetter

[Strivingforbetter 246]

On 7/27/2017 at 9:58 AM, Finding_Stacy said:

Yes! That's her. I felt so bad for her, but so terrified for me--I'm not even kidding. In the end I went with the sleeve. I thought, I could always change my mind and get the DS down the road, but let's first take this sleeve out for a test drive and see how well I do with it alone. All I know, I'm almost three months out and not regretting having bariatric surgery. Best. Thing. Ever.

How are you feeling?

I'm feeling really good, but I'm still very new at this. I'm still learning how to eat and get enough Protein in. It's a new way of life, but something I can comfortably live with.