ObesityHelp

I never considered WLS because of the likelihood of re-gain. I hadn't heard about DS until I met a wonderful InnKeeper when my husband and I went away for our anniversary last fall. She had lost 200# with DS and keeping it off for the past 6 years. I saw how normally she ate and how healthy she was.
Then, I went and consulted with her surgeon. With my family history of diabetes I knew it was only a matter of time...... DS basically eradicates any risk of diabetes.
I would never go through the pain and recovery of a WLS if I thought I had a good chance of gaining weight back and I knew I was killing myself with the "super morbid obesity"
Good Luck.

I had never heard of the DS or sleeve before joining OH.  I knew of the LapBand (never considered it) and RNY.  I wasn't comfortable with what I knew about RNY, I had family members and co-workers who had had the procedure.  The dumping, the vomiting, the regain, etc. didn't sit well with me  When I learned about the DS, and sleeve, it was literally an AHA moment for me.  These sounded like much better choices for me, for my lifestyle and what I wanted to get out of my WLS.  I briefly considered the sleeve, but knowing my history of losing weight only to regain it, i felt I needed the big guns for long term success, which meant malabsorption. 

I'm happy with my weight loss and my eating lifestyle.  So far, at 2 1/2 years out, I don't struggle w/ protein or vitamin intake.  Sometimes it is no fun, and a little bit of a "job", but I don't mind the trade off to feel healthier and happier in my own body.

Good luck with your research!

I did not like all the GI complications I had with RNY. I wasn't really informed about them beforehand, but they were severe.

I had dieted all my life, lost the weight, put it back on lost it again, put it back on again... you get the idea.  A friend of mine had the DS and when she told me about it I though "Godsnightgown! That's insane, who would do that to themselves?  I hope she's going to be ok."  I was so scared for her but knew she had always struggled, just as I had with the weight and she was at the end of her tether.  A year later she sent me photos, told me of how her life had changed and I started researching. 

Lapbanding was a big no go for me, had a another friend almost die from it eroding into her and causing internal bleeding.

RNY was a HELL NO!  Blockages, tiny tiny amounts of food and always being hungry because most of your stomach is still there (just not used)... the blockages, not being able to eat fibrous things like mushrooms (unless they're pureed, that's not life)... the blockages.  Need I say more.  Also my main problem was the consumption of milk, just LOVED it to bits, plain ordinary milk, no flavours.  Neither a lapband nor an RNY was going to help with that.

VSG seemed like half a deal, there was restriction but I knew at my age with the onset of comorbidities I really needed the malabsorption part of the operation (DS).  In for a penny in for a pound.  I did NOT want to have to revise later if the VSG didn't work.  One decision, one surgery.

All the of the other options I could have had almost fully paid for and only 3 hours away, but after nearly a year of research, I left my son and partner, flew across the other side of the world (and flying is terrifying for me), to a city I loathe, paid 11,400 pounds out of my own pocket and had my DS done by a truly brilliant surgeon.  I'm only 10 weeks out (considered a baby DS still) but would I do it again?  Yes, in an instant!

Whichever weight loss surgery you choose, make really sure you try and get it right the first time.  Find the best doctor you can afford, ask questions of anyone and everyone on these boards, research research research.

I wish you all the best!

One thing I have heard alot of on this forum and the other one is that the use of NSAIDs with an RNY are severely restricted, which is why alot of people who have been diagnosed with arthritis of any kind, tend to go for the DS.  Jus something to think about while you're researching.  Best of luck in your journey.

 Like so many others here, I was not aware of the DS as s surgical option until I started frequenting OH.    Once I read about the long-term stats on regain, the greater EWL and the emphasis on higher protein, higher fat, lower carb eating, I knew that this was the surgery for me.

At 5.5 years out, most people cannot tell that I have had WLS - I eat like a normal "small" person.    I have never, not for one moment, regretting having had this surgery!

 Knowing my own weight and diet history made the difference for me.  I could diet like a champ to the extreme, was an athelete, and it made no difference on my weight.  Extreme dieting stopped the gaining, but didn't foster any loss.  I was a stair-stepper instead of a yo-yo'er.  For that reason, I knew I needed more than simply eating less.  I needed to adjust the way my body metabolized food.  The DS was the perfect fit for me, and being the carnivore that I am already, the post op eating doesn't suck.