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Ready for a life long change ... Click Here To Read About The Switch!

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My Story

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and click the "Advanced Search" link
2) Enter the words or phrases for which you are searching, e.g., chewable vitamin
3) Decide which OH forum or forums you want to search. Go to the forum(s) and copy the URLs.
 For example: 
 (Duodenal Switch Forum)  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/
 (LapBand Forum) http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/
 (RNY Forum)  http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/
 (Ontario Forum) http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/ON/
4) Enter the URL(s) in the field labelled, "Search within site or domain".  Separate URLs by a comma.
5) Click the "Advanced Search" button.  You will only see results from the OH forum(s) you specify.

Tips: 
To search the entire OH site (every forum), just enter http://www.obesityhelp.com as the URL

Want to see ALL posts by a person (as opposed to only the Latests posts within the current forum)?
Search for their username and their location (found below their avatar).  If you just specify their username, you will get their posts as well as all posts ABOUT them. (Some people are talked about more than they actually post!)

Well I'm almost 40 and have been fighting my weight issues since junior high. I guess it hit home the first time I saw my doctor had checked off morbidly obese on my check up sheet. I've lost large amounts of weight a few times in my life but have never kept anything off more than 6 months.

Being overweight is a family trait. My parents and one sister have also had long time weight issues.

Reasons I chose the Duodenal Switch for my WLS:

I'm an analyst by trade and I did my research.  The medical documentation showing the Duodenal Switch surgery was the best overall WLS long term was overwhelming.    I then of course had worries about all the things people claim happens if you get the DS.  

You smell ... you are in the bathroom all the time ... you will get malnourished  etc. etc.

That's where an online community such as the DS board here or a local support group of people who have actually had the surgery and are living with it come into play.      I personally met 10-20 people who had the DS prior to getting it.  I asked questions, observed them and knew it was the surgery for me.

Fact is most of the bad things people say about the DS were FALSE.    I believe now they are mostly the product of people pushed into the RNY because so many docs do it and far fewer have the training needed for the DS procedure.

One other thing I wanted to note here  ....  DON'T LET YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY DECIDE WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU!  

I knew I could lose weight since I'd lost 100lbs a few times in the past.  I needed something to help me keep it off long term.  The DS malabsorbtion was the key to long term WL for me.

If you think the DS is the procedure for you then fight for it!   You have to live with this surgery for the rest of your life.    If your insurance covers WLS and has no WLS Exclusion you can usually fight for the DS.   Get approved for the RNY then appeal to get it changed to a DS.   If they deny you use any external appeal process available to you and it will most likely be overturned due to the documentation available about the success of the DS.

The DS is not only for the super high BMI's.  It's for anyone that qualifies for WLS.  The DS is actually more customizable since the  common channel can be adjusted and the size of the stomach sleeve can be adjusted based on the amount of weight needed to lose.