Looking for encouragement, Not a lecture!!!!

I am six years post-DS, and I am an omnivore. While I eat protein FIRST, there is no food on the planet that I won't eat, if I WANT to. (There really *are* a few foods I don't like.)

I eat salads frequently, and veggies of some sort almost every day. I eat fruit several times a week. I eat potatoes (especially when slathered with butter, sour cream, and cheese), rice, and pasta, and bread, although in nothing like the quantities I did pre-op. I eat ice cream, I eat cheesecake, I eat chocolate. (I don't much care for cake.)

I drink beer, I drink ****tails. (I don't care for wine.)

I take vitamins, and I get regular bloodwork. I 'tweak' things as necessary.

I live an amazingly normal life---more normal than I EVER did, pre-DS.

Thank you so much for sharing youe eating habits,  all this information I have read from you and others is truly very encouraging.

Hi!   I had my sleeve surgery in January 08, and then the DS in February 09.   I wanted and wanted and WANTED that sleeve to work for me, and I really worked it the way it's supposed to be worked.   But sometimes you need the malabsorption.

And if you need the malabsorption, then the DS is the way to go.   Yeah, there is supplementation to be done.   Some people (at least so far) can't tolerate white flour, or gluten or lactose or various other things.   But it's really individual, and it seems like it's not even always the same for the individual!   My friend who had her DS two years before me said that hers just kind of magically smoothed out and all her digestive and other issues just went away between a year and 18 months after surgery.   I don't know if everybody can count on anything like that, but it's encouraging to me, anyway!

I'm anemic, too.   I see your iron infusions and B12 shots and raise you ProCrit shots (lol - I'm funnin ya but I do take ProCrit).   I'm definitely holding my own on the iron and RBC front.  

And everything else is to much easier, even though I didn't magically start making RBCs all on my own, life is much MUCH easier to deal with.

Do a lot of research and decide for yourself if you need the malabsorption.   The sleeve is a pretty worry-free and easy way of life, but for me it just wasn't enough.

Dennie

Hi Dennie,

Thanks for your comments. Gotta laugh out of your comment, You are funny!

I really wanted my sleeve to be the answer, but it wasn't . So now I am looking for the courage to have the DS�surgey my heart so desperatly tells me to do but my brain is pulling me back for some reason.� Maybe my foot needs to knock some sense into my brain?????!!!!!!!!

I pray ever day for the courage,.

I really need to ****** or get off the pot! If you know what I mean?

Thanks again!

Elaine

Have you considered consulting with another DS surgeon? IMO, Dr. Schweitzer doesn't make a very tight VSG stomach to begin with, so you might also want to see what the current status of your sleeve is as far as volume. He gave me a sleeve that is the same size as he makes his stand-alone VSG sleeves, and I can definitely eat. I do have some restriction - obviously, I can't eat as much as I could pre-op in one sitting - but I seem to have noticably less restriction than those I've met who had other surgeons.

Before I had my VSG , I went to Dr. Afram in Washington DC for an RNY, in 1999 or so, and I did not like him, I got chicken and gave up the idea for another year. Again I went searching and went to Dr. Monk in York PA. I really liked him but all he offered was RNY soI scheduledthe surgery and again I was chicken. I was not sure about rearranging your intestines�...........
I had a cousin who had the old type surgery done in the 70's and�dealt with some major health issues/omplications from that surgery, my cousin did pass away last year, I don't think she ever listened to the doctor 's instructions and I doubt she did vitamins or lab work either.

Two years later I learned about VSG and thought this is the one for me. IA friend of mine and through searching �the internet and learned about Dr. Schweitzer. His crudentials were impressive and he came highly recommended by many. That is why I chose him and I do trust him. I understand not many surgeons in the area do DS surgery.

Ann on this board, told me similar information about DR. S How did you discover that your VSG stomach was the same size as his stand alone VSG? Perhaps this is why I was not so sucessful either. Since I had so many insurance issues, I also thought it would be easier to stay with that office and I do trust him!

Do you have any suggestions? I assume you are not satisfied with� your surgery. You said you weren't exactly a DSer do you mind sharing what you surgery entailed? It is ok if you do not want to.��

�

I know my sleeve is the size of a stand-alone VSG because Dr. S told me so, and I have a copy of my op report stating what size bougie was used as confirmation of that statement.

If you have insurance issues, Dr. S's office is NOT one you want handling your case. Their office is a black hole for paperwork. They would call me for something, I would fax it to them, call to make sure they got it (and they would confirm they did), and then they would call me for the same thing again a few days later. Then later on, in talking with someone there, she asked why they had 4 copies of the same thing. BECAUSE YOU KEPT ASKING ME FOR IT AND THEN LOSING IT!

They've also been known to be VERY slow with working with insurance. Being as proactive as I am, I called my insurance company just about every day once I knew my file had been submitted to them. After about a WEEK of the response from insurance being that they had requested more info from Dr. S's office and were waiting for that, I emailed the insurance coordinator at Dr. S's office and basically asked her what the holdup was. Magically, the very next day, the insurance company said they got the info from the surgeon's office. I also know of cases where his office has submitted insurance paperwork to the WRONG insurance company for a patient and other such foolishness.

I trust Dr. S's surgical skills, but I do not trust his ethics and will go elsewhere if I ever seek a revision. I do technically have a DS, but with WAY less malabsorption than I should have. He typically does a 100cm common channel, and I estimate mine to be about 350cm. I had adhesions from a prior open abdominal surgery (ovarian cyst removal when I was 16), and he first told me there were too many adhesions, so he couldn't get lower on the intestine for the anastomosis. Then he told me he removed pretty much all of the adhesions while he was in there, so that story no longer held up. Then he said he couldn't measure my common channel because of the adhesions, but, again, he said he took down the adhesions, so...then he said that since he had taken down the adhesions, putting the anastomosis at the 100cm common channel point would have carried an increased risk of leak. I've spoken with many in the medical community and explained this story, and not a single person can seem to understand how adhesion take-down would increase risk of leak. There's just story after story, and hole after hole within those stories, and I don't trust him. Period. Nor do I trust his office staff, which I why I had to kep copies of all of my own records because I knew sending anything directly to them without having a copy myself, it would disappear and become yet another holdup in what is already a long and frustrating experience for most.

Hi Jill,

I experienced the alot of the same issues with Dr. Schweitzer's office. I had to send and resend insureace papers especially when Alice was there. She seemed to loose alot of things. I also had to call my insuance company many times and as it ended up I had to self pay the night before  my surgery. Thank God I had a friend who helped me, I am still paying on it , and i guess this is part of the reason also that i am so mad. I took the risk, paid the price, literally and now l am back to square one!

I had an ovarian cyst removed when I was 13 and another along with a tubal pregnancy and  1/2 an ovary removed when I was 26. My gall bladder surgery was 4 years later when I was 30. I have a big old scar from that one. 

Dr. S  told me  I had many adhesions, and i sure i did,  he said  many they were adhereing to my intestines and he had to repair that first then did my tummy. I was having some intestinal issues before surgery and he claims he fixed things in the nick of time??????!!!!!!! I have to beleive him???? According to Pat, she said he probably saved my life!!!!

Anyway, I do not like the way they run their office either, but the new lady Debbie, told me if I get clearance form my family doctor concerning a diet history in the past year, since I have to start all over again as if I am having surgery for the first time, , she would pu**** through for me.
So this in my  delemia ,  I can get the surgery done sooner if I stick with him and he is an excellent surgeon with excellent crudentials, put up with the office crap,  or find another surgeon wait 6 months or longer?  Once I finally make my decision, I want to go as soon as I can so i don't change my mind.

I read your blog , very informative and saw your recent pictures, I think you look great.!!!!!!!
 Are you dissatified with the time frame you are loosing the weight?  Your hair still looks good. I know I lost a ton but it did come back, I have fine thin hair i can't afford to loose too much! HAHA

Thanks for listening and sharing your experience with Dr. S. office.
Have a great evening,
Elaine

It's been more than a year, and I've lost less than 2/3 of my excess weight (63.4%) and have only lost maybe 5-10 pounds in the past 6 MONTHS. I never had problems with hair loss, but I would happily lose more hair if it also meant losing more weight.

I guess I don't follow you're reasoning - I think you need to do this RIGHT, not just do it fast, but it's up to you. I don't see how his office can push things through faster than anywhere else - the longest part is the insurance, and that's going to have to happen no matter where you go.

Anyway, I've said my piece, and my opinions and discontent with the entire Johns Hopkins Bariatrics department is no secret around here, to the point that I've had multiple people PM me offering to help me seek out legal assistance in possibly suing them (which I simply do not have the time, energy, nor financial resources to deal with).

Perhaps I am being gullable� in believing �this women in his office that is telling me she can pu**** through sooner.� You are right, I do need to do this RIGHT not just fast.
Thanks.�

A friend of mine told me about a group of doctors in Fairfax VA , (Alagasa) Maybe I will make the appointment there and see what they have to offer.

Thanks again for all your help and information.