I had my duodenal switch In 2012 and have had diarrhea but all of a sudden the last few days I'm constipated. Are usually go to the bathroom for five times a day and now I'm lucky if I have one bowel movement. Is that normal? any help you can give me would be most appreciated.

Thank you, Esther

Wow, Kate - thanks for the post. I'm just over 17 years post-op. You and I seem to have had similar issues. I actually continue with my massive vitamin doses. My mother and sister also had osteo (also non surgical). I tried Reclast - didn't really work. Currently looking into Prolia. My iron has managable with infusions - last infusion was almost 3 years ago and labs are still normal - no oral iron for me. I don't do shakes, but get all my protein from food. I'm exactly the same weight I was when I hit goal just over 15 years ago.

There aren't many 20+ DSers. It's comforting to know my life seems to be "normal" for a long-term DSer. Stay healthy and stop by one in a while.

It has been 20 years since my BPD/DS, and probably 15 years since I last visited Obesity Help. Thought I'd pop in now that I am officially an "old - timer"!!

Surgery, recovery, and weight loss were uneventful for me, and I remain grateful every day for the opportunity to have this procedure.

Weight / Food: I became obese because I ate too much, and had a very, very unhealthy relationship with food. That has not really changed much, although I do regular battle with those demons. My lowest weight was 138, but I spend most of my time around 155-165. Occasionally, I have popped up to 185, and then have to stop eating carbs to drop back down. I still hate having to manage what I eat. Menopause has made it harder.

Nutrition: Even after 20 years, I have a protein shake every day. If I want to manage gas and loose stools, I stop eating any grain products. Sugar is my big "addiction" - and is really the one thing which will cause me to gain weight. Since it also contributes to my arthritis, I routinely try to purge it from my life.

Medical: I developed osteoporosis (as did my mother and sisters - non surgery). For several years, I took Fosamax, which did nothing. About 5 years ago, I stopped all medication, and my levels have remained steady (low, but not decreasing). I also developed a severe iron deficiency, which only responded to iron infusions. At this point (thank you menopause), I only need an infusion about every 5 years. In the intervening time, my ferritin will drop from about 400 to 50. I have had some success using an oral iron supplement. I have done my labs every year for 20 years, and my levels have been extremely consistent. I eased back on the massive doses of vitamins I took the first 10 years, and discovered that my levels remained steady. I will probably drop back to every 5 years at this point.

Lifestyle: The loss of the weight resulted in a huge increase in my activity level, which in turn, led to quite a number of injuries (apparently, I am just clumsy and awkward, which never had anything to do with my weight....). I currently live on a farm, and raise chickens, sheep, and elderberries - I work outside for many hours a day, and genuinely love my life. I am genetically programmed for arthritis, which has turned out to be way worse than I ever imagined it could be, but I manage it with Celebrex and no refined sugar (when I can).

http://doubleupfarm.com

The average weight loss with a revision is 20 pounds. No matter what they do, it is not the same as the first weight loss surgery. Having switched to DS, I would expect you to have a lot more weight loss than average. You still will need diet and exercise, but the DS malabsorption should really be a big factor.