I had the DS on 12/3. It was a true switch. My pouch was changed to a sleeve. And I no longer have the restriction I had with the pouch.

I had a gastric bypass back in 2005 and it's been failing since 2012. I have spent the years since 2012 fighting with one quack after another trying to get a revision surgery.

To make a long story short, I finally had a consult with a surgeon today. I knew going in that he isn't the doctor who can do a DS. I am in Ontario Canada and we have to jump through a series of bureaucratic hoops to get any kind of health care. For bariatric surgery they waste your time making you go to the closest hospital to your home, even if they don't do the surgery you need. That's where I was today. Their surgeon only does sleeves and RNY.

I expected to be turned away "we don't do your kind of surgery" but not to have to fight again to be referred to a surgeon who does. The surgeon at Toronto Western spent at least half an hour trying to convince me that the DS surgery is a bad idea, calling it "nutritionally catastrophic" among other things, and saying that if he was advising a friend or relative he'd tell them not to get the surgery. He tried to tell me that "nobody does this surgery, even in the US" and "it's never done as a revision for a RNY" which I know is pure bull. I stuck by my guns and told him that I know what the surgery entails but it's a lot better than dying young with diabetes, heart problems, fatty liver, needing a machine to breathe at night and suffering from painful joints from carrying an extra 200 lb around. I already use a walker, I was hoping to lose the weight so I wouldn't have to keep using it.

Then he started in about how I don't "need" another surgery. I weighed over 200 lb 3 months ago when I was first referred to their program - only 90 lb less than my max weight. My diabetes is back, so is my sleep apnea, and my blood pressure is going up again. I have a bad back and bad hips and knees. They weighed me and I'd lost 20 lb in less than two months - not healthy weight loss, I'd been through a major stress (my landlord harassing and threatening me) and when I'm upset I don't eat. But Dr Quack insisted that this meant that I'm "doing well" and if I need to lose weight I can do it on my own. Too bad I won't keep it off! And even at 180 I'm still well into plus sizes and most of my clothes don't fit me.

I dug my heels in and told him "I'm not making this decision until I see a doctor who can do the surgery I need!" and "If you think I'm going to sit back after 2 years of fighting to get here, and let myself die young with diabetes and all the other illnesses I had when I was fat - think again!" I told him having diabetes and weight going up and down means I'm NOT doing well. He even tried telling me "you look so thin in those jeans, you're the thinnest patient I've had all day!" Talk about grasping at straws!

So I demanded to be referred to the one surgeon in my province who does the Duodenal Switch. I wonder if anyone else has had to go through the quackery and attempts to talk them out of this surgery? Or is this just another symptom of Canada's woefully dysfunctional "public" health care system?

We can't help unless you give us more than 2-word answers. When you were asked what your daily menu looks like, an answer of "it varies" isn't enough to help us help you.

Your profile says you had your RNY in 2006. When did you have your DS done? Is it a true DS? Did they reconnect your duodenum from your original bypass? I'm assume you still have a pouch and not a sleeve.

Give us a list of everything you eat in an average day. How much protein are you eating? Carbs? Water? How often do you eat? Are you eating full meals? Are you grazing? Are you snacking?

Those of us who check this board daily (or almost daily) are here to help - I'm 17+ years post-op from the DS but I can't offer and guidance based on "it varies".

what is a days menu like for you?

test 2