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I still diet pretty much constantly. I can gain weight. The DS makes it manageable. Much easier than it was before. Much!
on 7/11/19 4:45 pm
O really do not care who you are, what you are or what you do for a living. You are inconsequential.
Bye Bye birdie.
I don't call it dieting. I call it making better food choices. I do not experience the misery that I did when I was dieting before DS, constant hunger, brain fog, headache, craving, etc. What's different? I can eat whenever I want, respond immediately to hunger by grabbing real food, not just a carrot and celery, and I don't have to worry about fat calories. A ham and cheese roll-up, a taco without the shell, a handful of cashews, a chicken thigh, these are all snacks I have had in the last few days. I don't formally count carb calories, but I know the portion I can eat. I still eat them when the family has rice or potatoes, just about one third of what they do. I am not attacking my bounce-back weight (15 pounds after 13.5 years), but if I see a few additional pounds hanging around after vacation or a holiday, I can just make better food choices. No uncontrolled hunger needed. If only there was a surgery that would allow unlimited consumption of candy!
The doc that I am thinking of is something of an interstate menace as he has left a trail of problem patients in his wake. He was recruited from the midwest (Nashville, IIRC) into our doc's practice (though in retrospect it may have been more like having been run out of town by a horde of torch and pitchfork wielding hospital administrators) but he only lasted a few months before being let go. He then moved to another prominent practice across town (contrary to the non-compete clause in his contract) where he was also let go after a few months. AFAIK, there weren't any real problem patients around here as he was never allowed to do surgery unsupervised. He disappeared for a couple of years before showing up in another state, running a hospital's bariatric program, where he lasted a year or two before disappearing again, only to pop up in yet another state, etc. etc. etc. For a while there was something of a "Where's Waldo" game on the forum here where someone would pop in asking if anyone knew where Dr. H was, as they need to get their annual labs done and calling the number on his website just yields a "he doesn't work here anymore" answer.
We had a gentleman in our support group for a while a few years ago who was a patient of this doc in his previous venue that was showing similar problems to what you have gone through, and yes, he ultimately had it revised away by another doc local to here. It certainly seems that the problems that you describe, by and large, follow the surgeon rather than the procedure. Any surgeon, no matter how good, can have some problem patients owing to unique cir****tances that those patients present, but they tend to be outliers. For Dr. H, the outliers seem to be the ones that had no problems.
There is no question that the DS is a complex procedure and is subject to complications as any other, maybe somewhat more so. Unlike the lapbands which are defective in concept no matter who installs them, the DS is sound, but it is obviously a more extensive compromise than a VSG (and not all that much more of one than an RNY) but some need the extra performance that it offers that you can't get with the others.
But this makes it all the more important to find a vetted surgeon to do the job, and this situation illustrates one of problems that we patients have - finding out who the really good surgeons are and who are the ones to avoid. If even those in the bariatric business can't tell the good from the bad before seeing them in action in the OR, what chance do we have? From what I can tell, this guy is still in business as of last year, so even multiple malpractice suits over the years hasn't weeded him out. Looking for someone with a stable job history would be a start. Reviews on forums and other media don't help much as most any serious action against a doctor will involve gag orders, so the really negative things have a hard time getting out. State disciplinary records can help, but they don't seem to follow these guys across state lines.
1st support group/seminar - 8/03 (has it been that long?)
Wife's DS - 5/05 w Dr. Robert Rabkin VSG on 5/9/11 by Dr. John Rabkin
It's nothing like before. To get my protein in and to lose my minor regain (10lbs) I still eat every 3 hours and I'm normally never hungry. I can still eat some carbs, it's just a lot less and mine mostly come from veggie and berries. Pasta still doesn't go down well, bread is a treat and I'm not big on potatoes. Found low carb wraps that I love and can use for pizza too! eating correctly now is a breeze compared to before.
HW: 398.8 SW:356 GW: 175 CW:147
I have read a lot about how the DS offers the most balanced and normal diet of all the WLSurgies out there. But then I also am reading about how people are dieting again (to lose some regains) and making sure they are tracking carbs and not snacking etc. We all know this is a tool and lifestyle changes are forever, but can you tell me what dieting after DS is like vs before? Do you feel hungry and deprived like I do now when I try to diet by eating low carb, not snacking, smaller meals etc. It's pure hell.
Appreciate you all!
Jen
liz you are not informed. Do the research. The gastric sleeve is the gold standard. My surgeons I work with look at me inhorror when I tell them I survived this nightmare. It is not gold standard.
You are grossly misinformed I am a nurse and I have sent 6 bodies to the morgue in the last 15 years post this surgery. They have banned it in my state!!!
This is you telling me, not only was I not informed, I was grossly misinformed. And you lied about it being banned in your state, maybe you just feel it should be banned. I won't argue with you, I just have a different option than you do. Honestly, it doesn't matter that you're a nurse, you have no idea what my background is or what I do for a living.
HW: 398.8 SW:356 GW: 175 CW:147
I was told in my 20s I had PCOS, but I've always had regular periods. Recent years I was told I do not have PCOS, so who knows. What I do know is my body is broken.
I was actually wanting a longer CC, not shorter. But these are all questions I have for the surgeons.
I am not looking for a set it and forget it, I know that's never going to be a thing for any tool for MO. I also am no stranger to pills/supplements and poop/gas problems. Living with Diabetes, Sleep apnea and IBS is NO JOKE. What I am looking for is health and better quality of life and to not be malnourished and sick as I age. It's not an easy decision when there are so many unknowns.
Who did your surgery and how did you go about finding a GOOD surgeon who does SIPS? I am hoping to consult with one near me, Dr. Wizman, but waiting for insurance verification.
Also, why did you opt for SIPS instead of full DS? I'm really struggling with this.
