Question for DSers: What's life like after DS?

Hey Folks,  Please tell me about life after DS. What has been your experience? What's your day to day life like now?  Thanks, Angus 

Hi Angus, Before surgery I was the type of girl that got up 20 minutes before I had to be out the door. I was not a morning person. After surgery, I have 2 bowel movements within the first 90 minutes of waking up, so how my life has changed is I get up 90 minutes before I need to be out the door. That's just me, everyone is different. I eat 4 small meals a day and usually 1 snack. I take 5 doses of vitamins and always with food so that works out well. Taking vitamins has just become part of my daily routine, no big deal. I am not perfect at it but I try to be. 1) multivitamin and zinc 2) A&D, D and Calcium 3) A&D, D and Calcium 4) A&D, D and Calcium 5) Iron A meal these days is pretty much meat; steak with sauteed onions, make a roast beef and munch on it all day, deviled eggs, hamburger (without bun), ham steak, pork tenderloin, chicken thighs, KFC without the skin, bacon. Some times for a snack I have carrots and dip and I always have some peanuts around. I treat myself to popcorn with lots of butter every once and a while. I ate birthday cake with my dad on Friday. I eat mainly meat because I prefer not to take protein supplements, so I try and eat my 90-100g. At 3 1/2 months out, I had to move my car seat closer to the steering wheel, I can walk 45 min without my ankles feeling like they will break, I can go up a flight of stairs and not be breathing heavy. I am only down 30% of my excess weight and I no longer cringe when I see my reflection in glass. Overall my day to day living has not changed much other than getting up a bit earlier and eating more meat. It was hard at first, but just like the vitamins it's becoming habit. Hope that is helpful for you. ~ Bev

What a fabulous question Angus. Sandra's Life after DS I am much like Bev with the morning routine.  I am very, very regular as far a bm's go.  First thing in the morning for sure.  Almost as soon as I wake I head off to the b/r and most days that is it for the day.  Of course that is depending on how much I have eaten the day  before.  Somedays I can go once in the afternoon after lunch.  I am more normal now on that front than I  ever was.  I never went anywhere without knowing where the potty was.   I have my protein shake of choice in the morning for my breakfast.  It has become a habit and it's quick and easy.  I have recently started having something along with it like maybe an egg and a piece of toast.  So with that I get about 63 grams of protein just in my breakfast.   I take vitamins 2 x a day.  I take then with my shake in the morning and after my dinner in the evening.  I take 2 multi's / day, 4 calcium citrate, 1 potassium, 1 biotin, 1 vit B/100, 1 vit B1,  3 a and d, and 2 d.  I split these up.  It has also become a routine for me and because I have no problems taking pills I can take most in one mouthful. My life is much better since I have had the DS.  I have tons more energy, no lack of self esteem anymore, feel better in general, can do tons of things I could not do before.  I can paint my toe nails, run, walk long distances, tie my shoes without puffing and panting, garden, not have the a/c full tilt all the time.  The list goes on and on. I eat completely normal.  I eat anything and everything but in smaller quantities.  I eat DQ now and dont' have the side affects I used to get from eating it.  I eat bread but not a lot as I don't have a taste for it anymore.  I just eat everything..sweets, carbs, popcorn, meat, fish, pasta.   I dont' get gas often with I am thankful for.  I think it's because I really don't eat a lot of carbs.  If I do it can be controlled by gas x or chewable rolaids with gas relief.  I rarely have the poops..thank god! Life is the best it's ever been and I thank Dr. L for that everyday! I think the only thing I would do differently is that I would excersise more along the way.  I lost quite a bit of muscle in my weight loss.  So I would do more to prevent that if I had to do it over again. I hope this helps!  I absolutely love my WLS.

Fantastic question and many thanks for asking! My life is so much better now. I am at goal after a little over a year, i can walk faster and longer I can eat just about anything and I am happy.  Pre DS, no one would have ever seen me eating butter, deep fried anything full fat mayo, sour cream or the like. Now, I do! Most of my friends hate to watch me eat, they are so jealous that I have become thinner while enjoying foods that were off-limits to me for so many years. Last night I was at a Midsummer party. My friend's mom made fantastic calamari, breaded and deep fried. I dug right in, making groaning noises as I ate (it was soooooo good!) a lady marched right up to me and said ' must be nice to be able to eat that stuff and stills tay so thin!' I smiled and said 'you bet' I have one BM a day, usually in the morning within an hour of waking up. VERY occasionally I have a second BM sometime in the evening if I've been over carb-ing it. I still use protein shakes not only because I need them (I'm mostly vegetarian, eating some fish and shell fish) but I have grown to love them. I make a killer iced cap protein shake ;) I take vits 2 times a day and have found upcal d to be the easiest calcium sup to take ever ;) I usually take it 2-3 times a day, mostly because i love it so much. I've been pretty lucky, being able to tolerate just about any food or drink with the exception of larger amounts of pop. I still indulge in pop at times but since surgery have not been able to stand the taste of artificially sweetened anything so it's full sugar for me. I'm not overly gassy, I do fart though and once in a while it's a super stinky one. I've been bad with carbs for the last 2 days and not go enough protein so i'm very stinky tonight lol! Good thing I didn't join Heather, Shelly and Ron in the hot tub or they would have got a Dutch oven experience to the max! All in all, I am happy and couldn't imagine my life with any other surgery choice. I am a DS lover and proud of it :)