I was weighed at my dr's office. I'm a 5'5" female. Now 326 lbs. (a few years after the...

Celtic Faery I am SO glad to see you here - I remember all the wonderful support and posts I read in your group when you were a VSGer  

I know nobody could have worked harder to make the sleeve work and I'm glad you realized going forward with the full DS was the right choice for you. your success is awesome! I've seen a lot of your photos and they are so inspirational. 

VSG alone was enough for me but clearly that is not true for all. 

I think you and I are similar... fibromyalgia, arthritis, and other conditions that cause fatigue, and I'm 68 years old. January 2013, I went in for a Lap DS but when the surgery's visual exploration uncovered an unhealthy liver, was given the sleeve. I lost only 25 lbs, about 10%, following the sleeve. So I flunked sleeve, some of us do. The surgeon explained to me he had performed the standalone VGS, meaning the stomach was made smaller than it would have been had he performed the DS. I can hold only 8 oz of food and the stomach will not stretch. However, carbs appear to dissolve like cotton candy, and when eating carbs, I'm ready for more within an hour. Its been determined that, as I'm not losing additional weight and weight combined with genetics caused the liver damage, the doctors recommend completing the DS. I find living with the sleeve to be very comfortable and know the DS presents unique challenges, but it seems to be the best option.

Exercising does not have to be harsh. There is Yoga for the challenged and with Yoga, you only do what you can and the stretching feels so good ~ especially for the fibromyalgia and arthritis. I've been seeing a chiropractor who includes PT exercises along with massage done as you like it  - and I like very deep tissue. I listen to my body during the adjustment and PT sessions for learning things I can do to lighten the pain load. I enjoyed neuropsychologist Dr. Mario Martinez's explanation about "what's influencing your mind" and how to be good to yourself in The Mind-Body Code. He uses fibromyalgia as an example.

As mom of an 8 year old, your diet is challenged by pizza, Oreo's, etc. It is for me on dealing with a grandson. Medical conditions bring physical and metabolic challenges. I like the quote provided by a responder ~ "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly."  It is time for you to transform.

Although my original decision was the DS, I instinctively knew the sleeve would be insufficient, I hate to return to surgery. I understand healing from the switch will be much easier that was healing from the VGS. All my medical readings are much better, but I do need the weight loss to help the liver. I'll be transforming along with you.

I think your surgeon is mistaken about sizes of sleeve.

" The surgeon explained to me he had performed the standalone VGS, meaning the stomach was made smaller than it would have been had he performed the DS. I can hold only 8 oz of food and the stomach will not stretch."

8 oz!  That is huge!  Good Lord!  When I had my DS done, I got a sleeve that could only hold 3.3 oz.  I would highly suggest consulting with an experienced revision surgeon (NOT your original surgeon) and exploring being resleeved with you get the switch.  And the stomach can and does stretch over time.  Not much, but some.  

Who's your surgeon? Frankly, and 8-ounce Sleeve for a stand-alone is HUGE. And no, it's usually the other way around---a stand-alone Sleeve is usually made SMALLER than a DS Sleeve.  DSers simply HAVE to be able to eat more, because of the malabsorption.

Oh geez! I can feel your disappointment. I am no doctor but have faced similar medical issues. No doubt you are on several medications to control your symptoms. That would be the first place I would look, to see if any cause weight gain or increased appetite. I am not suggesting you stop taking your meds because doing so abruptly could cause even more problems. Perhaps finding a new doctor who would be able to assess the ones you are taking and wean you off ones you no longer need. I would consider a functional medicine doctor and possibly replacing some of your meds with supplements, amino acids and acupuncture.

Secondly, find a pool you can use year round. Water exercise is gentle on the joints and you can start slowly. You will be buoyant in the water and it will be easy to move. Make a commitment to go everyday, that way if you have to miss a day you won't lose momentum. Take your 8 year old with you. Only do as much as your aqua therapist recommends. You will find your aerobic capacity increasing and you will feel better. Your muscles will get stronger and your symptoms will subside enough for you to enjoy living again.

Thirdly, replace all of your packaged and restaurant food with fruits, veggies and dense protein. Eat as much of that as you want. Eventually the cravings will stop, you will feel in control because the addictive food won't be running your life. You will get your restriction back and feel satisfied and full with your "real" food. Packaged food, restaurant food, processed food, controls you through its addictive sugar and fat content. Furthermore it causes inflammation in your body which you don't need. Diet sodas and artificial sweeteners are toxic, cause inflammation and thusly PAIN. It will take a week or longer to get off the inflammatory diet and you will crave it, but it's your choice is to get off the merry-go-round or not. Eat as much healthy whole food you want don't count calories or carbs yet... break the cycle. Speaking from experience, I just did this myself to break my love affair with my holiday indulgences that I did not want to give up.

Good luck and keep coming back for help. You can do it!

Okay, Hampton, by now you've probably figured out that taking advice about the Duodenal Switch from a person who got the RNY (AnneGG) is only going to net you negative remarks for the Duodenal Switch.  It also sounds like the Sleeve FAILED YOU.  Sounds like you're looking at getting a more powerful bariatric surgery.  The malabsorption that AnneGG is referring to as being a negative side effect of the DS is actually the DESIRED RESULT.  No, we do NOT have diarrhea, and no, we don't have a lifetime of vitamin deficiencies.  We do lose most, if not all, of our excess weight and we keep it off long term better than ANY OTHER weight loss surgery.  Period. 

Do your own research.  There are several on line forums now to do your research on, not just this one.  Talk to people who have HAD the Duodenal Switch. 

You will also want to look at the DATE that people have had their surgery.  Read their back posts.  Get a feel for whether they know what they are talking about, or if they are just stirring trouble and speaking negatively about other surgeries.

If I were you, I'd be looking into getting a re-sleeve and the Duodenal Switch with an experienced surgeon.  But I'm not a doctor, and I do not know your medical history.  Your next step would be to get a consult with a really good, vetted DS surgeon.

I am only interested in a person having the full picture of any of the weight loss surgeries- the advantages and the disadvantages and the complications risk factors of all of them.

All of them have various levels of complications, and the factual reality is that the DS has the highest level of risk and is by far the most extensive of all of the surgeries, and is by far the least performed, for research and factual based reasons. I quote from two major professional surgical organizations, recent quotes, *****commend caution to surgeons who might consider performing the DS surgery as well as the reasons why.

The malabsorption benefit of the DS is also the source of its greatest risk, which is malnutrition.

The people here who testify to the DS never present the whole picture, they only speak to the benefits. That is dangerous and biased advice for a nonprofessional  person to give to someone they don't know over the internet.

Discrediting me as stirring up trouble and being anti-DS does not change the facts about it as a choice for surgery.

Again, potential WLS patients should only consult vetted Bariatric surgeons who will or won't perform certain of the weight loss surgeries.

The emphasis is on Bariatric surgeon, not us amateurs here.

THANK THE EVER LOVING GODS YOU FINALLY ADMITTED YOU ARE A AMATEUR!!!!!

IT IS A START, YOU HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO!

NOW TROT OFF AND TAKE UP KNITTING:)

I studied the benefits and risks of different WLS for nearly 2 years before coming to an understanding of what would be acceptable for me. This does not make me an expert, only fairly well versed on possible outcomes. And, I found that surgeons are salespeople... they sell what they do and what they do may require the least training while being highly profitable. I attended several WLS introduction sessions conducted by different facilities and none had even mentioned DS ~ because they did not have the training to perform it.  I learned of the DS on the web and knew that I had more researching to do.

Truth is that DS is not a riskier surgery. It does require a highly qualified surgeon. A DS requires 3-5 hours of the surgeon's time. Most qualified surgeons prefer to offer this surgery to super obese patients ~ BMI over 50. Those at that high weight can certainly present as higher risk patients for any surgery. Supports of other WLS will contort the patient's higher risk to the DS is higher in risk. After failure of VSG, gastric by pass and laparoscopic gastric banding, DS is probably the most effective revision Bariatric surgery.

Comparatively, the RNY requires less than 1 hour of surgery... quick to do and highly profitable. As you'll read on the boards, it has certainly been successful for many willing to accept the risks and life style changes.

The lap band is known to have caused "permanent extensive damage". It is a foreign object that can erode tissue. Last I read, many prefer to have this surgery discontinued.

Fortunately, I have a renowned surgeon operating in a Bariatric Center of Excellence in my metro area. He does DS and RNY and works on improving soma construction. I interviewed him as a relative light weight, BMI 36, and he encouraged RNY and VSG and nearly refused me the DS.  I would forgo having WLS over having a soma. I am Type II, and DS has a high remission rate. I believed the VSG would provide limited benefits. And being aged 66 at the time, I did not want to subject myself to future revision. Hearing my arguments, supported by statistics, he agreed to perform the DS. He does an exploratory during every WLS in order to resolve hernias, gallbladder problems, etc. It found I had a diseased liver and questioning whether my liver could manage DS weight loss, limited my surgery to VSG. A subsequent review by a Hepatologist confirmed completing the DS will help the liver. I love the VSG, but it is not bringing the benefits I need and will have the switch before summer. I've been amused during each post surgery visit when the nutritionist and psychologist ask if I've problems with various different digestive issues and I'll answer that I didn't have RNY and so don't have that problem.

Do lots and lots of research, consider the positions of  persons providing an opinion, go beyond anecdotal reports and review studies and statistics. It will be confusing, but sit quietly and gain understanding... Your gut is an important part of your brain and will provide your answer.

There's a lot more research I need to do as I did before deciding to have the sleeve. But I realize, weight loss surgery or not, I must change my eating habits. I was proud of myself today, I had eggs and a protein drink for breakfast. It's a start. There's no sense of waiting for my final decision before I start changing my eating habits. I'm trying to go back to my post-op diet and see if that starts me in the right direction while I decide what else I should do.