New here and I'm interested in DS

Hi Becky!

Welcome!! Just like you I'm 33 & started out wanting Lap band.  I did a ton of research & got the DS.  I encourage you to research like crazy before deciding on the best thing for you.  I will tell you this board is awesome & the people here LOVE their DS's!  Since I did so much research, I had no nervousness & haven't regretted my WLS for one second!! Please ask as many questions as you want the people here will answer them!!  Let me know if you have any specific questions & I will be happy to answer!!  Best of everything & welcome to the rest of your life!!!!

Oh you lucky girl...CA has some great (and very well respected) DS surgeons.

There's just so much...it's hard to know where to begin.

I had my DS almost a year ago at the age of 35. Dr. Teel in Ohio did mine lap and my recovery was out-of-the-norm easy. I had a great support system for my post op experience and it's been fabulous ever since. I met my surgeon's goal of a normal BMI at 6 months post op and my personal goal of 125-30lbs at 9 months. Now, I'm 126 and I'm totally thrilled with my DS and my post op life. The weight loss has been effortless and it's almost scary to think that I can eat McDonald's cheeseburgers and lose weight and have LOW cholesterol and blood pressure!!

I have 3 children ages 12, 9 and 6. They are HUGE fans of the DS...and so is my husband. They can't stop singing it's praises. It's been such a wonderful decision for me and my family! My self confidence (which was never really low) is through the roof and I feel comfortable in my skin for the first time EVER. I've been overweight since the 3rd grade so this new found "average" is a wonderful change for me. I get compliments frequently and as a college professor am seen as "the young one", "the thin one" or "the pretty one" by my students when they describe me to someone who's not taken a course from me yet. Sure...they're all sucking up...but I appreciate the gesture!  I'd never gotten any of those before and it's nice to not be called "the fat prof with big hair" anymore! That's certainly a happy experiece.

I'd say that my all time biggest regret is waiting so long to have my DS. My granny died in May of this past year. She worried about my weight. She would have LOVED to see me today at 126. My only other complaint is without all the fat, I get cold. I live in Ohio and it's FREEZING! But, thanks to the lovely people on this board, I've learned to layer and I'm loving my new wool coat!

Please feel free to read my OH blog. I've got my journey pretty well documented. And, best of luck on your journey!

Welcome Becky, I too started out looking for info on the RNy then i found the DS,so happy i did.
All these wonderful people on the DS board will tell you straight and true.Did my research and I have decided on the DS.Just waiting on a date.Good luck with your search,but my money is on the DS. Oh P.S. two of my friends got the lap band in Sept. and are so disappointed with it ,no weight loss yet for them and now want surgery.

Can you guys tell me your experience? 
The first 10 months post-op was very rough for me. It gave me the opportunity to get to know my digestive system, how it works and affected. After I hit my 12th month (1st yr surgiversary), everything from there has been a smooth journey with no issues.

Pros and cons? 
Pro -
* I live life with the DS as though I NEVER had surgery.  

* I don't live counting, obsessing, freaking out or feel guilty eating anything that is high calorie, high in fat or even high in carbs

* It is an easier way to live with life with not wasting your precious time dealing or sorting through low fat, low calorie or low carb type of diets. 

* Not going through those horrendous experience of dumping syndrome for the rest of your life or when you eat something that may or not affect you. Seriously, that dumping crap is awful to deal with if you become one who has to have it. The mental push that it is a good thing to avoid certain food is utter BS. Dumping syndrome also cause the acid in your mouth from throwing up to cause teeth issues such as tooth decay.

* No issues with food getting stuck or having to deal with strictures. No need to chew food down to pulp, especially if you are early out. At 10 days out, I was eating a small portion (about 2 tbsp) of rice and beans and 2oz nicely marbled rib-eye steak with au jus (yeah the gravy from it. Best thing about it, I was able to digest it with no problems and didn't need to chew, chew, chew.  

* With the DS, you want to eat something go ahead, most likely you will malabsorb most of it anyway. For  the DS, it is all about moderation when it comes to simple carbs intake, that may be an issue for some, but not all Dsers. The amount or limit varies from DSer or DSer. I can eat 300gms of carbs for a few days, with no negative side effects or weight gain. With the DS, complex carbs is malabsorb at 40%, with other bariatric surgeries, you do not malabsorb the complex carbs.

* I enjoy drinking my diet orange soda daily and it does not affect me either. I just make sure it is caffeine free. But, there is nothing like a refreshing carbonated drink to enjoy daily and not worry that it will cause a reaction from it. It did early in my journey causing horrible stomach cramps  I was able to drink carbonated soda with no issues, after I was 16 months post-op. Still have issues with the dark sodas, such as diet Pepsi, diet Coke, diet Rite, diet Dr Pepper, etc. The caramel coating still gives me slight cramps, but not as bad as before.


Con-
* I do not consider  this a con, but I have to be diligent with my vitamins and supplements intake. But that goes for any bariatric surgery, not just the DS.

* Make sure you have your blood work done periodically and more if you have deficiencies.  You MUST keep tab and adjust your vitamins and supplements accordingly. Again, not a con, but these 2 things are vital to good health and to live life with no discrepancies.


Happy experiences? 
EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!  I have the DS and have enjoyed the outcome from it all. I do not have any nutritional or blood deficiencies and never had since having my DS. Some DSer live on eating a high fat diet. I have not. If I want to, I can, but do not do it on a daily basis and still go once a day as needed and still lost all the weight. Like I said, the first year was rough, but after that, life has been very beautiful living with the DS and unnoticeable when it come to going out, eating and even bodily functions. One of the best experience is, I have not gain any weight at all and do eat high carbs meals at times.

Regrets?
NONE for me.

I feel those that don't understand what the DS is or how it works to benefit your health and well being are missing out on having such a great surgery. There are those that speak about the DS (eventhough they do not have it) in a tone that is very negative, ignorant and filled with misnomers. Some listen to rumors that are not even true. There is a very small percentage of DSer who do have complications and issues, but it does not speak, reflect or represent the entire DSer community or in general. That is called ignorance if people think it happens to the majority.

Some think because their insurance will not cover it, they can't have it. There is something called an appeal process that can overturn their insurance company's WLS clause. They can have their surgery, if they put in the effort to appeal it. It is a shame in their mentality to think the DS is a bad thing or can't have it, when it is one of the most incredible bariatric surgery to date with restriction and malbsorption and the ability to have a wide range of food that is YOUR OPTION in what you want without worrying about getting sick, having negative side effects or gain weight and most importantly go through guilt trips over it.

Howdy,


Just wanted to add that Dr. Ara Kenshishian is now seeing patients in Glendale.  All the information is on his website.

Research until you have you have come at peace with what every surgery you decide.

You got lots of welcomes and I don't want to write a diatribe so let me just tell you I love, love, love my DS.  I live better than I lived before surgery.  My life is of better quality as is my diet.  I still have everything I had before just in smaller amounts.  Best wishes to you.

 I weighed the RNY and DS against each other.  Not for what they were (because I believe both are great) but for what they would be for me.

Here's a partial list of what I came up with that helped me make up my mind:

The Good:

I didn't want to dump (although more and more RNYers I know don't dump).
I wanted a stomach and pylora.
I wanted to be able to eat just about anything.
I wanted to lose more and have less chance of regain.
I like protein and welcomed the chance to eat a lot.
I can't eat nearly the quantity I used to.  But I can eat enough to feel full.

I don’t count calories.

I can drink with meals.
I look good and this gives me confidence.
I can still eat junk.  I just have to eat less (smaller stomach) and choose to eat it a lot less frequently.

The Not So Good (As you need to know both):
My gas and stool stink more & it can be difficult in a public setting.
I go to the bathroom more times a day than I did preop.

I’ve had a couple of ‘accidents’.
I take a ton of vits/minerals each day (it's not cheap).
I have bloods taken every 6 months (more if needed).
I eat protein first, second and third. I generally don't mind but once in a while it gets tiresome.

You can have vitamin issues no matter how diligent you are.
If I eat junk I get gas and/or spend time in the bathroom.
I have some excess skin.

I see more doctors and have more tests than I did preop.  But I'd prob. be seeing a lot of doctors as time went on anyway for the physical problems that were beginning to creep up when I was heavy.

 

I'd estimate I spend about $1000.00 per year on vits/minerals (including protein supplements) plus more on things like probiotics to help with gas/stool smells at 3 1/2+ years postop.