Will DS help me?
Hi this is my first post. I am just starting my research and very glad to be here. Thank you.
A bit of background about me..I have constantly battled my weight for as long as I can remember. 300+ pounds in high school....something snapped when I graduated from high school and started extreme diet and exercise...300-500 calories per day, 10-20 mile walks, exercise tapes, gym memberships, dexatrim(old formula), laxatives and water pills and managed to starve myself down to 135-140 in 18 months...even at 5'6" I was very thin at that weight...I was kicked out of my gym for overdoing it and my doctor threatened to have me committed to an eating disorder program if I didn't gain weight immediately.
I started working 50-70 hour weeks and the weight started creeping on, suffered a back injury and it piled on...continued to battle but couldn't defeat the creep. One wedding and 2 kids later and I was no longer able to weight myself on my home scale....which maxxed out 388lbs. Even at my high weight I had no issues with cholesterol, HBP or high sugar levels...which really ticked my OBGYN off during my 2nd pregnancy ...they were glucose testing me weekly...trying to catch me above 100.
I read about Celiac disease and so much of it made sense to me..except for the weight loss. So I went gluten free(no insurance) as a test and lost about 60 pounds in 6-8 weeks...but I didn't stick with it and gained back all the weight lost almost immediately and then some more. A year later I tried gluten free again...the weight loss was slower, but my anxiety went away, my random body pains went away, my constant migraines went away(I had suffered with them since I was 7 or 8), no more gas, no more stomach pains, and no more hunger at all...I eat because my arm muscles ache not from hunger pains. After about 8 months I was able to use the scale ..at this point I was down several sizes so I am guessing I had been up into the 430-450lb range at my heaviest. I am about 15 months into GF eating with a handful of cross contamination accidents. and I am stuck on a plataeu in the 340's...been here for several months and can't budge. Experimenting with grain free and can drop into the 330's for a day ot two...but things have been tight$$ lately and I have had to eat rice to stretch the food budget and I pay the price with bloating, stomach pains, etc ...when things are comfortable I eat hard boiled eggs, chicken , streamed broccoli, sweet potatoes, salads and a steak here and there if I am craving it. I should be losing steadily on my normal diet ...but I keep bouncing back into the 340's(they won't let me go..lol).
I have a rather large umbilical hernia from my first pregnacy that I never got around to fixing when we had insurance so that prevents me from doing any thing extreme exercise wise..a long walk often times irritates my hernia. Otherwise I would be out there walking everyday...since going gluten free my feet and legs no longer hurt...I can handle a full day at the Disney parks as long as I am willing to deal with an achey protruding hernia afterward. It's currently the size of a large half orange on a good day....I don't want it to get worse until I either have insurance or the cash on hand to cover surgery. I have had a consult and the hernia surgeon suggested that I consider combining WLS with the hernia repair...he also indicated that the surgeon *****moved my gall bladder laproscopically 6 years ago should have repaired the hernia while he had me under especially since he had to pu**** out of the way to get the scope in....and yes I had good insurance at that point in time...there was no reason not to fix it..so I am kinda irked over that ...anyway..
So in my limited research so far I like the DS procedure over bands and the other procedures...but if I am not losing weight eating correctly now is there any benefit to surgery? I am not sure why my body isn't letting go of the weight...unless I managed to mess up my metabolism with my extreme dieting in the past...or should I just try to get the hernia repair done and get back into my walking shoes and wait and see on WLS .
I will most likely be self pay ...hubby enjoys self employment, I am too fat for private insurance(Humana's insurable weight for women is 180lbs by the way) and I cannot find a job...6 months+500 resumes=3 failed interviews...but I think that has more to do with being a SAHM for 9 years...I play the lottery faithfully..lol.
I know I have rambled...sorry...thanks to all that made it this far ;o)
Stacy
A bit of background about me..I have constantly battled my weight for as long as I can remember. 300+ pounds in high school....something snapped when I graduated from high school and started extreme diet and exercise...300-500 calories per day, 10-20 mile walks, exercise tapes, gym memberships, dexatrim(old formula), laxatives and water pills and managed to starve myself down to 135-140 in 18 months...even at 5'6" I was very thin at that weight...I was kicked out of my gym for overdoing it and my doctor threatened to have me committed to an eating disorder program if I didn't gain weight immediately.
I started working 50-70 hour weeks and the weight started creeping on, suffered a back injury and it piled on...continued to battle but couldn't defeat the creep. One wedding and 2 kids later and I was no longer able to weight myself on my home scale....which maxxed out 388lbs. Even at my high weight I had no issues with cholesterol, HBP or high sugar levels...which really ticked my OBGYN off during my 2nd pregnancy ...they were glucose testing me weekly...trying to catch me above 100.
I read about Celiac disease and so much of it made sense to me..except for the weight loss. So I went gluten free(no insurance) as a test and lost about 60 pounds in 6-8 weeks...but I didn't stick with it and gained back all the weight lost almost immediately and then some more. A year later I tried gluten free again...the weight loss was slower, but my anxiety went away, my random body pains went away, my constant migraines went away(I had suffered with them since I was 7 or 8), no more gas, no more stomach pains, and no more hunger at all...I eat because my arm muscles ache not from hunger pains. After about 8 months I was able to use the scale ..at this point I was down several sizes so I am guessing I had been up into the 430-450lb range at my heaviest. I am about 15 months into GF eating with a handful of cross contamination accidents. and I am stuck on a plataeu in the 340's...been here for several months and can't budge. Experimenting with grain free and can drop into the 330's for a day ot two...but things have been tight$$ lately and I have had to eat rice to stretch the food budget and I pay the price with bloating, stomach pains, etc ...when things are comfortable I eat hard boiled eggs, chicken , streamed broccoli, sweet potatoes, salads and a steak here and there if I am craving it. I should be losing steadily on my normal diet ...but I keep bouncing back into the 340's(they won't let me go..lol).
I have a rather large umbilical hernia from my first pregnacy that I never got around to fixing when we had insurance so that prevents me from doing any thing extreme exercise wise..a long walk often times irritates my hernia. Otherwise I would be out there walking everyday...since going gluten free my feet and legs no longer hurt...I can handle a full day at the Disney parks as long as I am willing to deal with an achey protruding hernia afterward. It's currently the size of a large half orange on a good day....I don't want it to get worse until I either have insurance or the cash on hand to cover surgery. I have had a consult and the hernia surgeon suggested that I consider combining WLS with the hernia repair...he also indicated that the surgeon *****moved my gall bladder laproscopically 6 years ago should have repaired the hernia while he had me under especially since he had to pu**** out of the way to get the scope in....and yes I had good insurance at that point in time...there was no reason not to fix it..so I am kinda irked over that ...anyway..
So in my limited research so far I like the DS procedure over bands and the other procedures...but if I am not losing weight eating correctly now is there any benefit to surgery? I am not sure why my body isn't letting go of the weight...unless I managed to mess up my metabolism with my extreme dieting in the past...or should I just try to get the hernia repair done and get back into my walking shoes and wait and see on WLS .
I will most likely be self pay ...hubby enjoys self employment, I am too fat for private insurance(Humana's insurable weight for women is 180lbs by the way) and I cannot find a job...6 months+500 resumes=3 failed interviews...but I think that has more to do with being a SAHM for 9 years...I play the lottery faithfully..lol.
I know I have rambled...sorry...thanks to all that made it this far ;o)
Stacy
Hi and welcome. Yes, the DS would very likely help you a lot. It's just about impossible to get that heavy without a messed up metabolism, and the DS does a lot to change metabolism.
You will have to eat a primarily animal protein based diet with the DS. You will have to take daily supplements that are probably going to run you a minimum of $50 a month--quite a lot more if you develop oddball deficiencies or require supplemental protein on a regular basis. You will have to pay for lab work to check your nutritional status, probably twice a year, possibly more often. That can run up to a pretty penny, though there are number of ways to reduce that bill somewhat. You'd still be talking a few hundred bucks per draw, easily.
Eating rice to stretch the food budget will no longer be an option, because you could kill yourself with malnutrition by doing that. You will HAVE to consume at least 100 grams of animal source protein per day, which is the equivalent of a pound of meat/fish/fowl/cheese or a dozen and a half eggs. (There are lots of ways to eat that much protein; it's easier than you think, but you CANNOT skimp on it.)
If you are not financially able to cover these requirements, don't get a DS, because you would be risking some truly horrible illnesses and possible death. It is serious stuff.
You will have to eat a primarily animal protein based diet with the DS. You will have to take daily supplements that are probably going to run you a minimum of $50 a month--quite a lot more if you develop oddball deficiencies or require supplemental protein on a regular basis. You will have to pay for lab work to check your nutritional status, probably twice a year, possibly more often. That can run up to a pretty penny, though there are number of ways to reduce that bill somewhat. You'd still be talking a few hundred bucks per draw, easily.
Eating rice to stretch the food budget will no longer be an option, because you could kill yourself with malnutrition by doing that. You will HAVE to consume at least 100 grams of animal source protein per day, which is the equivalent of a pound of meat/fish/fowl/cheese or a dozen and a half eggs. (There are lots of ways to eat that much protein; it's easier than you think, but you CANNOT skimp on it.)
If you are not financially able to cover these requirements, don't get a DS, because you would be risking some truly horrible illnesses and possible death. It is serious stuff.
Hi Stacy and Welcome.
Chances are, you did screw up your metabolism with that extreme dieting. Excessive dieting in general has a habit of providing that side effect.
The DS is a fantastic surgery and it helps your body work around (if not "fix") those metabolic issues. I think it would be a fantastic option for you.
I read that your husband is self employed. Please keep in mind that maintaining a DS is the most expensive surgery there is, due to the vitamins and protein requirements necessary. You won't be able to sit down to a bowl of rice for dinner and expect to meet your protein requirements for the day, you know? Please keep that in mind before you choose to go ahead with the surgery.
Best of luck to you!
Honestly, I think DS would be GREAT for you. Your metabolism is probably all screwed up from years of dieting (not blaming you for it, just acknowledging it) and the DS has some remarkable effects on the metabolism. A gluten-free/low-carb lifestyle is perfect for a DS patient, and I would anticipate that you would lose significant weight with the DS and it would feel incredibly easy compared to your pre-op difficulties. Your story is remarkably similar to mine, and at almost 6 months out from DS, I have lost 130 lbs. In all previous weight loss attempts, I struggled to lose 30-40 lbs and could never maintain my loss.
In summary, it will be worth it to self-pay for your DS. It will very likely change your life. It has already changed mine dramatically for the better.
In summary, it will be worth it to self-pay for your DS. It will very likely change your life. It has already changed mine dramatically for the better.
The DS is the only surgery for you. It will work when your eating "correctly" doesn't work because it will give you:
1) restriction
2) malabsorption
and 3) metabolic help.
Read, read, read about the DS. Read this whole forum if you can. Read all of www.DSFacts.com.
I think you should think of this surgery as life saving for you. But it is expensive and the vitamins and supplements and protein you will have to have for the rest of your life are also expensive.
But then, so is dying a young death.
Best wishes and ask any questions you may have.
~Becky
1) restriction
2) malabsorption
and 3) metabolic help.
Read, read, read about the DS. Read this whole forum if you can. Read all of www.DSFacts.com.
I think you should think of this surgery as life saving for you. But it is expensive and the vitamins and supplements and protein you will have to have for the rest of your life are also expensive.
But then, so is dying a young death.
Best wishes and ask any questions you may have.
~Becky
-
My opinion is yes. I would strongly suggest you do research, research, and more research. Learn everything you can about it because it would be a life altering decision. There are things that are non-negotiable after surgery. You need to be committed to them for life. I know the more I researched the more excited I got. It's a great, if not the best, surgery for weight loss out there.
Stacy, hi and welcome!
There is no other wls that will work as well for you as the DS. The DS combines moderate restriction with powerful malabsorption, which anyone with a broken metabolism (such as you) will need to lose weight. It provides the highest percentage excess weight loss, vital for someone with a lot of weight to lose (like a prior poster, not blaming, just acknowledging), and the best maintainence of that weight loss of any wls.
For sure, there is no purely restrictive operation that will do the job for you. You have already tried restricting caloric intake to the max, and look where that got you. You need something that addresses metabolic issues, and the DS is it.
So keep on reading here, and at dsfacts.com, and learn all you can. And if/when you are ready to go forward, we can also help direct you to some of the surgeons with the best self-pay programs, and direct you away from surgeons who claim to do the DS but don't (sadly, a frequently seen problem).
Regarding your hernia, I can see no benefit in having it repaired before your DS unless it becomes an emergency. It would be very simple for your DS surgeon to repair it for you, and only add a few minutes to the operation. In the meantime, if it's aching, you could try an abdominal binder. They are available at medical supply stores.
If you are interested in reading some great articles documenting the longterm success of the DS, both for weight loss and for nutrition, send me a pm.
Larra
There is no other wls that will work as well for you as the DS. The DS combines moderate restriction with powerful malabsorption, which anyone with a broken metabolism (such as you) will need to lose weight. It provides the highest percentage excess weight loss, vital for someone with a lot of weight to lose (like a prior poster, not blaming, just acknowledging), and the best maintainence of that weight loss of any wls.
For sure, there is no purely restrictive operation that will do the job for you. You have already tried restricting caloric intake to the max, and look where that got you. You need something that addresses metabolic issues, and the DS is it.
So keep on reading here, and at dsfacts.com, and learn all you can. And if/when you are ready to go forward, we can also help direct you to some of the surgeons with the best self-pay programs, and direct you away from surgeons who claim to do the DS but don't (sadly, a frequently seen problem).
Regarding your hernia, I can see no benefit in having it repaired before your DS unless it becomes an emergency. It would be very simple for your DS surgeon to repair it for you, and only add a few minutes to the operation. In the meantime, if it's aching, you could try an abdominal binder. They are available at medical supply stores.
If you are interested in reading some great articles documenting the longterm success of the DS, both for weight loss and for nutrition, send me a pm.
Larra
Hi,
Thanks to all! Looking forward after I get through this rough patch the cost of maintenance(vitamins/labs) probably won't be an issue...the costs quoted here aren't nearly as bad as I imagined...it's just setting aside the cost of surgery and keeping my husband away from it long enough for the surgery to happen(he really wants to keep me this way)...but that's a whole other post on a different kind of forum. Thanks again!
Thanks to all! Looking forward after I get through this rough patch the cost of maintenance(vitamins/labs) probably won't be an issue...the costs quoted here aren't nearly as bad as I imagined...it's just setting aside the cost of surgery and keeping my husband away from it long enough for the surgery to happen(he really wants to keep me this way)...but that's a whole other post on a different kind of forum. Thanks again!
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