Amazing "dumping" comments.....

Yes, it is worth drooling over! Bite sized pieces of skinless, boneless chicken breast, lightly battered and glazed with a peach based sauce. Served with a peach half, a cherry and a small bowl of brown rice. Someone who is a better cook than I could probably do this at home by dipping the chicken in batter and glazing with peach jam or something like that. I'd probably burn down the house if I tried it! Susan in NYC

Not knocking those who, for whatever reason chose the RNY---but over the months I've spent at OH, it's been brought home to me that those who choose the DS appear to be much better informed about WLS in general, and are the ones who've done the most research. (There are SOOO many people who have the RNY because someone told them it's the "gold standard", or, even worse, because they had no clue there were any other choices!!!) Maybe that's because it's highly unlikely that anyone who DOESN'T do a lot of research will never hear of the DS, or hear only misinformation about it. I know that I spent a lot of time with Google, but would have never seriously considered the DS had I not met a couple of post-ops at my local support-group meeting. (Back then, this board was lucky to get 2 posts a day!)

I know it seems like *everyone* comments about how well-informed I am about this surgery and on one hand, they are right - I know about as much as you can know without having experienced it yet. And yet.....that also means that "normal" and "average" people are not NEARLY as well informed as I am, if my knowledge is different enough to be commented on constantly. Why aren't the medical personnel rejecting people and saying "come back when you understand what you're doing"??? I know the insurance companies throw a lot of dog & pony tricks at us, but a lot of their restrictions are bogus. I don't see any problem with saying you should be able to draw and/or define the difference between the Lap Band, the RNY and the DS. That you should KNOW, and have it beaten into your head over and over and over again, WHY you need protein (and exercise!). You should KNOW what the pouch rules are, if you're getting a RNY. There should be a test, and people should have to pass it before they go under the knife. And it should have trick questions on it like "When will you be back to normal?" "when can you stop "dieting"?" I still remember the woman (not a Heap patient) who nonchalantly asked why they were removing all of her intestines? I'm horrified that her surgeon allowed her to reach the point of scheduling surgery without understanding what was about to take place. Can you imagine if she ended up in the ER, and told them she didn't have any intestines? --BT

BT, good for you! Boy did you ever hit that nail on the head! Good luck in Brazil. As for the "no intestine" lady--as a former ER RN, my first instinct would be to check her abdomen for a colostomy, and call psych when I didn't find one. Susan in NYC

I'm proud to report that my surgeon did, in fact, require attendance at his seminar prior to scheduling a consult, AND made patients pass a quiz! He didn't make me draw a diagram, but it was a VERY thorough quiz,and covered the DS, the RNY, and the Band, as well as post-op lifestyle, nutritional requirements, etc. I don't remember there being any 'trick' questions, though.

BT, I think many doctors see themselves as some type of god and us average peons as intellectually incapable of comprehending medical terminology, diagrams, etc. They went through 8 years of medical school and 8 years of residency --how can they expect us to be anywhere near as knowledgable as they are.......And I dare say, they are probably right in a lot of instances. LeaAnn

Dr. Anthone does give a test.

Too funny!! It figures though - the DS doctor gives the test, when we are (or tend to be) the most educated patients about WLS.

I guess they know they're in deep doo-doo if they don't educate people on the importance of follow up and adherance to supplement, protein requirements. LeaAnn