why you decided not to have ds?!?!

  yea.. I guess all insurances have different requirements.

Even though I started out with a high BMI, I opted for RNY instead of DS for several  reasons.
1) I was concerned about ANY kind of intestinal bypass and worried about what will happen when I am in my 60s/70s/80s when the body naturally becomes less efficient at absorbing nutrients.  The risk for nutritional deficiencies in old age would be higher with the DS because it involves bypassing so much more of the intestine.
2) When I was researching the potential side effects of each surgery, there were no side effects of the RNY that I felt I couldn't live with, but the one person I knew who had already had the DS is one of the (apparent) few who have trouble with the smelly, oily dairrhea no matter what she eats and no matter what medication she takes -- she always carries a change of clothing in her car! -- and I was not willing to take the risk of ME being one of those few.
3) I wanted to learn to eat in a more healthy manner, and for me an important part of that was limiting my fat consumption.  The DS involves so much malabsorption of fats that they have to eat a fair amount of fat in order to get enough in their diet.  The RNY meal plan just seemed much healthier overall.
4) I did not like the idea of them removing the rest of my stomach.
5) I was not sure I could commit to a lifetime of taking almost twice as many vitamins for the DS as for the RNY

Lora

OMG seriously? really? please block me ok :)

edited to add I've known about the ******g pyloric valve since I was 14 after reading " A Confederacy of Dunces"

Huh?!?!?!? 

Lora

 I was thinking the same thing.  

  I know how much you like to help people on here Lora and being your a vet and all it would be cool to see what you eat to have such good maintenance results. But you never  post on any of those threads. I know as a newbie they are helpful to see.

I no longer post on those threads because what I eat at 4 years out is not going to be applicable to anyone in their first year (and most poeple who are a couple of years out already have their own established eating patterns).

Lora

 Talk about non sequiturs. Wow.

I didn't want a DS because my sister had one -- and called me with every side effect.  Her experiences, early out, were very much like Lora described.  Frankly, she scared me out of it.

RNY was also recommended by my surgeon because it cures GERD.  I honestly felt better immediately after surgery. 

So far, I'm very happy with my decision.  Good luck with whatever you decide!

Laura

That was my experience, too.  I had terrible acid reflux with the sleeve.  I would wake up at night choking on acid and run to the bathroom to vomit it up.  And that was after taking daily medicine for it.  After my revision I took the Prilosec for 3 months are recommend and then asked my doctor if I could try to discontinue them and see if I needed them.  I haven't taken one since.