PSaadallah
Duodenal Switch Surgery Approved and Scheduled
Nov 02, 2012
It's all proceeding faster than I had expected! I had my first consultation with my surgeon, Dr. David Kim, on October 10; sleep study on October 11. The insurance approval came through on October 31, and the next day I had a surgery date scheduled. Now I'm looking forward to December 18 with excitement, fear and optimism. I had never seriously considered weight loss surgery, primarily because I knew so many people who had surgery and gained most or all of their weight back. My surgeon explained Duodenal Switch surgery and why he thought it was my best option. I had originally thought about the Vertical Sleeve procedure, but he ruled that out because I had extensive scarring from my spleen surgery 25 years ago.
I've done lots of research since that first visit, and I find very few people who've had DS who have experienced weight regain. Most are completely satisfied with their procedure, years later, even those few who had complications. I find it a bit scary to think of having my intestines re-arranged, but this may be the only way I'm ever going to lose the weight and get my health on track.
I have been overweight since I was a child. There are very few days in my life that I don't obsess about my weight. I've tried virtually every diet or scam out there to get the weight off. Many small, temporary, successes - but overall nothing but increased weight year after year. All that work, all those diets, all the time and money spent trying to lose, and it simply did not work. At age 47, I have finally reached the conclusion that I am not going to be able to do this the "old-fashioned" way. As my primary care doctor put it - "your body is resisting this change, you're going to have to do something drastic." Well, this is certainly drastic!
Lots of pre-op tests to go through before the big day, and I have to explain to my family that my husband and I will not be traveling home for Christmas, but I'm starting to think that this going to work.
