Question:
Need to hear from DS patients

I was wondering if you could tell me a little more about the DS surgery. I'm in the very begining process of getting RNY. I'm supposed to go on Monday for an all day apt to meet with several people. I had heard people mention DS but didn't really have a clue what it meant. I researced it tonight and I must say I am now terribly confussed as to what to do. I checked my clinics web site and they don't perform DS. I most likly could get a referral somewhere else with no problem. I'm wondering with the DS do you find it harder to stay away from "bad" foods? Does the smaller stomach ever stretch back out to what it once was? Is the calorie fat and carb intake cut down to about 50%? Do you get full quickly? Did the weight come off quickly? Any help or advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.    — JessieL (posted on June 15, 2003)

June 14, 2003
I had a DS in Oct 2001 with Dr. Pomp in NYC. I started at 304 lbs and am now 138 lbs, which is below my personal goal of 145 lbs. The DS differs from the RNY in that we DS'ers get to keep our pylorus and therefore don't dump. Our 3 major rules are 1. protein first (about 100 gms/day, 2. drink your water (about 2 quarts/dau) and 3. take your supplements (vitamins and minerals). The DS carries slightly more of a malnutrition risk than the RNY, so supplements are extremely important. We don't have any particular foods to avoid, but sweets are not encouraged as we absorb them 100%; we only absorb about 33% of the protein we eat. I can and do eat pastry and ice cream, but only after I've had my 100 gms of protein and not every day. Some of us have trouble with diarrhea and gas. I've been constipated with gas, but this is easily controllable with over the counter meds, certainly more controllable than my obesity ever was! In the beginning, my stomach held about 4 oz, now I estimate it holds about 8. I do get full quickly, and frequently eat high protein snacks between meals. Yogurt is a favorite as are soy chips and cashew nuts, pecans and walnuts. When I do have a craving for chocolate, I choose something with nuts in it, such as a GooGoo Cluster. If I eat too much fat, I get an "oil slick" in the toilet, similar to what I experienced on Xenical. Messy, but not a major problem. In short, the DS is the best thing I've ever done for myself! I can walk for miles, climb stairs and fit into chairs and booths in restaurants and movie theaters. Feel free to email me. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
   — dantevolta

June 15, 2003
Hi Jessie! The best way to learn more about the DS is to visit www.duodenalswitch.com and to join the DS Yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/duodenalswitch/. About a year ago, I canceled my RNY date and flew out-of-state to have the DS instead, and I consider it the best decision of my life. For me, the bottom line was that the DS has the best published long-term weight loss stats with the lowest risk of late regain. At one year post-op, I have lost about 90% of my excess weight, I'm now in the "normal" weight range, and I'm still losing effortlessly, at the rate of about 5 pounds a month. I'm feeling great, eating anything I want, and I have tons of energy. I make sure to eat nutritious foods, get enough protein and water, and to take my vitamin and mineral supplements every day. I eat smaller, more frequent meals than I did pre-op, and I'm actually consuming *more* calories than I ever did before -- but still losing weight. My blood work has been great, and I have few of the "bathroom side effects" that people often fear about the DS and other distal procedures (I have 1 or 2 BMs a day, no diarrhea or "odor" issues, and about the same amount of gas that I did pre-op). Overall, I can hardly believe how wonderful this procedure has been for me. I wish you the same kind of luck with journey, whichever surgery you choose.
   — Tally