Re: Warning: Rant Ahead (mixed signals aplenty)

December 12, 2001

Whoa.....i only had 100 lbs to lose too..dr baltasar grabbed my fat,

and said " the ds will work nicely for you " .. and it has. im down 30

lbs my first month. i had a prior consult at mt sinia and they tried

to talk me out of the ds too. i knew what i wanted and what was best

for me .. thats when i bought the tickets to spain..

you know whats right for you!

KAREN

December 12, 2001

>

> So, on one hand, I want to take her professional

> advice, because I understand she must know more than

> me about it. But on the other hand, do I want to be a

> one-tablespoon-of-food-in-one-sitting-barfing-dumping

> freako for all eternity? I want as much normalcy as

> getting your guts rearranged can allow. Am I asking

> too much here? (Feel free to tell me " Yes,

> stupid-head, you ask too much! " )

>

Hi, nne -- I'm speaking as a person who has had the RNY, but who is

considering a revision to a DS or distal RNY, and I honestly think that they

" one-tablespoon-of-food-in-one-sitting-barfing-dumping-freako for all

eternity " is a myth, just like unicorns. Before ya'll flame me, just let me

explain.

I thought I was a freak because six months out, I can eat pretty much

whatever I damn well please, with no reprecussions whatsoever (no dumping,

no barfing, etc.) The problem with this is that I'm not losing weight

either, because I don't have any of the behavior mod factors of the RNY

either (no dumping, no barfing), so all I've got to fall back on is the

malabsorption, which in my case just isn't enough.

When I presented this info to OSSG and suggested that the DS would have been

a better choice for me BECAUSE of the malabsoption, I found out two

things -- a) that those who are able to eat one tablespoon of food and feel

" full " are either lying are really freaking miserable because they are

depending on sheer willpower to do it, and that the people who DO dump

and don't get their appetite back full force after 6 months are the

exception rather than the norm.

So (as I said on OSSG which started the whole flamefest), only you can

decide which surgery is better for you. But you need to ask yourself this

one question. IF the " tool " portion of the RNY didn't work for you, would

the limited malabsorption of it be enough to take all your weight off and

keep it off permamently? What would you do if your " tool " failed you? The DS

is virtually foolproof, and safe if you do what you're supposed to do (get

your labs done and follow up, take your supplements, etc).

Becke

_________________________________________________________

December 12, 2001

> > When I presented this info to OSSG and suggested that the DS would

have been

> a better choice for me BECAUSE of the malabsoption, I found out two

> things -- a) that those who are able to eat one tablespoon of food

and feel

> " full " are either lying are really freaking miserable because they

are

> depending on sheer willpower to do it, and that the people who DO

dump

> and don't get their appetite back full force after 6 months are the

> exception rather than the norm.

>

IF the " tool " portion of the RNY didn't work for you, would

> the limited malabsorption of it be enough to take all your weight

off and

> keep it off permamently? What would you do if your " tool " failed

you? The DS

> is virtually foolproof, and safe if you do what you're supposed to

do (get

> your labs done and follow up, take your supplements, etc).>>>>

>

> Becke: Thanks for sharing your viewpoint and experience. I think

it's really invaluable on this list. I didn't choose the RNY but I

think you're on target when you're saying that eventually people are

able to eat larger portions. The only problem is ---they must really,

really watch it or the weight will come back! I would hate to really,

really feel hungry a lot of the time (or even a portion of the time)

and have to rely on 'will power' alone to get me through the day...

What normal person does that???

Or, I would hate to suffer from vomitting or adverse reactions which

*can* occur as a post-op RNY. Or, I'd hate to regain all that

hard-lost weight (or even a portion of it) because I started to eat

like a 'normal person' again.

I like to eat and feel full -- feel satisfied. I wouldn't want to

have many little meals throughout the day (especially in the first

year post-op, I'd guess) so I'd be getting enough nutrition in my

body.

I think the decision is intensely personal and I'm sure it does work

for some people! More power to them! I just know it wouldn't be a

good arrangement for me. I WANT the malapsorption, even though it

means long-term medical obersvation, supplements, etc.

Good luck on your revision!

all the best,

Noverr-Chin

co-moderator

lap ds with gallbladder removal

January 25, 2001

Dr. Gagner/Mt. Sinai/NYC

10 months post-op and still feelin' fabu

preop: 307 lbs/bmi 45

now: 198 lbs/bmi 28/size sweet 16 but squee

December 12, 2001

>

> > > Ugh. I'm just so irked.

> >

> > So, on one hand, I want to take her professional

> > advice, because I understand she must know more than

> > me about it. But on the other hand, do I want to be a

> > one-tablespoon-of-food-in-one-sitting-barfing-dumping

> > freako for all eternity? I want as much normalcy as

> > getting your guts rearranged can allow. Am I asking

> > too much here? (Feel free to tell me " Yes,

> > stupid-head, you ask too much! " )

> >

nne,

I think this lady she blow her professional uneducated advice right

out her arse. How's that? Listen, as of the date of my surgery 3

weeks ago, I was exactly 104 pounds overweight. Now...that was as of

the date of my surgery. I have been up to 160 pounds overweight, and

I can assure you that with little or no impetus, I can get back up

there! Sheesh, The bottom line is either you get this surgery in

order to permanently keep your weight off, or just wait until you

blossom up to a newer higher unhealthier weight with lots more co

morbidities and risk factors in order to increase your chances of not

surviving surgery. Sounds logical, doesn't it?

As for our lower BMI's...mine drifed between 38 and 40 depending on

the time of the month! laughing My doctor did make one adjustment to

the surgery due to my lower weight. He left my stomach larger than

normal. My stomach is 6 oz's right now. Now, how I feel about

that..well I will let you know when and if I reach my goal weight.

Hang in there sister friend. Be firm of resolve and understand that

even if these folks are telling you their opinions out of concern and

caring for you...until they walk one bloody miserable day in your

shoes, they have no clue what a measly 100 pounds overweight will do

to you!

Huge hugs,

Theresa

Surgery date: DS Nov. 19, 2001

Dr. Gregg Jossart

Highest weight: 293

Surgery weight: 251

Current weight: 225

Height: 5' 7.5 "

December 12, 2001

In a message dated 12/12/2001 8:07:35 PM Central Standard Time,

beckeboyer@... writes:

> So (as I said on OSSG which started the whole flamefest), only you can

> decide which surgery is better for you. But you need to ask yourself this

> one question. IF the " tool " portion of the RNY didn't work for you, would

> the limited malabsorption of it be enough to take all your weight off and

> keep it off permamently? What would you do if your " tool " failed you? The DS

> is virtually foolproof, and safe if you do what you're supposed to do (get

> your labs done and follow up, take your supplements, etc).

>

The BPD/DS is the surgery to end all surgeries for weight loss. There have

been a very, very rare occassion that a revision had to be done for further

weight loss but it is very, very rare. Now also in rare cases there can need

to be a revision because of excessive weight loss, but again this is very

rare. One of my major clues to have the BPD/DS is when I asked local

surgeons if they did the BPD/DS they indicated--no it is too drastic for a

first surgery--HELLO--I only want to have wls once. I personally could

handle a revision for too much weight loss much better than not losing and

gaining. But that is just me! I wanted to go for the gusto. Also as Becke

stats the mechanics of the BPD/DS are not going to break down like they can

in the RNY. As I read the OSSG list, it seems one of the main problems is

the stoma enlarging. This makes it so that there is very little restriction.

I think people who end up with stretched stomas end up with less restriction

than us BPD/DS people. The RNY relies mostly on restriction. Breakdown of

restriction and it is all over--you are on your own!

Dawn

Dr. Hess, Bowling Green, OH

BPD/DS

4/27/00

www.duodenalswitch.com

267 to 165 5' 4 "

size 22 to size 10

have made size goal

no more high blood pressure, sore feet, or dieting!

December 13, 2001

Hey nne,

I am sorry yor are having such a hard time. I have ran into some of the

same problems but not quite as bad as you. I have a BMI of 41. First the

nutritionist I say was not going to reccomend me for surgery she said my

BMI was to low. But after seeing her a couple of time she did reccomend

me. Also my PCP thought the surgeon would not agree to do surgery on me

because of my low BMI. But Dr. Keshishian in Calif. said he would do it

after he talked to me and made sure it was what I wanted. I hope you get

to have the surgery you chose because we all know that it is the best one

out there for us. I would not have the RNY after I found out about the

DS. I don't think it is fair that we have to gain weight to have a

surgery so that we can lose weight and live a healthier life. I cannot

believe you Doctor telling you to gain weight so he woudl feel

comfortable. I hope it gets worked out for you. Don't let them change

your mind.

Good Luck

M.

pre-op 01/09/02

BMI 41/240Lbs.

Dr. K

Open

__________________________________________________

December 13, 2001

> The thing that gets me is " only need to lose 100

> pounds. " I know many BPD/DS folks had significantly

> more to lose than " only 100 pounds, " but frikkin'-A,

> 100 pounds certainly seems pretty major to me. Argh!

I totally agree, nne. I could lose 100lbs and be totally happy.

I'm aiming for more like 130, but who knows? Morbid obesity is

defined as 100+ lbs overweight and conventional weight loss

methods are practically 100% proven to FAIL for anyone 100+ lbs

overweight. So where's the logic in the " only have to lose "

whatever argument? Losing it isn't the problem...keeping it off is.

> So, on one hand, I want to take her professional

> advice, because I understand she must know more than

> me about it.

Granted, she knows what she knows. However, she doesn't

have to live the rest of your life for you, barfing or no barfing,

dumping or no dumping. You know what you want and why you

want it. With all due respect to this woman's education and

expertise, no thank you.

I have to wonder if any of the only-100-pounds-therefore-RNY

argument has to do with the relative ease of getting insurance to

cover RNY over DS, especially for " low " BMI people? Just a

thought...

Best of luck,

- who hopes Yahoo kills the Walmart ads soon...

December 13, 2001

Yes - the Walmart ad is so annoying that it is NOT making me want to

buy from Walmart... Target here I come :-) Arrrrrggg. Any

ad " blinking " beside where I am " trying " to read, will not entice me

to buy there. Maybe show it a couple of posts, but I am usually

reading many posts by the time I visit all my groups... Wanda

> - who hopes Yahoo kills the Walmart ads soon...

December 13, 2001

In a message dated 12/13/01 1:34:59 PM, duodenalswitch writes:

<< One of my major clues to have the BPD/DS is when I asked local