Re: Consult with DS doctor

[Guest guest]

,

In my opinion, if an M.O. person can diet and keep the weight off that is the

better route to go. However, most of us know that that is not going to

happen (not that it can't for you). So, taking dieting to get the weight off

out of the picture, now we have two choices--surgery or stay M.O. I chose

surgery. I was miserable and my activity level was becoming less and less.

Also M.O. is a progressive disease. Even though you are at a low BMI, my

guess is that it will only go higher (unless you feel dieting is still an

option).

After the DS, you do have to have bloodwork. My BMs are smellier. There are

no silent farts. These are minor inconveniences. If I compare myself to a

non m.o. person, these inconveniences could be a little more than minor.

However, I can't compare myself to a non m.o. person. I am thin now, but I

am still suffer from M.O. I will spend the rest of my life treating my

disease. But now it is under control.

Also remember that the intestinal part (the part that would cause any long

term problems) is totally reversible.

Dawn--South Suburban Chicago area

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

[Guest guest]

At 10:36 PM -0500 11/16/01, hbstandard@... wrote:

>Okay, I saw Dr. in Marrietta, GA today. ...

>After the appointment I feel more scared about the surgery, rather

>than less. ... I

>guess the thing that worries me the most is simply just the act of rearranging

>my insides...

, I am 6+ months post-op, and I STILL sometimes wonder about

how I am " different " inside. I don't obsess about it, but I do think

about it still. For a few weeks after the operation, I kept asking

myself, " What in the heck did you do to yourself? " Of course, I

thought of that more often when my bowels were in an uproar or when I

was hurting. The first several weeks can be uncomfortable. But,

then, by around week 6, I felt much better; many people feel much

better at around that time.

>also the possible protein deficiency,

As long as you eat protein first at a meal, there should be no

problem. And, there are a variety of protein supplements. You might

have to experiment to find the one that suits you best, but, there

are quite a few to choose from. Many are archived for this list.

>the loose stools, and smellier flatulence. It just all seems so scary!

After a while, the stools get firmer, and you get used to the smells.

Sure, you are different than pre-op, but you will no longer be as

obese, either. It's a tradeoff. But, you get used to it. I am just

" different, " not only in my bowel habits, but I can get around, walk

upstairs, bend over to tie my shoes without coming close to blacking

out; my total cholesterol is 133 without any meds, where it had shot

up to 288 before I went on meds pre-op, etc, etc. ...

Do, indeed, think about it. But, also remember that the longer you

wait, the more weight you are likely to accumulate, and sooner or

later it catches up with your health and sense of well being.

Good luck,

Steve

--

Steve Goldstein, age 61

Lap BPD/DS on May 2, 2001

Dr. Elariny, INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Virginia

Starting (05/02/01) BMI = 51

BMI on 11/14 = 39 (-80 lb.)

[Guest guest]

,

It is natural to feel scared by all of the possible complications.

Try to keep things in perspective. Your low BMI means that you are

at significantly lower risk of complications than the average

patient. This is not to say that you wont have any complications, but

Dr. Anthone says that if you can walk into his office he can pretty

much guarantee that you will walk out of the hospital after surgery.

It is important to understand each risk and how we as patients can

minimize it. The biggest risk is pulmonary emboli, and that can be

minimized by walking as much as possible after surgery. One thing

though, don't try to get up and walk when you are in the recovery

room - that is what I did and it was way too soon (the anestesia does

strange things to your mind for a few hours after surgery). Those

that are not able to walk have real issue with this.

Protien malnutrion is a managble risk. If you are worried about

this, ask your surgeon to use a longer common channel length like

100cm, as this minimizes the possibility. It will also be critical

for you not to become aneorexic after surgery. Eating is

uncomfortable for a while after surgery, but it is important to eat

(if only a little).

Other risks are small for those who are basically healthy (other than

obesity). If you have pulmonary or cardiac problems going in, this

would increase those risks.

Flatulance and foul smelling stools are inevitable. These are side

effects that one must accept in exchange for the benifits of this

surgery. I really don't find these to be that big a deal though (at

least at 3 weeks out).

The other thing you must accept is a slow recover (several weeks).

You don't always feel great during your recovery, but it is not all

that terrible. I have felt much worse when I had the flu. It is more

like a very mild flu that lasts a long time. I always think of the

70's song from Steve Band ... " You have got to go through

hell before you get to heaven " .

In this case " hell " is not that bad.

Hull

> Okay, I saw Dr. in Marrietta, GA today. We were given a

group Power Point

> lecture from Dr. himself. Then when I met privately with Dr.

he

> said the first thing that struck him is that my BMI is 41.7 and that

> is on the low end of morbid obesity. I felt funny being told I

might not be fat

> enough! What a switch. So I asked him whether I should just try

dieting and

> exercising again. He said that I would have only a 2% chance of

loosing the 125

> pounds and keeping it off for even a year. That sounds pretty

pointless, huh?

>

> After the appointment I feel more scared about the surgery, rather

than less. I

> told Dr. that I was very gung-ho and ready to have the

surgery a.s.a.p.

> before the appointment, but after seeing his presentation and

hearing about the

> possible complications of the DS I started second guessing and

feeling unsure.

> He said that was good, that meant I was really considering it from

all sides. I

> guess the thing that worries me the most is simply just the act of

rearranging

> my insides... also the possible protein deficiency, the loose

stools, and

> smellier flatulence. It just all seems so scary!

>

> Well anyway, our plan is to submit a claim to my insurance and see

if they will

> approve. If they don't then plan B is to try with my husband's

insurance. He

> just became eligible for insurance and we have a choice of lots of

different

> plans, so we got list of plans that are unlikely to approve and

those that are

> more likely to approve from the insurance person in the office. I

plan to just

> see if I can even get insurance approval and then I can sorta be

making up my

> mind at the same time.

>

> I really need some reassurances about this. It is such a scary

time, being

> pre-op. All these terrible scenarios are going through my mind...

what if this

> happens, what about that, etc. Feedback please!!!!!!

>

>

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 11/17/01 4:01:44 PM, duodenalswitch writes:

<<

After the DS, you do have to have bloodwork. My BMs are smellier. There are

no silent farts. These are minor inconveniences. If I compare myself to a

non m.o. person, these inconveniences could be a little more than minor.

However, I can't compare myself to a non m.o. person. I am thin now, but I

am still suffer from M.O. I will spend the rest of my life treating my

disease. But now it is under control.

>>

Dawn: Oh, the silent ones are the WORST for me! ROFL They are usually the

most POTENT! I don't get really smelly farts too often but when I do

(usually in the evenings so most of the public is spared), the silent ones

can be deadly! LOL

I agree that the side effects (short and long term) of DS that I have

experienced (and, I must note that they haven't been that extreme -- some

bouts of painful gas -- maybe 5-10 in the nine months post-op; some loose

stools when I'm under severe stress but usually I go 1-2 times a day in the

morning and that's it for the day).

all the best,

lap ds with gallbladder removal

January 25, 2001

nine months post-op and still feelin' fabu

preop: 307 lbs/bmi 45

now: 201 lbs/size 16/large in normal clothing! Yahoo!

[Guest guest]

Hi, I am from ukiah calif. I also have a low BMI

40.9. My doc said the same thing. That I was not

that overweight. I have been overweight all my life.

I am sick of diets that don't work for me. I am

alittle scared also. But I believe that this is the

best choice for me. Every year I go on diet only to

lose 20 or 30 lbs. Regain it plus more. I can hardly

believe that soon I will not have to worry about

dieting just learning how to eat properly. Good luck

to you and whatever you decide.

pr-op 01/09/02

BMI 40.9/ 238 lbs.

age 39

--- hbstandard@... wrote:

> Okay, I saw Dr. in Marrietta, GA today. We

> were given a group Power Point

> lecture from Dr. himself. Then when I met

> privately with Dr. he

> said the first thing that struck him is that my BMI

> is 41.7 and that

> is on the low end of morbid obesity. I felt funny

> being told I might not be fat

> enough! What a switch. So I asked him whether I

> should just try dieting and

> exercising again. He said that I would have only a

> 2% chance of loosing the 125

> pounds and keeping it off for even a year. That

> sounds pretty pointless, huh?

>

> After the appointment I feel more scared about the

> surgery, rather than less. I

> told Dr. that I was very gung-ho and ready to

> have the surgery a.s.a.p.

> before the appointment, but after seeing his

> presentation and hearing about the

> possible complications of the DS I started second

> guessing and feeling unsure.

> He said that was good, that meant I was really

> considering it from all sides. I

> guess the thing that worries me the most is simply

> just the act of rearranging

> my insides... also the possible protein deficiency,

> the loose stools, and

> smellier flatulence. It just all seems so scary!

>

> Well anyway, our plan is to submit a claim to my

> insurance and see if they will

> approve. If they don't then plan B is to try with

> my husband's insurance. He

> just became eligible for insurance and we have a

> choice of lots of different

> plans, so we got list of plans that are unlikely to

> approve and those that are

> more likely to approve from the insurance person in

> the office. I plan to just

> see if I can even get insurance approval and then I

> can sorta be making up my

> mind at the same time.

>

> I really need some reassurances about this. It is

> such a scary time, being

> pre-op. All these terrible scenarios are going

> through my mind... what if this

> happens, what about that, etc. Feedback please!!!!!!

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

>