Just Started My Research

[Ariazoom]

Hello everyone.

I just started my research of all of this (bypass, sleeve, DS). So far im drawn towards DS because it seems like people wh have had other surgeries eventually request a revision to DS.

About me:
Female
43
Around 270 pounds
BMI 44
5'5"
Single, no kids
I've tried Saxenda, Contrave, Phentermine, HGC shots, weight watchers.

Some Questions I have :
1. What is the recovery time? I live in TX but i have no family support here. My mom is in FL so I could possibly get surgery there and have her look after me for a month or so. I currently WFH anyway. If she comes to TX should would only want to stay a week max.

2. How soon can i go back to working out at the gym? Are there changes or limitations in what activities you can do?

3. My gallbladder is already removed? Any possible issued with that?

4. Has anyone regretted getting this surgery?

5. Do people keep the weight off for the most part?

Please let me know your experiences with surgeons in Orlando, FL or DFW, TX.

Thanks for all your input!

 

[southernlady]

Welcome Ariazoom
Surgeons:
Dr. Ayoola in DFW, which has a very large support network
Dr. Dennis Smith in Orlando
Either one would be an excellent option.

 

[Munchkin]

Welcome! You are lucky. Dr. Ayoola is close to you in Denton. Check him out!

I had my surgery when I was 48 and it was open. Yours will most likely be LAP. I didn't need anyone to take care of me postop. I was fine. You won't be out running marathons but you will be fine. Immediately postop your concern will be to stay hydrated and just heal. Then you have to learn your new normal. That is what takes time.

You probably won't be back at the gym for 8 weeks or so. Healing, plus, you don't want to give yourself a hernia. Long term, you will have a lot less limitations than you do right now. I had my surgery almost 20 years ago and I am in better shape than anyone I know in my age group.

It is not effortless. I still diet all the time. I have to be careful to not eat too much of the wrong things. I need to make the right food choices most of the time but there is nothing I can't eat. I have to take my supplements consistently. Over time it just becomes a habit.

Assuming you are willing to do your part there is no surgery today that works better than the DS for losing the weight and keeping it off. None. It's your best shot. Most of us are very pleased with the DS. Read revision boards. People tend to be revised TO the DS after other procedures fail.

MOST of us had the GB removed with the DS. You know the drill. Fat, Female, And over Forty. The GB is going to have issues so no big deal.

Spend a lot of time reading here and learn.

 

[Georgepds]

So I oce asked a MD friend what the gall bladder did, and he responded "The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile between meals"... and that absent the bladder, the bile still leaks into the intestine. So removal does not mean complete absence of function.

I've got mine, I'm not sure why they’re removed, but it seems to be common

As to recovery, I was in the hospital for two days. IIRC, it really didn't hurt all that much. I remember joking with the surgeon he should be called painless... like the old MASH character. I do remember speed walking in the hospital corridor, with IV bag in tow, in an effort to get them to release me early.I had laproscipic DS.. so the scars disappeared quickly. Mostly laziness kept me home for 6 weeks. I was walking around the block the first week, and longer distance after that. What remains of common sense kept me off ladders

No regrets, wish I did it earlier

 

[Justme222]

I had my gallbladder taken out in 2001 and had my DS surgery March of 2021.
My surgeon felt I was a good candidate for DS except he was concerned about working with scar tissue from my GB removal. He wanted the option to just do a sleeve if there was too much scare tissue. I did not give him the option. I made my intentions clear to him and then everyone I talked to in pre surgery like the hospital nurses the anesthesiologist....... I probably made it clear to the custodial staff just to make it clear. My doctor did the DS, but he also grumbled that he had to remove scar tissue. I'm glad I didn't give him the option. I would have gone into a downward spiral if I got a sleeve and regained so I would have rather had nothing, but that is my personality. I'm an all our nothing kind of person.
I dove headfirst into this process and have been very successful. I started December of 2020 and lost 44 lbs before surgery and 71 since surgery.
I feel great and don't regret it. There are things you have to get used to. The surgery keeps you on track. You can eat the wrong foods, but you will likely pay in one way or another. For me it is the most awful room clearing gas. I must say I have been pretty lucky with side effects so far.
The list of things I can do now is mostly simple things, but they mean the world to me. I can tie my shoes, I rode every roller coaster at Busch Gardens this summer, I bought a pair of boots, I can cross my legs again, walk up and down stairs without using the same leg for each step, and stand in the kitchen for longer than 10 min so I can bake cookies with my grand kids. I should have done this 20 years ago before I let those simple things in life go away.

 

[Ariazoom]

I had my gallbladder taken out in 2001 and had my DS surgery March of 2021.
My surgeon felt I was a good candidate for DS except he was concerned about working with scar tissue from my GB removal. He wanted the option to just do a sleeve if there was too much scare tissue. I did not give him the option. I made my intentions clear to him and then everyone I talked to in pre surgery like the hospital nurses the anesthesiologist....... I probably made it clear to the custodial staff just to make it clear. My doctor did the DS, but he also grumbled that he had to remove scar tissue. I'm glad I didn't give him the option. I would have gone into a downward spiral if I got a sleeve and regained so I would have rather had nothing, but that is my personality. I'm an all our nothing kind of person.
I dove headfirst into this process and have been very successful. I started December of 2020 and lost 44 lbs before surgery and 71 since surgery.
I feel great and don't regret it. There are things you have to get used to. The surgery keeps you on track. You can eat the wrong foods, but you will likely pay in one way or another. For me it is the most awful room clearing gas. I must say I have been pretty lucky with side effects so far.
The list of things I can do now is mostly simple things, but they mean the world to me. I can tie my shoes, I rode every roller coaster at Busch Gardens this summer, I bought a pair of boots, I can cross my legs again, walk up and down stairs without using the same leg for each step, and stand in the kitchen for longer than 10 min so I can bake cookies with my grand kids. I should have done this 20 years ago before I let those simple things in life go away.

This is a great post Thanks so much.

 

[Ariazoom]

Welcome! You are lucky. Dr. Ayoola is close to you in Denton. Check him out!

I had my surgery when I was 48 and it was open. Yours will most likely be LAP. I didn't need anyone to take care of me postop. I was fine. You won't be out running marathons but you will be fine. Immediately postop your concern will be to stay hydrated and just heal. Then you have to learn your new normal. That is what takes time.

You probably won't be back at the gym for 8 weeks or so. Healing, plus, you don't want to give yourself a hernia. Long term, you will have a lot less limitations than you do right now. I had my surgery almost 20 years ago and I am in better shape than anyone I know in my age group.

It is not effortless. I still diet all the time. I have to be careful to not eat too much of the wrong things. I need to make the right food choices most of the time but there is nothing I can't eat. I have to take my supplements consistently. Over time it just becomes a habit.

Assuming you are willing to do your part there is no surgery today that works better than the DS for losing the weight and keeping it off. None. It's your best shot. Most of us are very pleased with the DS. Read revision boards. People tend to be revised TO the DS after other procedures fail.

MOST of us had the GB removed with the DS. You know the drill. Fat, Female, And over Forty. The GB is going to have issues so no big deal.

Spend a lot of time reading here and learn.

This was also great information, thanks!

 

[Ariazoom]

So I oce asked a MD friend what the gall bladder did, and he responded "The gallbladder stores and concentrates bile between meals"... and that absent the bladder, the bile still leaks into the intestine. So removal does not mean complete absence of function.

I've got mine, I'm not sure why they’re removed, but it seems to be common

As to recovery, I was in the hospital for two days. IIRC, it really didn't hurt all that much. I remember joking with the surgeon he should be called painless... like the old MASH character. I do remember speed walking in the hospital corridor, with IV bag in tow, in an effort to get them to release me early.I had laproscipic DS.. so the scars disappeared quickly. Mostly laziness kept me home for 6 weeks. I was walking around the block the first week, and longer distance after that. What remains of common sense kept me off ladders

No regrets, wish I did it earlier

Thanks!!!

 

[JackieOnLine]

I can tie my shoes, I rode every roller coaster at Busch Gardens this summer, I bought a pair of boots, I can cross my legs again, walk up and down stairs without using the same leg for each step, and stand in the kitchen for longer than 10 min so I can bake cookies with my grand kids.

just wonderful!

 

[aaa]

Hello. Our stats are about the same when I had the DS. I’ll be honest, it took about 2 years till I realized it had been the right thing for me to do. I’d never wanted WLS. Yes, it did work. I went from a 24-26 to a 4.

i just want to reiterate to please stay on top of your bloods, vits/minerals & doctor visits. Keep all results so you can compare (including preop). I also suggest a preop dexa bone scan as a baseline.

Oh, and my gb had to come out about 3 years after my DS. I had about 6 weeks till my system went back to how it had been.

 

[Ariazoom]

Yes, the preop dexa scan is a good idea. I had one before my last failed weightloss attempt last year.

 

[Justme222]

I'm not quite 6 months out and I am getting my first dexa scan tomorrow. Anything I need to know? I've never had one

 

[southernlady]

I'm not quite 6 months out and I am getting my first dexa scan tomorrow. Anything I need to know? I've never had one

It’s easy, doesn’t hurt at all. I hope you have great news on it.

 

[hilary1617]

Hi and welcome Ariazoom ! My only regret is not getting DS sooner. My gallbladder came out six or seven months after DS - it was the size of a softball. It had been normal size prior to DS. As in my case, rapid weight loss can create gallstones to form issues. Great that you won't have to worry about it. I'm happy with my size years out. Best wishes!

 

[Ariazoom]

I'm not quite 6 months out and I am getting my first dexa scan tomorrow. Anything I need to know? I've never had one

You have to lay very still for a couple of minutes but that's it. You get very good info on your body composition.