Which surgery to get

[Susan in Tennessee]

DS! I personally know MANY bypass recipients who gained all and more back. Not so with DS peeps, maybe a slight regain but nothing huge. Read here and ask questions. Also , make sure that if you do settle on DS that your surgeon does the true DS surgery and not the modified one (sadi/sips) or whatever they call it. As for the problems Georgepds mentioned, they do exist but certainly not to the extreme for everyone. Vitamins are EXTREMELY important but doable. I also know many friends, men and women who have osteoporosis or osteopenia who are not WLS people…it happens either way. But, yes, it’s good to know ALL the aspects.
Susan

 

[southernlady]

Well it sounds like the issues I have now honestly lol ever since I had my gall bladder out I constantly have to go the bathroom and it’s always loose. I’m sure I can’t drink milk now but I do and instantly regret it lol. Well still doesn’t sound to serious then as that can be prevented it sounds. I just wanna do what’s right the first time around lol thanks again

I lost my gallbladder 6 months post op. Did not affect my DS at all. I still eat a fair amount of fat to stay regular. If you look at the anatomy of the DS, bile enters at the beginning of the common channel WAY DOWN the small intestine not up at the pyloric valve. It honestly doesn’t have time to do the kind of “damage” it does in normal systems. They told me to go low fat after I had my gall bladder surgery, I ignored them and never had the issues my friend did who never had WLS at all and had to limit fat for about 10 years.

Many adults are lactose intolerant anyway. I just never dreamed it would happen to me. OTOH, my husband had his DS 5 weeks before I did (he’ll be 13 years out on Sat), has no issue with any dairy at all, the brat!

 

[navygrrl]

I only had the diarrhea issue when I was on full liquids. I went the other way until I switched the type of iron I was taking as well as increasing the amount of fat I had in my diet. I fart a lot at home, but I don't have issues at work (I'm a teacher). My husband is proud of my farts, but that's probably because I've been farting around him since 17 days into our relationship.

As for vitamins, I currently have mine set up to take them 5 times a day. I just gulp a handful down each time. This probably won't work if you have a sensitive gag reflex. Personally, I've been lucky enough to have very few issues from the DS. I'm happy that I had it done, for multiple reasons.

I don't eat out a lot, but I have always been able to find options. Usually, going out leaves me with several days worth of leftover meals, so that's a bonus.

 

[Georgepds]

Re gall bladder... a little off topic

My understanding is the gall bladder accumulates bile to release a bolus of bile when a fatty meal is detected. If you take out the gall bladder, you still produce bile, it's just that it dribbles into the small intestine continuously

Have I got that right?

 

[Larra]

Georgepds you have it right, except any meal (or snack) can send a signal to the gall bladder to release bile into the bile ducts. But the important part is what you said, that the gall bladder's function is merely a storage depot for bile, which continues to be produced in the liver just like always if the gall bladder is removed.

 

[Firewife204]

What options are there for caffeine? I am totally sweet tea and soda, yes very bad if not I get migraines from no caffeine. I will have to break my habits of this quickly so any advice is greatful

 

[Georgepds]

I have no problems with caffine... but then I'm one of those people who will have a cup before bed... without problems

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I'm very impressed with your surgeon for not trying to pick for you or to direct you to what is easiest or most lucrative for him. We don't always see that.
I chose the DS because it has the best results for percentage excess weight loss, for maintaining that weight loss (a major problem with other surgeries) and for resolution of almost all comorbidities. I have never regretted my choice. I hope you will learn everything you can about all your options and the post-op diet and lifestyle you will need to live with and make a well informed choice that is best for you.

Thank you for being so honest, this is the only thing that worries me. I don’t wanna take a chance on something like any of that to happen. We also travel a lot so the carts may be an issue as well lol. Those factors may be the reason I don’t get this type, thank you so much.

Then, read up (there are videos on YouTube) on what happens with the RnY bypass and “Dumping Syndrome.” I have insane friends (water seeks its own level) who change into jammies, spread towels out on the bed, keep a trash can to barf into…so they can eat a donut. (And they have weight regain issues more than Dsers do.)

 

[Spiky Bugger]

What options are there for caffeine? I am totally sweet tea and soda, yes very bad if not I get migraines from no caffeine. I will have to break my habits of this quickly so any advice is greatful

Coffee all day for me.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Here’s a video:

I couldn’t copy the link. Just google
youtube dumping syndrome

 

[southernlady]

What options are there for caffeine? I am totally sweet tea and soda, yes very bad if not I get migraines from no caffeine. I will have to break my habits of this quickly so any advice is greatful

Between now and surgery wean yourself off to decaf to avoid the headache. My husband and I did that. At first it was 1/4 decaf, 3/4 caffeine, then 1/2 and 1/2., then we moved to 3/4 decaf and 1/4 caffeine so that by the time we got to surgery we were on full decaf. I still had a mild headache but nothing like coming off it cold turkey.

Stop the soda cold, now. Just don’t have it in the house. Avoid buying it away from home. Yes, it’s hard but it will be better. You can go back at a later date but soda is hard on a new sleeve. Caffeine is not dehydrating but it is addictive and a diuretic. And the carbonation can be hard esp in the first year.

 

[Munchkin]

I love coffee and diet soda. I drink both every day. Switch to diet soda and learn to like your tea plain or with artificial sweeteners. I am more than 20years postop. Right after your surgery it controls your life. Then you learn your new guts and take charge. It’s temporary.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

What options are there for caffeine? I am totally sweet tea and soda, yes very bad if not I get migraines from no caffeine. I will have to break my habits of this quickly so any advice is greatful

Are we supposed to have caffeine issues?

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Between now and surgery wean yourself off to decaf to avoid the headache. My husband and I did that. At first it was 1/4 decaf, 3/4 caffeine, then 1/2 and 1/2., then we moved to 3/4 decaf and 1/4 caffeine so that by the time we got to surgery we were on full decaf. I still had a mild headache but nothing like coming off it cold turkey.

Stop the soda cold, now. Just don’t have it in the house. Avoid buying it away from home. Yes, it’s hard but it will be better. You can go back at a later date but soda is hard on a new sleeve. Caffeine is not dehydrating but it is addictive and a diuretic. And the carbonation can be hard esp in the first year.

Why?

 

[Georgepds]

.... The farts and BM stories weren’t as bad as we were told. Actually a poll on .......

For a while they can be quite awful....Imagine yourself in a holiday tour of the catacombs of Paris... ooooh.. you just reached the jaw bone chapel when you poop your pants, maybe just a big wet fart, maybe explosive diarrhea (poTAYtoe poTAHtoe, doesn't really matter which). The nearest toilet is a half mile away and and a couple of hundred feet up...all stairs... no elevator.

Bad enough, but what is really embarrassing is the ride home on the metro, that puts you squarely in the caste of really really stinky American .

Really, I respectfully disagree ....The farts and BM stories ARE as bad as we ARE told.


For a while you are going to have to have a travel bag with spare underwear and cloth and water to clean yourself for these Kodak moments ( lord help you if you left the bag at home during your trip to the catacombs), that or just sit at home worshipping the porcelain throne.

Personally, I prefer the embarrassment to the T2 diabetes co morbidites, the embarrassing moment wont kill or maim or blind you, cant say the same for the co morbidities. But, when I made my decision, the current weight loss drugs (Wegovy, Ozempic) were not around. Now, I might give one of those a try first.