Shayla... about the DS

[Guest guest]

Hi Shayla,

I decided on the DS because I had about 300 lbs to lose!! I didn't think

that I could do that with any other surgery. At the time, I had done a lot

of research, but what I really should have done was join some message boards

(like this one) and gotten some first hand information. I know that there are

people who have lost 300 lbs or more with the RNY or other procedures, but the

research that I did, didn't really tell me that. So... I had the DS. I have

a scar that ran from my breast bone to my pubic bone, vertically down the

center of my body. It has shrunk since I have shrunk ) I also have a scar

from

hip bone to hip bone from my abdominoplasty. And scars on my arms, and

breasts. Yep... I'm a scary lookin' nekkid broad.. that's fer sure! Thank

goodness I don't have the necessity to get naked often!

I did lose the weight that I wanted, and I am happy with the surgery in

so many ways. I can eat whatever I want. After 3 years, I am able to eat

fairly good sized portions (some days are better than others for some reason)

and

I never have to watch what I eat as far as calories or carbs or anything else.

I never gain weight. For a while I was worried that I'd have to have the

surgery reversed because I couldn't seem to stop losing... but things have

leveled out.

The negative side is the malabsorption which I struggle with. Especially

with the iron deficiency during this pregnancy. I am miserable. And I do

have problems with diarrhea which is no fun. But any time I start to think that

I didn't make the right decision, I just think about those 300 lbs and the

fact that my health is SO much better than it was. It's a toss up... would I

have lost all that weight with a different procedure? I'll never know.

Anyway... that's my story. It also helped that one of the pioneer's of

the BPD/DS procedure is very near to where I live.

I'm just glad that there continue to be more and more options for women

and men looking to have surgery for obesity. Some of them have become almost

" simple " procedures!

Dee